Season 2 Episodes 10

NB:  “if Allah loves his slave, Allah tests his slave”

Not every trial or tribulation is a punishment from Allah. Rasullullah (SAW) is the most beloved to Allah yet it is the same Allah who made him experience these difficulties. Rassullulah (SAW) went through these many hardships and it was not because Allah was punishing him, but rather, it was because Allah was preparing him as he prepares all of us.

Taif

• After experiencing the loss of Khadija (RA) and Abu Talib, the persecution from the Qureysh, the three (3) years of Boycotting and the propaganda, Rasullullah (SAW) decided to go to Taif with the hopes of attaining more success in Taif. Attaining Shahaadah’s made Rasullullah (SAW) happy.
• Without Abu Talib alive to continue protecting Rasullulah (SAW), the intensity of the Qureysh against Rasullullah (SAW) increased.
• Taif is a place situated 80 km from Makkah.
• Taif experiences a relatively stable climate structure throughout the year. During the summer months the Qureysh would travel to Taif and send their children to a place on the outskirts of Makkah close to Taif as they were growing up.
• A young boy accompanied the Prophet by the name of Zaid Ibn Haritha upon his travel to Taif for the sake of inviting the people of Taif to one Allah as nothing made him happier than the people accepting the shahaadah.
• Taif was a place that housed one of the major idols that had been worshipped.
• The books of See rah site that Rasullulah (SAW) met with three (3) seniors of Taif inviting them to one Allah.
• The people of Taif were not courteous to Rasullulah (SAW) and used hurtful language against him mocking him, sarcastically questioning him as to whether no one else besides Rasullulah (SAW) had found Allah. Some even said, “If what you (Rasullulah SAW) was saying was true, then he the speaker of this statement would go to the kabah and tear the cloth of the kabah. (The Kabah was revered by the people of Taif thus the impact of these words)
• It is narrated that in response Rasullulah SAW said to these people “lets keep this discussion between us.”
• Rasullulah (SAW) spends 10 days mixing with the people of Taif in his endeavor to be diligent to the command of Allah in conveying the message.
• The people of Taif were volatile to the message of Rasullullah (SAW) and expressed their anger both verbally and physically against the prophet.
• Rasullulah (SAW) experienced his greatest test and difficulty the day he was leaving Taif. The people stoned him as he left until he bled and his feet bled filling his shoes with blood.
• Rasullulah (SAW) young companion Zaid tried to defend Rasullullah (SAW) by shielding him only to be struck in the head by a stone from which he bled as well.
• This made Rasullulah (SAW) hasten his effort to run away from the people of Taif until he took refuge in the establishment of Utbah and Shuaibah.
• Rasullulah (SAW) then turns to Allah with blood and sweat rolling down him and his companion and makes dua;

Ya Allah, to you I complain of my weakness, I complain of my lack of resources, I complain of my humiliation in front of these people. You are the most merciful, you are the Lord of the weak, you are the master, who else can I confide to but you? Can I confide in these people who are being ill towards me, fighting me, harming me? Ya Allah as long you are not angry with me I am not concerned about anything because your protection and favor is abundant upon me. Ya Allah, I seek refuge by the light of your countenance by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set correct from your anger descending upon me. Ya Allah, I am not bothered about the anger of the Qureysh, what bothers me is your anger and as long as you are happy, then nothing worries me. As long as I have you, ya Allah, I have everything.”

• The owners of the establishment see the prophet and his companion in this state and send their slave boy of Christian faith to them with a bunch of grapes.
• Rasullulah (SAW) accepts the grapes and before consumption utters the words “Bismillah”
• Upon hearing this the slave boy queries the origin of the prophet, as he had heard no other from the region utter those words. The prophet then learns that the Christian boy is from a place called Ninwa, the place of Prophet Yakub (AS) and informs him that he was his brother, a fellow prophet. Upon hearing this, the boy joyously kisses Rasullulah (SAW). The owners see this and warn the slave boy to stay away from Rasulullah (SAW) and to stay true to his own faith.
• Rasullullah (SAW) goes back to Makah where he was met by Jibraeel AS who was accompanied by two angels of the mountains and who controlled the two mountains on the right of Masjidul Haram. The Angels informed Rasullullah (SAW) that they had been instructed if Rasullullah (SAW) so wished, they would cause the two mountains to come together and crush everything in between.
• In response, Rasullullah (SAW) never making anything about himself but about Allah and never suffering an identity crisis refused, and said he would rather that Allah would make people from their progeny who will accept the message and worship one Allah.