LECTURE TWELVEYear of grief and journey to Taif . . .

Today we will talk about . . . The death of Abu-Taleb The death of Khadijah (RA). The Prophet’s (SAWS) journey to At-Taif.

Most difficult year for the Prophet (saw)

We are now at the beginning of year 10 of the Prophet’s propagation of Islam, when the siege Quraysh imposed on Banu-Hashem was over leaving the elderly in very poor health. It was a hard time for all Muslims, but especially so on the elderly and children [imagine a siege that even children were not exempt from]

Quotes on Sanctions in our times . . .

When asked on US television if she [Madeline Albright, US Secretary of State] thought that the death of half a million Iraqi children [from sanctions in Iraq] was a price worth paying, Albright replied: “This is a very hard choice, but we think the price is worth it.”

Remember Abu Talib He welcomed him in his house at the death of

his father, and brought him up, fulfilling his father’s will, with great affection preferring him to all of his children.

He used to protect him from Quraysh. He once ordered the youth of Banu-Hashim to

hold each an iron bar and rebuff any attack on him.

He said to him, “Go and say what you have to say, I am by your side”.

He recommended him to sleep in a different bed each night in case he was attacked, when they were under siege.

At Abu Talib’s deathbed . . . “O Uncle, say La Illaha Ila Allah. Give me

something so I intercede for you on the Day of Judgment.” Said the prophet (saw)

And Abu Jahl is there on the other side saying, “If you say it, we will mock you after your death for leaving the religion of your forefathers.” –no where in Seerah is this Pharoah of this nation not found. He is always there!

Immense grief . . .

He fostered the Prophet (saw) every since he was 8, he is now 50 years. So he has been under the wing, support and protection for 42 years. The Prophet (saw) desperately wants to intercede for him—for his benefit.

Abu Talib does not accept Islam

He says, “I will stay on the religion of my forefathers.” and dies. Imagine the immense grief that the Prophet (saw) was in for his foster father, his supporter, his rock . . .

The Prophet (saw) says he will continue to ask forgiveness for him until Allah (SWT) commands otherwise. . .

Allah (SWT) reveals a verse . . .

The Quranic verse states: “It is not ( fit ) for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the hell fire.” [9:113]

More grief for the Prophet (saw) . . .

Three days later, and in other versions seven days or a month later, Khadijah (raa), the sole refuge and safe haven for the Prophet (saw), died!

Where did she die?

She died in his arms—and later on the Prophet (saw) will die in the arms of Aysha (raa).

Imagine how these marriages were like—that Allah (SWT) decrees that they die in their spouses arms as opposed to . . . .

Before she died . . . Narrated Abu Huraira: Jibreel (Gabriel) came to the

Prophet and said, 'O Allaah's Apostle! This is Khadija coming to you with a dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (i.e. Allaah) and on my behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a Qasab (palace in Paradise) wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue (trouble).' [al-Bukhari]

She was so dear to Allah (SWT). . .

When the Prophet (SAWS) reported this to her she answered, “He is The Source of Peace, from Him comes peace, and peace on Jibril”

Allah (SWT) wanted her to feel peace while going through the pangs and pains of death.

Ibn Kathir from his book Wives of the Prophet Muhammad

“Khadijah had been the first to publicly accept Muhammad (saw) as the Messenger of Allah, and she had never stopped doing all she could to help him. Love and mercy had grown between them, increasing in quality and depth as the years passed by, and not even death could take this love away.

The Prophet Muhammad (saw) never stopped loving Khadijah, and although he married several more wives in later years and loved them all, it is clear that Khadijah always had a special place in his heart. Indeed whenever 'Aisha, his third wife, heard the Prophet speak of Khadijah, or saw him sending food to Khadijah's old friends and relatives, she could not help feeling jealous of her, because of the love that the Prophet still had for her.

Once Aisha asked him if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet (saw) replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."

It had been related by Abu Hurairah (raa) that on one occasion, when Khadijah was still alive, Jibril came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, Khadijah is just coming with a bowl of soup (or food or drink) for you. When she comes to you, give her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a palace of jewels in the Garden, where there will be neither any noise nor any tiredness."

