The Message of Islam — Page 26
26 cruel persecution that he and his followers continued to suffer, its people were dear to him and he knew that the parting, when- ever it came, would be hard for him to bear. But his life was com- pletely dedicated to his mission and he was ready to carry out in good spirit whatever might be God’s pleasure concerning him. The painful prospect of having to leave Makkah was, however, sof- tened by the Divine assurance that God would surely bring him back to it. (see Surah al-Qasas, 28:86) Invitation from Madinah In the eyes of the worldly, the Prophet saw had arrived at a dead end. The chances of his success and of the acceptance of his mes- sage were nil. But he was steadfast, and was confident that God would open a way. It had been his custom to make contact with parties from other parts of the country who visited Makkah on the occasion of the annual pilgrimage, and to try to interest them in his mission and message. On one such occasion, he met a party of six pilgrims from Madinah, then known as Yathrib, who were encamped in a valley outside Makkah. At that time, Madinah was inhabited by two Arab and three principal Jewish tribes. The Arab tribes, Aus and Khazraj, were pagan idol worshippers, but had to some degree become familiar with the Jewish traditions. They had heard from their Jewish fellow townsmen that they were expect- ing the advent of a Prophet which had been foretold in their Scriptures. (see Deut. 18:18) The men whom the Prophet saw encountered on this occa- sion belonged to the Khazraj tribe. When he told them that God