Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
16. The Companions of the Prophet
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received was that the person they needed to reign
over their society was—not ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy—
but the Prophet Muhammad. On behalf of the
people of Madinah, they asked the Prophet to come
to their town and take over as their leader. They
swore allegiance to the Prophet at ‘Aqabah, an
event that proved a watershed in Islamic history.
Quite apart from its far-reaching historical
implications, this act of allegiance was an
extraordinary feat. It was as if the people of
Madinah were taking the crown off their own head,
and placing it on that of a stranger. People have
always been highly reluctant to take someone from
outside their own nation or tribe as leader. Such a
move was unheard of in ancient Arabia. In this case
it was rendered even more difficult by the fact that
the “Muhammad” whom they were taking in was
not the great historical personality that we know
today. He was a person who had been expelled by
his own people. Not only was he a controversial
figure, he was a homeless, destitute one as well. The
people of Madinah were giving him everything,
with the promise of nothing in return. In the 20th
century we have heard some western thinkers—