Why no longer tired ?

The reward comes from the nature of your deeds on earth . . .

She brought up her kids, lost two at a very early age, a young slave (later adopted) and the Prophet’s cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib.

After the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, and his first wife, Khadijah, had both died in the same year, the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his small community of believers endured a time of great hardship and persecution at the hands of the Quraish. Indeed the Prophet, who was now fifty years old, name this year 'the Year of Sorrow.'

Every day we die too, temporary death.

What do you die on? “Allah takes up the selves at the time of their

death and the ones which have not died, in their sleeping. Then He holds back the ones against which He has decreed death, and sends (forth) the others till a stated term. Surely in that are indeed signs for a people who meditate” (39: 42) Your soul is given to you day by day.

Prophet (saw) cried a lot . . .

Khadijah died, and the Prophet (SAWS) mourned her death with great affection and cried to the point that the companions begged him to take it easy.

He continued to love her. . .

He (saw) remained faithful to her friends after her death just for her sake that “whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would send her women-friends a good share of it”

Orientalists claim . .

That the Prophet (SAWS) used to crave women and lust for them! This is not true if we consider that he actually remained single and chaste until the age of 25 when he married Khadijah (RA). Is this the state of someone who lusts for women?

Refused to get married after . . . Khadijah’s death and took care of his two

unmarried daughters, especially Fatima who was still 14. He got married two years later but to an old widow, called Sawda (raa) because she had no one to take care of her after the death of her husband during their immigration to Abyssinia.

Later on, he married Aisha (raa), at the battle of Badr in Madinah. Then, he married the rest of his other wives during the eight remaining years; with each marriage serving the Da’wa (missionary activity). Hence, Muhammad, the man married once; and Muhammad the Prophet (SAWS) married nine times for the sake of the divine message.

Prophet (saw) lost the two

Dearest people to him one after the other! Khadijah (RA) who protected and took care of him inside, and Abu-Taleb who protected and defended him outside.

If you were to choose the timing? after Hijra (migration) to Madinah, or when Islam is finally established and

victorious. Nevertheless, they died at this very critical

moment immediately after the siege and while Quraysh was considering assassinating him.

Why this exact time ?

It was as if Allah (SWT) was telling him that he has no one else now but Him, and that he should learn to entrust and to commit his soul to Allah (SWT) alone.

Verses asking him (saw) to rely on Allah (SWT) . . .

Allah (SWT) says, “And put your trust in the Living Allah) Who does not die, and extol with His praise” (25: 58), and “So put your trust in Allah; surely you are upon the evident Truth.” (27: 79). That way no one can claim that Islam succeeded due to the help of any particular person, but rather to the protection of Allah (SWT) and to the strength of the message.

It is a message from Allah (SWT) to turn back to him . . . Utmost mercy . . .

just remember, if you have lost a loved one, failed to get a job, or encountered hardships and suffered ordeals, that you should not say, “Why me?” Always keep in mind those ayahs and try to understand that Allah (SWT) wants you to turn to Him and to depend on Him. 

Do from A-B and leave B-Z to Allah (SWT) . . .

“Allah suffices me, for He is the best disposer of affairs” and never doubt in Him afterwards. Just do your best and rely on Him.

Verses to keep the Prophet (saw) firm

Allah (SWT) says to the Prophet (saw), “And (endure) patiently under the Judgment of your Lord, (for) then surely you are under Our Eyes” (52: 48).

“The Lord of the east and the west; there is no god except He; so take Him to yourself for an Ever-Trusted Trustee” (73: 9).

Prophet (saw) was energized . . .

Those ayahs gave a push to the Prophet (saws), and in spite of his grief, he never gave up.

So what is his next plan?

He then thought about going to the tribe of Thaqiif in At-Taif, the second major power in the Arabian Peninsula after Quraysh, for shelter and support.

So Prophet (saw) heads for At-Taif …

At-Taif was 100 kilometers away from Makkah and on a mountain that is 5000 meters high and the Prophet (saws) walked the whole distance on foot. He was not sure whether the attempt will succeed or not. Moreover, he knew that Quraysh would not like the fact that he asked protection from their rivals.

