Abu Abdullah al-Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam.رضي الله عنه

His name is Arqam bin 'Abd Manaf bin Asad bin 'Abdillah bin 'Amr bin Makhzum bin Yaqazah bin Murrah bin Ka'ab, (his father) Abu 'Abdillah (أرقم بن عبد مناف بن أسد بن عبد الله بن عمرو بن مخزوم بن يقظة بن مرة بن كعب). Famous with the title al-Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam al-Makhzumi. 

Said Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani mentioned: "a sahabi, the owner of the house where the Prophet SAW and his companions gathered before openly preaching."

Born 30 years before the Hijrah, 594 AD, and died in 55 Hiriyyah, 675 AD.

Da'wah is one of the important keys in the spread of Islam. Rasulullah SAW had many friends who played an important role in preaching to spread the teachings of Islam.

The companions of Rasulullah SAW were active and patient in facing various obstacles. Even one of the Prophet's friends made his house a center for preaching.

One of the friends of Rasulullah SAW whose house was used as a center for preaching was Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam. Here's the story.

Typically not spoken about except in regards to his home and what his home played, the role that his home played in the seerah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The incident of Ammar and Suhaib may Allah be pleased with them, meeting at the door of this individual. And as they ran into each other about to enter in, they ask each other what they're doing there and both of them confessed that they were there to listen to the teachings of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. 

[For Illustration Only l The Companions]

That they'd heard about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam preaching this new way of life. They enter into this home and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam presented to us Islam and they accepted Islam. They both left that home, Ammar and Suhaib, as Muslims after meeting the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.And you know it's more about the role that his home played than him. And that is Al-Arqam, Ibn Abi Al-Arqam radiAllahu ta'ala anhu. According to a narration in Al-Hakim, he was the seventh person to embrace Islam. The seventh person to embrace Islam. 

Now, I'm going to put this out there that sometimes you'll have these narrations. So for example the one that we just completed going over the names in there. The first seven, Adharul Islam, who presented their Islam, publicly. Right, and we went through some of those names. And sometimes you'll see when you're reading about some of these firsts that the numbers will be similar to the numbers of others. And obviously there are going to be conflicting narrations about when a person embraced Islam or what number they are in the order because obviously Islam was being preached secretly at this point. And so some people had embraced Islam but kept their Islam secret. 

And some people had embraced Islam literally on the same day. So who do you put first, Ammar or Suhaib for example? 

But the point is that Al-Arqam is one of the earliest to embrace Islam. And his house will play a central role in the seerah of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasalam and in the lives of the companions. Now, how young was Al-Arqam? A little bit about his tribe in a bit inshaAllah ta'ala. But how young was he? We talk about youth embracing Islam. And Ali ibn Abi Talib radiAllahu ta'ala anhu in particular, we know how young he was when he embraced Islam. But he was raised in the house of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasalam, right? 

Al-Arqam ibn Abi Al-Arqam was anywhere from 12 to 16 years old when he embraced Islam. So he was a teenager. Okay, so most of the narrations put him around 14 years old, the lowest of them 12 years old, the highest of them 16 years old. So he was literally a teenager, if even just coming into his teens. And of course, you know, people were forced to mature at a younger age at that point at that time. And so, we know, a 14 year old at that time is not necessarily a 14 year old at this time, because of the responsibilities and things of that sort. But he was very, very young. 

And he heard about the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasalam early on, kind of listening in. Truly young and very quiet. So Al-Arqam, one of the reasons perhaps that you don't find much about him in the Sira is because he clearly was a very quiet young man, listening around, hearing the news here or there, and embracing Islam. And he does not seem to talk much before or after Makkah, Madinah, or beyond. He seems to be a very quiet individual. WadiAllahu ta'ala anhum. 

So what makes this young person so instrumental? How does he have a home in the first place? Again, a 14 year old at that time is not necessarily a 14 year old or not, is certainly not a 14 year old at this time, but should be a source of inspiration to young people to know what role they could play in Islam. He inherited a home from his father, and that house was strategically located right next to As-Safa, which was of course a much higher hill at the time. People used to go to the top of As-Safa to make announcements like the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wasalam did when he first made his announcement to his family, calling them to Islam. 

