Sufferings of The Prophet and His Pious Companions

The greatest success that the Prophet Muhammad had predicted for his mission at the very outset exactly came true. This too, in spite of the stiff opposition which Prophet Muhammad faced right from the beginning, both from within his family and the outside world. At this stage he was totally helpless. But then, in this adverse situation, he received a revelation from The Almighty, which said:

“They want to extinguish The Almighty’s light with their mouths. But The Almighty will perfect His light, even though the unbelievers may detest it. It is He Who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, so that He may exalt it over all religions, much as the pagans may dislike it.” (61:8-9)

After nine years of Prophetic mission, the Prophet had been delivering the message of The Almighty in Mecca and made all efforts to guide and reform his community. Except a few persons who had either embraced Islam or who helped him though not accepting his religion, all the rest in Mecca left no stone unturned in persecuting and deriding him and him followers. His uncle Hazrat Abu Talib was one of those good hearted people who helped him, inspite of his not embracing Islam.

The following year on the death of Hazrat Abu Talib, the Quraysh got a free hand and therefore accelerated their sinister pursuits without check and hindrance at Taif, the second biggest town of Hijaz, where Banu Thaqif, a clan strong in number lived. The Prophet peace be upon him left for Taif with the hope of winning them over to Islam, thus offering shelter to the Muslims from the prosecution of the Qurasysh 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 Allaah, and called upon them to stand by his Prophet’s side. Instead of accepting his message, they refused even to listen to him and not withstanding the proverbial Arab hospitality, each of them treated him most contemptuously and rudely. They simply told him that they did not like his stay in their town.

The Holy Prophet peace be upon him 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, Allaah has made you a Prophet! ‘’ The other exclaimed with derision; “Could Allaah not lay His hand on anyone else, beside you to make him 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 then talk to an imposter?’’

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) who was like a rock, steadfast in nature and perseverant, did not lose heart over this check from the Chieftains, and tried to approach the common people; But nobody would listen to him. Instead they asked him to leave Taif and go wherever else he liked. When he realized that further efforts were in vain, he decided to leave the town. But they would not let him depart in peace, and the street urchins would come after him, to hoot, to jeer at , and to stone him. He was pelted with stones that his whole body used to get covered with blood and his shoes were clogged to his feet. He was almost fainting as he left the town in this woeful plight. When he was far out the town, and safe from the rubble, he went to pray to Allaah; “O, My Allaah! 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 to entrust me; to an unsympathetic foe who would sullenly frown at me, or to an alien to whom Thou hast given control over my affairs? Not in the least do I care for anything except that I may have  protection for myself. I seek shelter in your light – the light which illuminates the Heavens and dispels all sorts of darkness and which controls all affairs in this world as well as in the Hereafter. May 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 Heavens were moved by the prayer, and angel Gabriel appeared before the Prophet greeting him with Salam and said; “Allaah knows all that has passed between you and these people. He has deputed an angel in charge of the mountains to be at your commands.” Saying this Gabriel ushered the angel before the Prophet. The angel greeted the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said; “O, Prophet of Allaah! 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 (peace be upon him) said; “Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope for Allaah that there will be persons from among their progeny who would worship Allaah and serve His cause.”  (It was the effects of the Prophet’s pray, that today all the citizens of Taif are Muslims.)        

Once the Holy Prophet was badly wounded .After lots of pain and agony, some how the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) reached a garden. The owner of the gardens were the two enemies of Islam, they are Uthba and Shaiba. They died as disbelievers at Badar war. But on seeing the pathetic condition of the Prophet with blood and wounds their hearts melted in piety. The gardener of the disbelievers was also a Christian, and they said to him ; “Give some grapes to this man and ask him to eat.” So he gave a bowl of grapes to the Prophet. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) started eating in the name of Allaah and recited, Bismilliah hir Rehmahnir Rahim (Starting in the name of Allaah Who is merciful and Beneficent). On listening to this the gardener whose name was Addas, asked him “What did you say while eating? In this country nobody says anything like this?” The Prophet enquired about him and his religion, he replied; “I am a Christian from  Iraq’s Masul place in Nimwa area” The Holy Prophet said’ “ That is the place where Prophet ‘Yunus’A.S. came. When he said this Addas asked him “How do you know this?’ The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied “He was a Prophet like me, so he is my brother” On listening this Addas started kissing the Holy Prophet’s hands and forehead and embraced Islam.

