Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Tolerating Hardships & Remaining Steadfast
It is really very hard for the Muslims of today to imagine and much less to bear or even attempt to bear the hardships that were experienced by Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) in the path of Allah Ta’ala. Books of history are replete with stories of their sufferings. It is a pity that let alone emulating the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum), we have not even taken the trouble to learn about these incidents and events.
In this chapter, a few incidents will be mentioned as examples to illustrate their steadfastness and forbearance. From all the incidents, I will commence the chapter with an incident of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) himself, as taking his name will surely attract the blessings of Allah Ta’ala.
- Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) goes to Taa’if
For nine years, since Allah Ta’ala selected him for His mission, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had been preaching the message of Allah Ta’ala in Makkah and making all out efforts to guide and reform his people. Besides a few people, who had accepted Islam, or who helped him though not accepting Islam themselves, the rest of the people in Makkah had opposed him and went all out to persecute and ridicule him and his followers.
His uncle, Abu Taalib, was one of those good-hearted people who helped him although he did not accept Islam. The following year (i.e. the 10th year after nubuwwah), on the death of Abu Taalib, the kuffaar got a free rein to increase their efforts to prevent people from accepting Islam and to torture and persecute the Muslims.
At Taa’if, there lived a clan called Banu Saqeef which was strong in number. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) went to Taa’if hoping to win them over to Islam. Taa’if would then become a safe place for the Muslims where the Quraish would not be able to harm them, and would also become a base for the propagation of Islam. When he reached Taa’if, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) visited the three chiefs of the clan separately. He gave them the message of Allah Ta’ala, and asked each of them to help him in his mission.
Instead of accepting his message, or at least showing him the common hospitality of Arabs, as he was a newcomer to their area, each of them treated him very badly and rudely. They told him to leave immediately from their town. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had expected a friendly treatment and kind words from them, as they were the leaders of their clans.
However, one of them mockingly said, “Hey, Allah Ta’ala has made you a Nabi!” The other teased him, “Could Allah not find anyone else besides you to make him His Nabi?”
The third one mockingly stated, “I do not want to talk to you, because if you are really a Nabi, as you claim to be, then to oppose you is to invite trouble, and if you only pretend to be one, then why should I talk with a person pretending to be a Nabi?”
Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was a mountain of courage and steadfastness. Realising that there was no hope in speaking to the chiefs, he did not give up but rather tried to speak to the common people in the town. However, nobody would listen to him, and they instead asked him to leave their town and go wherever he liked. When he realised that his efforts were in vain, he decided to leave the town.
Even then, they did not allow him to leave in peace and sent the street hooligans after him to mock and jeer at him, to hiss and hoot at him, and to throw stones at him. He was pelted with stones to such an extent that his whole body was covered with blood and even his shoes were stained with blood. He left the town in this terrible condition. When he was far out of the town and safe from the people, he made the following dua to Allah Ta’ala:
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِلَيْكَ أَشْكُوْ ضَعْفَ قُوَّتِىْ وَقِلَّةَ حِيْلَتِيْ وَهَوَانِىْ عَلَى النَّاسِ يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِيْنَ أَنْتَ رَبُّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِيْنَ وَأَنْتَ رَبِّىْ إِلٰى مَنْ تَكِلُنِىْ إِلٰى بَعِيْدٍ يَّتَجَهَّمُنِىْ أَمْ إِلٰى عَدُوٍّ مَلَّكْتَهُ أَمْرِىْ إِنْ لَّمْ يَكُنْ بِكَ عَلَىَّ غَضَبٌ فَلَا اُبَالِىْ وَلٰكِنْ عَافِيَتُكَ هِىَ أَوْسَعُ لِىْ أَعُوْذُ بِنُوْرِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِىْ أَشْرَقَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَصَلُحَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ مِنْ أَنْ تُنَزِّلَ بِىْ غَضَبَكَ أَوْ يَحُلَّ عَلَىَّ سَخَطُكَ لَكَ الْعُتْبىٰ حَتّٰى تَرْضٰى وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ
“O Allah, I complain to You alone that I am weak, that I do not have any resources and that I do not hold any significance in the eyes of the people. O Most Merciful of all those who show mercy, You are the Rabb (master) of the weak and You are my own Rabb (master). To whom are You going to entrust me? To a stranger who would look at me harshly or to an enemy to whom You have given control over my affairs? If You are not angry with me, then I do not care for anything except that I should enjoy Your protection. I seek shelter in Your light (noor) which removes all forms of darkness and through which all the affairs of this world and the Hereafter remain in order. May it never be that You become angry with me or You are displeased with me. I must please You until You are happy with me. There is neither strength (to refrain from evil) nor any power (to do any good) except through You.”
The heavens were moved by His dua and Jibraa-eel (alaihis salaam) came before Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and greeted him with Assalamu Alaykum. He then said, “Allah Ta’ala knows all that has happened between you and these people. He has sent the angel in charge of the mountains to do whatever you decide.”
The angel greeted Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) with Assalamu Alaykum and said, “O Nabi of Allah, I am at your service. If you wish, I can cause the mountains on both sides of this town to collide with each other, so that all the people will be crushed to death, or you may suggest any other type of punishment for them.”
The merciful Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope from Allah Ta’ala that there will be people from among their children who will worship Allah Ta’ala and serve His Deen.”
Behold the conduct of our noble Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), whom we profess to follow! We get so irritated over a little trouble or a mere abuse from somebody that we keep on torturing and taking our revenge throughout our lives in every possible manner. Does this type of behaviour behove one who claims to follow Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)? Look, even after undergoing so much of suffering at the hands of the Taai’f mob, he neither curses them nor does he work for any revenge (even when he has the full opportunity to do so).
