The Prophet’s ﷺ Journey to Taif

desert taifFor nine  years, since his selection by  Allah for  His mission, the Prophet ﷺ had been  delivering  the  message  of  Allah  in  Mecca  and  making  all efforts  to  guide  and  reform  his community.  Excepting  a  few  persons  who  had  either  embraced  Islam  or  who  helped  him  though  not accepting  his  creed,  all  the  rest  in  Mecca  left  no  stone  unturned  in  persecuting  and  deriding  him  and  his followers.  His  uncle  Abu  Talib  was  one  of  those  goodhearted  people  who  helped  him,  in  spite of  his  not entering into the fold of Islam.

The following year, on the death of Abu Talib, the Qureysh got a free hand and therefore accelerated their sinister pursuits without check and hindrance. At Taif, the second biggest town of Hijaz, there lived Banu Thaqif,  a  clan  strong  in  number.  The  Prophet  ﷺ  left  for  Taif  with  the  hope  of winning them over to Islam, thus giving quarter to Muslims from the persecution of the Qureysh, and also establishing a base for -the future propagation of Islam. On reaching Taif he visited the three chieftains of the clan separately, and placed before each of them the message of Allah, and called upon them to stand by his Prophet’s ﷺ side. Instead of accepting his message, they refused  even to listen to him and. notwithstanding the proverbial Arab hospitality, each of them treated him most contemptuously and rudely.  They  plainly  told  him  that  they  did  not  like  his  stay  in  their  town.  The  Prophet  ﷺ had expected  a civil, even a cordial treatment and due courtesy in speech from them, as they were the heads of the clan. But one of them sneered:

“Hey, Allah has made you a Prophet!”

The other exclaimed with derision:

“Could Allah not lay His hand on anyone else, beside you to make him His Prophet?”

The third one gibed at him:

“I do not want to talk to you, for if you are in fact a Prophet, then to oppose you is to invite trouble, and if you only pretend to be one, why should I talk with an impostor?”

The Prophet ﷺ, who  was a rock of steadfastness and perseverance, did not lose heart over this check from the chieftains, and tried to approach the common people; but nobody would listen to him. Instead they asked him to clear off from  their own town and go wherever else he liked. When he realised that further efforts were in vain, he decided to leave the town. But they would not let him depart in peace, and set the street urchins after him to hiss. to hoot. to jeer at, and to stone him. tie was so much pelted at with stones that his whole body was covered with blood, and his shoes were clogged to his feet. He left the town in this woeful plight. When he was far out of the town, and safe from the rabble, he prayed to Allah thus: ‘

“O  my Allah! To Thee  I complain of the feebleness of my strength. of my lack of resources  and my being unimportant in the eyes of people. O, Most Merciful of all those capable of showing mercy! Thou art  the  Lord  of  the  weak,  and  Thou  art  my  own  Lord.  To  whom  art  Thou  to  entrust  me;  to  an unsympathetic foe who would sullenly frown at me, or to an alien  to whom Thou hast given control over  my  affairs?  Not  in  the  least  do  I  care  for  anything  except  that  I  may  have  Thy  protection  for myself.  I  seek  shelter  in  Your  light-the  light  which  illuminates  the  Heavens  and  dispels  all  sorts  of darkness, and which controls all affairs in this world as well as in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Thy wrath, or that Thou should be displeased with me.  I must remove the cause of Thy displeasure till Thou art pleased. There is no strength nor power but through Thee.”

The Heavens were moved by the prayer, and Jibrail alayhi salam appeared before the Prophet ﷺ, greeting him with Assalamu Alaikum and said:

“Allah knows all that has passed between you and these people. He has deputed an angel in charge of the mountains to be at your command.”

Saying this, Jibrail alayhi salam ushered the angel before the Prophet ﷺ. The angel greeted the Prophet ﷺ and said:

“O, Prophet of Allah! I am at your service, If you wish, I can cause the mountains overlooking this town on both sides to collide with each other, so that all the people therein would be crushed to death, or you may suggest any other punishment for them.”

The merciful and noble Prophet ﷺ said:

“Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope from Allah that there will be persons from among t heir progeny who would worship Allah and serve His cause.”

Behold the conduct of our noble Prophet ﷺ, whom we profess to follow! We get so much irritated over a little trouble or a mere abuse from somebody that we keep on torturing and taking our revenge throughout our lives in every possible manner. Does it become people who claim to follow the magnanimous Prophet ﷺ? Look, even after so much suffering at the hands of the Taif mob, he neither curses them nor does he work for any revenge, even when he has the full opportunity to do so.

(Taken from Hayatus Sahaba)

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