When and Why the Prophet PBUH Decided to Go to Ta'if
We continue from our previous discussion. We discussed how the Prophet's PBUH uncle and wife passed away. With this, Abu Lahab first offered protection to the Prophet PBUH, but then retracted it after asking, "Where will my father be?" As a result of this, life in Makkah became almost impossible, and this is when the Prophet PBUH began thinking of leaving Makkah. Notice for the last 10 years, he has not once thought of leaving. Only when political circumstances deprived him of any safeguard and rendered his stay in Makkah virtually impossible did he begin to explore alternative cities. And the first city that emerged as a possibility was Ta'if (طائف). This shows the general rule is that we should remain in the society we feel a part of, even if it is an evil society, even if it is an Islamophobic society, and even if it is a society that has issues and problems. One remains a part of the society that one belongs to, as the Prophet PBUH did. This is a huge lesson for us. Even if life gets difficult, still, we have a responsibility to our own communities. We learn from the seerah that a person should stay in his society for as long as it's feasible. The Prophet PBUH only did Hijrah when it became impossible for him to remain in Makkah.
So the first thing the Prophet PBUH tried was to go to Ta'if. Why? For many reasons:
1. Ta'if stood as the nearest major city to Makkah. Ta'if and Makkah were twin cities. They had a love-hate relationship. Because they were so close there was rivalry, and because they were so close they couldn't afford too much animosity. And they had peace treaties between them. Allah SWT references Ta'if in the Quran, quoting what al-Walid ibn al-Mughira said, "Two major cities."
وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ
"And they said, 'Why was this Quran not sent down upon a great man from [one of] the two major cities (Makkah or Ta'if)?'" [43:31].
2. Because Ta'if was so close, the people of Ta'if knew the people of Makkah very intimately. Unlike if he had gone to a strange city, they wouldn't have known the people of Makkah. There was a very strong relationship between them. In fact, so much so that one of the chieftains of Ta'if was married to a distant aunt of the Prophet PBUH. So there was even a blood relationship.
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Introduction
And so the Prophet PBUH decided to try giving dawah in Ta'if — this happened in the month of Shawwal, basically a few weeks after Abu Talib & Khadija RA died, as soon as Abu Lahab retracted his protection. To avoid attracting attention, the Prophet PBUH and Zayd ibn Harithah, his 'adopted son', traveled to Ta'if on foot instead of using horses or camels. In our times, it takes about an hour and a half by car to reach Ta'if from Makkah. Walking would have taken them 1-2 days. Riding a horse would have been easier, but the Prophet PBUH intentionally chose to go on foot. This shows us that the Prophet PBUH planned his actions carefully, understanding that trusting in Allah does not mean acting foolishly. Putting trust in Allah does not mean being impulsive. Rather, you plan everything perfectly, and then in your heart, you realize that the outcome is up to Allah.
So, the Prophet PBUH and Zayd discreetly left Makkah on foot to avoid drawing any attention. If the Quraysh had known what they were doing, they could have harmed them on the spot.
By leaving Makkah, basically, the Prophet PBUH was literally and metaphorically turning his back to any last ties he had to the Quraysh. For him to take any move at this moment was a sign that he had accepted the status he was in — in limbo.
We have a beautiful narration reported by Aisha RA in Bukhari. She doesn't know about the Makkan seerah; so she asked the Prophet PBUH, "Was there any day more difficult to you than the Day of Uhud?" The Prophet PBUH said, "Yes. Indeed, your people have hurt me a lot. And the worst I got was on the Day of Aqaba (عقبة) (meaning the Incident of Ta'if). On that day, I presented myself to Abd Yalil (عبد ياليل), Mas'ud (مسعود), and Habib (حبيب) the sons of Amr (عمرو) (the leaders of Ta'if), and they didn't respond the way I wanted them to." Note the Prophet PBUH leaves it generic. He didn't go into sordid details as he didn't want Aisha's pity. And the Prophet PBUH said, "So I found myself in grief and sadness. And I didn't notice where I was until I reached Qarn al-Tha'alib (قرن الثعالب) (about 7-8 km outside of Ta'if)."
