Inajulikana kwamba Makka ilikuwa kitovu cha Waarabu, na ilikuwa na walinzi wa Al-Ka‘bah. Ulinzi na usimamizi wa masanamu na sanamu za mawe zilizochongwa, ambazo Waarabu wote walizitukuza, ulikuwa mikononi mwa watu wa Makka. Hivyo ilikuwa ngumu kufikia lengo la marekebisho na uadilifu katika mahali kilichochukuliwa kuwa pango la ushirikina. Kufanya kazi katika mazingira kama hayo bila shaka kunahitaji nia thabiti isiyoyumba na azma, ndiyo sababu wito wa Uislamu ulichukua mfumo wa siri ili watu wa Makka wasikasirike kwa mshangao usiotarajiwa.

It is well-known that Makkah was the centre for the Arabs, and housed the custodians of Al-Ka‘bah. Protection and guardianship of the idols and stone graven images that received veneration on the part of all the Arabs lay in the hands of the Makkans. Hence the difficulty of hitting the target of reform and rectitude in a place considered the den of idolatry. Working in such an atmosphere no doubt requires unshakable will and determination, that is why the call unto Islam assumed a clandestine form so that the Makkans should not be enraged by the unexpected surprise.

Mtume (Amani iwe juu yake) alianza kwa asili utume wake mtukufu moja kwa moja kutoka nyumbani kwake, kisha akahamia kwa watu waliokuwa karibu naye sana. Alimwita katika Uislamu yeyote aliyedhani kwamba atathibitisha ukweli uliotoka kwa Mola wake. Kwa hakika, watu wengi ambao hawakuwa na chembe yoyote ya shaka kuhusu Mtume (Amani iwe juu yake), walijibu mara moja na kukubali kwa urahisi dini ya kweli. Wanajulikana katika fasihi ya Kiislamu kama Waongofu wa mwanzo. Khadija, mke wa Mtume, mama wa Waumini, alikuwa wa kwanza kuingia katika jumuiya ya Uislamu, akafuatiwa na mtumwa wake aliyemwacha huru, Zaid bin Harithah, kisha binamu yake, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, ambaye alikuwa akiishi naye tangu utoto wake wa mapema, na kisha rafiki yake wa karibu Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (Abu Bakr, mthibitishaji wa ukweli). Wote hao walikiri Uislamu siku ya kwanza kabisa ya mwito. Abu Bakr, tangu siku ya kwanza alipoukubali Uislamu, alidhihirika kuwa mwanaharakati hodari na mwenye bidii kubwa. Alikuwa tajiri, mwenye kusaidia, mpole na mnyoofu. Watu walikuwa wakimtembelea nyumbani kwake na kumkaribia kwa ujuzi wake, urafiki wake, starehe ya mazungumzo yake na biashara yake. Alimwalika Uislamu yeyote aliyemwamini, na kupitia juhudi zake binafsi watu wengi wakasilimu, kama vile ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan Al-Umawi, Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam Al-Asadi, ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas, Az-Zuhri na Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah At-Tamimy. Watu hao wanane ndio waliounda watangulizi na, hasa zaidi, kikosi cha mbele cha dini mpya huko Arabia. Miongoni mwa Waislamu wa mwanzo walikuwepo Bilal bin Rabah (Mhabeshi), Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah kutoka Bani Harith bin Fahr (Mwaminifu zaidi wa Umma ya Kiislamu), Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad, Al-Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam kutoka kabila la Makhzum, ‘Uthman bin Maz‘oun na ndugu zake wawili Qudama na ‘Abdullah, ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf, Sa‘id bin Zaid Al-‘Adawi na mkewe Fatimah - binti Al-Khattab (dada wa ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab), Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, ‘Abdullâh bin Mas‘ud Al-Hadhali na wengine wengi. Hawa ndio waliokuwa Waislamu wa kwanza. Walitokana na koo mbalimbali za Quraish. Ibn Hisham, mwandishi wa wasifu, aliwahesabu kuwa zaidi ya arobaini.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) naturally initiated his sacred mission right from home and then moved to the people closely associated with him. He called unto Islam whomsoever he thought would attest the truth which had come from his Lord. In fact, a host of people who nursed not the least seed of doubt as regards the Prophet (Peace be upon him), immediately responded and quite readily embraced the true faith. They are known in the Islamic literature as the early converts, Khadijah, the Prophet’s spouse, the mother of believers, was the first to enter the fold of Islam followed by his freed slave Zaid bin Harithah, his cousin, ‘Ali bin Abi Talib, who had been living with him since his early childhood, and next came his intimate friend Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (Abu Bakr the truth verifier). All of those professed Islam on the very first day of the call. Abu Bakr, and from the first day he embraced Islam, proved to be an energetic and most zealous activist. He was wealthy, obliging, mild and upright. People used to frequent his house and draw nigh to him for his knowledge, amity, pleasant company and business. He invited whomever he had confidence in to Islam and through his personal efforts a good number of people converted to Islam, such as ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan Al-Umawi, Az-Zubair bin ‘Awwam Al-Asadi, ‘Abdur Rahman bin ‘Awf, Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas, Az-Zuhri and Talhah bin ‘Ubaidullah At-Tamimy. Those eight men constituted the forerunners and more specifically the vanguard of the new faith in Arabia. Among the early Muslim were Bilal bin Rabah (the Abyssinian), Abu ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Jarrah from Bani Harith bin Fahr (the most trustworthy of the Muslim Nation), Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al-Asad, Al-Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam from the tribe of Makhzum, ‘Uthman bin Maz‘oun and his two brothers Qudama and ‘Abdullah, ‘Ubaidah bin Al-Harith bin Al-Muttalib bin ‘Abd Munaf, Sa‘id bin Zaid Al-‘Adawi and his wife Fatimah - daughter of Al-Khattab (the sister of ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab), Khabbab bin Al-Aratt, ‘Abdullâh bin Mas‘ud Al-Hadhali and many others. These were the Muslim predecessors. They belonged to various septs of Quraish. Ibn Hisham, a biographer, counted them to be more than forty.