At least his first public call, alayhi salatu wasalam. He inherited a home that was strategically right next to As-Safa, and if you look in fact at this image, you'll see that right to the right of As-Safa, that's where the location of this home was. Till now it's still marked, and in fact until the recent past, if you look at the older pictures, you'll see that it was still marked in a certain way. It became a place where Qur'an was taught. It became a school, so it's not just that we have a bunch of Islamic schools that are named Dar al-Arqam, but it became a place where the Qur'an was taught and things of that sort. Books are sold, and now you can see it's marked by a window right next to the mountain of As-Safa. So this is a very strategically placed home that he inherited from his father, and it  would become the house of Islam. 

It would become the place where the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam would teach Islam to that young group of companions that were surrounding him, that initially embraced Islam, most of them being from the oppressed class. Most of them were the Bilals and the Suhaibs, the Ammars and the Khababs, and so on and so forth. 

But not al-Arqam. Who is al-Arqam? What is his tribe? Al-Arqam's father's name, of course, he's known as al-Arqam ibn Abu al-Arqam, but al-Arqam's actual father's name, Abu al-Arqam, the father of al-Arqam is Abdi Manaf ibn Asad ibn Umar ibn Mahzum. Now if you're paying attention and listening to the tribe names, what is the tribe of Mahzum? The tribe of Mahzum is the tribe of Abu Jahl. So he's from the tribe of Abu Jahl, one of the most powerful tribes in Makkah and the head of whom is rising to be the pharaoh of this Ummah, the one who's torturing all of those young companions that have embraced Islam. 

The head is Abu Jahl. And Banu Mahzum was the rival tribe of Banu Hashim, the tribe of the Prophet ﷺ. And so you have all of these competitions that exist between Banu Mahzum and Banu Hashim and of course that was Abu Jahl's greatest resistance to Islam. He said, how can we produce a prophet? We can't compete with Banu Hashim if we acknowledge that they have a prophet amongst them. Then we will forever concede to their tribe. Al-Arqam ibn Abu Al-Arqam kept his Islam private but he's from the tribe of Banu Mahzum. No one would suspect that he was Muslim. 

He never made his Islam public and he was literally a young teenager who used to walk unsuspectingly throughout, could go to the gatherings of Banu Mahzum and no one would think that maybe he was Muslim. No one would worry about Al-Arqam ibn Abu Al-Arqam who makes his choice or the Prophet ﷺ choosing him in his home to be so brilliant. And SubhanAllah some of the scholars, mentioned that Musa Alayhi Salaam grew up in the house of Fir'aun. He grew up in the house of the pharaoh. Allah protected the Prophet Moses Peace Be Upon Him Alayhi Salaam in the house of Fir'aun. 

The Prophet ﷺ was protected and raising a young ummah in the house of a young man from the tribe of the Fir'aun of his time.  Abu Jahl the Fir'aun of this ummah. So you have you know Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala showing his miracles just in the way that things are proceeding. That the Prophet ﷺ is raising an ummah, raising a generation in that home out of all homes. In the house of a young man from his enemy tribe Banu Mahzum where Abu Jahl was leading the charge against the Prophet ﷺ. And some of the scholars they mention about the youth in particular here. 

The Prophet ﷺ of course had more hope in the youth than he did in the elders. And this is something that's established whether the Prophet ﷺ was in Ta'if right and the Prophet ﷺ hoped that from their children there would be a generation that would worship Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala or whether it was the people that the Prophet ﷺ saw in Badr making dua that their kids would be different. And then when their children led the revolt against the Prophet ﷺ in Uhud. 

They were younger, Ikrama the son of Abu Jahl, Khalid ibn al-Walid . They were the younger men and the Prophet ﷺ says, Allahumma ghfirli qawmi fa innahum la ya'lamoon. Oh Allah forgive my people they don't know any better. He had more hope in the young people. He had more hope in the youth. Because they were less set in their ways, they were less attached to their tribes .

Their innocence brought them closer to the fitrah or kept them closer to their natural inclination. They weren't as partisan, they were more willing to listen to the Prophet ﷺ and his message. And SubhanAllah what did Allah reward the Prophet ﷺ with? The children of his enemies both in Ta'if and in Makkah. Becoming not just a Muslim but a reason for the spread of Islam. Here this young teenager from Banu Mahzum becoming a source of protection for the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. 