This is what the Prophet PBUH himself narrated about the Incident of Ta'if (and we have more narrations from other people — as will be discussed in the next subsection). And from this narration, we learn so many things:
1. Even though the Day of Uhud was worse physically, the Incident of Ta'if was worse psychologically. And we all know that psychological trauma is more painful than a physical one.
2. Notice what the Prophet PBUH said, "I didn't notice where I was until I reached Qarn al-Tha'alib"—and we in our times would call this a state of shock. (And from other narrations, we learn that the Prophet PBUH was in fact stoned by the ruffians [as will be discussed next].) Thus, we learn that Islamically, there is nothing wrong with experiencing shock when confronted with a traumatic event. It is a natural response. However, it is crucial that we regain composure and recover afterward.
3. Notice the Prophet PBUH didn't tell us too many details. Because he PBUH doesn't want us to feel pity for him. These details are left for others to narrate to us. And were it not for the fact that Aisha RA asked him, he wouldn't have mentioned anything about the Incident of Ta'if. This shows the strength of the mind of the Prophet PBUH. A Muslim is not somebody who whines for sympathy. He does not victimize himself. The Muslim is strong and has honor for himself. The Prophet PBUH suffered worse than us, yet he didn't grovel for sympathy in front of others.
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The Dawah in Ta'if
Ibn Ishaq provides us many more details about the Incident of Ta'if. And this is a well-known story that we hear since we were children, and it is an authenticated story. The Prophet PBUH walked to Ta'if and presented himself to the leaders of Ta'if, who were three brothers: Abd Yalil, Mas'ud, and Habib the sons of Amr. Their father was the chieftain of Ta'if, and when he died, these three sons made a pact that they would not fight over succession and govern Ta'if together. So they were together the chieftains of Thaqif (ثقيف). Thaqif was the main tribe in Ta'if, just as Quraysh was the main tribe in Makkah. And Thaqif and Quraysh were big rivals.
The Prophet PBUH sets up a meeting with these three brothers and presents the Message of Islam to them and asks them to convert. But all three rejected in the utmost sarcastic manner. One said, "If Allah has sent you as a prophet, I might as well tear down the curtains of the Ka'bah (in remorse)." The second said, "Has Allah not found anyone better than you?" The third said, "I cannot speak to you, because if you really are a prophet, then you are too holy for me. And if you are a liar, then you are too beneath my dignity that I respond to you." All three of them mocked him PBUH with the utmost mockery. So the Prophet PBUH stood up to leave and said, "Very well, if you have rejected my Message, then at least do not tell the Quraysh of my visit." Even to the very end, the Prophet PBUH was 'tying his camel.' And it appears they gave him PBUH this request, and the Quraysh did not hear about this visit (from them at least).
Now, according to the more authentic reports, he PBUH didn't just leave Ta'if right then and there; but rather, he stayed for around a week trying to give dawah to the individuals/commoners. (Side note 1: This, again, is a sign of wisdom, that you approach those with status and power first; but don't ignore the masses either.) (Side note 2: We don't have the full story in precise detail, as only Zayd was with the Prophet PBUH; and Zayd died very early — in the Battle of Mu'tah [8 AH]. He didn't live after the Prophet PBUH to tell us these stories.) However, we have authentic reports from some of the Thaqafi who converted many years later, recalling, "I remember the Prophet PBUH preaching in the marketplace of Ta'if. And no one responded to him." However, despite the lack of response, there was one person who showed some interest. And when the news of this potential conversion reached the leaders of Ta'if, they became alarmed and took drastic measures. And this is when the big incident happened, which we all know about: The leaders sent a mob against the Prophet PBUH and told them to stone and kick him PBUH out of the city. The Prophet PBUH bled so much that his sandals were soaked with blood. Zayd ibn Harithah tried his best to protect him, and he himself was injured from head to toe. The entire mob continued to pelt them, until finally, they let them out of the city at Qarn al-Manazil / Qarn al-Tha'alib (قرن المنازل / قرن الثعالب).
