The Guidance of Waraqa

There was someone else in Mecca who would be happy to hear this news. Khadija ran to her uncle’s son Waraqa ibn Nawfal with haste. She related to him word for word what her gracious husband had told her. Each new sentence that came out of Khadija’s mouth created great excitement within Waraqa, and at one moment, he couldn’t contain himself and started shouting: “Quddus! Quddus,” and then added: “I swear by Him who holds Waraqa’s life in His hand that if what you tell me is true Khadija, this is the Great Honor that has also come to Moses and Jesus. There is no doubt that he is the Messenger of this people. Go and tell him this, tell him to be steadfast.”

The seed from under the soil had cracked and now the new green seedling was coming out. The awaited moment had come and the unlucky fate of humanity was about to change. He wanted to have a first-hand account of this event which would change the course of humanity, and with Khadija’s guidance, they met in the courtyard of the Ka’ba. The fact that he was many years older did not stop him from obedience, and Waraqa kissed the forehead of the Messenger of Allah.

“O son of my brother! Tell me what you have heard and saw,” he asked, as if he was asking for mercy.

The last Messenger of Allah started to tell him what had happened, without excluding any details. Each word he heard was causing him even greater excitement, causing eruptions in his spiritual world and Waraqa was pushed from one inner state to another. The Good News that he had been reading about in books for years and the Glad Tidings that he lived with the hope of witnessing was the very person that was standing next to him.

When the Messenger of Allah finished his words, it was time for Waraqa to speak. With a quavering voice and the excitement of a heart that had found what it was looking for, he said the following historical words: “I swear by Him in whose hands my life is, you are the Messenger of this people. The same Honor that came to Moses has come to you. Do not forget that because of what you bring, you will be accused of lying, you will be subjected to hardships and torture, you will face enmity like you never have experienced before. I wish I were young on that day, living on that day, I wish I could reach the day that they will drive you out of your home so that I could be of some support to you.”

What he heard at this door that he had sought for solace was very interesting indeed. The future seemed to hold some hope but this hope seemed to come with its own baggage, a heavy load full of days of hardship, ordeal and misery. The noble Messenger was surprised. It was clear that this old man knew many things. He asked with a curious tone of voice: “Will my people drive me out?”

The answer that came not only answered the question, but with more general terms, it was listing what would befall him and was explaining the causes of the holy exiles that those who will be with him will have to suffer through: “Yes, they will drive you out. There is no person who comes with the truth that you are coming and not be driven out of his home, and not have to leave his homeland!”

Khadija was the first to believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then Ali ibn Abu Talib, who was only a child. Zayd ibn Haritha and Abu Bakr followed them. Then Bilal al-Habashi, Arqam ibn Abi’l-Arqam, Asma and Aisha, the two daughters of Abu Bakr, Habbab ibn Arat, and Abdullah ibn Jahsh joined the first circle.