And so imagine the site, having this teenager who owns this little house right next to As-Safa. Some of the historians point out to, or what they point to is they said there was a narrow alleyway from As-Safa to the house of Al-Arqam. And it was also right around the crowds of Makkah and so it was easy to sneak in and to enter into that house unsuspectingly and not worry about anything. So they were able to keep this secret for years that they were there. What was taking place in that house? 

The Prophet ﷺ would go there every day and he would teach the companions there, that young group of people that had embraced Islam around him. He would receive revelation in that home. SubhanAllah some of the Qur'an was revealed in that home of Al-Arqam. So much of it, in fact the majority of it was recited for the first time to a group of people in that home. This was the home where Ammar ibn Yasir and Suhaib accepted Islam. 

This was the home where Hamza and Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, accepted Islam. So how many shahadahs, legends of Islam took their shahadah, became Muslim in that home with the Prophet ﷺ, gave their allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ? It was actually here that Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, Ya ayyuhan nabi hasbuka Allah wa man attaba'aka minal mu'mineen. 

That O Prophet, Allah is sufficient for you. Hasbuka Allah wa man attaba'aka minal mu'mineen and for those who follow you among the believers, it is enough for you Ya Rasulullah to have Allah on your side and it is enough for those young believers to have Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala with them. And so this continues for years. Al-Arqam ibn Abu Al-Arqam hosts the Prophet ﷺ, is able to walk through the streets of Makkah. At no point does he endure any type of torture. At no point is he called out. At no point does Abu Jahl, the head of Banu Maghzum, think that this young man is the one who is hosting and protecting his sworn enemy, the Prophet ﷺ, or rather who he swore to be an enemy of in the Prophet ﷺ. 

As years go on and the Prophet ﷺ is able to cultivate this community, this becomes an inspiration for believers for all times. And that's why like I said, and I said it quite jokingly, but I actually do mean it, subhanAllah, the benefit, the beauty of having so many schools, Qur'an schools around the world, Islamic schools that are named after Al-Arqam. Sometimes you find even masajids that are named after Al-Arqam. Because it was in those small gatherings that the Prophet ﷺ was not just able to teach them the Qur'an, not just able to accept their Islam and then to teach them how to pray. 

But the Prophet ﷺ nurtured a bond and a community in that home. And Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala brought that through the barakah of that gathering place. And so when you talk about the first masjid and you talk about the first Islamic university and the first Islamic school, you know there are different notions that are going to come to your mind. But what's takingplace in that home, right, is something very special. And subhanAllah also by the way, you know, if you think about what cultivates faith in us, how many people found their strong Islamic identity in the halaqas, right, in the small groups that would gather in the masajid, in the houses of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, remembering Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala, reflecting upon Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala together and building their identity. 

And especially for people that live as Muslim minorities, okay, especially for people that live as Muslim minorities, you find that some of the most active people in Islamic work found their identity, found their commitment, not through the khutbas but through the halaqas, right, through the small groups of people that would get together on a weekly basis, whether it was in someone's house or whether it was in a masjid, and they would build that bond with one another, they build that connection with one another. And that gave them the strength to be able to deal with, or that gives them the strength to be able to deal with the circumstances on the outside, and also nurtures a lifelong commitment. 

Imagine being in Makkah where you know that every single time you step in that house, you step in that house, there is a possibility that you will be found out, and that you will be tortured and killed for it. And every time you step out, there's the possibility that someone is holding a sword or a spear waiting for you as soon as you exit that home to be targeted. And SubhanAllah, you know, that's why we'll find that when Umar ibn Khattab radiAllahu anhu knocks on that door, they think he's coming to kill them, they think they've been found out. 

But Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala protected them and they were able to cultivate that faith there. So this is a lesson for us, you know, as we nurture our faith, as we nurture that certainty, as we nurture that camaraderie upon that certainty, as we nurture that commitment to that certainty in the collective sense, in our small group, studying the Quran together, studying the seerah together, reflecting together, that we are living the legacy of what the ProphetsalAllahu alayhi wa sallam nurtured in the house of Al-Arqam. And you know, a lot of times you see people that move on from that to bigger gatherings, they say it's not the same, you know, I remember that camp, I remember that halaqa, I remember when we were in that small home, remembering Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala together. 

And so the companions that went through the experience of being in the house of Al-Arqam, you know, that's something that they would reflect upon and that they could connect to forever, how blessed and privileged to be in that small gathering around the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam. Now with Al-Arqam ibn Abu Al-Arqam, you also have, by the way, an example of someone who uses his power and his privilege for the good of Islam. 