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After the Rejection
Qarn al-Manazil is where another famous incident took place: The Prophet PBUH saw some shelter and sat under a tree that was next to a walled garden, unaware that it belonged to Utbah and Shaybah banu Rabi'ah, distant cousins of his father. (Note: Many of the Quraysh owned gardens outside of Ta'if due to the city's favorable climate and abundant water supply. So Ta'if boasted an abundance of fruits and vegetation that were not found in Makkah or Yathrib. And to this day, Ta'if remains a picturesque city with lush gardens — it is a desert resort.) And this was where the Prophet PBUH sat down and said the famous du'a mentioned in the Seerat of Ibn Ishaq. One of the scholars of our times says that even though this du'a is not found in Bukhari or Muslim and has some missing links, we don't need an isnad to authenticate it, since the wordings of the du'a can only come from the heart of a prophet. This du'a is one that we should all ponder over and even memorize:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ ضَعْفَ قُوَّتِي
O Allah, to You I complain of my weakness,
وَقِلَّتَ حِيلَتِي
and my lack or resources,
وَهَوَانِي عَلَى النَّاسِ
and my lowliness before man.
أَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ
You are the Most Merciful of all those who have mercy,
وَأَنْتَ رَبُّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ
and You are the Lord of those who are humble,
وَأَنْتَ رَبِّي
and You are my Lord.
إِلَى مَنْ تَكِلُنِي ؟
To whom do You leave me with?
إِلَى بَعِيدٍ يَتَجَهَّمُنِي ؟
To somebody who is a stranger who will treat me harshly (i.e., people of Ta'if)?
أَمْ إِلَى قَرِيبٍ مَلَّكْتَهُ أَمْرِي ؟
Or to a close relative whom You have given power over me (i.e., Abu Lahab)?
إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ غَضْبَانَ عَلَيَّ فَلَا أُبَالِي
As long as You are not angry with me, I don't care.
غَيْرَ أَنَّ عَافِيَتَكَ أَوْسَعُ لِي
Except for the fact that Your protection from tribulations (Your ease and comfort) is easier for me.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَشْرَقَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ ، وَصَلَحَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ
O Allah, I seek refuge in Your Face which is the source of the Light that gets rid of the darkness, and because of which all of the affairs of this world and the Next are rightly guided.
أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِي غَضَبُكَ أَوْ يَحِلَّ بِي سَخَطُكَ
[I seek refuge in Your Face] that Your anger comes down upon me, or Your wrath envelopes me.
لَكَ العُتْبَى حَتَّى تَرْضَى
It is Your right to criticize until You are content.
وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ
And there is no power or change except with You and through You.
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Unveiling the Gems of the Prophet's PBUH Du'a
This du'a is really one of the gems of the seerah.
1. The Prophet PBUH said, "To You I complain," which shows there is a legitimate concept of complaining to Allah in Islam. And this is a part of our tawhid. Indeed, Ya'qub AS complained to Allah in the Quran [12:86].
Complaints to Allah are of two types — one is kufr, the other is the essence of tawhid:
- The first type is to reject/challenge the decree and qadr of Allah. "Why are you doing this, Allah? I don't deserve this!" This type of complaining is not just a sin, but it's kufr. And Iblis is the prime example of this, who said to Allah, "[It's Your fault.] You let me go astray" [see Quran, 7:16 & 15:39].