Went on foot why?The Prophet (saws) was moving and exerting a lot

of effort and chose to walk all that distance. That was indeed a brilliant move since had he gone on a camel instead of walking, Quraysh could have guessed that he was going to a distant place, and in that case they would have watched him. Instead they thought that he was going to a nearby destination and would be returning soon.

Who did he take? Why?

He also chose to take Zayd Ibn-Haretha instead of Abu-Bakr or Omar, his advisors, because Quraysh would then think that the Prophet (SAWS) was going on a private errand accompanied with his son.

Picture the Prophet (saw) on the journey . . .

I want you to picture the Prophet throughout the journey.

His love had just died, his uncle who always stood by his side died, everything looked bleak, almost no one was

converting to Islam, Muslims were being harmed, Muslims in Abyssinia were not able to return,

Yet . . .He was walking up the mountain to At-Taif to

talk to its people about his message and convey it to them. Look how determined he was. He walked a distance of 100 kilometers. Have you ever walked that kind of distance before, how long would it take you to change your mind about doing it?

How old was the Prophet (saw)

Fifty years old. How do you feel about that—the Prophet

(saws) doing it all of this for our sake. Do not fail him. Failing him will be betrayal . . .

How long did the journey take? It took him four days. He went directly to the three leaders of At-Taif because he

wanted their protection. A little boy [Khaled Al Adwanee] who was there narrates that he heard the prophet (saw) give his speech to the leaders, he read to them Surat Al Tariq [how do we know, later on this little boy became Muslim and he memorized Surat Al Tariq then and there]—no matter the outcome do your effort.

How did they respond?The three leaders all answered very cruelly. 1. The first said, “Didn’t Allah find anyone better than

you to send?”2. The second leader said, “Either you are a real

Prophet so great that I can not talk to you, or a mere liar so mean that I would not talk to you either”.

3. The third said, “I swear to God, if I saw you hanging on Ka’ba’s veils swearing that you are a messenger from Allah, I will never believe you”.

How did the Prophet (saw) react?

Faced with such fierce reaction and objection to Islam, The Prophet (saw) asked them not to inform Quraysh of his trip to them. However, they refused to do oblige and swore to tell Quraysh.

So, asked to leave in peace . . . Nevertheless, they refused and gathered all the kids and

fools to pelt him with stones and rocks

Today, the stones continue at the Prophet (saw) from FOOLS! And the ignorant!

Today you defend the prophet by learning and teaching sunnah, following it and keeping it alive, conveying his message, defending his honor—we were not there physically but it’s not too late ever to do what the companions did.

Try to imagine the scene . . .

The Prophet (saws) was being stoned and was running, and Zayd Ibn-Haretha was trying to protect him, shied him with his own body and especially his head. Zayd Ibn-Haretha's (raa) head was bleeding, yet he never let go of the Prophet (saw).

Prophet’s feet were bleeding . . .

The Prophet's feet were also bleeding as a result of running on the stones the people of At-Taif were throwing at him. This all happened to the Prophet (saws) and Allah (SWT) allowed it, so that we would learn that the message and this religion are very precious. What have you endured for the sake of this religion?

Prophet looked for a place to hide..

from the stones. He kept running with bleeding feet along with Zayd, until they found a small garden which they entered.

Instead of attending to his wounds…

Instead of attending to his wounds the moment he was safe from the stoning, he raised his hands and started to perform dua'a (supplication). It was not a dua'a in the regular sense, but rather confiding in Allah (SWT) . VENTING TO ALLAH ! Beautiful Dua. Learn it.

“To you Allah only, I complain my weak power, my lack of authority, and my disgrace among people. You are the Lord of the universe, You are the Aid to the miserable, and You are my Lord. To whom do You leave me, to a remote one who would scorn me, or to a relative that would control me? If You are not angry at me, then I would not mind whatever happens to me. However, Your forgiveness is nearer to me. I seek refuge by the light of Your Ever-Magnificent Face to which the deep darkness shined and by which both world and hereafter are upright, from Your anger or wrath to befall me. You have the right to blame me until you are pleased with me; and there is no might or power except with You”.