Even after so much of suffering at the hands of the people of Taif, he neither curses them nor does he work for any revenge, despite having the full opportunity to do so. Meanwhile, the hardships and sufferings borne by the Muslims were ever on the increase. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) at last permitted them to emigrate to some other place. Abyssinia at that time was ruled by a Christian King (who later on embraced Islam), famous for his mercy and equity. In Rajab the fifth year of the Mission, the first group emigrated to Abyssinia. The group comprised of twelve men and five women. The Quraysh pursued them till the shores to captured them, but their vessels had left the shore. When the group reached Abyssinia, they heard the rumours that the whole tribe of the Qureysh had accepted Islam. They were naturally very pleased at the news and returned to their country. On approaching Mecca, they learnt that the rumour was false and the persecutions were going on unabated. Some of them decided to return to Abyssinia and the rest entered Mecca, seeking the protection of a few influential people. This is known as the first migration to Abyssinia. Later on, a bigger group of eighty-three men and eighteen women emigrated to Abyssinia (separately). This is called the second emigration to that country. Some Companions took part in both the migrations. The Quraysh did not like the emigrations, and the thought of peace enjoyed by the fugitives gave them no peace of mind. They sent a delegation to Abyssinia with handsome presents for the king, his courtiers and the clergy. The delegation first met the chiefs and the priests and, by offering them presents, succeeded in winning the court officials to their side. Having thus made their way to the royal court, they prostrated themselves before the king and then presenting the gifts put their grievances before him. They said:
          
"O, king! A few foolish lads of our community have renounced their ancestral faith, and have joined an absolutely new religion, which is opposed to our religion as well as yours. They have come and settled in your country. The nobility of Mecca, their own parents and kith and kin have sent us to take them back to their country. We beseech you to hand them over to us."
The king replied:

"We cannot hand over the people who have sought our shelter, without proper investigation. I will call them to our presence, and hear them out. If your charge of apostasy against them is genuine, we shall hand them over to you."
The king thereupon summoned the Muslims to his court. They were at first greatly distressed and did not know what to do, but Allaah gave them courage, and they decided to go and place the true facts before the king. On appearing before him, they greeted him with 'Salaam'. Someone from the courtier’s side objected that they had not prostrated before the king according to the rules of the land. The Muslims explained:
"Our Prophet (Peace be upon him) has forbidden us from prostrating before any one except Allaah."
The king then asked them to submit what defence they could make to the charges brought against them. Ja'far (may The Almighty be pleased with him) rose and addressed the king thus:
          
"O, king! We were an ignorant people. We neither knew Allaah nor His Prophets (A.S.) we worshipped stones. We used to eat carrion and commit all sorts of undesirable and disgraceful acts. We did not carrying out our obligations to our relatives. The strong among us would thrive at the expense of the weak. Till at last, Allaah raised a Prophet (peace be upon him) for our reformation. His noble descent, good conduct, integrity of purpose, and pure character are only too well known amongst us. He called upon us to worship Allaah, and exhorted us to give up idolatry and stone-worship. He enjoined upon us right conduct, and forbade us from indecent acts. He taught us to tell the truth, to stand by the truth, to have regard for our kith and kin, and to do good to our neighbours. From him we learnt to observe Salaat, Fasting, Zakaat and good conduct; and to shun everything foul, and to avoid bloodshed. He forbade adultery, lewdness, telling of lies, misappropriating the orphan's heritage, bringing false accusations against others, and all other indecent things. He taught us the Qur'an, the wonderful book of Allaah. So we believe in him, follow him and act according to his teachings. Thereupon our people began to persecute us, and to subject us to tortures, thinking that we might abjure our faith and revert to idolatry. When, however, their cruelties exceeded all bounds, we took shelter in your country by the permission of our Prophet (Peace be upon him)."

The king said:
"Let us hear something of the Qur'an that your Prophet (Peace be upon him) has taught you."
           Hazrat Ja'far may The Almighty pleased with him recited a few verses from the beginning of Surah "Maryam", which touched the heart of the king and the priestly class so much so that tears flowed down their cheeks and wetted their beards. The king remarked:
           "By Allaah, these words and the words revealed to Moosa (Peace be upon him) are the rays of one and the same light,"
He then told the Quraysh emissaries that he would by no means hand over the refugees to them. The Quraysh felt, disappointed and disgraced, and they held a counsel. One of them said:
           "I have a plan that is sure to draw the king's wrath upon their heads."
Although the others did not agree to such a drastic step (for after all, they were of the same flesh and blood), yet he would not listen. The next day, they excited the king by telling him that those heretics denounced 'Jesus (Issa, Peace be upon him) and did not believe in his Divinity. The Muslims were again summoned to the court. They were more distressed this time. When the king inquired about their belief in 'Isa (Alayhis Salam), they said:
           "We believe in what Allaah has revealed about him to our Prophet (Peace be upon him), i.e. he is a servant and Prophet of Allaah, and is the fulfillment His words, which He conveyed to the virgin and pure Maryam."
           "Issa (Peace be upon him) himself does not say anything beyond that."
           The priests then began to murmur in protest, but the king, would not listen to them. He returned the presents the delegation had brought for him, and said to the Muslims:
           "Go and live in peace. If anybody ill-treats you, he will have to pay heavily for it."
           A royal declaration was also issued to that effect. This enhanced the prestige of the Muslims in the country, and the Quraysh delegation had to return defeated and in vain.
          
