Why did Muhammad begin preaching publicly in Mecca?

Muhammad began preaching publicly in Mecca because he received a divine command to do so following a three-year period during which he shared his revelations only in private.1

His public message centered on the belief in one God, Allāh, and the necessity of individual accountability for one's actions before an impending apocalypse. By delivering these warnings—often near the Kaʿbah—Muhammad challenged the prevailing religious and social order of the Quraysh tribe. His teachings, which emphasized the worship of a single, transcendent deity and the protection of the weak, threatened the Meccan oligarchy’s authority, their reliance on traditional idolatry, and their pursuit of wealth.23