Rasulullah's Journey to Taif

For nine years, since his selection by Allah for His mission, Rasulullah SAW had been delivering the message of Allah in Makkah and making all out efforts to guide and reform his community. Excepting a few persons who had either embraced Islam or who helped him, though not accepting his creed, all the rest in Makkah left no stone unturned in persecuting and deriding him and his followers. His uncle Abu Talib was one of those good-hearted people who helped him, in spite of his not entering the fold of Islam. The following years, on the death of Abu Talib, the Quresh got a free hand and therefore accelerated their sinister activities without check and hindrance. At Taif, the second biggest town of Hijaz, there lived Banu Thaqif-a clan strong in number. Rasulullah SAW left for Taif in the hope of winning them over to Islam, thus giving quarter to Muslim from the persecution of the Quresh, and also establishing a base for the future propagation of Islam. On reaching Taif he visited the three chieftains of the clan separately, and placed before each of them the message of Allah, and called upon him to stand by his (Prophet's) side.Instead of accepting his message, they refused even to listen to him and, notwithstanding the proverbial Arab hospitality, each of them treated him most contemptuously and rudely. They plainly told him that they did not like his stay in their town. The Prophet SAW had expected a civil, even a cordial treatment and due courtesy in speech from them, as they were the heads of the clan. But one of them sneered: "Hey, Allah has made you a Prophet!", The other exclaimed with derision : "Could Allah not lay His hand on anyone else, other than you, to make His Prophet?",The third one gibed at Him: "I do not want to talk to you, for if you are in fact a Prophet, then to oppose you is to invite trouble, and if you, only pretend to be one, why should i talk with an imposter?"
Rasulullah SAW, who was a rock of steadfastness and perseverance, did not lose heart over the rebuft from the cheftains, and tried to approach the common people; but nobody would listen to him. Instead they asked him to clear off from their town and go wherever else he liked. When he realised that further efforts were in vain, he decided to leave the town. But they would not let him depart in peace, and set the street urchins after him, to hiss, to hoot, to jeer at, and to stone him. He was so much pelted with stones that his body was covered with blood, and shoes were clogged to his ffet. He left the town in this woeful plight. When he was far out of the town, and safe from rabble, he prayed to Allah thus: "o, my Allah! To Thee I complain of the feebleness of my strength, of my lack of resources and my being unimportant in the eyes of people. O, most Merciful of all those capable of showing mercy! Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my own Lord. To whom art Thou entrust me; to an unsympathetic foe who should sullenly frown at me, or to an alien to whom Thou has given control over my affair? Not in the least do I care for anything except that I may Thy protection for myself. I seek shelter in Your light-the light which iluminates the Heavens and dispels all sort of darkness, and which controls all affairs in this world as well as in the Hereafter. Mat it never be that I should incur Thy wrath, or that Thou should be displeased with me. I must remove the cause of Thy displeasure till Thou art pleased. There is no strength nor power but through Thee." The heaven were moved by the prayer, and Jirail AS appaered before Rasulullah SAW, greeting him with Assalamo alaikum and said: "Allah knows all that has passed between you and these people. He has deputed an angel incharge of the mountains to be at your command." Saying this, Jibrail AS ushered the angel before Rasulullah. The angel greeted Rasulullah SAW and said: "O, Prophet of Allah! I am at your service. If you wish, I can cause the mountains overlooking this town on both sides to collide with each other, so that all the people therein would be crushed to death, or you may suggest any other punishment for them." The merciful and noble Prophet SAW said: "Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope from Allah that there will be persons from among their progeny who would worship Allah and serve His cause." Behold the conduct of our noble Prophet SAW, whom we profess to follow! We get so much irritated over a little trouble or a mere abuse from somebody that we kept on torturing and taking our revenge throughout our lives in every possible manner. Does it become people who claim to follow the magnanimous prophet SAW? Look, even after so much suffering at the hands of the Taif mob, he neither curses them nor does he work for any revenge, even when he has the full opportunity to do so.