🌿 Seeds of Faith Sprout Outside Makkah
Although most of the Makkan pagans rejected the message of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a few sincere souls outside of Makkah embraced Islam. Their stories reflect the power of truth and the beauty of faith.
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Suwayd bin Samit (رضي الله عنه)
A poet from Yathrib (modern-day Madinah), Suwayd came to Makkah to perform pilgrimage. When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ invited him to Islam, Suwayd recited some of his own verses to the Prophet ﷺ. In response, the Prophet ﷺ recited verses from the Qur’an.
Overwhelmed by their beauty, Suwayd said,
“I have never heard words so sublime.”
He immediately embraced Islam. Later, he was martyred during the fighting between the tribes of Aus and Khazraj.
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Ayas bin Mu‘adh (رضي الله عنه)
Ayas was also from Yathrib, belonging to the tribe of Aus. He came to Makkah with his people seeking help against their rivals, the Khazraj. When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ invited him to Islam and recited verses from the Qur’an, Ayas exclaimed:
“By Allah, this is far better than what we came here for.”
However, his companion Abul Husayr threw pebbles in his face and rebuked him, saying,
“Leave this! We did not come for that.”
Ayas fell silent but kept the words of the Prophet ﷺ in his heart. When he returned to Yathrib, he fell ill. Just before his death, he was heard glorifying Allah, leaving little doubt that he had died a believer.
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Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (رضي الله عنه)
Abu Dharr had heard of Muhammad ﷺ through Suwayd bin Samit (رضي الله عنه) and Ayas bin Mu‘adh (رضي الله عنه), and his heart yearned to know more. He first sent his brother to Makkah to investigate the Prophet’s message. Unsatisfied with his brother’s vague report, Abu Dharr set out himself.
Upon arriving in Makkah, he was cautious and did not ask openly about the Prophet ﷺ, fearing the Quraysh. Eventually, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه) found him and brought him to the Prophet ﷺ. Upon hearing the message of Islam, Abu Dharr’s heart filled with conviction, and he accepted the faith immediately.
Filled with zeal, he went straight to the Ka‘bah and publicly declared his Islam. The Quraysh attacked him violently, and only the intervention of Al-‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet’s uncle, saved him. The next day, Abu Dharr repeated his declaration and was again rescued by Al-‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه).
Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه) then returned to his tribe, Banu Ghifar, calling them to Islam. He remained steadfast until he later migrated to Madinah.
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Tufayl bin ‘Amr Ad-Dausi (رضي الله عنه)
A well-known poet and chieftain of the Daus tribe near Yemen, Tufayl visited Makkah eleven years after the Prophet’s mission began. The Quraysh warned him against listening to Muhammad ﷺ, saying his words were “bewitching.” Out of caution, Tufayl stuffed cotton in his ears before entering the Ka‘bah.
There, he saw the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ praying and became curious.
“I am a poet,” he thought, “I can judge words for myself. If what he says is good, I will accept it.”
He removed the cotton and listened to the Prophet’s recitation. The beauty and truth of the Qur’an moved him deeply. Later, he followed the Prophet ﷺ home and asked him to explain Islam. After hearing the message, he accepted Islam immediately.
Tufayl (رضي الله عنه) then said,
“My people trust me. I will call them to Islam. Please ask Allah to give me a sign that will help them believe me.”
The Prophet ﷺ supplicated for him, and Tufayl’s face began to shine with light as a divine sign. Though his people were initially hesitant, his father and wife embraced Islam, followed later by many others. By the time he migrated to Madinah, seventy to eighty families from his tribe had become Muslim and accompanied him.
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Dhimad Al-Azdi (رضي الله عنه)
Dhimad was a skilled exorcist from the Azd Shanwah tribe in Yemen. When he arrived in Makkah, he heard rumors that Muhammad ﷺ was insane. He approached the Prophet ﷺ and offered to cure him.
