The spread of Islam and the Miraj

After the death of Abu Talib and Khadija, and the consequent end of their protective influence, the Meccans had a free hand at this point and resumed their persecutions. These two deaths, just when the Prophet needed them most, left a deep impression on his mind. He was so saddened by their disappearance that he called that year Amul-Huzn (the Year of Pain). The extent and importance of their support can be assessed by the fact that God has considered Abu Talib and Khadijah as two of His highest favors and graces bestowed to the Prophet. God says in surah XCIII:

“Didn't he find you an orphan and give you refuge? Didn't he find you lost and give you guidance? Didn't he find you poor and enrich you? [XCIII, 68] ".

All commentators in the Qur'an claim that the first ayat means, "Did not he find you an orphan and shelter you with Abu Talib?" and the last ayat means: "Did not he find you poor and have enriched you with Khadijah?" If we look at the early days of Islam, without the prestigious influence of Abu Talib we would not be able to understand how the life of the Prophet could have been preserved. And if we raise the wealth of Khadijah, it is difficult to think how poor Muslims could sustain themselves, and how the two migrations in Abyssinia could have been financed.
Once Abu Talib asked Ali: "What is this religion that you are following?" And Ali replied: "I believe in God and His messenger, and I pray with him." Abu Talib said: "Surely Muhammad can only invite us to something good. Never leave Muhammad: follow him faithfully and sincerely ". Once he saw the Prophet praying with Khadijah and Ali and then told Ja'far, who was with him, he said to join them in prayer.
It was Abu Talib's policy to keep the Quraish anxious about his true faith. If he had announced that he had accepted the religion of Muhammad, his position as a respected chief of the tribe would have been compromised and, furthermore, he would not have been able to extend his protection to the Prophet. Therefore, while he always declared his firm conviction that Muhammad could not say anything other than the truth, urging his sons and brothers to follow the religion of Muhammad, he constantly refrained from declaring openly that he himself was a Muslim. In this way he managed to maintain his position in the hierarchy of the Quraish and to protect the Prophet through his great influence. Even on his deathbed, while there was still a chance he could recover, he very diplomatically announced his faith in such a way that the Quraish could not understand what he meant. When they asked him what religion he was following, he replied: "The religion of my ancestors." Well, since it was previously explained that Abdul-Muttalib and all his ancestors were followers of the divine religion, one can not but admire the prudence and wisdom of Abu Talib in such a delicate and difficult situation. During the last moments of his life, the Prophet urged him to recite the kalimah aloud (as was the tradition of Muslims). Abbas, who had not yet accepted Islam, saw Abu Talib's lips moving. He approached his ears to Abu Talib, and then he said to the Prophet: "O my nephew! Abu Talib is saying what you wanted him to say! " Abu Talib died at the age of eighty-five, in the middle of the month of Shawwal or Dhul-Qa'dah (tenth year from the Declaration of Prophecy). Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq said:

"The ancestors of the Prophet will go to Heaven and Abdul-Muttalib will enter Heaven having upon him the Light of the Prophet and the dignity of kings, and Abu Talib will be in the same group."

Very important was also the figure of Khadijah, who was respected so much that the Meccans called it tahirah (pure). All the sons of the Prophet were born of Khadijah except Ibrahim, who was born of Mary the Copt. Khadijah was the first person to testify to the truth of the Prophet, and spent all his wealth on the cause of Islam. She was also a source of comfort and consolation for the Prophet, who said:

"Four women are the noblest of the women of Paradise: Mary mother of Jesus, Asia wife of Pharaoh, Khadijah daughter of Khuwaylid, and Fatima daughter of Muhammad".

Aisha, one of the Prophet's wives, said:

“I have not envied any woman as much as I have envied Khadijah. The Prophet always remembered her. Whenever a sheep or goat was slaughtered, the best parts were sent to the relatives and friends of Khadijah. I used to say, "It seems Khadijah is the only woman in the world." Once, hearing these words, the Prophet was very annoyed and said: "Khadijah has had many virtues, which others do not have."

It is also handed down that:

“[Aisha relates that]« The Prophet once remembered her and I said, 'How long will you remember such an old woman with no teeth in her mouth? God has given you a better woman than her [meaning herself] ”. The Prophet got so angry that their hair stood on end, and said, “By God, I have no better than Khadijah; she believed in me when others were immersed in unbelief; she testified my truth when others rejected it; she helped me with her wealth when others deprived me of it; and God gave me children from her ”». Aisha said that since then she has decided not to say an unseemly word about Khadijah ”.

