Prefer a timeline? Read the Seerah year by year
Seerah 02 · 612–614 · before the move to Madinah · Makkah
Going public — and the persecution
He ﷺ began calling openly to worship of one God, and the leaders of Makkah turned on him and on the weakest believers.
13 events · the Prophet ﷺ aged 43–45
What happened
From ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm
Standard — the chapter told properly, in paragraphs
Here the call goes public and Makkah answers. The chapter runs from the announcement on aṣ-Ṣafā through years of mockery, bargaining and torture, the first migration across the sea, and the two conversions that changed the balance in the city.
The call at Mount ṢafāHe ﷺ climbed the hill of Ṣafā and called Makkah together. He asked whether they would believe him if he warned of an army behind the hill; they said they had never known him to lie. He told them he was a warner before a severe punishment — and his uncle Abū Lahab answered with a curse, which Sūrat al-Masad answered permanently.
Quraysh go to Abū ṬālibThe chiefs demand that Abū Ṭālib silence his nephew; he ﷺ refuses to stop.
The torture of the defencelessAnyone with a clan behind them was insulted. Anyone without one was tortured. Bilāl رضي الله عنه was pinned under a rock on burning ground and said only 'One, One', until Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه bought his freedom. When Khabbāb رضي الله عنه asked for relief, he ﷺ reminded him of believers before them who were sawn in two and did not turn back.
Bilāl رضي الله عنه under the rock, and Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه buying him freeUmayyah pins Bilāl رضي الله عنه under a stone in the midday heat; he answers 'One, One.'
Sumayyah رضي الله عنها, the first martyrThe family of Yāsir were tortured together in the desert heat, and he ﷺ would pass them and say, 'Patience, family of Yāsir — your appointment is the Garden.' Sumayyah رضي الله عنها was killed by Abū Jahl: the first person to die for this dīn. Her son ʿAmmār رضي الله عنه, pushed past endurance, said words of disbelief and came weeping — and the Qur'an excused the one forced while his heart is at rest.
The migration to AbyssiniaHe ﷺ told a group of believers to cross the sea to Abyssinia, where a king ruled under whom nobody was wronged. Quraysh sent envoys to demand them back. Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه answered by describing what they had been and what Islam had made them, then recited from Sūrah Maryam. The king wept and refused to hand them over.
Quraysh follow the migrants to the NegusʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ asks for the refugees back; Jaʿfar answers, and the king refuses.
Ḥamzah رضي الله عنه and ʿUmar رضي الله عنه accept IslamTwo of the strongest men in Makkah entered Islam. Ḥamzah رضي الله عنه declared it in anger after Abū Jahl abused his nephew. ʿUmar رضي الله عنه set out to kill the Prophet ﷺ, heard Sūrah Ṭā Hā being read in his sister's house, and went to give his allegiance instead. After ʿUmar رضي الله عنه, the believers prayed at the Kaʿbah in the open.
Ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه recites at the KaʿbahA poor young Companion becomes the first to recite the Qur'an aloud to Quraysh.
Offers of compromiseQuraysh tried to buy him: wealth, marriage, kingship, doctors if this was an illness. He answered by reciting Sūrat Fuṣṣilat until their envoy left shaken. When they proposed taking turns — a year of their gods, a year of his Lord — Sūrat al-Kāfirūn closed the door: your religion for you, mine for me.
Al-Walīd calls it magicQuraysh agree on one word to use against the Qur'an before the pilgrimage season.
ʿAbasa — the blind man and the noblemenHe ﷺ was busy with the chiefs of Quraysh, hoping they would believe, when a blind companion came asking to be taught, and he frowned and turned away. Sūrat ʿAbasa was revealed correcting him in public. Afterwards he would greet that man with, 'Welcome to the one on whose account my Lord reproached me.'
The splitting of the moonMakkah demanded a miracle, and the moon was split in two until they could see the mountain between the halves. They called it magic. Sūrat al-Qamar opens with the event and with their verdict on it.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3525, 3754; Musnad Aḥmad 1740; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
- The public call
- From aṣ-Ṣafā, about 3 years after the first revelation
- First martyr
- Sumayyah رضي الله عنها bint Khayyāṭ رضي الله عنها, killed by Abū Jahl
- First migration
- To Abyssinia, 5th year of the call — about 11 men and 4 women, then a larger group
- Spokesman before the Negus
- Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه, reciting Sūrah Maryam
- Turning points
- Ḥamzah رضي الله عنه, then ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما, in the 6th year
Narration by narration (13)
- Established612 · Makkah
He ﷺ gathers Quraysh and warns them; Abū Lahab answers with abuse.
He ﷺ climbed the hill of Ṣafā and called Makkah together. He asked whether they would believe him if he warned of an army behind the hill; they said they had never known him to lie. He told them he was a warner before a severe punishment — and his uncle Abū Lahab answered with a curse, which Sūrat al-Masad answered permanently.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4770; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 208
- Traditional ordering612–613 · Makkah
The chiefs demand that Abū Ṭālib silence his nephew; he ﷺ refuses to stop.
When insults failed, the chiefs of Quraysh came to Abū Ṭālib more than once: first politely, then with an ultimatum — hand him over or we fight you. Abū Ṭālib called his nephew and told him what had been said, and he ﷺ answered: 'By Allah, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left to leave this matter, I would not leave it until Allah makes it prevail or I die in it.' He turned to go, in tears, and Abū Ṭālib called him back: 'Go and say what you wish. By Allah, I will never hand you over.'
Ibn Hishām; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
- Established612–614 · Makkah
Bilāl رضي الله عنه, Khabbāb رضي الله عنه, Yāsir's family and others are tortured for their faith.