Without the need to be celebrated, without the need to be recognized, Al-Arqam radiAllahu ta'ala anhu had no problem using his privilege of being from Banu Makhzum to the support of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam, and that was enough for him. He didn't need to go down as one of the greats or one of the nobles or things of that sort, he didn't need to be celebrated or propped up. He enjoyed his, you know, being anonymous in the city of Makkah amongst the people like Abu Jahl, while at the same time allowing the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam a space to actually build his community. 

And his identity is forever attached to that home. You also find, by the way, from the strategy of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam, and this is strategic because even if Al-Arqam would have been found out, Abu Jahl is not going to kill his own, or this would not, this is not like the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam being in the house of a Hashemite, of course Banu Hashem would be boycotted, that there was a strategic reason as well that there could be a great benefit that even if things were to be found out and discovered, obviously this was a tribalistic resistance to the mission of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam, and so it was to the benefit of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam to be in the house of a Makhzumi, someone from that tribe of Abu Jahl, in this young man Al-Arqam ibn Abu Al-Arqam. Now, a hadith, we don't have them narrated from him. 

We have a very subtle presence, however, he made the hijrah with the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam to Medina in the year of 622, along with the other companions of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam. There is a narration of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam granting him a special house, a special home from the spoils in the area of Az-Zurayq in Madinah, which would of course represent a loyalty of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam of sorts to this young man for what he gave to Islam. He fought every battle alongside the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam, Badr, Uhud, Khandaq. 

He did not miss a single battle with the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam. He lived through the era of all the Khulafa Ar-Rashideen, and he would die in the time of Muawiyah radiAllahu ta'ala anhu, and his janazah would be led by none other than Sa'd ibn Abi Waqas radiAllahu ta'ala anhu. We don't have narrations from him. We don't have this picture to paint of him, this person that accepted Islam at such a young age and was so instrumental to its beginning. But Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala certainly knows and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala certainly would reward this young man who gave his house for the purpose of cultivating that call to al-jannah. 

May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grant him a high place in al-jannah, a high home in al-jannah as well. And subhanAllah his one wish when he passed away as he allowed for his home to be inherited was that his home would not be sold. So it was a connection that he had to that place, that special place, and you can imagine, and this is what  was about there isn't much on Al-arqam radiAllahu ta'ala anhu, but imagine as the sahaba came back and fathul Makkah and the conquest of Makkah and they are now in the thousands and thousands and thousands and the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam is going to stand up on Safa again.

Where he was once rejected, but this time with thousands of followers and in a place of complete victory and he could look just right off to the right of that mountain and say that's where we used to gather, that was the place that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allowed us at that time to cultivate this faith, this iman, this yaqeen, this certainty in our hearts and minds. And gain that commitment to that yaqeen. So in al-arqam is a lesson of selflessness and sacrifice and using your position and how even a quiet soldier in the back can be so instrumental to the cultivating of a community by the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam and is also a lesson for us that those small blessed gatherings where we gather together to remember Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, to reflect on the Quran, the seerah of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam is where our identity and our commitment and our faith will grow.

And so it is befitting that the house of Islam, the house of al-arqam has so many homes of al-Islam and homes of Islamic education named after it. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala have mercy on him and be pleased with him and his sacrifice and his service to this deen. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala allow us to cultivate that iman and that faith in our hearts, that certainty in our hearts. And may Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gather us amongst the few in the highest level of janat al-firdaus in the companionship of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam. May Allah allow us to enjoy that proximity to the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam in paradise that the companions enjoyed, those few enjoyed with the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam in dar al-arqam. Allahuma ameen. JazakumAllahu khayran. Asalaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam, Friend whose House Became a Da'wah Center

Summarized from the book History of the Prophet Muhammad SAW: Understanding the Glory of the Prophet Based on Tafsir of the Miracles of the Qur'an by Yoli Hemdi, Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam was the seventh friend who converted to Islam, but his name is not as famous as the other friends. His full name is Abu Abdullah al-Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam.

Arqam bin Abi al-Arqam's house was used as a center for the Prophet Muhammad SAW's preaching during the sirri or secret preaching period. This da'wah center is called Darul Arqam or Dar al-Arqam. Arqam's house, which was isolated during the Islamic missionary period, was located on the Safa hill. So it was safe from the Quraysh because they were unable to detect it.

