There were some believers between the Arabs during the Idle Worshipping Era, but they were very few, of them:

Waraqa Ibn Nofel:

He was a paternal cousin of Khadija, Allah’s messenger’s wife, and he adopted Christianity.  He was the first person Khadija told about the revelations Mohamed prayer and peace upon him received and also about seeing Gabriel peace upon him.  He did not live long after the beginning of the prophecy and mission of Mohamed prayer and peace upon him, for he was an old man then.

Zyd Ibn Amro Ibn Nofil:

He lived before Islam, but he did not worship idles or the things his people worshiped before Islam.  He did not eat the flesh of the dead animal, its blood, or from the offerings given to Idles.  He also discouraged people from killing their young daughters – some used to do that fearing that they will bring them shame-   Zyd followed the religion of Ibrahim peace upon him, and he used to prostrate to Allah the Highest.

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him was asked: “Should we ask Allah to forgive Zyd Ibn Amro?”   He said: “Yes for he is to be resurrected as a whole nation, just himself”.  (Byhaqy)

The Prophecy

The first signs of Prophecy that Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him experiences was the true vision.  Whenever he saw a vision, it used to be very clear like the daylight.

Then he was taken to solitude, until it became the thing he liked most.  He used to go out on his own to the mountains and passages around Makah.  Whenever he passed a rock or a tree, it used to greet him saying: “Peace upon you Allah’s messenger”.  He would turn right, left and behind him, to find nobody but rocks and trees.

The last 5 years before his prophecy, he used to a month every year worshipping by himself at the cave of “Heraa”.  In the year during which Allah the Highest favoured him and us with His message, which is a mercy to mankind, it was during the month of Ramadan when Gabriel peace upon him went to him in the cave and said: “Read”, he answered: “I can not read” (He was illiterate).  He said: “he hugged me so hard, until I thought I was dying, then let me go and said: “Read” He said: “I can not read”.  He hugged me hard again until I thought I was dying then let me go and said: “Read”.  I said: “I can not read”.  He hugged me hard again until I thought I was dying then let me go and said: “What do I read?”  And this was only because I feared that he would do the same again.  He said: “READ IN THE NAME OF YOUR LORD WHO CREATED * HE CREATED MAN FROM A CLOT * READ FOR YOUR LORD IS THE MOST NOBLE * HE TAUGHT WITH THE PEN * HE TAUGHT MAN WHAT HE DID NOT KNOW”.  (S: 96 A: 1-5)

I recited it, and he stopped and he left me, and rose up and it was as if engraved in my heart.  I went out, and then I heard a voice from the sky saying: “O Mohamed, you are Allah’s messenger and I am Gabriel”.  I looked up in the sky, and there was a man standing with his feet at the horizon saying: “O Mohamed, you are Allah’s messenger and I am Gabriel”.  I stood looking at him, neither moving forwards nor backwards.  I kept trying to look away from him, but whenever I looked in any direction in the sky, I found him.  I stayed in my place, neither moving forwards or backwards until Khadija sent her messengers looking for me, and they came up and went while I am still in my place, until he left me”. 

Mohamed prayer and peace upon him returned home and sate with Khadija and told her about what happened.  She said: “Be optimistic my cousin and do not be shaken, for by he who has the soul of Khadija in his hands, I hope that you are the prophet of this nation”.   She put her cloths on and went to her cousin Waraqa Ibn Nofel, who was a Christian who read both the Engeel and Torah.  She told him what Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him told her, and he said: “Holy, Holy, if you told me the truth Khadija, he has seen the great archangel who used to visit Musa (Moses) and he is indeed the prophet of this nation, tell him not to be shaken and be firm”.   Khadija went back and told Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him what Waraqa told her.

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him went to Kabba to do the Tawaf, and there he met Waraqa, and told Waraqa what happened with him, and Waraqa said to him: “By He who has my soul in his own hands, you are the prophet of this nation, and you have seen the great archangel who used to go to Musa (Moses)”.  Then Waraqa told him that his people are not going to believe him, they will hurt and fight him and turn him out of his home, and that if Waraqa was still alive by then, he will support him.  He kissed the head of Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him and went back to his home.

It has been narrated that Khadija asked Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him to let her know whenever he sees Gabriel peace upon him, and when he came, he told her.  She asked him to sit on her left thigh, them on her right thigh, then in her lap, and he did.  Then she took her head cover off and let her dress slip a little of her shoulder, then Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him told her that he went.  She told Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him that has been a devil, he would not have gone.  She believed in Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him.

