Have you heard the
story of Lot?
What did you hear about the story of Prophet Lot?
Well, the Islamic version has the City of Sodom overturned. Naturally overturned by the
Angels.
The Dead Sea is probably the location of Sodom. Pictured is the Dead Sea.
I am just saying this to illustrate the size of Angels.
That is only the introduction. Below is the real story.
The beloved Prophet Muhammad may peace be upon him, in the
early days of Prophethood, went to Ta’if to teach Islam to the People there.
But the people of Ta’if rejected our beloved Prophet and instigated their children
and slaves to stone our beloved Prophet.
Our beloved Prophet bled as a result of the sharp stones.
Our
beloved Prophet bled so much that with every step, came with the sloshing of
the blood and his slippers.
Arch Angel Gabriel witnessed the proceedings and came to Our beloved Prophet, saying may I
introduce you to someone?
Our beloved Prophet said, yes and Arch Angel Gabriel brought
the Angels of Mountains to meet Our beloved Prophet.
The Angel of Mountains said, if you want and with your permission,
let me overturn the Town of Ta’if as punishment for their audacity and
insolence!
What do you think did Our beloved Prophet reply? Our beloved
Prophet said to Angel Gabriel, “No. 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.”
Why am I telling this? This is in response to accusations
that our Prophet Muhammad was an evil man. How can such a man be labeled evil?
Our beloved Prophet is not known to hit anyone. Be it his wives, or his friends
and companions. A’aisha herself confirms this. The reason you read that the
Prophet hit his wife is because of translations. Misconstruing translations is
the cause of the confusion.
I copied the following from http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/178798/The-other-side-of-the-Prophets-story-in-Taif
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 belief 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 fruitless. 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.