- The second type is the opposite of kufr, which is the essence of tawhid: You complain to Allah seeking refuge in Allah from Allah turning to Allah for Allah's sympathy. In Arabic, this is called shakwa ilaLlah (شكوى إلى الله - complaint to Allah) — and this is different from i'tirad aniLlah (إعتراض عن الله - objection to Allah). The English word "complaint" might not do justice; but shakwa ilaLlah means you complain to Allah to get His mercy. The best example is the Prophet PBUH — the Prophet PBUH himself complained to Allah, "Ya Allah, look at me. And help me."
2. Notice as well, there is an element of "O Allah, I am worried — are You angry at me?" After all the stoning and pain, the Prophet's PBUH main fear was, "Have I done something wrong? Are You angry at me?" So what's causing him distress is not the pain of the body, but the possibility of having done something to earn the displeasure of Allah SWT. He PBUH said, "As long as You are not angry with me, I am content"—meaning, "I don't care what state You leave me in as long as You are not angry with me."
3. Note also the Prophet PBUH said, "But if You give me something better (ease, comfort, protection from tribulations), it is easier for me." So from this, we learn that it is allowed to ask Allah to protect us from trials and give us something easier. We don't challenge Allah's decree, but we *do* ask for something easy.
4. And the Prophet PBUH concluded the du'a with, "ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بك (And there is no power or change except with You and through You)"—and we learn from a hadith that this kalimah —la hawla wa la quwwata illa biLlah (لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله)— is a treasure from the treasures of Jannah. And it's such a perfect way to conclude the du'a; "O Allah, only You can change my situation — only You have the power."
5. Brothers and sisters, du'a is the weapon of the believers. The Prophet PBUH was literally alone with no one other than Zayd; he didn't have a city to go back to (Makkah), and the sister city, Ta'if, completely rejected him; he had no money nor food nor shelter; and what did he do? He made du'a. As long as we have du'a, we will find a way out of our problems. The Mu'min is never trapped, because the Mu'min always have du'a. And du'a will grant what nothing else grants, by the will of Allah. Du'a is so powerful that the only thing that changes qadr is du'a — as the Prophet PBUH said.
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Conversation with Addas
So the Prophet PBUH says this du'a under a tree, next to a wall, and little does he know this wall belongs to Utbah and Shaybah banu Rabi'ah, his distant uncles. The two had seen from the distance the Prophet PBUH being stoned out of Ta'if, so they felt pity for him PBUH — and they also felt a sense of hamiyyat al-jahiliyyah (حمية الجاهلية - the pride of [pre-Islamic] ignorance) that, "How could they do this to one of our own!" So they decided to gift him PBUH some of their fruits — they sent their servant Addas (عداس), an Iraqi Christian, with a bowl of grapes to him. And notice here, it is as if as soon as the Prophet PBUH makes du'a, right then and there Allah gives him one of the most soothing and comforting fruits (through Utbah, Shaybah, and Addas).
The Prophet PBUH accepted the gift and said, "Bismillah (بسم الله - In the name of Allah)," and he began eating. Addas was shocked and said, "What is this phrase 'Bismillah'? (This is not the phrase of the local Arabs!)" The Prophet PBUH said, "This is something my Lord has taught me. And where are you from, O Addas?" Addas said, "I am from Nineveh." The Prophet PBUH smiled and said, "The city of Yunus ibn Matta (يونس بن متى - Jonah the son of Matthew)?" Addas was shocked and said, "How did you know Yunus ibn Matta? Nobody in this whole land has ever heard of him!" The Prophet PBUH said, "How do I not know Yunus? He is my brother; and I am his brother. We are both prophets of Allah." And note, as we mentioned in episode 7, it is a miracle that the Prophet PBUH knows about the prophets of the Jews. So Addas instantly began kissing the feet of the Prophet PBUH as the Christians did to respect their elders and priests — and he believed in the Prophet PBUH right then and there.
The two masters are staring in shock, and when Addas comes back, they tell him, "Woe to you! Why are you kissing his hands and feet?" Addas said, "O my masters, there is no one on earth who is better than he is, for he told me things only a prophet could know (i.e., he is a prophet)!" The two masters said, "O Addas, he has bewitched you from your religion. Your religion is better than his religion."
