The Bitter Experience In Ta'if.

Albakr Allatifi Albakr Allatifi

Version1

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called the people to Islam in Makkah, he was opposed by the leaders of the tribes of Quraysh. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was ridiculed and those who converted to Islam were persecuted and tortured. The people of Quraysh boycotted the Muslims for three years, and the Muslims suffered from sickness, hunger, and poverty. In the same year, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lost his two strongest supporters and sources of comfort, his wife, Khadijah, and his uncle, Abu Talib.

Without the protection of his uncle, Abu Talib, in Makkah, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) needed to reach out and seek support beyond the city of Makkah. He (peace be upon him) wanted to spread the message to the people of Taif, in hopes that they would believe and accept the message of Islam. He trekked from Makkah to Taif to invite the people to the believe in One God.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) met with the chiefs of the major tribe in Taif, Thaqeef tribe. He (peace be upon him) told them about Islam, worshipping only one God, and leaving idol worshipping. They rejected his message and insulted him. Not only did they refuse to listen to his message, but they unleashed the children of their tribe to throw stones at him and drive him out of their town. With people jeering at him as his ankles bled, he ran out, finding shelter in an empty orchard.

Alone, bleeding, and rejected, he (peace be upon him) rests on a rock and prays to Allah. He (peace be upon him) is so compassionate and merciful, he does not ask Allah to punish the people of Taif or to execute revenge against them.

The supplication he (peace be upon him) said at Taif should be memorized by all Muslims and repeated by us every time we are in a difficult situation or have been wronged or when calamity strikes.

“To You, my Lord, I complain of my weakness, lack of support, and the humiliation I am made to receive. Most Compassionate and Merciful, You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom do You leave me? To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy You have given power over me? As long as you are not displeased with me, I do not care what I face. I would, however, be much happier with Your mercy. I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which all darkness is dispelled and both this life and the life to come are put in their right course against incurring your wrath or being the subject of your anger. To You I submit, until I earn Your pleasure. Everything is powerless without your support.”

At that moment, Angel Jibreel came to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and told him that if he wished, Allah could order an angel to collapse the two mountains surrounding the people of Taif and crush them.


How did Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) react to those who had insulted him and threw stones at him? He (peace be upon him) opted for mercy not violence towards them. He was not overcome with rage or hate. Instead of seeking revenge against the people of Taif, he said to Angel Jibreel, “I rather hope that Allah will raise from among their descendants people who will worship Allah the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him.”

We look to Taif today and we come to appreciate our Prophet’s vision, patience, and mercy. Today Taif has a population of 1,200,000 people, predominantly Muslim. Taif is the summer capital of Saudi Arabia, and it is known for its grapes, pomegranate, figs, roses, and honey. Anyone living in Saudi Arabia loves to visit Taif for its cooler weather and the beautiful scenery of its mountains.

When reading the history, the incident of Taif is often mentioned only with negative connotations. This is understandable because it was one of the most painful and hurtful incidents in the Prophet’s lifetime, but actually some good did come out of it on that day, and the message of Islam did not fall entirely on deaf ears. Someone did accept the message of Islam at that time in Taif, but he is not always mentioned in the books on the Prophet’s life.

When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) sat on the rock, raising his hands to Allah, the two owners of the orchard saw him and so they sent their slave with a bunch of grapes to give to the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The slave’s name was Addas and he was a young Christian man. When Addas gave the Prophet the grapes, he heard the Prophet say, “In the name of Allah,” before he ate. Addas was surprised and curious because he never heard anyone say such words before. The Prophet asked Addas where he was from and Addas answered that he was from Nineveh.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The land of Jonah the Just, son of Matta.”

The young man was bewildered that this man, Muhammad, knew of Prophet Jonah. After informing the Prophet that he was a Christian, Addas then asked the Prophet who he was and how he had such knowledge.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Jonah is my brother. He was a prophet and I am a prophet.”

Addas was amazed; he knew that this man indeed had to be a prophet. Addas kissed the Prophet’s head and hands and he immediately accepted Islam. So, the Prophet’s mission to Taif was not totally unfruitful. One man, Addas, had whole heartedly embraced Islam after meeting and speaking with the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The lesson we can take from this incident is to never belittle any effort or act of goodness. Persevere and do your part. Work sincerely and do what you know is right, regardless of what the outcome may be, and sooner or later, the results will come.

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Version 2

THE STORY OF TAIF

Jun 21, 2021, LEAVE A COMMENT

TAIF, for centuries, had been a fertile land for agriculture. Its people had treaties with the Makkans and other surroundings Arabs out of fear of occupation. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), along with Zaid bin Haritha, undertook the mountainous journey on foot. This was, as explained, not to arouse any suspicion that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was leaving Makkah.
When he reached Taif, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) went directly to the leaders and explained to them the message of Islam. The leaders not only rejected it, but they also ridiculed the Messenger and displayed horrible manners. As was the manner of the Prophet, he did not respond to foolish behavior. He got up to leave while telling them to at least keep his visit a secret. The leaders of Taif did the opposite. They also set their young boys to chase the visitors with stones.
The pelting stones left the Prophet’s heels soaked with blood, as he and Zaid entered a garden to escape the chasing mob. The Prophet(صلى الله عليه وسلم) took rest under a tree. And it was at this time that he made the heartfelt du’a to his Lord:

