One day, the Prophet ﷺ was sitting on a hill near Safa when Abu Jahl happened to pass by and began to insult him ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ remained silent and said not a word. Abu Jahl, however, kept going, picked up a stone and struck the head of the Prophet ﷺ until he began to bleed. At that moment Hamza ﵁ returned from a hunting expedition, with his bow over his shoulder. A slave girl told him about what had happened to the Prophet ﷺ. Hamza ﵁ was of course furious about what had been done to his nephew and rushed to the Ka’bah where Abu Jahl was at the time. He walked straight up to him, struck him on the head with his bow and said:
You have mistreated Muhammad ﷺ while I too follow his religion and proclaim what he preaches.
The Conversion of Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib - The Lion of Allah
Hamza ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib ﵁ was not just anyone. He was the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, but above all he was known as one of the bravest and most prominent men of Quraysh. His courage in hunting and battle, his physical strength and his status as the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib gave him a natural authority in Makkah. Many people saw in him a model of strength, chivalry and honour. He was known for his strength, his passion for hunting and his skill with the bow. He often ventured into the desert with his bow and arrows to hunt and returned with game that he generously shared. This earned him the respect of young and old, for in a society where courage and skill were highly valued, Hamza stood at the top.
In battle too, he was regarded as a formidable warrior. The people of Makkah knew him as someone who knew no fear and who stood in the front lines whenever there were conflicts. That is why his conversion was a crucial turning point. When he openly declared that he followed the religion of his nephew, the young Muslim community received an enormous boost in prestige and protection. Where the weaker believers were often oppressed and mistreated, no one dared to belittle or attack Hamza ﵁. His presence gave the Muslims a new resolve and a certain protection against the persecution of Quraysh.
From that moment on, Hamza became known as “Asadullah” (the Lion of Allah) and “Asad Rasulillah” (the Lion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ). His conversion was therefore not merely a personal turn, but a strengthening of the entire da’wah. It showed Quraysh that the message did not only appeal to the poor and the weak, but also to the most respected and powerful figures of Makkah.
The Conversion of Umar ibn Al-Khattab - The Distinguisher
Remarkably, just three days later another prominent member of the Quraysh would come to Islam. None other than Umar ibn al-Khattab, up to this point still a bitter enemy of Islam! He was known for his courage and determination; he was both feared and respected in Makkah.
It began when the Prophet ﷺ raised his hands in supplication and asked:
O Allah! Strengthen Islam through one of two men whom You love more: Umar ibn al-Khattab or Abu Jahl bin Hisham.
And it was Umar ﵁ who would be chosen…
The conversion of Umar ﵁ was a somewhat longer process than that of Hamza ﵁. One day, Umar ﵁ was on his way to the Ka’bah where he saw the Prophet ﷺ performing the prayer and heard him ﷺ reciting Surah al-Haqqa. He said to himself: By Allah, this is poetry just as the Quraysh have said. At that moment the Prophet ﷺ recited:
That this is truly the Word of an honoured Messenger. It is not the word of a poet. Little is it that you believe! Surah Al-Haqqa 40-41
Then Umar said to himself, “He is a sorcerer.” The Prophet ﷺ then recited:
Nor the word of a soothsayer. Little is the lesson that you draw from it. This is the revelation sent down by the Lord of the Worlds. Surah Al-Haqqa 42-43
In a later narration, 'Umar ﵁ said: Then Islam entered my heart.
However, deeply rooted concepts of Jahiliyyah, prejudices and his blind pride towards his forefathers did not allow him ﵁ to fully submit. He continued in his violence against Islam and the believers and was heedless of the small spark of Islam that was nevertheless in his heart. His volatile temperament and his excessive hostility towards the Prophet ﷺ drove him one day to leave his house, sword in hand, with the intention of killing the Prophet ﷺ. It is said that he was furious and offended! He was noticed by Nu’aim bin 'Abdullah, who asked Umar where he was going. Umar said in an angry tone: To destroy Muhammad. He said to Umar: Why don’t you take care of your own family first?
Who of my family? Umar asked angrily.
Your brother-in-law and your sister have left your religion.
Umar went directly to the house of his sister, and as he approached the house he heard the voice of Khabbab ibn al-Aratt ﵁, who was at that moment reciting Surah Taha. They heard the footsteps of Umar approaching and his sister Fatima ﵂ quickly hid the page with the Quran text on it, but it was too late. Umar entered the house and assaulted his sister and her husband until he felt remorse for what he had done. He asked for the text they were reading from; he was curious about what it was. He was allowed to read the page, but his sister ﵂ told him that he first had to wash himself before he could touch the page. He did as his sister asked and began to read until he read:
Verily, I am Allah, none has the right to be worshipped but I. Worship Me and establish the prayer to remember Me. Surah Ta-Ha 14
He was captivated by what he read and he asked to be brought to the Prophet ﷺ. When Khabbab ibn Al-Aratt ﵁ heard this, he came out from his hiding place and gave Umar the glad tidings that he was the one for whom the Prophet ﷺ had made supplication. He was brought to Dar al-Arqam with his sword dangling at his side, and he knocked on the door. The Companions, who at some point realised who was at the door, became worried, but Hamza ﵁ reassured them by saying:
Let him in. He is welcome as a friend, and if he comes as an enemy then his head will be cut off with his own sword. The Prophet ﷺ asked the Companions to open the door and Umar came in. He ﷺ asked him the reason for his visit and Umar said:
O Messenger of Allah, I have come to believe in Allah and His Messenger and in what he has brought from his Lord.
Full of joy, the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions exclaimed: Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)
Turning Point in the Da’wah
The conversion of Hamza and especially of Umar ﵄ sent shockwaves through Makkah. It had an enormous impact on the da’wah. After his conversion, he asked the Prophet ﷺ: why do we conduct our activities so secretly? I swear by Allah who has sent you with the truth that we shall leave our concealment and proclaim our noble cause openly. After that, the Muslims went in two groups towards the Ka’bah in broad daylight. One group under the leadership of Hamza and the other group under the leadership of Umar. When the Quraysh saw them, their faces turned pale. Up to that point it had been impossible for the Muslims to pray openly at the Ka’bah. This was also the moment when the enemies of Islam began to realise that persecuting the Muslims by torturing them was futile. It had become clear to them that they needed a different approach. Instead of employing a harsh method, they tried to tempt the Prophet ﷺ.