Three years from the first Revelation elapsed. Qurän was gradually revealed up to some forty chapters, or what they called it SUREH. Muslim's underground endeavors was not sufficient. People were receiving contradictory news from here and there about Mohammad (SA) and what he claimed of.

      Therefore, God ordered His Messenger to publicate his preaching by admonishing his nearest kinsmen first, and invite them to accept the new religious doctrine:ِ

      ``And admonish your nearest kinsfolk, and lower your wings for he who follows you of the believers.'' Sِ26:2ِ14

      To obey this commandment of Allah, the prophet invited some forty men from among his nearest kinsmen, and gathered them together in ABUTALIB'S house, in a night for dinner. They all accept the invitation to see what was going on under the ground.

      In that party, the prophet decided to give reason to the reasonable, and to show a miracle for those who lacked some common sence. His first public miracle was of that sort which was shown by JESUS CHRIST, mentioned in the N.T.; ``feeding a crowd with a little food!'' There, a small portion of food was prepared which was scarcely enough to satisfy an individual, and yet, out of that small portion of food, he fed all the forty men to satisfaction! The whole group were amazed to see that!

      One of the prophet's uncles, named ABULAHAB, who always and everywhere criticized Mohammad, took the lead and said to his brother ABUTALIB:ِ ``Our nephew has learned the art sorcery so how he fed this large group of people with that little food!'' Mohammad did not say anything to that false assertion of his uncle, and sufficed with an ironical smile.

      When the dinner was served, Mohammad (SA) got up in a point where all the guests could see him and made his first speech as follows:ِ

      ``In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate''

      ``O, you the progenies of ABDULMOTALLIB! Rescue yourselves from the Fire of Hell. Know that he who is sent in search of water by his people will not tell them lies. Upon my Lord! If all the people tell you lie, I will not. And if all the people mislead you, I do not do that. Upon the God except whom there is no other god, I am the Messenger of God, to all the people. Upon my Lord you all will die as you go to sleep, and all of you shall be raised from death, as you wake up! Then you will have to give an account of whatever you have done, bad or good. Then your reward for good deeds is good, and that foe bad deeds shall be bad.

      Certainly, Paradise and Hell, both exist eternally, and are awaiting you according to your good or evil deeds.

      O, you offsprings of ABDULMOTALLIB! Upon my Lord, I know not anyone to have brought for his family, so good a thing as I have brought for you. That which I have brought is prosperity and salvation in this life, and in the hereafter (if you follow me).

      If I say to you that a cavalry of enemy are coming from behind the mountains to attack you, do you deny me? I am telling you, be cautious, and save yourselves from the dangers of the fire of Hell. Of my Lord I want nothing dearer to me than (GUIDING) you; and this is why I warn you of a dreadful torture which is very near.

      My example with you is that of a man who sees the enemy who comes to invade the houses and he anxiously wants to inform his clan before the invasion begins. Thus the man frequently shouts to his family:ِ ``Get you up! Wake up! morning is come.'' He does his best to make the family aware of the approach of their enemy. Your enemy is your deeds, your customs, and faith (of Polytheism).

      I am the Messenger of God to inform you of that, and to invite you to utter and testify two words which is easy to say but difficult to bear. Say you:ِ ``There is no god but Allah, and that, I, Mohammad, am His Messenger.''

      Then Mohammad paused for a while looking at the audience, and said again:ِ

      Is there anyone among you my kinsmen who may accept my cause and become my executor and successor?''

      ABULAHAB the evil uncle, opened his mouth again and said to Mohammad (SA):ِ ``Down with you! Was that why you gathered us together here wasting our time!?''

      Imam Ali (AS), who was the youngest among all and in his teenages got up and with an innocence and verasity said:ِ

      ``O, Messenger of God! I faithfully believe in you and your mission, and in this cause I am your real mate and helper.''

      Mohammad (SA), who never showed the least doubt or fluctuation concerning his Divine Mission throughout his life, with a decisive mode of speech, said:ِ ``All of you know then, that this Ali is my brother and my successor. So all of you have to listen to him and obey his order.''

      ABULAHAB could now guess that his nephew's serious words, could not be without some strong support and firm standpoint, and yet he did not want to admit the truth or go short, so he said to his brother ABUTALIB:ِ ``Congratulations! Now your nephew whom you support so much, commands you to obey the order of your little son!''

      After that irony, the group dismissed, but the meeting was by no means a failure as one may think. The prophet as per order of God warned his nearest kinsfolk, and also publicated his preachings and declared the principle tenets of his doctrine as a new religion, and made people to consider the matter and think over it.

   REFERENCES:ِ PEYAMBAR BY:ِ Z.RAHNAMAِTHE HISTORY OF BAIHAGHIِTHE HISTORY OF TABARIِTABARSI'S MAJMAULBAYANِALMIZÄN, BY TABÄTABÄEE.

TRANSLATOR'S NOTE