Anyone with a clan behind them was insulted. Anyone without one was tortured. Bilāl رضي الله عنه was pinned under a rock on burning ground and said only 'One, One', until Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه bought his freedom. When Khabbāb رضي الله عنه asked for relief, he ﷺ reminded him of believers before them who were sawn in two and did not turn back.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3612; Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah
- Established612–614 · Makkah
Umayyah pins Bilāl رضي الله عنه under a stone in the midday heat; he answers 'One, One.'
Bilāl رضي الله عنه ibn Rabāḥ was an Abyssinian slave of Umayyah ibn Khalaf. Umayyah would take him out at the hottest part of the day, lay him on the burning sand and put a rock on his chest, telling him to deny Muḥammad ﷺ and worship al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā. Bilāl رضي الله عنه would answer, 'Aḥad, Aḥad' — One, One. Abū Bakr رضي الله عنه passed by, bought him and freed him, as he freed six others including ʿĀmir ibn Fuhayrah and a slave-girl of Banū Muʾammil whom ʿUmar رضي الله عنه used to beat before Islam.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3754; Ibn Hishām; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
- Strong report613 · Makkah
Sumayyah رضي الله عنها bint Khayyāṭ رضي الله عنها is killed under torture by Abū Jahl.
The family of Yāsir were tortured together in the desert heat, and he ﷺ would pass them and say, 'Patience, family of Yāsir — your appointment is the Garden.' Sumayyah رضي الله عنها was killed by Abū Jahl: the first person to die for this dīn. Her son ʿAmmār رضي الله عنه, pushed past endurance, said words of disbelief and came weeping — and the Qur'an excused the one forced while his heart is at rest.
Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah; Ibn Kathīr on 16:106
- Strong report613–615 · Abyssinia
A group of believers cross to the Christian king of Abyssinia, who refuses to surrender them.
He ﷺ told a group of believers to cross the sea to Abyssinia, where a king ruled under whom nobody was wronged. Quraysh sent envoys to demand them back. Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه answered by describing what they had been and what Islam had made them, then recited from Sūrah Maryam. The king wept and refused to hand them over.
Musnad Aḥmad; Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah
- Strong report614–615 · Abyssinia
ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ asks for the refugees back; Jaʿfar answers, and the king refuses.
Quraysh sent ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ and ʿAbdullāh ibn Abī Rabīʿah with gifts to the Negus, asking him to return the migrants as foolish youths who had left their people's religion. The Negus summoned them. Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه spoke: 'We were a people of ignorance, worshipping idols, eating dead meat, committing indecency, cutting family ties, the strong devouring the weak — until Allah sent us a Messenger from among us, whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness and chastity we knew.' Then he recited from Sūrat Maryam. The Negus wept until his beard was wet, said this and what ʿĪsā brought come from one lamp, and returned the gifts.
Musnad Aḥmad 1740; Ibn Hishām; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
- Established614–615 · Makkah
Two of Makkah's strongest men enter the dīn, and the believers pray openly.
Two of the strongest men in Makkah entered Islam. Ḥamzah رضي الله عنه declared it in anger after Abū Jahl abused his nephew. ʿUmar رضي الله عنه set out to kill the Prophet ﷺ, heard Sūrah Ṭā Hā being read in his sister's house, and went to give his allegiance instead. After ʿUmar رضي الله عنه, the believers prayed at the Kaʿbah in the open.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3684; Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah
- Traditional ordering614 · Makkah
A poor young Companion becomes the first to recite the Qur'an aloud to Quraysh.
The Companions said no one had recited the Qur'an openly to Quraysh, and ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رضي الله عنه offered. They worried he had no clan to protect him, but he went to the Maqām and recited Sūrat ar-Raḥmān aloud. They struck his face until it bled, and he came back saying: 'The enemies of Allah were never more contemptible to me than now — if you wish I will go again tomorrow.'
Ibn Hishām; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
- Strong report614 · Makkah
Quraysh offer wealth, marriage and kingship for silence; al-Kāfirūn refuses.
Quraysh tried to buy him: wealth, marriage, kingship, doctors if this was an illness. He answered by reciting Sūrat Fuṣṣilat until their envoy left shaken. When they proposed taking turns — a year of their gods, a year of his Lord — Sūrat al-Kāfirūn closed the door: your religion for you, mine for me.
Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah; Ibn Kathīr on Sūrat al-Kāfirūn
- Traditional ordering614 · Makkah
Quraysh agree on one word to use against the Qur'an before the pilgrimage season.
Before the pilgrimage season the chiefs met with al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah to settle on one line to tell the Arabs, so they would not contradict each other. Poet? Soothsayer? Madman? Each was tested against what people could hear for themselves and rejected. Al-Walīd finally said the nearest thing was to call it magic that separates a man from his brother and his family. He had already admitted in private: 'By Allah, it has sweetness, and upon it is beauty; its lowest part is abundant and its highest is fruitful.' Sūrat al-Muddaththir answered him by name.
Al-Ḥākim, al-Mustadrak 2:506; Ibn Hishām; ar-Raḥīq al-Makhtūm, al-Mubārakpūrī
- Strong report614 · Makkah
He ﷺ turns from Ibn Umm Maktūm to the chiefs of Quraysh, and is corrected from above.
He ﷺ was busy with the chiefs of Quraysh, hoping they would believe, when a blind companion came asking to be taught, and he frowned and turned away. Sūrat ʿAbasa was revealed correcting him in public. Afterwards he would greet that man with, 'Welcome to the one on whose account my Lord reproached me.'
Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī 3331; al-Ṭabarī on 80:1
- Established614–617 · Minā, Makkah
Quraysh demand a sign and the moon is split into two parts.
Makkah demanded a miracle, and the moon was split in two until they could see the mountain between the halves. They called it magic. Sūrat al-Qamar opens with the event and with their verdict on it.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3636; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2800