Many reports by different companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) speak of their initial feelings toward him, stating that they adopted a hostile attitude toward him before they even met him. They also say how such feelings evaporated on meeting him, and how their hate was replaced by a far more genuine feeling of love. When we examine such reports, we find that the Prophet did not do anything of personal nature to bring about such a change. Invariably, he would simply speak naturally, with genuine feeling, stating his mission clearly and truthfully, without mincing words. People would always recognize his truthfulness and his honesty. This is what attracted people to him, and they would soon realize that the message he advocated was the message of the truth.
An unnamed man from Baladawiyyah narrates the story of his grandfather’s first meeting with the Prophet, as he himself reported it. He states that he went to Madinah where he stopped at the valley, which he did not name. Most probably it was either Bathan or Al-Aqeeq, which were the nearest valleys where market days were held. “I saw two men negotiating the sale of a single female goat. The buyer said to the seller: ‘Be good to me in this transaction.’ I thought to myself that this was probably the Hashimite man who has led people astray. As I looked at him I saw a handsome man with a broad forehead, small nose and thin eyebrows, and from just below his neck down to his navel stretched a thin black line of hair. He was wearing two old garments. As he approached us he greeted us saying, ‘Assalamu alaikum’, and we replied. He then spoke to the buyer who said to him: ‘Messenger of God! Tell him to make me a good transaction.’
“He stretched his hand as if in apology, and said: ‘You own your property. I hope to meet God on the Day of Resurrection and none of you having a claim against me that I might have wronged him with anything in his money, in himself or his honor, and that I would not have taken anything from anyone except in accordance with what is right. May God bless anyone who is easy in his buying and selling, easy in taking and giving, easy in settling his debts and in demanding settlement.’ He then left, and I thought that I need to make sure of the man because his words were good. I followed him and called him by his name, Muhammad. He turned with all his body (which was his habit), and asked what did I want. I asked him: ‘Are you the one who led people astray, caused them to perish and turned them away from what their forefathers worshipped?’ He said: ‘That is God.’ I asked him about his message, and he said: ‘I call on God’s servants to turn to God.’ When I asked him what did he say, he answered: ‘Declare that you believe that there is no deity other than God, and that I am God’s Messenger. You should believe in what God has revealed to me, and disbelieve in Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (the main two idols the Arabs worshipped), attend regularly to your prayer and pay your zakah.’ I asked him what was zakah and he said: ‘That the rich among us should give our poor.’ I said to him: ‘This is a fine message that you advocate.’
“There was no living person on the face of the earth more hateful to me than him, but now he was dearer to me than my children, my father and all people. I said to him: ‘Now I know.’ He said to me: ‘Then you know.’ As I answered in the affirmative, he said: ‘Would you bear witness that there is no deity other than God, and that I am God’s Messenger, and would you believe in what has been revealed to me?’ I said: ‘Yes.’
“I then said: ‘Messenger of God! I frequent a water spring which attracts many people, and I will call on them to believe in what you said to me. I hope that they will follow you.’ He said: ‘Yes, do.’ All people who used to frequent that water spring, men and women, accepted Islam. The Prophet then wiped his head.”
We note that the man started with an extremely negative view of the Prophet and Islam. He had a good look at the Prophet and noted that his outfit was that of a poor person. The Prophet’s talk, however, was impressive as he expressed his strong hope that he would never take anything from anyone except in accordance with what was right. He was not offended when it was put to him that he caused trouble among his people by advocating a message that aimed to change their religion. He put the principles of Islam clearly and called on people to accept it. This is the way to win people’s hearts and minds.
The Prophet always visited those who were ill, to inquire after their health. But he also took the opportunity to invite them to believe, knowing that an ill person accepts more readily knowing that recovery is granted only by God. Anas ibn Malik reports that the Prophet visited a man from the Najjar clan of the Ansar who was ill. The Prophet said to him: “Maternal uncle! Say: ‘There is no deity other than God.’” The man asked him whether he was a paternal or maternal uncle, and the Prophet confirmed that he was a maternal uncle. This is due to the fact that the Prophet was related to that clan through his mother. The Prophet again told him to declare his belief in the One God. The man asked him whether it was good for him to do so, and the Prophet confirmed that. We are not told whether the man believed or not, but we know that the Prophet took the opportunity of the visit to call on him to become a Muslim.
He did the same with a Jewish youth who used to serve him. When the youth fell ill, the Prophet went to visit him and sat close to him, near his head. He then said to him: ‘Accept the faith of Islam.’ The youth looked at his father who was present and his father said to him: ‘Obey Abu Al-Qasim.’ The boy did that and declared that he was a Muslim. When the Prophet left, he praised God for having saved the youth from hell.
This authentic Hadith, related by Ahmad, shows that the Prophet did not seek to do things in a roundabout way. He spoke to the youth in front of his father. The father realized that the Prophet only wanted what was good for his son, and he told him to obey God’s Messenger.
Not only so, but the Prophet did his best to make people who were hostile to Islam accept his message. Ahmad relates a Hadith which mentions that the Prophet said to a man: “Become a Muslim and you will be safe.” The man said: “I find myself unwilling to do so.” The Prophet said: “Even though you are unwilling.” Here we see the Prophet undeterred from advocating his message even though his interlocutor clearly says that he does not want to respond. But we should say that the Prophet did not threaten the man when he said to him that he would be safe if he became a Muslim. He only meant that he would be safe from God’s punishment in the hereafter. He also said to him that even if he was reluctant at the beginning, by accepting Islam even verbally, he would be in a better position to judge it clearly.