The Prophet ﷺ calmly said:
“All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him and seek His help. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead, and whomever He allows to go astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger.”
Dhimad was astonished by the eloquence and depth of these words. He asked the Prophet ﷺ to repeat them three times, and then declared:
“I have heard the words of sorcerers, soothsayers, and poets, but never anything like this!”
He immediately accepted Islam and pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ.
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Six Pilgrims from Yathrib (رضي الله عنهم)
In the eleventh year of the Prophet’s mission, six men from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib came to Makkah for pilgrimage. Their names were:
• As‘ad bin Zurara (رضي الله عنه)
• ‘Awf bin Harith bin Rifa‘ah (رضي الله عنه)
• Rafi‘ bin Malik bin ‘Aylan (رضي الله عنه)
• Qutbah bin ‘Amir (رضي الله عنه)
• ‘Uqbah bin Nafi‘ (رضي الله عنه)
• Jabir bin ‘Abdullah bin Ri’ab (رضي الله عنه)
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ met them at Mina and invited them to Islam. He recited verses from the Qur’an, and their hearts recognized the truth.
They said to one another:
“This is surely the Prophet the Jews have been threatening us with. Let us accept him before they do.”
All six embraced Islam and promised to spread the message among their people, pledging to meet the Prophet ﷺ again the following year.
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🌙 The First Pledge of Al-‘Aqabah
The next year, five of the six returned, bringing along five new converts from the Khazraj and two from the Aus. The new believers were:
• Mu‘adh bin Harith (رضي الله عنه)
• Zakwan bin ‘Abdul Qays (رضي الله عنه)
• ‘Ubada bin As-Samit (رضي الله عنه)
• Yazeed bin Tha‘labah (رضي الله عنه)
• ‘Abbas bin ‘Ubada bin Fadlah (رضي الله عنه)
• Abul Haytham bin At-Tayhan (رضي الله عنه)
• ‘Uwaym bin Sa‘idah (رضي الله عنه)
They met the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ again at Mina, where he taught them more about Islam. They pledged allegiance to him in what became known as the First Pledge of Al-‘Aqabah.
They promised not to associate partners with Allah, not to steal, fornicate, kill their children, slander others, or disobey the Prophet ﷺ in what was right and good. Those who kept their pledge would have their reward from Allah, and those who broke it would face punishment in this world or the Hereafter as Allah willed.
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🌸 Islam Spreads in Yathrib
After the pledge, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sent Mus‘ab bin ‘Umayr (رضي الله عنه) with them to teach the Qur’an and guide the people of Yathrib. Mus‘ab stayed with As‘ad bin Zurara (رضي الله عنه), and together they began inviting others to Islam.
One day, Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (رضي الله عنه), the chief of the Aus tribe, sent his cousin Usayd bin Hudayr (رضي الله عنه) to confront them. With his spear in hand, Usayd approached them angrily.
Mus‘ab (رضي الله عنه) said gently,
“Sit and listen to what we have to say. If you like it, accept it; if not, we will stop.”
Usayd agreed, listened to the Qur’an, and was moved to tears. He accepted Islam on the spot and returned to Sa‘d, who soon came himself. After hearing Mus‘ab (رضي الله عنه), Sa‘d bin Mu‘adh (رضي الله عنه) too embraced Islam.
He returned to his tribe and declared:
“O Banu ‘Abd Al-Ashhal! How do you regard me among you?”
They replied, “You are our chief and the wisest among us.”
He said, “Then know that I will not speak to anyone who does not believe in Allah and His Messenger.”
That very day, his entire tribe accepted Islam—except one man, Usayram (رضي الله عنه), who embraced Islam later during the Battle of Uhud and was martyred before he had performed even one prayer.
When Mus‘ab bin ‘Umayr (رضي الله عنه) returned to Makkah before the next Hajj, he joyfully informed the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ of how Allah had guided the people of Yathrib. The Prophet ﷺ was overjoyed at the news.