Muqatil bin Sulaiman alisema: "Swala (sala) ilifanywa kuwa ibada ya lazima katika hatua za mwanzo za Wito wa Kiislamu, swala ya rakaa mbili asubuhi na swala ya rakaa mbili jioni kama hiyo;

Muqatil bin Sulaiman said: “Salât (prayer) was established as an obligatory ritual at an early stage of the Islamic Call, a two rak‘ ah (unit of prayer) Salât in the morning and the same in the evening;.

"Na mtakaseni kwa kusifu sifa za Mola wenu Mlezi jioni (yaani muda kuanzia baada ya adhuhuri hadi machweo ya jua) na asubuhi (yaani muda kuanzia alfajiri au kuchomoza kwa jua hadi kabla ya adhuhuri)." [40:55].

“And glorify the praises of your Lord in the ‘Ashi (i.e. the time period after the mid-noon till sunset) and in the Ibkar (i.e. the time period from early morning or sunrise till before mid-noon).” [40:55].

Ibn Hijr alisema: “Hakika Mtume (ﷺ) alikuwa akisali kabla ya ‘Safari ya Usiku’, lakini bado kuna mjadala kama swala hiyo ilikuwa imewekwa kuwa ibada ya lazima kabla ya kuwekwa kwa kanuni za swala tano za kila siku. Imepokewa kwamba swala ya lazima ilikuwa imewekwa mara mbili kwa siku, asubuhi kabla ya kuchomoza kwa jua na baada ya kuzama kwa jua. Imepokewa kwa mnyororo wa wapokezi kwamba Mtume (ﷺ) alipopokea Wahyi wa kwanza, Gabriel, malaika, aliendelea na kumfundisha jinsi ya kutekeleza Wudhu (udhu). Mtume (ﷺ) alipomaliza, alichukua kiganja cha maji na kuyanyunyiza kwenye sehemu zake za chini.”

