In Shawwal, (619 A.D.), ten years after receiving divine revelation, the Beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ set out from Makkah to Ta’if, accompanied by Zaid bin Harithah رضي الله عنه, with the sincere hope of inviting its people to Islam. Ta’if lay about sixty kilometers away, and the journey reflected the Prophet’s deep concern for humanity and his tireless dedication to conveying the truth.
He approached the respected leaders of the town, the sons of ‘Amr bin ‘Umair of the tribe of Thaqeef, and called them to worship Allah alone. Instead of acceptance, he was met with harsh words, ridicule, and rejection. Despite their painful mockery and refusal, the Prophet ﷺ responded with dignity and patience, choosing silence over retaliation. For ten days, he ﷺ patiently conveyed his message to the people of Ṭā’if, moving from heart to heart, yet finding none willing to listen. Instead, the townspeople incited the streets against him; mocking, chasing, and pelting him with stones until blood flowed from his blessed legs. Zayd ibn Ḥārithah (رضي الله عنه), trying to shield him, was struck and wounded. Driven from the city and pursued across the plains, the Prophet ﷺ finally found refuge in an orchard, exhausted and deeply pained. There, leaning against a vineyard wall, he turned to Allah in humble prayer—his body wounded, his heart burdened, yet his trust in his Lord unshaken.
"O Allâh! To You alone I make complaint of my helplessness, the paucity of
my resources and my insignificance before mankind. You are the most
Merciful of the mercifuls. You are the Lord of the helpless and the weak, O
Lord of mine! Into whose hands would You abandon me: into the hands of
an unsympathetic distant relative who would bitterly frown at me, or to the
enemy who has been given control over my affairs? But if Your wrath does
not fall on me, there is nothing for me to worry about."
"I seek protection in the light of Your Countenance, which illuminates the
heavens and dispels darkness, and which controls all affairs in this world as
well as in the Hereafter. May it never be that I should incur Your wrath, or
that You should be wrathful to me. And there is no power nor resource, but
Yours alone."
Seeing the Beloved Prophet ﷺ wounded and sorrowful, the two sons of Rabīʿah , wealthy men of Makkah, were moved by kinship and compassion and sent him a tray of grapes through their Christian servant, ʿAddās. As the Prophet ﷺ began with the words, “In the name of Allah,” ʿAddās was struck with wonder, for such words were unfamiliar in that land.The Prophet [pbuh] gently inquired of him whence he came and what religion he professed. ‘Addas replied: "I am a Christian by faith and come from Nineveh." The Prophet [pbuh] then said: "You belong to the city of the righteous Jonah (A.S), son of Matta.يُوْنُس ٱبْن مَتّىٰ,"
Addas asked him anxiously if he knew anything about Jonah (A.S).
The Prophet ﷺ replied with calm certainty : "He is my brother. He was a Prophet and
so am I."
Moved by truth and sincerity, ʿAddās bowed in reverence, kissing the Prophet’s hands and acknowledging his noble rank.
His masters admonished him at this act but he replied: "None on the earth is better than he is. He has revealed to me a truth which only a Prophet can do."
This precious moment reminds us that a sincere heart is drawn naturally to truth and light, even when it challenges tradition or confronts social expectations. Such a heart recognizes guidance not by the approval of others, nor by the weight of heritage, but by the purity of what resonates with the soul.
To summarize, heavy-hearted and deeply grieved, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began his return to Makkah. At Qarn al-Manāzil, Allah sent the archangel Jibrīl (عليه السلام) with the Angel of the Mountains, offering, by divine command, to bury the region between its two mountains. As ʿĀ’ishah (رضي الله عنها) later narrated, the Prophet ﷺ described the day of Ṭā’if as the most painful of his life. Yet, when given the power to seek retribution, his noble heart chose mercy, praying instead that Allah would raise from their descendants a people who would worship Him alone, without partners.
Comforted by the unseen help of Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regained calm and reassurance in his heart. He then continued to Wādī Nakhlah, where he stayed for a few days.
During his stay there, Allâh sent a company of jinns who listened to him reciting the Noble Qur’ân: The same incident is referred to in Surah al-Jinn (72), verses 1–5, mentioned as follows:
1. Say, ˹O Prophet, “It has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened ˹to the Qur’an˺ and said, ‘Indeed, we have heard a wondrous recitation.
2. It guides to what is right, so we have believed in it, and we will never associate anyone with our Lord.
3. Exalted is the Majesty of our Lord—He has taken neither a spouse nor a son.
4. And some foolish ones among us used to speak excessive lies about Allah.
5. But we do think that no man or jinn should say anything at all that is untrue against Allah
From these verses and their explanation, it becomes clear that the Prophet ﷺ was unaware of the presence of the jinn at that moment and learned of it when Allah revealed these verses to him. This was their first encounter; however, the context of the different versions suggests that the jinns repeated their visits later on. Their presence was a gentle sign of divine support for the Messenger ﷺ, a source of comfort from Allah during a time of hardship. It carried a hopeful promise that the divine message would prevail, reminding us that no power, however great, can alter Allah’s decree, and that Allah alone, the Creator, is worthy of worship, without any partner associated with Him.
The trials of the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not end at Ta’if, yet with a heart overflowing with trust in Allah, he rose above every hardship. Illuminated by divine guidance, he moved forward with unwavering resolve, steadfastly continuing his sacred mission to guide humanity to the worship of Allah alone.
Reference
Al-Mubārakpūrī, Ṣ. al-R. (2002). The sealed nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet (Rev. ed.; I. D. al-Faruqi, Trans.). Darussalam.(Page: 136-140).
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