Dar al-Arqam

The house of al-Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam of Banu Makhzum, on al-Safa in Mecca. The Prophet used it as the centre of his mission and as the place where he gathered the Muslims, from the fifth year of prophethood. ^{1 2}

Gathering in secret was necessary at the start of the mission. If the polytheists had learned that the Muslims were gathering openly, they would have stood between the Prophet and the training and teaching of his companions, and it would have led to open conflict. The house of al-Arqam was out of the sight of the tyrants and their assemblies, so the Prophet gathered the Muslims there. ^{1 2}

The book does not describe the house or its exact location on al-Safa, nor what happened there after the Hijra. These are dealt with in their own places.

Sheikh Omar Abdelkafy describes Dar al-Arqam in Mecca as the place where Muslims understood the question of tawhid over thirteen years, and holds that the land of Mecca at the start of the call grew mercy, affection and brotherhood. ³

The Sheikh describes the land of Mecca at the start of the call as a land in which feelings of mercy, affection and brotherhood grew, and he treats Dar al-Arqam as the place where tawhid was understood in those years. ³

The Sheikh lists the fruits of this environment: Uthman ibn Affan (may God be pleased with him), who spent generously; Abu Bakr, who gave all his wealth; Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him), who spoke the truth; and Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, who recited the Qur'an and was true to the Book of God. ⁴

The Sheikh counts these men as the fruit of that land, which grew mercy and affection, after Muslims had understood tawhid in it. ^{3 4}