(5 years later, Utbah and Shaybah tried to force Addas to fight against the Prophet PBUH in the Battle of Badr, but Addas refused to obey his own masters —which was unheard of— and said, "Wallahi, even the mountains could not harm him (PBUH)." And his masters met their death at the Battle of Badr.)
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Malak al-Jibal
After this, Bukhari narrates: The Prophet PBUH said, "When I reached Qarn al-Manazil, I looked up and there was a cloud that had given me shelter; and in this cloud, there was Jibril AS, and he said to me, "O Muhammad, your Lord has heard what your people have said to you and their rejection of you. And He has sent me with the Malak al-Jibal (ملك الجبال - Angel of the Mountain) to put at your disposal and to do with as you please." Then the Prophet PBUH heard another voice, who said, "I am the Malak al-Jibal"—and the angel said salam to the Prophet PBUH, and then said, "O Muhammad, say what you want; I am at your disposal. If you want, I can squeeze this city in between the two mountains." But the Prophet PBUH said, "No. Rather, I hope Allah SWT will extract from their progeny those who will eventually worship Him without associating partners with Him."
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Lessons From the Incident of Ta'if
We can learn so many lessons from the Story of Ta'if:
1. The Prophet PBUH was inflicted with so many harsh trials so that Allah could raise his ranks in this world and the Next. And through this, Allah AWJ is telling us that the comfort of this world is *not* what we are living for.
2. Look at the du'a of the Prophet PBUH — his main concern was the pleasure of Allah rather than the suffering of his body. He was primarily worried that everything he went through in Ta'if might have been a punishment from Allah, a consequence of potentially having done something wrong. And as long as it was not a punishment, he remained satisfied. However, his satisfaction would increase even more if Allah granted him ease. And this exemplifies the perfection of tawhid.
3. The effects of being firm to your identity even under stress and grief. When Addas came, the Prophet PBUH didn't hide his identity. Before eating, he PBUH said, "In the name of Allah." And this simple act led to the conversion of Addas. This shows that obeying Islam and not being embarrassed about your religion always brings about good in this world and the Hereafter.
4. Look as well how Allah responded to what happened. First by sending him PBUH someone from the faraway land of Iraq. And there is a symbolism here, that: "Even if your own people (Makkans) and the people that are closest to you (people of Ta'if) have rejected you, know, ya Rasulullah, that you are upon the Truth; and even a person from the furthest corners of the land will recognize your truth. And a time will come when his people as well —the people of Iraq, and the people of all of those faraway lands— will recognize this." — Even if the near have rejected you now, the far shall accept you soon.
5. See as well how immediately Allah SWT responded to the du'a of the Prophet PBUH, physically and spiritually: (1) Physically by sending fruits and grapes, sheltering him with the clouds; and then (2) spiritually by sending down Jibril AS down to ask him, "What do you want; here is the Angel of the Mountain. Do as you please."
6. Again, see also the perfection of the character of the Prophet PBUH. The miracle isn't that Allah sent down an angel to destroy the nation; rather, the miracle is that even after all the trouble he went through, and the humiliation he had from Ta'if still ringing in his ears, and the blood is still pouring down, the Prophet PBUH said, "No. Don't crush them. Perhaps not them, but their offspring will convert to Islam." THIS mercy is the real miracle — that after all the physical and mental stress, the Prophet PBUH still had the mercy in his heart to save the people of Ta'if. If this is not "Mercy to the World" [Quran, 21:107], then what is? If this is not "the most noble character" [Quran, 68:4], then what is? Subhan'Allah, if someone says one mockery or joke about us, we will remember it for years. Imagine the Prophet PBUH suffering in such a severe manner, but still he was merciful and forgiving of the people of Ta'if, and made du'a that one day, the city would be a Muslim city. And indeed, our Prophet PBUH himself conquered Ta'if barely 10 years later in the Battle of Hunayn. And to this day, Ta'if is one of the most visited tourist resorts by Muslims in that land. It's a stunning city. If the Prophet PBUH had willed, there would be no Ta'if. The very place where the Prophet PBUH was stoned, that place has been made into a masjid where Allah SWT is worshiped. This is the du'a of the Prophet PBUH being answered. Now the whole Ta'if is full of masjids and Muslims where Allah is worshiped day and night.
