Life of Muhammad — Page 12
sa 12 lest Ab u Bakr ra should misunderstand, began a long explanation. Ab u Bakr ra stopped the Prophet sa from doing so, and insisted that all he wanted to know was whether an angel had really descended upon him from God and had given him a Message. The Prophet sa wanted to explain again, but Ab u Bakr ra said he wanted to hear no explanation. He wanted only an answer to the question whether he had had a Message from God. The Prophet sa said, "Yes" and Ab u Bakr ra at once declared his faith. Having declared his faith, he said, argument would have detracted from the value of his faith. He had known the Prophet sa long and intimately. He could not doubt him, and he wanted no argument to be convinced of his truth. This small group of the Faithful then were the first believers of Islam: a woman full of years, an eleven-year-old boy, a freed slave living among strangers, a young friend and the Prophet sa himself. This was the party which made the silent resolve to spread the light of God all over the world. When the people and their leaders heard of this, they laughed and declared that these men had gone mad. There was nothing to fear and nothing to worry about. But as time went on, the truth began to dawn and as the Prophet Isaiah as (28:13) said long ago, precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; began to descend upon the Prophet sa. THE FAITHFUL PERSECUTED God began to talk to Muhammad sa in "another tongue". The youth of the country began to wonder. Those in search of truth became excited. Out of scorn and derision began to grow approval and admiration. Slaves, young men, and hapless women began to collect around the Prophet sa. In his Message and in his teaching there was hope for the degraded, the depressed and the young. Women thought the time for the restoration of their rights was near. Slaves thought the day of their liberation had come and young men thought the avenues of progress were going to be thrown open to