Khadijah was sixty-five years old when he died, and was buried in Hajun. His tomb was destroyed in the 1925 as those of AbdulMuttalib, Abu Talib and others.
After the death of Abu Talib and Khadijah, finding that the Meccans did not listen to his preaching, the Prophet decided to go to Taif, as his people would perhaps be more receptive. But it was a great disappointment for him. Muhammad spent a month in Taif only to be mocked and mocked. But as he persisted in his preaching, the people of Taif decided to expel him from the city by throwing stones at him. In this desperate situation he thus addressed his Lord:

"Hate! I make my complaint to You regarding the weakness of my strength, the insignificance of my means, and my humiliation in the eyes of the people. You, the most merciful! You are the Lord of the oppressed, You are my Lord. Who would you entrust my business to? To a stranger who would frown at me? Or to an enemy who would control me? If you are not sorry to me, then I don't care (about the hardships and tribulations), but the tranquility of spirit granted by You will be more accommodating for me. I seek refuge in the Light of Your Face (through which all darkness is dispersed and all affairs of this world and the Hereafter are righteously guided) by the signs of Your wrath or the coming of Your wrath. I seek Your forgiveness so that You can be pleased with me. There is no power or strength except in You ”.

Despite all these tribulations and persecutions, Islam continued to spread to other tribes, albeit very slowly and on a small scale. His simplicity and rationality were such that it was enough that he reached the ears of the people to capture their soul. For fourteen years the Quraish did their best to counter the new religion, but their own opposition provided the necessary publicity. On the occasion of the annual pilgrimage, all the tribes in every corner of Arabia poured into Mecca. To prevent them from being influenced by Muhammad's message, the Quraish used to intercept and inform the pilgrims just outside the city, spreading the following message: "In our city an infidel was born who dishonors our idols; he also speaks ill of Lat and Uzza; do not listen to him ". But in this way people obviously became curious and wanted to learn more about this man. Once a disciple of the Prophet, recalling the times of his youth, said: "When I was young, I used to hear from people visiting Mecca that a man claimed that the prophecy was born in the city!" As the news spread, many people certainly flung at him with contempt and censure, but others, though few, sincere seekers of truth, listened to his message and meditated on it, and slowly began to be influenced by it.
Hafiz ibn Hajar, in his book Al-Isabah, mentions the names of several comrades who, having come from Yemen and other distant places, after secretly accepting Islam, came back and began to propagate the religion of God among the other tribes. The Abu Musa al-Ash'ari clan of Yemen, for example, accepted Islam in this way.
Tufail ibn Amr, of the Daws tribe, was a poet with a great reputation who, through his lyrical fervor, could capture and influence the feelings and tendencies of the Arabs. He came in contact with the Prophet and was so impressed by the wonderful recitation of the Quran by the Prophet that he accepted Islam instantly. He succeeded in approaching some members of his tribe to Islam, but in general this did not listen to him. He then returned to the Prophet and asked him to curse the Daws, but the Prophet recited the following invocation: "O God! Guide Daws and send them to me (as Muslims) ». Immediately afterwards the whole tribe accepted Islam.
Dhamad ibn Tha'labah was a leader of Azd and a youth friend of the Prophet. When he returned to Mecca after a long time he was told that Muhammad had gone insane. Immediately he sought the Prophet and, when he found him, told him if he could do anything to cure him. The Prophet replied:

“All praise belongs to God; I pray and seek His forgiveness. If God were to lead someone, he cannot escape, and if God were to forsake him, no one could lead him. I declare that there is no god but Allah. He is one and has no associates, and I further declare that Muhammad is His servant and messenger ”.

It is almost impossible to reproduce the vibrating power and the captivating charm of the Arabic text of the aforementioned declaration, which so impressed Dhamad that he was able to accept Islam immediately. Subsequently, thanks to his action, all his tribe did the same.
Abu Dharr of the Ghifar tribe was one of those who had always felt disgust for the worship of idols. When he learned of the Prophet, he went immediately to Mecca and by chance he met Ali, with whom he stayed for three days. Ali then introduced him to the Prophet and he immediately accepted Islam. The Prophet invited him to return home, but in his zeal he publicly announced in the Ka'bah: "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His prophet." He was violently attacked by the Quraish and saved only thanks to Abbas's intervention. Returning to his tribe, he invited her to Islam, which was accepted by about half of its members. The rest did so only later, when he queued to the Prophet on his way to Medina.
Since the Ghifar was in very friendly relations with the tribe of Aslam, the latter was influenced by the first and also accepted Islam.
Many people then happened to randomly listen to the recitation of the Koran and be captured by it. Once Jubair ibn Mut'im arrived in Medina to pay the ransom of Badr's prisoners of war and he happened to listen to the Prophet while he recited the following verses:

“Were they created from nothing or are they the creators themselves? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? In reality they have no certainty [LII, 3536] ”.

Jubair said that when he heard these verses, he felt his heart was about to burst.