7. When something traumatic happens, to withdraw a bit is natural; to feel a sense of shock is natural — but you don't let the shock remain forever. You get over it and move on. You think rationally and not emotionally. We use our intellects and wisdom. And if we don't know, we turn to those who have knowledge. We ask our ulama and see the long-term benefits. We shouldn't react emotionally. We should react like the Prophet PBUH did, which is calmly, rationally, collecting ourselves, and thinking long term.
8. We see that there is a role model for us for every problem that we suffer from — every rejection, every Islamophobia, etc. Surely, what happened to the Prophet PBUH was much worse than what can happen to anybody else. And in how the Prophet PBUH reacted, we find that, "There is a perfect role model in the Prophet PBUH" [see Quran, 33:21].
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The Night of the Jinn
Although the incident of Ta'if might not have been what we call a 'political success,' it resulted in the conversion of Addas. And the conversion of one person is worth more than any material wealth or worldly possession, as the Prophet PBUH said in a hadith: "If Allah guides one person through you, that will be better for you than the red camels."[1]
And it wasn't only Addas who converted:
On the way back to Makkah, the Prophet PBUH camped in the Valley of Nakhla (نخلة), and as was his habit, he prayed tahajjud. (No matter how tired he PBUH was —he has not yet taken a bath from the wounds, the scars have not yet healed, there was nobody there, it's a cold desert— *yet* the Prophet PBUH never once gave up his tahajjud.) And Allah told us what happened next. What happened is a miracle the eyes of man cannot witness — Allah says, "When we caused a group of jinn to come past by you, and they started listening to the Quran…" [Quran, 46:29] — Allah caused a group of jinn to come past the Prophet PBUH as he was praying and reciting the Quran. Allah says the jinn didn't come out of nowhere, rather, He caused their travel plans to go such that they crossed paths with the Prophet PBUH. Further, Allah says, "...When they were in your presence, they said [to one another], 'listen quietly'" [Quran, 46:29]. Subhan'Allah. If the world of man had rejected him PBUH, the world of jinn says listen quietly. "Then when it was over, they returned to their fellow jinn as Warners" [Quran, 46:29]. They listened to the whole of the tahajjud, and they were "transformed" not only into Muslims, but "Warners" (mini-Messengers, scholars, and teachers). Then they said to their people:
قَالُوا يَا قَوْمَنَا إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا كِتَابًا أُنزِلَ مِن بَعْدِ مُوسَىٰ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِلَىٰ طَرِيقٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
يَا قَوْمَنَا أَجِيبُوا دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ وَآمِنُوا بِهِ يَغْفِرْ لَكُم مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُجِرْكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ
"O our people! We have just listened to a Book that has been sent down after Moses. It contains the Books that came before it and it guides to the Truth and to a Straight Way. O our people! Accept the invitation of the one calling to Allah and believe in him. Allah will forgive you your sins and will save you from a painful torment" [Quran, 46:30-31].
This verse shows us, by the way, that these jinn were in fact Jewish jinn — they had believed in Musa and the Tawrah. Indeed, jinn follow the religions of man. There are Jewish, Hindu, Christian, Buddhist jinn, etc. And when these Jewish jinn heard the recitation of the Quran, they knew the Quran came from the Same Being who had sent down the Tawrah, so they converted, went to their people, and called them to Islam.
