The Prophet's Sunnah regarding calling to Islam

The Prophet's Sunnah regarding calling to Islam[1]

16- The Prophet's Sunnah regarding calling to Allah

1- The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to call to Allah day and night, secretly and publicly. He spent the first three years of his mission calling to Allah secretly and when it was revealed to him "Therefore proclaim openly (Allâh’s Message (Islâmic Monotheism) that which you are commanded." [Surat Al Hijr: 94]. He spoke out with the command of Allah, paying no attention to anything else, therefore, he called the old and the young, the free and slaves, male and female, and Jinn and humans.

2- When it was hard for his Companions to endure torture in Makkah, he gave them permission to migrate to Abyssinia.

3- He went to Al Ta'if so that he could find someone to support him. He called them to Allah, but could find no supporter or helper. They harmed him badly, exposed him to humiliation more than that he received from his people, then sent him back to Makkah, however, he could not enter it but in the company of Mut`im ibn `Ady.

4- For ten year, he called to Allah publicly, offering religion to the people in different occasions every year: following pilgrims to their homes and during occasions in `Ukaz, Majinah, and Dhul-Majaz to the extent that he used to ask about tribes and their homes, one by one.

5- Then he found six persons at Al `Aqabah who were all from Al Khazraj. He called them to Islam and they accepted then returned to Medina to call the people to Islam, so Islam spread to the extent that there was no room of unbelief there.

6- When it was the next year, twelve men came to the Prophet to embrace Islam and the Prophet had set the appointment at Al `Aqabah. They gave him the pledge of allegiance for listening, obeying, spending, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and speaking the truth no matter how it costs. They also promised to support and protect him as they protect themselves, wives, and children in return of entering Paradise. He sent with them Ibn Um Maktum and Mus`ab ibn `Umayr to teach them the Qur'an and call to Allah which resulted in the acceptance of Islam by large number of people, such as: Usayd ibn Hudayr and Sa`d ibn Mu`adh.

7- The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave permission to Muslims to migrate to Madinah, so the people initiated the command then followed by his Companion and himself.

8- The Prophet (peace be upon him) established a bond of brotherhood between Al Muhajirin (migrants) and Al Ansar (the Supporters) who were ninety men.

A- The Prophet's Sunnah regarding giving a pledge of security, reconciliation, and treating messengers[2]:

1- It was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that he said: "Muslims' security is one and the lowest can give it." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever had a covenant between him and a group of people, he should not break it until the duration ends or tell them that he broke the covenant."

2- He said: "Whoever gives a pledge of security to someone then kills it, I free myself from the Killer. (i.e., not responsible for his actions)."

3- When the two messengers of Musaylimah came to him and said some words, he said: "Had it not been that messengers are killed, I would have cut your heads off," so his Sunnah is not to kill messengers.

4- The Messenger (peace be upon him) would not detain a messenger when he chose his own religion, but he would send him back.

5- When on the Companions gave a security covenant with one of the enemies, he would not harm him and keep the covenant.

6- He made a treaty with the Quraysh to stop war for ten years; during these years whoever comes as a Muslim he should be sent back and whoever goes to them as a disbeliever, they would not send him back. However, Allah abrogated this ruling concerning women, and commanded the Prophet (peace be upon him) to test them, and whoever of them is a true Muslim, they should not send her back.

7- He commanded Muslims to give dowry back to the one whose wife went as a disbeliever to the non-Muslims, as they give dowry back to unbelievers whose wives embraced Islam.

8- He did not stop them to accept the people who come to them as Muslims and do not force them to go back or even command them to do it. If a person killed someone of them or took money from them, but did not go to Muslims, he would not deny that and would not guarantee to give back the money.

9- He signed an agreement with the people of Khaybar when he defeated them that he would drive them out of it and they would be allowed to take what their camels can carry. As for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), he would take the gold, the silver, and weapons.

10- He made an agreement with them regarding the land: to take half of the product and they will have the other half. He used to sell out products and distinguish Muslims' share of it, then entrust them to sell the product and give back the money.

B- The Prophet's Sunnah regarding inviting kings, sending messengers and messages to them[3]:

1- When he came back from Al Hudaybiyah, he wrote to the kings, sent to them messengers: so, he wrote to the King of Rome and he was about to embrace Islam but he did not.

2- He sent to the Negus and he became a Muslim.

3- He sent Abu Musa Al Ash`ary and Mu`adh ibn Jabal to Yemen and all its people embraced Islam willingly without fight.

C- The Prophet's Sunnah regarding treating the hypocrites[4]:

1- He used to accept their apparent conditions and leave the secrets of their hearts to Allah, refute their claims with proofs, turn away from them, treat them harshly, and reach their hearts with eloquent speech.

2- He did not fight them to attract their hearts to Islam, and he said: "No, lest people would say that Muhammad kills his Companions."