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hand was protecting his face from the stones thrown at him. He was calling to his Creator and Lord,
saying, "If You are not angry with me, I do not care for other things, but granting me Your mercy is too
generous of You.!'
Indeed, he was a Messenger who knew how to address his Lord with courtesy! When he declared
that he did not care about harm for the sake of Allah, he also declared that he was in dire need for mercy
granted by Allah. In a situation like this, he did not feel proud about his endurance and courage, nor did
he boast. Boasting in such a situation might suggest bestowing favor on Allah, and this fact could not be
hidden from Muhammad. Therefore, the best way to express his courage and endurance in such a
situation was his pleading and his invocation.
So he went on asking Allah's pardon and invoking Him, "O Allah, to You I complain of the
weakness of my strength, my inability to find a way, and my humiliation by the people. O the Most
Compassionate, You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord. To whom do You entrust me? To a
distant relation who ignores me or to an enemy who has power over me? If You are not angry with me, I
do not care about other things, but granting me Your mercy is too generous of You. I seek refuge in the
light of Your face that brightens the darkness and amends the affairs of this world and the next. Do not
be angry or dissatisfied with me. I beg Your favor until You are satisfied with me. There is no strength or
power except through You." What loyalty the Prophet (PBUH) had to his call! He was an unarmed
person faced with plots everywhere he went. He had nothing in life to strengthen him, yet he carried all
that persistence, all that steadfastness and loyalty!
People beheld him returning from Al-Taa'if to Makkah without any sense of despair or defeat, but
more hopeful, optimistic, and dedicated. Moreover, he presented himself to the tribes, reaching them in
their own localities and districts. One day he went to Bani Kindah, another day to Bani Haniifah, then to
Bani `Aamir, and thus from one tribe to another. He said to them all, "I am the Messenger of Allah to
you. He commands you to worship Allah and not to take partners with Him, and to abandon what you
worship of idols." At the houses of the close-by tribes, Abu Lahab used to follow him, saying to the
people, "Do not believe him, for he is calling you to what is false."
People beheld the Messenger of Allah in such a critical situation seeking believers and assistants,
but he was met with ingratitude and enmity. They saw him refusing any bargains and refusing to have a
worldly price for faith.
In those scorching days, he presented himself to Bani `Aamir lbn sa`sa`ah and sat with them
speaking about Allah and reciting some of His words. They inquired, "Do you believe that if we
supported you in your affair and then Allah raised you above those who opposed you, we would take the
matter after you?" He (PBUH) answered saying, "This matter is in the hands of Allah. He puts it
wherever He wishes." There and then they dispersed, saying, "We need not your affair." The Messenger
(PBUH) left them, looking for believers who do not buy a little worth with their faith.
People beheld him, but few believed in him. Despite their number, he found in them comfort and
company. But the Quraish decided that each tribe should be in charge of giving lessons to the believers
among them. So, suddenly, persecution descended like a mad storm and hit all the Muslims. The
polytheists did not know a crime but committed it against the Muslims. However, here an unexpected
surprise took place. Muhammad (PBUH) gave orders to all the Muslims to emigrate to Abyssinia and
decided to remain alone to face the aggression!
Why did he not emigrate to convey the word of Allah in another place, for Allah is the Lord of All
the Worlds and not the Lord of the Quraish alone? Or why did he not let them stay with him, since in
their staying there was confirmed benefit? Surely their stay in Makkah, in spite of their small number,
would have induced others to embrace Islam, the religion of Allah.
Furthermore, there were among them a good number of the noblest families of the Quraish, the
strongest and the most powerful. From the tribe of Bani Umaiyah there were `Uthmaan lbn `Affaan,
`Amr lbn Sa'iid lbn al-'Aas and Khaalid lbn Sa'iid Ibn Al-'Aas From Bani Asad there were Az-Zubair lbn