Therefore, there is a huge symbolism here from Allah SWT that, "Ya Rasulullah, even if all of mankind right now you think they have rejected you, the world beyond mankind (the world of the jinn) has accepted you." The conversions of Addas and these jinn are not out of the blue. There is a huge symbolism.
And this was the first batch of jinn converts to Islam. And these jinn went to their people calling them to Islam. And they then came back to Makkah while the Prophet PBUH was in Makkah, and they learned Islam from him. We know this from Ibn Mas'ud RA, who was asked by his student Alqama ibn Qays (علقمة بن قيس), "Was anyone there when the Prophet PBUH witnessed the Laylat al-Jinn (ليلة الجن - the Night of the Jinn)?" He said, "No, nobody was there. One night, we were with the Prophet PBUH, and then he disappeared. And we looked for him everywhere. And we could not find him. And we thought he had been kidnapped or assassinated. And we spent the worst night of our lives, until the morning broke and we saw him coming from the direction of Ghari Hira. So we said, 'Ya Rasulullah, where were you?' The Prophet PBUH said, 'One of the Callers of the jinn came to me telling me that there is a congregation waiting for me. So I went out to meet them and recited the Quran.' Then he PBUH walked with us and showed us their campsite — the fires they had lit and the after-effects of that." This is the version in Sahih Muslim.
In another version, in Mustadrak al-Hakim (مستدرك الحاكم), it is reported that the Prophet PBUH said, "Whoever wants to come with me to be with the matter of the jinn can come." And in this report, Ibn Mas'ud went with him. "And we started walking until we came to a valley outside of Makkah, and he PBUH drew a line in the sand and said, 'Sit here and do not move from this spot until I come back.' So the Prophet PBUH continued walking and recited the Quran. Then a whirling of black clouds appeared around him until he disappeared and I couldn't see him, but I could hear him. One group of clouds remained, but the Prophet PBUH was nowhere to be seen. (Meaning the clouds split up. One group of jinn took the Prophet PBUH somewhere, and the other stayed in the visible distance.) When the Prophet PBUH came back after Fajr (فجر - daybreak/dawn), he asked, 'Where is the other group of jinn?'" Ibn Mas'ud pointed to the group of clouds, and the Prophet PBUH gave them some bones and some animal dung. The bones are food for the jinn, and animal dungs are food for their animals (the jinn's animals). The following portion of hadith is found in Bukhari and Muslim in various narrations: The Muslim jinn asked the Prophet PBUH, "Where will we get our food from?" The Prophet PBUH said, "Every bit of bone that my ummah eats and mentions Allah's Name over shall become flesh for you." (Note the reason they asked this is because the shayatin [شياطين - plural of shaytan] eat that over which Allah's Name has not been mentioned, i.e., basically the 'haram meat.' So now that they have accepted Islam, they were wondering where would their food come from.) And the animal droppings in our world will be transformed into food for their animals. (This shows that even jinn have animals — there is something called animal jinn as well.)
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Returning to Makkah
How did the Prophet PBUH re-enter Makkah? As mentioned in the introductory section, by walking out of Makkah and leaving for 10 days, this act conveyed to the Quraysh that he PBUH had accepted the fate imposed upon him by Abu Lahab. Consequently, he found himself in a state of limbo and unable to freely return to Makkah. Zayd asked him, "Ya Rasulullah, how are we going to enter Makkah now that you have been 'expelled' from it?" The Prophet PBUH said, "O Zayd, Allah SWT will make a way out for us. And Allah SWT will help His Prophet and make His Message supreme." Subhan'Allah! There is no Makkah or Ta'if, and he is literally camped in the middle of the desert — but he did everything he could and didn't fall short in anything, so now is the time to put his trust in the plans of Allah and have tawakkul (توكل - reliance/trust [in Allah]).