What is he doing in this dua?

The Prophet (saws) was not blaming Allah (SWT) for what happened to him, but he was rather complaining that he was not doing his job well enough. Who would be able to say this but a Prophet!

Answer to the dua came . . . A child came along—his name is Addas who

was Christian and worked for the owners of the garden. He worked as a servant for the owners of the garden the Prophet was hiding in. The owners of the garden were Ottba and Shaybe Ibn-Rabi'a. Although they were disbelievers, they felt sorry for the Prophets (saws).

What did they do?

They ordered Addas to give the Prophet some grapes. Addas then went to the Prophets (saws) and gave him the grapes, and all the Prophet was thinking of was how to bring Addas into Islam. Learn how to influence people from the Prophet (saws).

He wanted to attract Addas' attention, so instead of uttering the basmallah (invocation of the name of Allah) before eating the grapes in a low voice, the Prophet (saws) uttered it out loud. Addas noticed the basmallah and said, “These words are not of the people of this land” [we see dawah in action—Yemenis spread Islam in the Far East—Indonesia through their business ethics]

Prophet (saw) does Dawa . . .

Thus, the Prophet (saw) succeeded in attracting the little boy’s attention and asked him about his name. The little boy said, “Addas”, then he (saws) used the boy’s name asking him where he is from to which he replied, “from Nineveh in Iraq”

Make an attempt to learn about people .

The Prophet (saw) acknowledged that that was the land of the pious man Yunus Ibn-Mattah (AS) “Jonah”. The little boy said, “Do you know him?” The Prophet (saw) said, “Of course, he is my brother. He was a messenger of Allah and I am a messenger of Allah too” At that point, Addas kissed the bleeding feet of Prophet Muhammad (saws).

Allah is pleased (SWT) . . . There is a very important notion presented in the

fact that Addas kissed the Prophet's feet. Those were the feet that were bleeding, and so Allah (SWT) wanted to tell the Prophet (saw) that He (SWT) was pleased with him (saw). Wanted to show him that his status is a very high one. Allah (SWT) was never angry with the Prophet (SAWS) but all these difficulties had to be present because of the nature of that phase and for the future generations.

The owners of the garden ….

Were watching and said, “True that he is a magician, look how he has managed to spoil our youth.”

The hardest day for the Prophet (saw)

Aisha (raa) once asked the Prophet (saws), "which was the hardest day you've encountered?" He said, "The day I was returning from al-At-Taif. I departed, overwhelmed with excessive sorrow, and proceeded on, and could not relax till I found myself at Qarnath-Tha-alib“

Angel Jibril (as) comes . . . To the Prophet (saws) and was accompanied by the

angel of the mountains. This was the first time for the Prophet (saws) to see an angel other than Jibril (as). Jibril (as) said, "Allah has heard your people's saying to you, and what they have replied back to you. Allah has sent the angel of the mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.”

What order would the Prophet (saw) give?

“The angel of the mountains called and greeted me, and then said, O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akh-Shabain (i.e. two mountains) fall on them” But the Prophet (saws) replied saying, “No but I hope that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship None besides Him."

Angel of mountains said . . . “The one who named you [Allah] is true in calling

you the Prophet of mercy.” Allah (SWT) says, "Indeed there has already

come to you a Messenger from (among) yourselves. Mighty (i.e., burdensome) to him is whatever distresses you. Most eager is he for your (welfare), to the believers (he is) constantly compassionate, constantly merciful" (9:128).

Companions loved the Prophet . . . He once returned to his house and found his servant

weeping and asked him what that was about, to which Thawban said, “O’ Prophet Muhammad, life is short and I remembered that in the hereafter I may be in the bottom of the paradise and you will be in the highest point of it and so I may not see you there. That is what made me cry, because I felt that I was going to miss you”

Down came an ayah . . . And then came the ayah where Allah

(SWT) says, "And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then those are with the ones whom Allah has favored of the Prophets, and the ones constantly sincere and the martyr-witnesses, and the righteous; and the fairest escorts those are!" (4:69). Thawban then rejoiced.