Arqam comes from the Makhzum tribe which was the enemy of the Hashim tribe (the extended family of Rasulullah SAW) during the Jahiliyah era. So that these idol worshipers did not suspect him. Apart from that, Arqam also converted to Islam at the age of around 16 years. So that the Quraysh would not be suspicious if the Prophet SAW gathered at his house.

Previously, this place was called Daar al-Arqam or al-Arqam's house. Then it was called Daar al-Islam or House of Islam after Arqam converted to Islam. This place became the first Islamic madrasah. No half-hearted, the teacher was Rasulullah SAW. Apart from being a place to study religion, a strategy to expand Islamic da'wah is also planned. Rasulullah SAW deliberately hid this madrasa from the Quraysh people. Because this was his strategy because at that time the number of Muslims was still very small and not yet strong.

The as-Sabiqun al-Awwalun group (the first group to convert to Islam) regularly came to Arqam's house. They carried out recitations for three years since Rasulullah SAW received revelation from Allah SWT. Rasulullah SAW continued to invite the Quraysh to Islam. However, there have been no cases of obstruction because the Quraish polytheists have not felt threatened. Because at that time Muslims were still looked down upon. Arqam's house was in an uproar during the time of Umar bin Khattab. The Quraysh then came banging on the door with drawn swords, which Rasulullah SAW greeted by pulling the ties of his clothes with a hard tug.

Rasulullah SAW said, "What caused you to come here, O son of Khattab? By Allah, I see that you have not stopped your actions all this time, Allah will send punishment to you." Even though those who came were champions from the Quraish, a clash did not occur. Umar bin Khattab RA answered, "O Messenger of Allah, I have come to you to believe in Allah, His Messenger, and whatever you have brought from Allah."

Arqam House began to attract attention from other parties. Suddenly Arqam's house was seen by several Quraysh infidels who wanted to cause trouble. They cursed and wanted to fight the Muslims. Swiftly, Sa'ad bin Abi Waqqash hit one of them so that blood was shed. This was the first bloodshed in the Islamic movement.

Even though Arqam is not widely known, he and his house have a very important role in carrying out da'wah amidst limitations.

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Renovations at Darul Arqam

Referring to the book Encyclopedia of Hajj & Umrah Fiqh by Arifin, in 171 AH a mosque was built by Khaizuran, the mother of the Abbasid Caliph Harun Al-Rasyid. Then in 1375 AH, the place was demolished to make way for the expansion of the Grand Mosque.

Now Darul Arqam has merged into Sa'i's place. In order to commemorate this history, one of the doors in the Grand Mosque was named the Darul Arqam door.

Arqam House, First Development Center for the Prophet's Da'wah Group.

No one would have thought that the house of a young businessman aged around 16 years from Bani Makhzum would become a secret training place for followers of the new religion brought by Muhammad ﷺ. The house is located rather remote and hidden on the east side of Mount Shafa, approximately 500 meters from the Kaaba. That was the house of Al-Arqam bin Abil Arqam, which the Prophet ﷺ chose as a safe place to meet and study Islam in the early days.

It is said that when the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received orders to preach Islam in the initial phase, one by one his family and closest friends converted to Islam. Starting from his wife Khadijah, his children, his nephew Ali, his friend Abu Bakar, and others.

Al-Arqam himself was the seventh person to accept Islam due to the preaching of Sayyidina Abu Bakar Shiddiq ra.. His real name was Abdu Manaf bin Asad or Abu Jundab. He converted to Islam along with other figures, such as Uthman bin Affan, Zubair bin Awwam, Abdurrahman bin Auf, Sa'ad bin Abi Waqash, Thalhah bin Ubaidillah, Abu Ubaidah, and others.

In that phase, da'wah still took place in secret and was carried out through personal contacts. This was done because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ understood very well that the hostility of the Quraish nation towards everything that violated paganism would be very strong.

Therefore, those who accept Islam are only people whose purity is preserved. Both from merchants and nobles, as well as from the weak among them. Young and old, men and women.

Thus, year after year the preaching continued until the time came when Muhammad ﷺ and his preaching became the talk of the town among the people of Mecca. At that time, the Prophet's preaching was not considered dangerous.

The polytheist people of Mecca thought that one day all this would disappear by itself and Muhammad and his followers would return to the beliefs of their ancestors.