This failure of the Quraysh emissary to Abyssinia, and the triumph of the Muslims over them, led the idolaters to a state of exasperation. The conversion of 'Umar (may The Almighty pleased with him) to Islam added fuel to the fire. They grew more and more embittered, till things came to such a pass that a large number of the Quraysh chiefs conspired to kill Muhammad (Peace be upon him) outright and deal summarily with the whole affair. But this was not so easy. Banu Hashim to which clan the Prophet (Peace be upon him) belonged, were strong in number and still stronger in influence, although some of them would not agree to, or tolerate the murder of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). The Qureysh, therefore, decided to place a social ban on the Banu Hashim, and their chiefs drew up a document to the effect that none of them or their clans would associate with, buy from or sell to those who sided with the Banu Hashim, unless and until they surrendered Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to them. All of them signed this document on the 1st Moharram of the 7th year of the Mission, and the scroll was hung up in the Ka'abah in order to give it full sanctity. Then, for three long years, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was shut up with all his kinsfolk in a glen, which was a sub-section of one of the gorges that run down to Mecca. For three long years, nobody could see them nor could they see anybody. They could not purchase anything in Mecca nor from any trader coming from outside. If any person was found outside this imposed prison, he was beaten mercilessly and if he asked for anything it was flatly refused. Soon their stock of food was exhausted and they were reduced to famine rations. Their women and, more specially, the children and suckling babies would cry with hunger, and this was harder on them than their own starvation. During the last part of this period, their sole subsistence was the little food that the husbands of Hashimite women married into other clans managed to smuggle into the glen, in the darkness of the night. At last by the Grace of Allaah, after three years, the scroll was eaten up by white ants and the ban was removed. The severity of the afflictions, which they bore during this period of ostracism, cannot be imagined. But the Companions not only remained steadfast in their faith, but also kept busy in spreading the light of Islam amongst their comrades in distress.
          
We can imagine how much the Companions had to suffer in the path of Allaah and for the cause of Islam. We claim to follow their footsteps, and dream of the material progress and spiritual elevation which was theirs, but how much have we suffered in the true cause? What sacrifice have we offered for the sake of Allaah in His path? Success is always proportionate to the sacrifice. We wish to live in luxury and comfort, and are eager to join the disbelievers in enjoying the good things of this world, forgetting the Hereafter. At the same time we expect to receive the same help and blessings from Allaah, which the Companions received during their time. We cannot beguile anybody but ourselves. As a Poet has said,
'I am afraid, O wayfarer, that you will not reach the Ka'aba (Mecca) because the path that you are following goes (in the opposite direction) to Turkistan.'

Companions of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) dying sacrificing their thirst for others:

Hadhrat Abu-Jaham-bin-Huzaifah may The Almighty pleased with him, narrates:
"During the battle of Yarmuk, I went out in search of my cousin, who was in the forefront of the fight. I also took some water with me for him. I found him in the midst of the battle in the last throes of death. I went to him with the little water I had. Just then, another sorely wounded soldier beside him gave a groan, and my cousin averted his face, and beckoned me to take the water to that person first. I went to this other person with the water. He turned out to be Hishaam bin Abil Aas (With whom Allaah is pleased). But I had hardly reached him, when there was another groan of yet another person lying not very far off. Hisham (may The Almighty pleased with him) motioned me to that man’s direction.   Alas, before I could approach him, he had breathed his last. I made all haste back to Hishaam and found him dead as well. Thereupon, I hurried as fast as I could to my cousin, and, Lo! In the meantime he had also joined the other two."

Many incidents of such self-denial and heroic sacrifice is recorded in the books of Hadith. This is the last word in self-sacrifice, where each dying person foregoes!  Slaking his own thirst in favour of his other needy brother. May Allaah bless their souls with His choicest favours for their sacrifice for others even at the time of death.