Dar Al-Arqam

First, the Prophet began using the house of Arqam bin Abi Al-Arqam as a secret centre for prayer, preaching, education and training. Arqam’s house was ideally located at the foot of Mount Safa, only a short walk away from the Ka’bah and its bustling crowds. The pagans who lived in the area, therefore, did not take notice of the many people who gathered in Arqam’s house.

The Prophet would meet his Companions there and recite verses of the Qur’an to them which they would then memorise. These arrangements allowed the early Muslims to learn the essential tenets of Islam and perform prayers in secret without incurring the wrath of their neighbours or other family members who had not converted.

As for the Prophet , he continued to perform his prayers in the open for all to see. In the face of persecution, insults, and harrassment, he kept preaching the message of Islam to everyone he met. It was the wisdom and mercy of Allah that the Prophet never refrained from carrying on with his mission, even under extremely adverse conditons. Because of his efforts, no soul will be able to argue on the Day of Judgment that Allah did not send a messenger to warn those who were astray and to show them the straight path.