by The House of Al-Arqam was the first safe house in which the early Muslim community choose to meet.[1]
Reasons for Al-Arqams House
- Al-Arqam ibn Abee Al-Arqam did not openly declare his Islam making it unlikely that anyone would suspect the believers to be meeting in his home.
- Neighbourhoods in Makkah were generally divided by clan. Al-Arqam being a member of Banu Makhzum lived in an area surrounded by houses of the Makhzum tribe who had great enmity towards Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and his clan Banu Haashim who swore to protect him. To meet in the house of Al-Arqam was to meet in enemy territory, a scenario that was highly unlikely to the Quraysh.
- Al-Arqam was an adolescent of sixteen years when accepting Islam. The idea that the home of such a young individual being the meeting place of the Muslims would seem far fetched compared to the homes of more prominent individuals like Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, the Prophet’s (ﷺ) home, or any other member of Banu Haashim.
References
- Jump up↑ The Noble Life of The Prophet, by Dr. Ali Muhammad As-Sallaabee, Volume 1, p.175-176