After the great effort that the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) exerted in nurturing his Companions and building the first organized Muslim community on sublime principles that are related to creed, worship and noble morals, it was time to declare the Da‘wah (call). Allah The Almighty revealed the verses in which He Says (what means): {And warn [O Muhammad] your closest kindred. And lower your wing to those who follow you of the believers.} [Quran 26: 214-215]
The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) gathered his tribe and kindred and publicly called them to believe in only one God, warned them of the severe punishment in case of disobedience, commanded them to save themselves from Hell and clarified for them that each person is only responsible for himself.
In a Hadeeth on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, he said,
When the verse [which means]: {And warn [O Muhammad] your closest kindred}, was revealed, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) ascended Mount As-Safa and began calling: “O Banu Fihr! O Banu ‘Adiyy!” addressing various tribes of the Quraysh until they all gathered. Those who could not come sent their messengers to see what was happening. Abu Lahab and other people from the Quraysh came and the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Suppose I told you that there was a [enemy] cavalry in the valley intending to attack you, would you believe me?” They said, “Of course, for we have never seen you telling anything other than the truth.” He then said: “Well, I am a warner to you in the face of a severe punishment.” Abu Lahab said [to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention )], “May your hands be ruined all day! Is it for this purpose that you have gathered us?” The verse [what means]: {May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained.} was then revealed. [Al-Bukhari]
According to the words of another narration, he called them clan by clan saying to each one: “Save yourself from Hell…” Then, he added: “O Faatimah [his own daughter], save yourself from Hell, for I do not posses anything from Allah for you other than the tie of kinship, which I will maintain.” [Muslim]
Quraysh was a realistic and practical people. When they saw the truthful and honest Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) standing on the mountain seeing what was before and behind it while they could only see what was before them, their justice and intelligence guided them to believe him, hence, they said: “Yes.”
Having followed these natural and instinctive stages of his argument, and after those in attendance gave their testimony, the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “I am a warner to you in face of a severe punishment.”
This was a declaration and a definition of the status of prophethood and what the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) exclusively knew of the facts of the unseen as well as the knowledge he had been endowed with. It was a sermon and a warning in an unprecedented wise and eloquent approach, unknown throughout the history of the previous religions and prophets. This was the shortest way and the clearest mode of address. Thereupon, all people remained silent except Abu Lahab, who said, “May your hands be ruined all this day. Is it for this purpose that you gathered us?”
In this way, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) laid down for his Ummah (nation) the bases of media engagement. He chose a high place - the mountain of As-Safa - to stand on and call all the people so that his voice would reach all of them. The exact same approach is adopted by broadcast stations in the modern age to cover far and wide places. Then, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) chose a firm base for his talk, which was to speak the truth. In this way, the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) taught the media and Da‘wah personnel that communicating with people to tell them or call them to something must depend, principally, on complete confidence between the sender and the receiver, or between the source of the message and the audience that receives the message. Additionally, the content of the message must be truthful and contain no falsehood.
Naturally, the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) started his public Da‘wah by warning his closest kindred because the tribal spirit was deeply rooted among the Makkans and calling the kindred first would provide him with help, support and protection. Moreover, starting the Da‘wah in Makkah had a special effect as that region had a very critical religious location. Hence, its acceptance of Islam would have had a considerable impact on other tribes. However, this does not mean that the message of Islam during its first stages was confined to the Quraysh. Rather, Islam, as expressed in the Quran, started the Da‘wah in the Quraysh as a first step to fulfill its universal message. There are many Quranic verses indicating the universality of Da‘wah. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):
{Blessed is he who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner.} [Quran 25: 1]
{And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.} [Quran 21: 107]
{And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.} [Quran 34: 28]
This was followed by another stage during which the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) gave Da‘wah to all the people he met, regardless of their various tribes and lands, and following people in their forums, gatherings and festivals as well as during the Hajj seasons. The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) would give Da‘wah to anyone he met, whether he was a free person or a slave, strong or weak, and rich or poor. This stage began when Allah The Exalted revealed the verses in which He Says (what means): {Then declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists. Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers, who make [equal] with Allah another deity. But they are going to know. And We already know that your breast is constrained by what they say.} [Quran 15: 94-97]
The result of this declaration was rejection, mockery, harm, denial as well as plotted and calculated cunning. Then the conflict aggravated between the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and his Companions, on one side, and the chiefs and leaders of paganism on the other side. The people of Makkah began spreading the news of this conflict everywhere, and this itself was a great gain for the Da‘wah that was attained through its most intense and bitter enemies. They were spreading evil rumors about the Da‘wah, but not all people accepted the claims of the leaders of disbelief and polytheism.
The means of media at that time was oral transmission of news among people. Those near and far heard about the prophethood of Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ). This great event became the hot topic of all people in gatherings, and the meeting places of the tribes as well as in houses.