The Decline of Open Da'wah Orders

As written by Muhammad Husain Haekal in the book History of the Life of Muhammad (translated. p. 91) and also revealed in the book Sirah Nabawiyah by Ibnu Hisyam (trans. p. 219), in the third year of the prophetic bi'tsah, Allah Swt. ordered him ﷺ to preach Islam openly. Namely with the revelation of this verse:

message

"So convey openly everything that is commanded (to you) and turn away from the polytheists." (QS Al-Hijr: 94)

One of the things He ﷺ did at that time was invite his family to eat on the hill of Safa and used that opportunity to call on them to believe in his prophethood, accept what he called for, and abandon their error. His preaching was apparently rejected outright, especially by his family who were figures and even rulers for their people.

They began to realize that Muhammad ﷺ's preaching could not be ignored because in the future this call would endanger their beliefs, shirk business and power. Since then, Muslims have begun to experience obstacles to da'wah, especially when Islamic preachers began to mention their God and show the falsehood of their worship.

As for the Prophet ﷺ and his followers, they did not back down even though the challenges were getting bigger. In fact, they are increasingly aggressive in inviting the people of Mecca to abandon their ignorant worship and system of life.

At that time the condition of the Prophet ﷺ and his followers was really in a weak condition. Even to perform prayers, they have to go to Shi'b or hillsides, or to quiet places so that people don't know about them.

Those who are caught get ready to face criticism and even torture. Some of the lives of the followers of the Prophet ﷺ were at risk at that time. Some of their blood has already been shed, as happened to the Yasir and Sumayyah families. That is the reason why in the fifth year of the prophetic bi'tsah, Rasulullah ﷺ allowed some of his weak followers to emigrate to Habsyah.

Rasulullah Formed an Underground Da'wah Group

In line with this situation, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ continued to try to gather people who had embraced Islam into a secret kutlah (group) that stood on the principles of Islamic belief. He ﷺ ​​established a place to teach Islam, as well as making it a headquarters for cultivating khutbah members so that they were ready to take part in carrying out the increasingly heavy mission of preaching. The choice ultimately fell on the Al-Arqam house. The strategic location and position of Al-Aqram, which is of the same tribe as Abu Jahl, which is known to always compete with the Bani Hashim tribe (namely the Abdul Manaf tribe, the tribe of Rasulullah ﷺ), means that no one would think that this house was the headquarters of Rasulullah ﷺ's missionary group. The house previously known as Dar Al-Arqam was finally known as Dar Al-Islam. In this house, the aqliyah of the followers of the Prophet's kutlah is fostered with verses from the Koran that gradually come down. Meanwhile, their nafsiyah is trained in such a way by praying together and tahajud, so that they are ready to appear as strong da'wah cadres. Every time there are new converts, they are immediately combined with this group. Until it was recorded at that time, the number of cadres for the Prophet's preaching who were trained at Arqam's house was 40 people. They were nicknamed As-Sabiqun al-Awwalun, or the first people to convert to Islam. Their number continues to increase from time to time. At that time, they could enter and exit Dar Al-Islam secretly without the polytheists knowing. The house was chosen as a secret place because it was on a narrow street and the door was at the back. From inside the house, road conditions can be observed so that safety can be truly maintained.

Therefore, at that time, the disbelievers in Makkah could only feel that there was a movement of da'wah that was continuing to grow. However, they were unable to smell where the center of movement was. They were only able to detect someone's Islam if they were a member of their family or came from among the slaves in their possession.