The Prophet PBUH then began sending emissaries to two or three potential allies within Quraysh who he believed might be sympathetic to his cause. Obviously, he did not pursue any diplomatic efforts with Banu Makhzum, as the tribe was under the leadership of Abu Jahal and al-Walid ibn al-Mughira, who were known to be hostile toward his Message. The first man he approached was al-Akhnas ibn Shurayq, but he sent a message back saying, "We are in a weak position. We cannot give you protection." The Prophet PBUH then sent the request to Suhayl ibn Amr's (سهيل بن عمرو) tribe. But Suhayl sent a message back saying, "I am from Banu Amir ibn Lu'ayy (بنو عامر بن لؤي). And Banu Amir ibn Lu'ayy have never given protection for somebody from Banu Ka'b ibn Lu'ayy (بنو كعب بن لؤي) — and I don't want to start a precedent."
Then the Prophet PBUH sent a request to Mut'im ibn Adi. He is the chief of the Banu Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf. (Recall Mut'im was the main one who broke the Boycott. He was the one who would send an entire camel full of food, drinks, etc., which, by the way, would be equivalent to approximately $50,000+$20,000 in our times — a massive amount of money.) The Prophet PBUH sent him a message, "Will you give me your protection?" Mut'im didn't just send a messenger back saying yes, he tells his four sons, "Go arm yourselves and bring Muhammad back. Protect him and bring him straight back to me." Subhan'Allah. So an entourage of the sons of Mut'im ibn Adi went outside of Makkah, all of them dressed to fight, and they came in with the Prophet PBUH protected. And Mut'im went to the Ka'bah to receive him. And he said to the Prophet PBUH, "Do tawaf, I will wait for you." So the Prophet PBUH did tawaf armed with guards doing tawaf with him. And when he finishes, Mut'im stands up and says, "O people of Makkah! I have given my protection to Muhammad." Abu Sufyan stood up and said, "Are you his follower, or are you just giving protection [still as a pagan]?" Mut'im said, "No, I am not his follower, I am just giving protection." Abu Sufyan said, "In that case, we shall accept it." (Notice, had Mut'im converted, the Quraysh would have rejected the protection. So there is wisdom in why certain people did not convert to Islam.)
After this, the Prophet PBUH remained under Mut'im's protection for 1½ to 2 more years. But he PBUH knew it was a very precarious situation since Mut'im's tribe was not his immediate tribe, but rather, a distant cousin. So he kept on looking for another way, until Allah finally allowed him to do Hijrah [see episode 27]. And shortly after the Hijrah, Mut'im passed away.
This protection and the breaking of the Boycott were the reasons why the Prophet PBUH praised Mut'im so highly — he gave him a huge badge of honor after the Battle of Badr, saying, "If Mut'im gave me one word, I would have freed all these 73 natna (نتنى - filthy/dirty people) (meaning the POWs), no questions asked!" This teaches us that not all non-Muslims are the same. While they may not believe in the same God as us, some of them still uphold principles of justice. Mut'im is an example of such a person. And there is no problem in honoring them from a worldly sense. Yes, we draw a line; the Prophet PBUH did not pray Mut'im's janazah or pray for him —religion is religion— but he gave him a civic honor that will remain until the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet PBUH said in a hadith in Sahih Bukhari, "Indeed, Allah helps this religion [even] through a disbelieving/evil man." Mut'im might have been evil in his religion —which is the worst type of evil [shirk]— but in other affairs, he was a good man. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we need to form relations with the Mut'ims of our times. When we find them, we form alliances. We praise them, they praise us. But we must maintain a clear boundary — we do not praise their religion. Many of these might be atheists or Christians, but not a problem at all.
One final point: After being rejected 2 times, the Prophet PBUH could have attempted to migrate to another city, such as Abyssinia, where the Najashi would have undoubtedly accepted him; but he still wanted to live in Makkah, the land of persecution. Why? Because despite the pain and suffering, there is no other place he calls home. And he only leaves when it becomes a matter of life or death [see episode 27].
[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Re-revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, June 2023]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Re-revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, June 2023]