Since the Meccans refused to listen, the Prophet used to preach to foreigners and pilgrims visiting the Ka'bah. As said before, the news that a prophet had arisen spread like wildfire. A delegation of about twenty Christians from Nazareth came to meet him and embraced Islam. In the same way, another group of six people from Yathrib came to him to do the same. The following year, at the time of the annual pilgrimage, twelve yathribites came to sign a pact known as the First Covenant of Aqabah (a mountain pass), so named because it was first signed on the mountain road outside Mecca.
The Pact consisted of:
- do not associate anything else with God
- do not steal, do not commit adultery or fornication
- do not kill babies
- refrain from slander and backbiting
- obey the Prophet in everything, be faithful to him in well-being and difficulties
The period between the First and Second Covenants was characterized by a distressing expectation. The Meccans were rigidly resolute, the people of Taif had refused Muhammad, and the mission progressed slowly. But it did hope its spread in the distant city of Yathrib. The belief that the truth would eventually prevail was a lot. Describing this period, the orientalist Muir writes:

"Muhammad, thus supporting his people with their backs to the wall in the never dull expectation of victory, apparently helpless and with his group, small as he was, in the jaws of the lion, he still trusted in the power of his God of whom he believed himself to be the messenger. Resolute and unshakable, he presents a spectacle of sublimity comparable only, in the sacred scriptures, to the events of the prophets of Israel, when he addresses his Lord saying "I, even if alone, have remained" ".

It was at that time that God, in his infinite mercy and benevolence, granted the Prophet the unique privilege to ascend to the ends of the heavens and to admire the magnificent splendor of the heavens and creation:

“Glory to Him who carried His servant at night from the Holy Mosque to the remote Mosque whose surroundings We blessed, to show Him some of Our signs. He is the One who listens to everything and observes everything [XVII, 1] ”.

There has been a great controversy over the question of whether ascension (mi'raj) was merely a vision or a bodily journey. Most tradition transmitters agree that it was a real physical journey, just like the bodily ascension of Jesus and the descent to the land of Adam. The fact is that this controversy was created by the Banu Umayyah, whose interest in Islam was based not on faith but on politics, and who did not like the idea that some miracle of the Prophet creep into the minds of Muslims. The extent of their falsification has not spared this argument either. Two "traditions"
1. Aisha, wife of the Prophet, said that during the whole night of mi'raj the body of the Prophet remained in bed;
deriving from that field are repeatedly mentioned by the Christians, by the Ahmadis and by a part of the Sunnis:
2. Mu'awiyah said that mi'raj was a "real dream".
Now, the fact is that mi'raj (whatever its interpretation) took place in Mecca one or three years before the hijrah. Now Aisha did not enter the Prophet's house until a year later the hijrah. How can he say that he never lost sight of the body of the Prophet that night? There is only one possible interpretation: this "tradition" was invented by someone who did not even know well the sequence of basic events in Islamic history, otherwise, he could not have attributed it to Aisha.
Coming to Mu'awiyah, he was such an enemy of the Prophet that when, eight years after the hijrah, Mecca was conquered without bloodshed and Abu Sufyan (his father), not seeing other alternatives, he accepted Islam, he decided to flee to Bahrain, from where he wrote a letter condemning his father, scolding him for eventually accepting Islam. And the mi'raj took place ten or twelve years before that time. How could he know what the mi'raj events were like? He does not mention his source of information, and then deduces that there is no source.
If you want to understand the extent to which politics controlled the version of Islam professed by the Umayyads, read one or more "traditions" invented in their offices. For example, when King Abdul Malik ibn Marwan sat on the throne of Damascus, Iraq and the Hijaz were in the hands of Abdullah ibn Zubayr. Well, Abdul Malik did not like the idea that the pilgrims of his kingdom were forced to go to Mecca (which was in the hands of his enemy), so he decided to increase the prestige of Jerusalem, which instead was in his domains, deciding to settle the hajj! As part of his plan, all previous claims that the mi'raj was just a dream were suddenly forgotten and a tradition was forged that the final destination of the mi'raj's journey was Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter Abdullah ibn Zubayr was defeated and the Hijaz fell under Syrian control. If not, we would certainly have seen two hajj centers in the Islamic world!
Once returned to Yathrib, converts to the religion of God began to spread the doctrines of Islam and a large number of inhabitants adhered to it. The following year, seventy inhabitants of Yathrib, including the twelve who had signed the First Covenant, went to the Prophet to accept Islam and invite him to their city, making an alliance with him. This covenant is known as the Second Covenant of Aqabah. Abbas, uncle of the Prophet, although not yet a Muslim, was present at that event and urged the inhabitants of Yathrib to protect the Prophet.