Prophet Muhammad (SA): Life & Clarifications
Clarifying the First Invitation to Islam
To guide against misrepresentation, this article outlines with referenced clarity the authentic narrative of Prophet Muhammad’s (SA) first public call to Islam—known as Dawat al-‘Ashīrah—and the announcement of his Prophethood (Ba‘thah). It also exposes fabricated narrations that have, over time, undermined the credibility of these sacred milestones.
1. Dawat al-‘Ashīrah – Qur’an 26:214
“And warn your nearest of kin.” (Qur’an 26:214)
This verse, known as Āyat al-Inzār, prompted the Prophet Muhammad (SA) to gather his relatives and warn them about divine accountability in the hereafter.
Fabricated Reports Refuted
Several narrations—attributed to Ayesha, Abu Hurairah, and others—claim the Prophet (SA) used this occasion to issue broad warnings without referencing succession. However, these narrations are historically flawed:
Ayesha was not born until four years after the Prophet’s (SA) declaration of Prophethood.
Abu Hurairah met the Prophet (SA) only after 7 AH, long after this event took place.
Yet these same sources claim to have narrated intricate speeches from events they could not have witnessed.
Despite this, these narrations have been used widely, especially in Sihah Sittah, misleading both Muslims and non-Muslims about the earliest phase of Islam.
The Authentic Narrative
According to Tafsir al-Ṭabarī, al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, Musnad Ahmad ibn Ḥanbal, and other respected sources, the authentic Dawat al-‘Ashīrah event unfolded as follows:
The Prophet Muhammad (SA) gathered his relatives.
After a small miracle in which a little food sufficed for all, he delivered his first major message:
He taught Tawḥīd (Oneness of God),
Maʿād (Resurrection and Afterlife),
ʿAdl (Divine Justice), and
Nubuwwah (Prophethood)—and announced:
“I have been appointed by Allah as a Prophet and Messenger.”
He then asked:
“Who among you will support me in this mission, so that he may be my brother, my successor (wasi), and my khalīfa?”
When no one responded but ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (AS), a young boy, the Prophet (SA) publicly appointed him:
“This is my brother, my wasi, my khalīfa, and my vizier.”
The Prophet (SA) instructed the elders present—including his uncles—to obey ‘Alī (AS). The Quraysh mocked Abū Ṭālib, saying: “Now you must obey your own son.”
Later, the Prophet (SA) would reiterate this appointment by comparing himself and ‘Alī to Mūsā and Hārūn, saying:
“You are to me as Hārūn was to Mūsā—except there is no prophet after me.”
(See Qur’an 7:142 and 20:29–36 for the original succession of Hārūn.)
2. The First Revelation (Ba‘thah)
The beginning of revelation (Ba‘thah) occurred when the Prophet (SA) received the command to “Read” (Qur’an 96:1–5) through Jibrā’īl (AS). However, many narrations depicting this event are fabricated, creating a distorted image of the Prophet (SA) as:
Illiterate and confused
Hysterical or suicidal
Uncertain about his Prophethood until Khadījah’s cousin Waraqah confirmed it
These accounts, often attributed to Ayesha, Ibn ʿAbbās, and ʿUrwah ibn Zubayr, are historically invalid:
Ayesha was born years after the event
Ibn ʿAbbās was born ten years after the event
ʿUrwah was born after the Prophet (SA) passed away
Yet these narrations persist and are cited in key sources such as Ṭabarī and Ibn Saʿd, portraying a prophet in panic—contrary to the Qur’an’s portrayal of Prophet Muhammad (SA) as steadfast, trustworthy, and confident in his mission.
Reality Check
These distortions did not arise by accident. They are rooted in the era of Muʿāwiyah, who paid narrators to fabricate hadith in order to:
Undermine the Prophet’s (SA) divinely guided behavior
Erase the rightful succession of ‘Alī (AS)
Elevate unworthy individuals for political gain
Action Line
The presence of fabricated ahadith within major Sunni collections has two major consequences:
It misguides the Muslim ummah—dividing belief and obscuring the legacy of the Prophet (SA).
It arms Islam’s enemies with material that paints an inaccurate and damaging picture of Islam’s Messenger (SA) and the Qur’an.
What early scholars did in 250 AH may have reflected their time and access. But today, we have the responsibility to correct the record—especially when the truth is preserved in the Qur’an and the authenticated sayings of the Prophet’s family.