Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
10. The Prophet in Makkah
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THE BEGINNING OF THE PROPHET’S PUBLIC
MISSION
When, at the age of forty, the Prophet Muhammad
received his first revelation, he reacted as any
normal human being would in such a situation. He
was meditating in the Cave of Hira’ at the time.
Petrified, he returned home, where his wife
Khadijah was waiting for him. Being an impartial
judge, she was in a position to view the situation
objectively. She was able to see that the Prophet’s
experience, far from being a bad dream, must have
been a sign that he had been chosen by God. “It
cannot be,” she said, “God will surely never
humiliate you. You are kind to your relatives; you
always give the weak a helping hand; you help
those who are out of work to stand on their own
feet again; you honour guests. When people are in
trouble you give them assistance.”
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The Prophet went about his task in a manner
befitting one who was to preach a new message in a
society attached to traditional beliefs and customs.
He proceeded cautiously, following an entirely
natural sequence. At first he had to work in secret.
