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women 1 and children. There is no proof that Muslim historians are right in
saying that the Najashi himself became a Muslim, for Abyssinia is still a professedly
Christian country. A little later we find some forty Muslims,2 men and women,
in Mecca. We are told that some twenty Christians from Najran heard the Qur'an read in the
Ka'bah and believed.3 But this story can scarcely be true; for, in the first
place, Christians would hardly have entered the Ka'bah, then a heathen temple full of
idols; and, in the second, they certainly did not find Muhammad described in their Book,
as Ibn Hisham says.
At a conference with the chiefs of the Quraish, Muhammad endeavoured to win them to his
side by assuring them that they would gain power and influence over both Arabia and Persia
by accepting belief in God's Unity and by rejecting all other objects 4 of
worship. Once before, after the departure of many of his followers to Abyssinia, he had
made an effort for the same purpose by 5 speaking thus: "Have ye not then
seen Allat and Al-'Uzza' and Manat, the other, the third? These are the exalted Swans, and
verily their intercession may indeed be 6 hoped for." The Quraish who were
then in the Ka'bah thereupon joined with him in worship, and the news spread to the exiles
in Abyssinia that the Meccans had all become Muslims. Most of them returned to find the
report false, for Muhammad had soon changed the last part of the above quotation into the
very different words which are now found in Suratu'n Najm (Surah liii), vers. 21, 22, 23.
Some men of the tribes of Aus and Khazraj dwelling at Yathrib, which is now called
Medinah, visited Mecca, and there heard Muhammad preach. One of them was converted, but
died soon after his return home. Yet the teaching spread there slowly. Six men then came
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to Muhammad and embraced 1 Islam. Soon "there was no house amid the
houses of the Ansar in which there was no mention of 2 Muhammad". At the
first Agreement at Al 'Aqabah, twelve people from Medinah invited Muhammad to go there,
and promised him their support. This Agreement bound these converts not to associate
anything with God, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to murder their children, not
to slander, and not to rebel against Muhammad in what was seemly. Muhammad in return
promised them Paradise, if they kept their 3 covenant with him. In after times
this was called the "Women's Agreement", because no fighting was involved in it.
Mus'ab ibn 'Umair was sent to Medinah with the converts in order to teach them the rules
of worship. He soon made several more converts, including two powerful chiefs, Sa'd ibn
Mu'adh and Usaid ibn Huzair. Next year Mus'ab returned to Mecca with seventy-three Muslim
men and two Muslim women 4 from Medinah. In the second Agreement at 'Aqabah,
they offered to draw their swords to help Muhammad to exalt Islam and overthrow
Polytheism. At first he said that he had not been so commissioned.5 Put he soon
declared that God permitted 6 war for the faith; and promised Paradise 7
to the faithful. Soon after this the Hijrah took place. Nearly all the Meccan Muslims went
to Medinah. Muhammad, Abu Bakr, and 'Ali 8 remained in Mecca for a short time,
and then escaped with some danger. We do not know how many Muslims left their native city
for their faith. About a year and a half later eighty-three of the Muhajirun fought
at Badr, and hence perhaps somewhat more than 100 in all were the converts whom in
thirteen years peaceful teaching and preaching Muhammad had succeeded in winning at Mecca.
We must remember, too, that
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