“O Allah, to you, do I complain of the weakening of my strength, of my few options, of the way people humiliate me, O Most Merciful of the merciful ones. You are the Lord of the weak ones, and You are my Lord. To whom will You entrust me? To a distant (stranger) who will show me an unwelcoming face, or to an enemy, whom You have given control over my situation? If You are not angry with me, then I do not mind, though safety from You is easier for me. I seek refuge with the Light of Your Face, which brings light to darkness, and upon which the affairs of the world and the Hereafter become right – from Your anger descending upon me, or Your displeasure befalling me. I will continue to seek Your Pleasure until You become pleased (with me). And there is neither might nor power except with You.”

He was clearly anguished and tensed by the tough situation he was going through. Among all the difficulties he traversed through in this mission, the day of Taif was the heaviest on him, as he once recalled later in his life. But despite what he faced, it was not really problems that concerned him. What mattered to him was the pleasure of his Lord. “If You are not angry with me, then I do not mind…”

No sooner than he finished his supplication that Allah responded and sent angel Jibreel along with the angel of mountains. The angel was at his command to crush the people between the mountains. His people had rejected and harmed the Messenger of God, not any trivial deed to do. But the Prophet of Mercy instead prayed and hoped the progeny of those people would embrace Islam.

THE garden belonged to two Makkan notables – Utbah and Shaibah bin Rabee’ah – who were watching the cruel episode from behind. Pitying the plight, they instruct their Christian slave Addas to take a tray of dates to the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم). The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) says Bismillah (In the name of Allah) and eats. Addas is surprised. “The people of these lands don’t say these words?” he asks.
“And where are you from and what is your religion?” the Prophet questions.
“I am a Christian from Ninawa (Iraq),” replies Addas.
“From the town of the righteous man, Younus bin Mattah (Jonah),” says the Prophet.
Addas bursts out in excitement: “And what makes you know about Younus bin Mattah?”
“He is my brother. He was a Prophet, and so am I,” is the reply.

Addas kisses his forehead, hands and feet while his two masters stare in disbelief. When reprimanded by his masters, Addas replies,
“O my masters, there is nothing on earth that is better than he is; he has indeed informed me about a matter that none know about except for a Prophet.”
What an irony! His own people reject him, while a foreigner acknowledges him.
Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) now had no choice but to return back to Makkah, which would be life-threatening. The Quraish (leaders of Makkah) had learned about his apparent failure and thought it was the defeat of the Messenger of Allah.

“How can you enter (Makkah) when they have forced you to leave? And you went out seeking help, but you were not helped?” Zaid worriedly asks.
The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replies, “O Zaid, indeed Allah will provide relief and a way out from (the situation) you see (right now). And indeed Allah will support and help His Religion, and will grant victory to His Prophet.”

Having no idea what the future had in store for him (yet having full trust in the Almighty whose messenger he was), he retires to Cave Hira before entering Makkah. From there he sends messenger after messenger to leaders of one tribe after another, seeking their protection, for if one tribe offered protection, others wouldn’t dare harm him. Such were the customs of society those days.
Every leader reject his request, except for Mut’im bin ‘Adee of Banu Naufal, who agrees. He enters Makkah while the children of Banu Naufal surround him with weapons offering protection. He heads to the Ka’bah offers Tawaf and none of the Makkans dare to come near him.
Surely this year was the lowest point in his mission. Year of Grief, it was titled. Despite the extraordinary hardships he faced in his mission, Allah always delivered him through them. The mission was challenged but was never setback. Hardships are not necessarily a bad thing. Adversity nurtures and develops people. The hardest tests are faced by those who are the most beloved to Allah.
Humiliated, his people might have thought he was. Proud, they must have felt by his state of weakness. Yet they had no moral courage or inner strength to stand and compete with the impeccable perfection of a man they saw before themselves.
Allah did not forsake His Messenger. Indeed, within the next decade, the man who was ridiculed, rejected and eventually forced to migrate became the unchallenged leader of Arabia – Makkah and Taif both under his control. The people did eventually embrace Islam.
It does not take time for tables to turn, for situations to change, for indeed Allah can change one’s state – from power to disgrace – in no time. It does not then befit the insignificant human being to be deluded by temporary power and act in arrogance and disobedience to the Lord of the Universe. While those leaders chose tyranny and oppression when they had power, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) chose forgiveness, mercy, and justice when he gained power.
That we remain a people completely ignorant about this man who was the greatest creation that creation has ever witnessed, who brought in a span of only 23 years the utmost reform the world has ever seen, and whose message continues to enlighten and transform societies… that we remain unaware of this personality is a loss that cannot be described in words or measured on any scale.

Read his biography. And no, it is not incidental that there exists no persona – absolutely no one – whose life has been preserved as minutely and as accurately as that of our beloved Prophet, Muhammad(peace be upon him).

اللهم صلى وسلم وبارك على حبيبنا محمد وعلى اله وصحبه اجمعين

 

__This article is written by an anonymous writer: May Allah reward him with the best__


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