Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
10. The Prophet in Makkah
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Fairs, attended by tribes from all over Arabia, used
to be held in various places in those days. The
Prophet would go along and speak to different
tribes, in the hope that one of them would agree to
extend him protection. He explained his plight to
his uncle ‘Abbas. “I am not safe here with you and
your relatives. Will you take me to the fair
tomorrow, so that we can visit people in their tents
and talk to them?” he said to him.
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The Prophet would then go into people’s tents and,
presenting himself before them, would enquire
what protection they could afford him. He would
tell them that his people had rejected him and
expelled him from their midst. “Protect me and
grant me refuge so that I can continue to preach the
faith that God has revealed to me.” Historians have
mentioned the names of fifteen tribes that the
Prophet approached individually, only to meet with
one refusal after another. Although it was
considered a shameful matter for someone to seek
refuge of a tribe, and his request not be granted—in
fact, this was the first notable example in Arab
history of a person spending several years looking
for a tribe to take him in—no one was prepared to