Allah the Highest sent down many Ayahs in the Quran mentioning the beginning of the sending down of the Quran, and glorifying the night and the months during which it was sent, saying:

“THE MONTH OF RAMADAN DURING WHICH THE KORAN WAS SENT DOWN, GUIDANCE TO MANKIND AND CARRYING CLEAR SIGNS OF GUIDANCE AND JUDGING RIGHT FROM WRONG.  ANY ONE OF YOU WHO SEE THIS MONTH, HE SHOULD FAST IT, AND WHOEVER IS ILL OR TRAVELLING, THEY SHOULD MAKE THE NUMBER UP AT OTHER DAYS.  ALLAH DESIRES EASE NOT HARDSHIP FOR YOU.  YOU SHOULD COMPLETE THE NUMBER OF DAYS, AND GLORIFY ALLAH FOR WHAT HE GUIDED YOU TO, SO THAT YOU MAY GIVE THANKS”.  (S: 2 A: 185)

And about the night the Quran was sent down, Allah the Highest:   

“HA MEEM * AND THE CLEAR MANIFEST BOOK * WE SENT IT DOWN ON BLESSED NIGHT FOR WE ARE WARNING *” (S: 44 A: 1-3)

And Said: “WE SENT IT (THE QURAN) DOWN ON THE NIGHT OF QADR * AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE NIGHT OF QADR * THE NIGHT OF QADR IS BETTER THAN A THOUSAND MONTHS * THE ANGELS COME DOWN THEN AND SO DO THE SPIRITS WITH THEIR LORD’S PERMISSION WITH EVERY COMMAND * PEACE IT IS UNTIL THE DAWN RISES”.  (S: 97)

With the belief of Khadija, Allah the Highest gave his prophet and messenger prayer and peace upon him the best personal support he could have.  She did her best to comfort him and encourage him when people disbelieved and fought him.  She lightened the burden and eased the difficulties of the responsibilities of the prophecy. 

On an occasion, Gabriel peace upon him went to Mohamed prayer and peace upon him to deliver the greetings of Allah the Highest to Khadija.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “Khadija, this is Gabriel carrying you the Salam from you Lord”.  She said: “Allah is the Salam, from He comes the Salam and Salam is upon Gabriel”.  (Byhaqy)

On another occasion, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “I was commanded to give Khadija the good news that she will have a house of threads of jewels, where there is no noise and no one tires”.

When the Quran was sent down to Mohamed prayer and peace upon him, he went home frightened and shaking and saying: “Cover me up, cover me upon, wrap me up, wrap me up”.  Khadija cuddled him and wrapped him up and comforted him until he calmed down.  Yet he remained frightened and shaky until Allah the Highest sent his these Ayahs:  “YOU THE WRAPPED UP MAN * RISE FOR THE NIGHT (TO PRAY) EXCEPT FOR A LITTLE LEFT OF IT * A HALF OR A LITTLE LESS * OR MORE THAN THAT AND RECITE THE QURAN WELL * FOR WE SEND YOU HEAVY WORDS”.  (S:73 A:1-5)

And Allah the Highest also sent down: “YOU COVERED UP MAN * RISE AND WARN PEOPLE * AND GLORIFY YOUR LORD * AND PURIFY YOUR CLOTH * AND STAY WAY FROM THE IDLES AND EVIL”.  (S:74 A:1-5)

Then revelations stopped for a while, and Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him was very sad and thought that Allah the Highest abandoned him.  Allah the Highest then sent down: “BY THE MIDMORNING * AND THE NIGHT AS IT COVERS EVERY THING * YOUR LORD DID NOT ABANDON YOU AND HE DID NOT HATE YOU * AND THE HEREAFTER IS BETTER FOR YOU THAN THIS LIFE * AND YOUR LORD WILL GIVE YOU UNTIL YOU ARE SATISFIED”.  (S:93 A:1-5)

Allah the Highest protected His Book, the Quran on more than one level:

1-    On its way down.  Allah the Highest protected the Quran from being interfered with by the Devils or Satan on its way down, saying in Sorah Al-Jin “AND WE TOUCHED THE SKY AND WE FOUND IT FILLED WITH MANY STRONG GUARDS AND METEORITES * AND WE USED TO HAVE PLACES FOR LISTENING, BUT WHOEVER LISTENS NOW WILL FIND A METEORITE AIMING HIM”.  (S:72 A:8,9)

And answering those who claim that the a devil brings the Quran down to Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him, Allah the Highest sent down: “AND THE DEVILS DID NOT BRING IT DOWN * AND THEY SHOULD NOT AND THEY CAN NOT * AND THERE IS A BARRIER TO PREVENT THEM HEAR IT”. (S:26 A:210-212)

2-    The revelations of the Quran used to come via the Archangel Gabriel peace upon him.  When Mohamed prayer and peace upon him received it, at times it was light and mild, and other times it made him sweat on a very cold day.

Mohamed prayer and peace upon him used to move his lips and tongue with Gabriel as he says the words, and that was to memorize it, until Allah the Highest told him in the Quran that he does not have to do that, for Allah the Highest will fix and clarify the for him.  “AND DO NOT MOVE YOU TONGUE WITH IT HURRY MEMORIZING IT * IT IS FOR US TO GATHER TOGETHER AND MAKE CLEAR”.  (S:75 A:16-17)

3-    Allah the Highest gave His messenger and us a guarantee that the Quran will be kept safe and intact saying: “WE SENT DOWN THE ZEKR (QURAN) AND WE WILL PRESERVE AND PROTECT IT”.  (S:15 A:9)

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him was reassured that Allah the Highest is protecting the Quran on every level.  It was carried by the archangel Gabriel, the devils could not interfere or even listen to it, it will be kept in his mind and heart, and afterwards, Allah the Highest will preserve His Book.

Dr. Ahmed Saafan