When Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) invited  the people to Islam, He( peace be upon him) was opposed openly and was behaved harshly. Some of them were pelting stones, spitting on His bright and cheerful face and using abusing and slang language against Him( SAW).

This trend continues from non-believers during His( peace be upon him) Dawah work, as the leaders of the tribes were also agitating the common people especially youth, using them against the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)and  torchered him mercilessly and this nonsensical act continues  throughout the day and night.

There is no one to learn from whom better responded to difficult times other than our beloved Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Not only He( peace be upon him) was a great man with noble character and fair heart and he was also guided by revelations from Allah Almighty from time to time.

Following his footsteps is essential to live a successful life and is part of us, being Muslims  we must stick to the principles and practices which were shown by Him( peace be upon him) during the Dawah work.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) went through a lot of difficult times both on a personal and a community level. His( peace be upon him) life was extremely successful, yet it was the most challenging. By the will and the guidance of Allah, He( peace be upon him) was able to meet all the challenges He faced and come out of difficult times much stronger than ever before.

For Islam, The Prophet (peace be upon him) was ridiculed and those who converted to Islam were persecuted and tortured. The people boycotted with Him( peace be upon him) and even Muslims suffered from all corners of life that is sickness, opposition, hunger, and poverty. In the same way all the companions of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) have faced hardships  throughout their life and proved to be the strongest supporters and sources of comfort for Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and never ever left him alone in the practices of Dawah or in the battlefield. Almighty Allah accepted their sacrifices with deepest reverence and honour.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) finally 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. He (peace be upon him) met with the chieftains of the major tribe in Taif. 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. This was the worst kind of sufferings and insult that prophet Muhammad (SAW) has faced in His life.

With this bleeding moment and sufferings from all around He (peace be upon him) rests on rock and opens up the beautiful and merciful hands and prays for all the people of Taif and didn't speak any evil or show any kind of reprimand. He (peace be upon him) was so compassionate and merciful,  that he does not ask Allah to punish the people of Taif or to execute revenge against them.

The dua that prophet Muhammad (SAW) made for the people of Taif which was full of mercy and forgiveness“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.”

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.” 

(To Be Continued)

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