When the Prophet heard about this, he asked that Sa?d give the standard to his son, known for his comparatively milder temperament, for fear that Sa'd would commit violence against the Quraysh. For example, the Prophet gave Sa'd ibn Ubadah the standard he was initially carrying, after which Sa?d announced as the Muslims marched by Abu Sufyan that this would be the day of the Quraysh's abasement and a day of slaughter. The Prophet also made sure that none of the Muslims with him at the time of the takeover acted on their understandable feelings of vengeance for those who had tortured them and driven them out of their homes. None of these individuals were harmed or punished for their crimes. This is even more significant given the culture of vicious tribal rivalry and guilt by association practiced at the time.Īmong those the Prophet forgave were Abu Sufyan, a Quraysh leader who was among those who led the opposition to Islam Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl, an enemy whose father was one of the Prophet's most vehement opponents Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who ripped open the corpse of the Prophet's beloved uncle Hamza after the Battle of Uhud and ripped out his heart and liver Wahshi, the man commissioned by Hind to murder Hamza Utbah, the son of another of the Prophet's greatest foes, Abu Lahab, who had divorced the Prophet's daughter Ruqayyah under pressure from his father. At a time when he could have easily destroyed his worst enemies, Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, showed remarkable restraint. The most well-known example of this is during the peaceful takeover of Mecca by the Muslims. Here, too, the Prophet demonstrated exemplary behavior. But in a position of power or when the opportunity presents itself, humans are known for abusing their authority and punishing their enemies brutally. Skeptics may argue that it is easy to be merciful and forgiving when one is in a position of weakness. These were individuals bent on destroying him, his family, his followers and Islam itself. These were people who didn't just fight his message on an intellectual level. These are just a few glimpses of how the Prophet dealt with those who opposed him. Supplicate God against them!" Contrary to the people?s expectations, the Prophet said: "O Allah! Guide Daus and let them come to us." (Bukhari). On another occasion, some Companions came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of God! The tribe of Daus have committed disbelief and disobeyed (your commands). The Prophet made similar Duas (supplications) for his people on a regular basis: "O God! Guide my people, for they know not," he would pray, as he and his followers were tortured, humiliated, scorned and mocked. Two of his bitterest enemies, Abu Jahl and Omar ibn al-Khattab were also the objects of his prayers. He would pray for his enemies all the time. Peace and blessings be upon him.īut the people of Taif were not the only ones who tasted of this mercy. It's just one of many examples in the life of a person who faced constant death threats, attempts on his life, abuse and humiliation at the hands of those threatened by his simple but profound message: there is no god but God and Muhammad is His Messenger. That is just one example of how this man, who God describes as a "mercy to mankind" (Quran 21:107) dealt with those who opposed him. He could have asked that this valley of cruel people be crushed. In the face of this misery, an angel was sent and presented him with an option: have the whole town be destroyed, by God's will, for such arrogance and hatefulness.
Not only did they scorn his message of God's Oneness, they turned their youth against the Prophet. He was hoping that perhaps the people of this town would be receptive to his message, which had been rejected by most of the Makkans for over a decade.īut the people of Taif proved just as cruel and intolerant. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was in Taif, a lush town of green palm trees, fruits and vegetables, about 50 miles southeast of his arid hometown Makkah. Should he or shouldn't he seek to destroy the people who had just humiliated him by having their children chase him out of town while throwing stones at him? And this was simply for sharing his message and seeking help for his people. Bleeding from head to toe, battered and exhausted, he was faced with a choice.