In the early years of his Prophethood, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him) cautiously conveyed Allah’s message to His close relatives.

Allah Almighty commanded Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him):

Translation: “Therefore, proclaim openly what you have been commanded and turn away from the polytheists.” (Surah Al-Hijr, 94)

After this verse was revealed, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him) began to openly invite people to Islam. One day, he requested the people of Mecca to gather on the hill of Safa, saying he wanted to tell them something important. All the people, including His close relatives, gathered on the hill.

He said to them, “O people! If I were to tell you that an enemy army is coming from behind this mountain to attack you, would you believe me?”

All the people of Mecca knew that Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him) was truthful and trustworthy, so they all replied, “Yes, we would believe you.”

He then said, “O people! Allah Almighty has chosen me to convey His message. He has honored me with Prophethood so that I may invite you to worship only Allah and not associate any partners with Him. If you do not accept Allah’s obedience and continue with idol worship, then be certain that Allah’s punishment will come upon you.”

Upon hearing this, the Prophet’s uncle, Abu Lahab, shouted in anger, “O Muhammad! Is this what you called us here for? This is not important enough for us to leave our valuable time and business to listen to you.”

Then Abu Lahab told the people, “Do not pay attention to Muhammad’s words; go back to your homes.” The polytheists left. After this incident, the Prophet’s close relatives began to oppose him.

My dear children!

When Allah Almighty bestowed Prophethood upon Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him), the world was in a state of ignorance. Murder and looting were common. People were captured and enslaved, and there were regular markets for their buying and selling. People would bury their innocent daughters alive. They would deprive each other of their rights. The height of mental depravity was that people worshiped idols.

Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him) wanted people to abandon all these evils and worship only one God, without associating any partners with Him.

When the nobles, chiefs, and powerful rulers of Mecca saw that Islam was stopping the killing of innocent children, commanding the protection of slaves’ rights, and ending the distinction between the rich and the poor, and that Islam provided protection for humanity, the people of Mecca felt their authority was in danger. They thought, “Our power will end this way. If everyone gets equal rights, we won’t be able to do as we please.”

Because of these reasons, the people of Mecca became opponents of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam (Peace Be Upon Him) and began to make all sorts of plans to oppose him.