Ibn Hijr said: “Definitely the Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to pray before ‘The Night Journey’ but it still remains a matter of controversy whether or not the prayer was established as an obligatory ritual before imposing the rules of the usual five prayers a day. It is related that obligatory prayer was established twice a day, in the morning before sunrise and after sunset. It is reported through a chain of narrators that when the Prophet (Peace be upon him) received the first Revelation, Gabriel - the angel, proceeded and taught him how to observe Wudu (ablution). When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) had finished, he took a handful of water and sprinkled it on his loins.

Ibn Hisham ameripoti kwamba wakati wa sala ulipofika, Mjumbe wa Allaah ﷺ na Maswahaba zake walikwenda kwenye bonde la mlimani ili kusali kwa siri. Abu Talib alipomwona Mjumbe wa Allaah ﷺ na Ali wakisali, aliwauliza walikuwa wanafanya nini. Alipopata kujua kwamba ilikuwa sala ya faradhi, aliwaambia waendelee kudumu katika amali hiyo.

Ibn Hisham reported that when it was time for prayers, the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and his Companions went into a mountain valley to pray secretly. Abu Talib once saw the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) and Ali praying, he asked them what they were up to. When he got to know that it was obligatory prayer, he told them to stay constant in their practice.

Hatua hii ya Da'wah, ingawa ilifanywa kwa siri na kwa kila mtu mmoja mmoja, habari zake zilivuja na zikapata umaarufu wa kijamii kote Makkah. Mwanzoni, viongozi wa Makkah hawakumjali sana Muhammad ﷺ na hawakuzingatia mafundisho yake. Awali, walidhani kwamba Muhammad ﷺ alikuwa tu mwanafalsafa wa kidini kama Umayyah bin Abi As-Salt, Qus bin Sa'idah, 'Amr bin Nufail na watu wa aina yao, ambao walikuwa wakifikiri kuhusu uungu na wajibu wa kidini. Lakini mtazamo huu wa kutojali ulibadilika haraka kuwa wasiwasi wa kweli. Washirikina wa Quraish walianza kumfuatilia Muhammad ﷺ kwa karibu na kwa wasiwasi, kwa kuhofia kwamba angeeneza Da'wah yake na kuleta mabadiliko katika mawazo yaliyokuwepo.

This stage of the Call, even though conducted in a clandestine manner and on an individual basis, its news leaked out and assumed a public interest all over Makkah. In the beginning, the Makkan leaders did not care much about Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and took no heed of his teachings. At first, they thought that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was merely a religious philosophist like Omaiyah bin Abi As-Salt, Quss bin Sa‘idah, ‘Amr bin Nufail and their ilk who used to philosophize on godship and religious obligations. But this attitude of indifference soon changed into real apprehension. The polytheists of Quraish began to watch Muhammad’s movements closely and anxiously for fear of spreading his Call and producing a change in the prevalent mentality.

Kwa miaka mitatu ya harakati za chinichini, kundi la waumini liliibuka likiwa na roho ya udugu na ushirikiano, pamoja na lengo moja lililo wazi akilini mwao: kueneza na kuimarisha kwa kina wito wa Uislamu. Kwa miaka mitatu kamili, Muhammad ﷺ alikuwa ameridhika kufundisha ndani ya mzunguko mdogo. Lakini wakati ulikuwa umefika wa kuhubiri dini ya Mola wake waziwazi. Malaika Jibril, ambaye jina lake kwa Kiswahili ni Gabriel, alikuwa amemletea Ufunuo mwingine wa Mapenzi ya Allah ili akabiliane na watu wake, auondoe uongo wao na kuyaangamiza matendo yao ya kuabudu masanamu.

For three underground years of activism, a group of believers emerged stamped by a spirit of fraternity and cooperation with one definite objective in their mind: propagating and deeply establishing the call unto Islam. For full three years Muhammad (Peace be upon him) had been content to teach within a rather narrow circle. The time had, however, come to preach the faith of the Lord openly. The angel Gabriel had brought him down a further Revelation of Allâh’s Will to confront his people, invalidate their falsehood and crush down their idolatrous practices.