From Secret Group to Open Group

It was also from this house that Rasulullah ﷺ carried out the strategy of expanding his da'wah and guidance in secret. He ﷺ ​​sent several of his friends to teach Islam in their homes. One of them can be seen from the story that sets the Islamic background for Sayyidina Umar bin Khaththab ra. One day, Umar came to kill Rasulullah ﷺ, whom he hated very much. He heard news from Nu'aim that his sister (Zainab) and her husband Zainab (Sa'id bin Khabab) had converted to the religion of Muhammad, so Umar immediately went to his sister's house in a state of great anger. Qadarullah, when Umar ra. When he arrived at his younger brother's house, he found the two of them having halqah with Khabab bin al-Art who was sent by Rasulullah ﷺ as their mushrif. At that time they were reading and discussing Surah Thaha from the Koran. Finally, this phenomenal event occurred. Long story short, Umar, who was so hostile to Islam, was immediately touched by the reading of the Koran he was reading. He submitted and immediately went to the Prophet ﷺ to declare his Islam. Sayyidina Umar's Islamic incident occurred in the sixth year of the prophetic bi'tsah (615-616 AD). Three days earlier, the Prophet ﷺ's uncle, Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib ra., had also converted to Islam, and the two main figures in the Quraysh tribe converted to Islam, becoming the main influencers of the Prophet ﷺ's missionary group. Apparently Allah SWT. had answered the prayer of His Messenger, namely when he asked Allah to strengthen Islam by one of the two Umars: Umar bin Khaththab and Abu Jahl bin Hisham. Even after that, it was Sayyidina Umar who encouraged Rasulullah and his Companions to show the existence of their preaching more openly. At that time Umar said, "Why do we hide our religion, O Messenger of Allah, even though we are in the truth, while they are in error?" Rasulullah ﷺ answered, "Our numbers are still small, you yourself witnessed what happened to us, O Umar."

Umar then said, "It is not appropriate for you to hide this religion, O Messenger of Allah. Show your religion. For the sake of Allah! Allah will not be worshiped in secret after today. By the One who sent you with truth. I will not miss an assembly that I once sat in with disbelief, but I will appear there with Islam. I am not afraid or afraid!" Rasulullah ﷺ also fully accepted Umar bin Khaththab ra's advice. to show his kutlah activities openly. One of the methods chosen was to hold an open parade in the midst of the Makkah community and around the Kaaba. This phenomenal preaching march in history took place. Starting from Al-Arqam's house, around 140 members of Rasulullah's kutlah walked in a line. They were divided into two lines, each led by Umar and Hamzah ra.. Then, this line walked through the villages adjacent to the Grand Mosque, namely Samiyah, Syughlail, Ziyad, and others. Then the line entered the mosque, circled the Kaaba and finished there, continuing to read the Koran and pray.

The forging at Dar Al-Arqam was also tested in the second phase

After the march, the activities of the Rasul preaching group were no longer carried out secretly at Dar Al-Arqam. Sirah experts call this momentum a sign of the movement of the Prophet's missionary phase from the covert stage of preaching (daur al-istikhfa') to the stage of open preaching (daur al-i'lan). It is characterized by more open interaction in society and by a thicker escalation of political struggle (kiffah siyasi), so that the clashes of preaching at this stage are much louder and increasingly endanger the existence of groups and followers of Islamic teachings. Naturally, this period is known as the scariest period. Until the following days, the missionary journey was filled with trials and tests. Starting from political propaganda, persecution, criminalization, boycotts, and so on. At that time, Arqam's house was a silent witness to the missionary journey of the Prophet and his companions. Until later, Mecca was abandoned in the Hijrah era, and re-founded in the 8th year of the Hijriah.

In later times, Al-Arqam bequeathed his house to his son on the condition that it would not be sold. However, during the time of Abu Jaafar al-Mansur, one of Al-Arqam's grandchildren was persuaded to sell his share in the house for 17,000 dinars. Likewise with other brothers. After changing owners, this house was called Daru'l-Khayzuran. As for now, there is certainly no trace of Arqam's house anymore. The Grand Mosque expansion project meant that this historic site disappeared without a trace. However, the story of its strategic existence in the Islamic missionary journey will certainly continue to be remembered as learning material for Muslims.

List of Selected Hadiths Narrated by Abu Abdillah Al Arqam bin Abi Arqam.

Narrated: Abdullah ibn al-Arqam From Sunan Abu Dawood

Hadith No: 88
Narrated/Authority of Abdullah ibn al-Arqam
Listed in: Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)

Urwah reported on the authority of his father that Abdullah ibn al-Arqam travelled for performing hajj (pilgrimage) or umrah. He was accompanied by the people whom he led in prayer. One day when he was leading them in the dawn (fajr) prayer, he said to them: One of you should come forward. He then went away to relieve himself. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) say: When any of you feels the need to relieve himself while the congregational prayer is ready, he should go to relieve himself.

Wallahualam. [MNews/Has]https://yaqeeninstitute.org.my/watch/series/al-arqam-ibn-abil-arqam-the-house-of-islam.

Siyar a'lam al-Nubala' 3/350)