A surprise for the Prophet (saw)As the Prophet (saws) was returning from At-

Taif, and after his conversation with Jibril (as), he prayed the qiyam prayers (night prayers). Even though the Prophet was attempting to call to Islam humans, and even though he was targeting At-Taif, Allah (SWT) chose to guide another group to Islam—the JINN.

In Surat Al Ahqaf . . . Allah (SWT) says, "And (remember) as We

turned about to you a batch of the jinn listening to the Qur’an; so, as soon as they were in its presence they said, “Listen!” Then, as soon as it was accomplished, they turned back to their people, constantly warning.

They said” ‘O our people, surely we have heard a Book that was sent down even after M ûsa, (Moses) sincerely (verifying) what was before it, (Literally: between its two hands) guiding to the Truth and to a straight road. O our people, answer the Caller of Allah" (46:29-31).

Why Musa (as)? Why not Jesus?

Commentators say because they were jewish and followed the message of Musa (as) and they came from Yemen.

Your job is just to convey not to convert, Allah (SWT chooses those—do not coerce . . . stalk . . .

The Prophet (saws) targeted humans, but Allah (SWT) wanted the jinn.

The Prophet (saws) targeted the noblemen of At-Taif, and Allah (SWT) wanted the young Addas.

The Prophet (saws) targeted the people of At-Taif, and Allah (SWT) wanted the people of Madinah.

You have to put in the required effort and plan, and Allah (SWT) will unlock the doors He wants.

Allah likes for victory to come froman unexpected path. If victory comes from the

path you chose then you would have taken credit for it, but when it comes from an unexpected path, then it is Allah's (SWT) will. Why is that the case? So that you also trust in Allah that everything goes as He planned. He is the Ultimate Trustee. Plan and re-plan, and even if Allah blocks the path you were working on, He will open up another one.

Universality of Islam in a vast unverse

1. He first met Addas, who was foreign to the Arab peninsula.

2. He then met the angel of the mountains, and this was their first meeting.

3. He met the jinn, and it was the first time for him to realize that his message was directed to the jinn as well as humans.

Allah (SWT) saying to Prophet Muhammad (saws), even if the people of At-Taif denied you, My universe is vast.

It is as if Allah (SWT) was saying that the universe is full of great creatures that appreciate the Prophet (saws). This is a wonderful notion. Allah (SWT) was telling the Prophet (saws) that he will be victorious because Allah is the Eternal Owner and Sovereign.

Back on the outskirts of Makkah . . . They reached the boundaries of Makkah and

camped outside—going back was not easy-- and Zayd Ibn-Haretha asked the Prophet (saws) how they would enter now that the people of At-Taif told them about the trip.

The Prophet (SAWS) answered him with great trust in Allah (SWT) that He will take care of this and of Islam

Appealed to three . . . To take over the task of protecting him as he

entered Makkah. They tried:1. Al Akhnas bin Shurayq –refused because he is

an ally of Quraysh and hence cannot offer protection to anyone from Quraysh.

2. Suhail Ibn ‘Amr—who said he could not because clan of ‘Amr ibn Lu’ayy could not be protected by Ka’ab ibn Lu’ayy.

Mota‘m Ibn-Adey agreed . . . Declared that he would protect Muhammad

(saws). He prepared his sons and gave them his orders.

He had the Prophet (saw) as a guest in his house, and then he asked his sons to wear special clothes and escort him to the ka’bah and protect him there as he (saw) did Tawaf.

Abu Sufyan wanted to be sure . . .

Abu-Jahl then went to Mota‘m and asked whether he became a follower of Muhammad (saws) or was he only protecting him, and so Mota‘m told him that he was only protecting him. Abu Sufyan then said that they accepted that situation.

Why do Tawaf? not to provoke them but to show his resolve to

convey the message of Islam. Telling Mota‘m a that even though he was

being protected by the latter, he was still holding on strongly to his message.

After the Prophet (SAWS) performed tawaf he went home, and by that the journey to At-Taif was over.