The propagation through practice of Islam by Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) and the increase in the number of his followers paved the way for the open invitation of the people to Islam. Allah (SWT) commanded Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) to invite his close relatives. "And warn your nearest relatives." (Noble Qur'an, 26:214)

In this way, backbiters could not say, 'Why do you not call your own relatives to worship the One God and warn them of God's severe punishment?' Moreover, the support of the relatives of Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) would help the promotion of Islam. So Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) told Imam Ali (as) to prepare a meal and invite their relatives, who numbered about 40. After preparing the meal, Imam Ali (as) invited them. All the relatives of Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) accepted the invitation and ate the meal prepared by the blessed hands of Imam Ali (as). Although the food was not sufficient for even one person, all 40 people were full after eating that blessed food and, strangely enough, the food had not diminished at all. This amazed all of them but the obstinate Abu Lahab ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, who said without thinking, 'This is magic and charms'. The foolish man disregarded the fact that magic and charms cannot feed people!

On that day Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) said nothing about the matter. Perhaps his silence was due to the fact that he wanted them to realize the difference between a 'miracle' and 'magic' because if magic were the cause the guests would feel hungry after leaving the house of Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw).

Since this gathering did not give any favourable result, Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) invited them for the next day. Again the same reception was repeated and all were filled. Yet the food was not reduced even after the meal was over.

Then Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) said, 'O sons of Abd Al-Muttalib. Allah (SWT) has assigned me to warn you of the painful torments of the wrongdoers and give you the good news of His reward to the pious believers. Become Muslims and follow me to achieve salvation. I swear by Almighty Allah (SWT) that among all Arabs I do not know anyone who has brought his people anything better than what I have brought you. I have brought you prosperity and salvation both in this world and in the hereafter. The Gracious God has commanded me to call you all to worship Him. Now which one of you is willing to help me with the task? Anybody who announces his readiness to help me will be my brother, my successor, and the executor of my will.'

Nobody answered but Imam Ali (as), who was the youngest. He stood up and said, 'O Prophet of Allah (SWT). I am your assistant. I am your supporter.'

Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) asked him to sit down. He (saw) repeated the same saying three times but no one except Imam Ali (as) replied to him. Then Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) pointed to Imam Ali (as) and said, 'He is my brother, my successor and the executor of my will among you. Listen to him and obey him.'

It was on this very day that a number of people came to believe in the faith of Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw), but ignorance and bigotry hindered some of his relatives from believing in his message. However, this gathering was effective in gaining support for Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw).

In addition to the fact of the extraordinary event - 40 people being fed with a small amount of food - there is another remarkable point in this event - the remarks Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) made about his cousin Imam Ali (as) on that day. They clearly prove the fact that Imam Ali (as) was Muhammad, The Last Prophet's (saw) righteous successor and Caliph, and thus we must regard Imam Ali (as) as the successor of Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw).

Thus the way was paved for the public invitation of the people to Islam and open propagation of this divine faith. Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) demonstrated indefatigable perseverance in fulfilling this divine duty and did not stop his invaluable teachings, outreach and struggles for a single hour. It was then that the magnificent banner of Islam was hoisted and truth began to be promoted.

Public Mission of Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw)

Three years had passed from the time when Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) was divinely assigns to be a prophet, during which time he did his best to secretly guide those who were capable of being guided onto the path of piety and virtue. Whenever he observed a person who had gone astray, being drowned in the pit of idol worship and moral decay, he tried hard to save him. He entered the scene through the, gate of affection and benevolence and with his logical, eloquent speeches urged the people to adopt the monotheistic faith of Islam.

But since his faith had to prevail all over the world and be communicated to all human beings, Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) attempted to make his mission public and open and to declare his aims and plans to all.

To promulgate the holy religion of Islam to all Arab tribes and all over the world, Allah (SWT) commanded Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) to openly declare his prophetic mission and explain to the masses the truth of his faith.

Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) made his way to Mount Safa, the most well-known elevation in the whole of Makkah, to announce Islam to its people at a time when 360 idols were placed around the Kaaba. He felt no fear or shame. Stood on a high place, and exclaimed, 'Ya Sabaha-hu'. His voice resounded on the mountain and attracted the attention of the people. Large crowds from various tribes hurried toward him to hear what he was going to say. Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) turned to them and said, 'O people! Will you believe me if I say there is an army marching behind this mountain which is about to attack you?'

They all answered, 'Of course we would, we have not heard a lie from you throughout your life'.

Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) said, 'O people of the Quraish! I warn you to fear God's punishment. Save yourself from the fire. My position is the same as that of the sentry who sees the enemy from afar and warns his people of the danger of their enemies. Does such a person ever lie to his people?'

Abu Lahab ibn Abd Al-Muttalib, who feared lest Muhammad, The Last Prophet's (saw) words should impress the people, broke the silence and addressing him said, 'Give our oath to you? May you perish (die)! Have you gathered us here to tell us such words?'

Abu Lahab ibn Abd Al-Muttalib interrupted Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) so rudely and did not let him continue his speech. In return for so much insolence, denial of the truth, and cooperation with the idol worshippers and polytheists, Allah (SWT) revealed the verse that severely reproves Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw).

"May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, may he (himself) perish. His wealth avails him not, neither what he had earned. Soon will he roast in a flaming fire, and his wife, the bearer of the firewood, upon her neck a rope of twisted palm-fibre." (Noble Qur'an, 111:1-5)

Abu Lahab is Muhammad, The Last Prophet's (saw) uncle and the son of Abd Al-Muttalib. Among those people he was one of the strongest enemies of Islam.

