Being firmly convinced of his call, Mohammed, with characteristic
caution, began to propagate his principles, for years being content to
deal secretly with individuals, beginning with those of his own
household. His wife acknowledged and encouraged his claim, and
gradually he gathered around him an increasing circle of devoted
followers, some of whom had more confidence in him and his pretensions
than he had himself. This was particularly true of ABU BAKR, a rich
and popular merchant of Mecca, who, having acknowledged the claims of
the prophet, followed him with implicit obedience and unwavering
devotion. He threw himself whole-heartedly into the work of
proselytising, and the progress of early days, although slow, was
largely due to his indefatigable energy.
As the membership of the new society increased, rules were framed,
based upon the "revelations" which Mohammed now periodically received,
and each member was compelled to subscribe to the most stringent
regulations. Idolatry was strongly condemned and the unity of God
emphatically asserted. Certain Jewish and Christian religious
ordinances were imposed as a condition of membership, while unswerving
loyalty to the prophet was demanded. License was given to the members
to practice outwardly the old rites and ceremonies of Paganism, in
order to arouse no suspicion, but the existence of such a society, in
spite of all precautions, could not long remain unnoticed, and the
time came when the prophet and his followers were compelled to make
public confession of their faith. Persecution followed, in which the
poorer members suffered more than their richer brethren. Mohammed
himself received the protection of the head of his clan, and for eight
or ten years carried on a campaign of words. Margoliouth, in his life
of Mohammed, likens the prophet to a player in a game of cards, who,
having received a good hand, plays his cards with consummate skill. He
took advantage of every opportunity in strengthening his position, and
having a clear-cut policy before him, subordinated everything to its
furtherance. He was a powerful preacher, but owing to his ungovernable
temper, was not so successful in debate; hence he produced a
"revelation" forbidding him to engage in public controversy! He showed
great diligence in seeking information that enabled him to produce his
revelations in a style consistent with his claims. Being entirely
dependent on hearsay, he obtained but a sadly distorted account of
truth. The Koran is full of glaring errors, which, for centuries, have
baffled the ingenuity of the Moslem doctors. Yet the prophet
presumptuously claimed that his, being the last "revelation," was the
most important, and more reliable, and the differences that were
apparent were due to the corruption in time of the text of the former
"revelations"--_i.e._, the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures!
He was evidently much perplexed by the divisions and controversies
that existed within the Christian Church, and considered that the
images and pictures then in use were little better than the idols of
his own people. With no means of testing and verifying his knowledge,
he accepted all that tended to enhance his own position, and his chief
regret seems to have been his inability, in reply to the taunts of his
enemies, to point to any element of the miraculous in his career. In
the revelations, he frequently expressed views and opinions which
flatly contradicted what he had formerly stated, and when challenged
as to his inconsistency, defended it by claiming that it was not he
who had changed his mind, but God, whose ways no man could question or
understand!
In time, the position of the new sect became so intolerable that many
were compelled to flee, and numbers went into Abyssinia, where they
were well received. Mohammed himself, thanks to his relatives'
protection, could still afford to remain in Mecca. In spite of the
opposition, his influence gradually increased, and was considerably
strengthened by the conversion of Omar, a citizen famed for his skill
in military strategy and courage. Not long afterwards, Khadijah, the
prophet's wife died. She had wielded a strong, healthy influence over
her husband, and had cheered him on in times of discouragement and
failure. Islam owes not a little to her life and influence, and were
it more widely recognised, might possibly lead to an improvement of
the position of the poor unfortunate daughters of the system, who are
enslaved and degraded to a saddening degree. After Khadijah's death,
Mohammed took full advantage of the polygamous sanctions of Paganism,
and even abused the privilege when it conflicted with his own
inclinations. Margoliouth attempts to defend the many marriages on the
ground of political expediency, which may be conceded in only a few
cases. In most instances they were due to selfish desire and
inordinate affection. Particularly is this true in the case of the
prophet's marriage with his adopted son's wife, which was a gross
violation of Arab law.
On the death of his protector, Mohammed was compelled to seek refuge
elsewhere, but not before he had made inconsistent concessions to the
pagan leaders. In these concessions he retreated entirely from the
strong iconoclastic attitude he had hitherto adopted, going so far as
to produce a revelation that claimed to reconcile the One True God to
the gods of the Pagan pantheon. This compromise, no matter how wise
and statesmanlike it may appear to be, clearly indicates the falsity
of Mohammed's claim, and enables us to estimate the value of his
pretensions. His action was strongly condemned by many of his
followers, and probably under the influence of their opinion, he
produced an apologetic revelation abrogating the concession, and
admitting it to have been a mistake!
He endeavoured to escape the persecution in Mecca by taking refuge in
Taif, but was so badly treated there when his views became known, that
he was glad to return, and upon promising to confine his proselytising
efforts to strangers, was allowed to stay under the protection of one
of the leading citizens. He carried on his work among strangers with
such success, that before long a strong community had grown up in the
town of Medinah. The rapid increase of this section of his disciples
may be accounted for by the very unsettled condition of the place.
Civil and religious strife had been for a long time aggravated by the
aggressive attitude of a large section of Jews, so that circumstances
were more favourable to the reception and growth of Islam than in
Mecca, where there was more peaceful organisation, and where the
existence of the ancient Kaaba, or dwelling place of the gods, made
men more jealous of their old religion.
In the appointment of a man to lead the new community, Mohammed
exhibited his characteristic insight into the abilities of men. He
selected a follower thoroughly convinced of his master's claims, whose
zeal in the earlier days had led him to forsake friends and family by
flight into Abyssinia--a man full of enthusiasm and energy. In a
comparatively short time the new religion became quite popular, and
idolatry was despised. An incident indicative of the progress is seen
in the visit of seventy of the Medinah disciples to Mohammed in Mecca.
They met him secretly in the mountains, by night, and made solemn,
binding vows of allegiance, in which they promised "to fight men of
all colour in order to defend the faith." It is highly probable that
at this meeting the prophet was invited to join them in Medinah, but
for the present he preferred his native town.
Somehow the story of the night meeting leaked out, with the result
that persecution was redoubled, and many of the less wealthy followers
were forced to flee to Medinah. They were there well received and
cared for, and were afterwards honoured by being designated the
"refugees," while those who received them were similarly honoured in
being named the "helpers." Thus the brotherhood of believers insisted
on by Mohammed began to assume practical form, and men of different
tribes were united in one common bond--a brotherhood so powerful that
its enemies in Mecca were filled with alarm. They had no longer to
deal with a man whose views could be despised. They were menaced by a
growing force that threatened to overwhelm them. Steps were taken to
overthrow the danger, and elaborate arrangements were made for the
assassination of the prophet. He somehow obtained news of the plot,
and escaped the would-be murderers, who came while he was supposed to
be in bed, by climbing through a window. Accompanied by the faithful
Abu Bakr and a few of his more intimate followers, he made his way to
one of the mountain caves, where he stayed until the immediate danger
had passed. Then the little company commenced the journey to Medinah,
a task so fraught with danger and hardship that Mohammed shrank from
it, in spite of the Meccan evil, and was compelled to attempt it only
by the pressure of his friends.
The facts concerning his entry into Medinah are obscure and uncertain,
but there is no doubt that his advent was hailed with delight by the
"helpers" and "refugees." Hospitality was freely offered, and, owing
to the prophet's independent spirit, reluctantly accepted. One of his
earliest actions after arrival was to consolidate his forces by
strengthening the brotherhood, making the obligations of his followers
to one another, and himself, more binding than the ties of blood.