for he had no wealth with which to reward them, no positions to bestow upon them, and he wielded no sword; in fact, the sword, the money, and the prestige were all in the hands of his enemies. They subjected his followers to every kind of abuse, yet the believers remained patient, hoping for Allah’s reward, and never turned back from their religion because of the sweetness of faith and knowledge that had filled their hearts.

Since the time of Abraham, Mecca had been the pilgrimage destination of the Arabs. Each season the tribes gathered there, and he would go out to them, convey the message, and call them to Allah, patiently enduring the denials of the deniers, the harshness of the harsh, and the aversion of those who turned away. This continued until he met the people of Yathrib. They were neighbors of the Jews and had already heard reports about him from them and recognized him. When he invited them, they realized that he was the awaited Prophet about whom the Jews had been telling them. They had heard enough about him to know his rank, for in little more than a dozen years his cause had spread and become manifest. They therefore believed in him and pledged allegiance to him, committing themselves to his hijrah and the hijrah of his Companions to their city and to striving with him in jihad.

Accordingly he and those who followed him emigrated to Medina, where the Muhājirūn and the Anṣār resided. Among them was no one who had believed out of worldly ambition or fear, except for a few of the Anṣār who accepted Islam outwardly—some of whom later perfected their Islam. Permission was then granted to him to fight, and thereafter it was made obligatory. Throughout, he remained faithful to the command of Allah in the most perfect and complete manner, embodying truthfulness, justice, and loyalty. Not a single lie is recorded from him, nor any injustice or treachery toward anyone. Rather, he was the most truthful of people, the most just, and the most faithful to his covenants, regardless of the circumstances he faced—war and peace, safety and fear, wealth and poverty, scarcity and abundance, times when he overcame the enemy and times when the enemy overcame him—all the while he