Abu Lahab is the 'Father of the Flames', whose name was 'Abdul Al-Uzza' means the servant of the idol Al-Uzza, was a man of fiery temperament with a reddish face. This nickname, perhaps, was chosen for him, because, 'Lahab', in Arabic, means 'a flame of fire'.

Abu Lahab and his wife, Umm Jamil bint Harb; a sister of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, being specifically mentioned as the cursed ones among the enemies of Islam, hurt Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) very much. A person by the name of 'Tariq Muharibi' says that once Abu Labab was found going behind Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) passing through the marketplace called 'Zul-Mujaz' (it is close to Arafat, a short distance from Makkah). He was following behind Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) shouting was a mad man and pelting his feet with stones, causing Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) to walk with bleeding wounds, then he raised a large stone to throw at Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) but his hands froze.

Abu Lahab was a rich, proud man who boasted about his wealth and used it against Islam.

It is narrated that after the defeat of the Makkans in the battle of Badr, Abu Lahab, who had not participated in the battle of Badr, asked Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, when he returned from the battlefield, about its details. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb described to him the event of how the Quraish were defeated and, then, he added: By Allah, we saw, in the course of battle, some riders between the earth and heaven who had come to help Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw).

Here, Abu Rafi, one of the servants of Abbas ibn Abd Al-Muttalib tells the story thus: I was sitting there and I raised my hand and said that they were the angels of Heaven. Then, Abu Lahab became so angry that he sharply struck my face and I fell hard upon the ground.

Abu Lahab continued beating me because of his grief from his disappointment. At that moment, Ummul-Fadl, Abbas ibn Abd Al-Muttalib's wife, who was attending there, took a stake and struck it hard on Abu Lahab's head, and said: 'Have you found this weak man alone?'

The head of Abu Lahab became wounded and bloody. One week later he died from a contagious disease and since his body gave off an unbearable, foul smell no one approached it. It was left for three days and, at last some slaves were hired to carry it out of Makkah. They watered it from a distance and then piled stones on top of it until it was buried.

Abu Lahab's wife was among the leading women of the Quraish and she was known as Umm Jamil (Umme Jamila). Her name was Arwah bint Harb ibn Umayyah. She was a squint-eyed woman equally bad tempered, like her husband; mischievous and grossly wicked. She cooperated with him in hostilities and hindrances against Islam. She was supportive of her husband in his disbelief, rejection and obstinacy. Therefore, she will be helping to administer his punishment in the fire of Hell on the Day of Judgment.

When the verse "May the hands of Abu Lahab perish, may he (himself) perish" was revealed in Noble Qur'an, the one-eyed Umm Jamil bint Harb came out wailing, and she had a stone in her hand. She was saying, 'He criticizes our father, and his religion is our scorn, and his command is to disobey us.'

Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) was sitting in the Masjid (of the Kaaba) and Abu Bakr was with him. When Abu Bakr saw her he said, 'O Messenger of Allah! She is coming and I fear that she will see you.' Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) replied, (Verily, she will not see me.) Then he (saw) recited a verse from Noble Qur'an as a protection for himself. "And when you recite the Qur'an, We place between you and those who do not believe in the hereafter a hidden barrier." (Noble Qur'an 17:45) So she advanced until she was standing in front of Abu Bakr and she did not see Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw). She then said, 'O Abu Bakr! Verily, I have been informed that your friend is making defamatory poetry about me.' Abu Bakr replied, 'Nay! By the Lord of this House (the Kaaba) he is not defaming you.' So she turned away saying, 'Indeed the Quraish know that I am the daughter of their leader.'

Umm Jamil used to collect thorny sticks and bundle them up with a rope. In the night she used to spread them along the path that Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) used to take to go to the mosque for prayers early in the morning.

Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) used to move them aside but some of the thorns used to prick his feet and get entangled in his clothes.

She also used to incite people by carrying tales from one place to the other (gossip) and this also gave her the title as the 'carrier of firewood'.

Note: Umm Jamil (Umme Jamila) died strangled with the rope with which she carried the wood.

Prophecy: A sign of the Miracle of the Noble Qur'an

We know that these verses (Noble Qur'an, 111:1-5) were revealed in Makkah, and it was announced that Abu Lahab and his wife Umm Jamil (Umme Jamila) will roast in the fire of Hell, implying they will not believe in the Truth and never become Muslim and therefore they will enter the hell fire.

This Surah was revealed 10 years before Abu Lahab died as an unbeliever. Many of Abu Lahab's friends and other disbelievers accepted Islam in the span of 10 years since this Surah was revealed. Hence this is one of the prophecies of the Noble Qur'an came true.

The converts of the first four years were mostly humble folk unable to defend themselves against oppression. So cruel was the persecution they endured that Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) advised all who could possibly contrive to do so to immigrate to a Christian country, Abyssinia - modern day Ethiopia.

Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) had great faith in Ja'far, the son of Abu Talib and brother of Imam Ali (as). The handful of Muslim refugees including men and women under the leadership of Ja'far crossed the Red Sea. This is known to be the first migration in the history of Islam, which occurred in the 5th year after Muhammad, The Last Prophet (saw) had proclaimed Islam in 615 AD. They were joined by more immigrants who had become the victims of the enemies of Islam. The number of the refugees rose to 82 men and 18 women.