As the days passed, the Prophet ﷺ continued to invite his closest companions to the message of Islam. The circle of believers grew slowly but steadily. Yet with each new believer, the hostility of Quraysh grew sharper. The chiefs of Makkah could not tolerate their gods being denied, nor their ancient traditions questioned. For them, this was not just a matter of faith, but of honor, power, and survival.

It was in this tense climate that the Prophet ﷺ and his companions needed a place of refuge — a sanctuary where they could gather away from the eyes of Quraysh, to learn the Qur’an and to pray in peace. That place became Dār al-Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam, a modest house at the foot of Mount Ṣafā in Makkah.

 Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam, one of the earliest Muslims, was a young man from the Makhzūm clan. His home stood in a quiet spot, away from the busy markets, yet close enough for companions to slip in unnoticed. For several years, this house became the beating heart of the early Muslim community.

Inside its humble walls, the Qur’an was recited aloud, and the companions sat in awe as revelation flowed from the Prophet ﷺ. It was here that Bilāl learned the verses he would one day cry out under the whip of his master; here that ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb would come storming in with anger in his chest, only to emerge softened and subdued, a Muslim. It was here that Islam grew from a handful of men and women into a small yet unshakable community.

For the Quraysh, Makkah was the center of commerce, power, and pride. But for the early Muslims, this hidden house became their center of everything, the place where faith was nurtured and truth protected. Every companion who crossed its threshold knew the risks: persecution, torture, exile, even death. Yet they came, hearts trembling with fear and burning with faith, ready to surrender everything for Allah’s sake.

The Prophet ﷺ sat among them, reciting verses of the Qur’an that shaped their souls:

“Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are truly believers.” (Qur’an 3:175)

• The Quraysh chiefs had no idea that in the shadows of their city, a revolution of faith was being born. What began in the quiet gatherings of Dār al-Arqam would, within years, spread across Arabia and beyond, changing the destiny of the world forever