31. The Messenger's journey to Thaqīf seeking support

Sirat Ibn Hisham 492No grade recorded
[ تَوَجُّهُهُ ﷺ إلَى رَبِّهِ بِالشَّكْوَى ] فَلَمَّا اطْمَأَنَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ - فِيمَا ذُكِرَ لِي -: اللَّهُمَّ إلَيْكَ أَشْكُو ضَعْفَ قُوَّتِي، وَقِلَّةَ حِيلَتِي، وَهَوَانِي عَلَى النَّاسِ، يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ، أَنْتَ رَبُّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ، وَأَنْتَ رَبِّي، إلَى مَنْ تَكِلُنِي ؟ إلَى بَعِيدٍ يَتَجَهَّمُنِي ؟ أَمْ إلَى عَدُوٍّ مَلَّكْتَهُ أَمْرِي ؟ إنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِكَ عَلَيَّ غَضَبٌ فَلَا أُبَالِي، وَلَكِنَّ عَافِيَتَكَ هِيَ أَوْسَعُ لِي، أَعُوذُ بِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَشْرَقَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَصَلُحَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ مِنْ أَنْ تُنْزِلَ بِي غَضَبَكَ، أَوْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيَّ سُخْطُكَ، لَكَ الْعُتْبَى حَتَّى تَرْضَى، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إلَّا بِكَ
✧ [His ﷺ turning to his Lord with complaint] When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was at ease, he said—as it has been related to me—: “O Allah, to You I complain of my weakness of strength, the littleness of my stratagem, and my abasement before the people, O Most Merciful of the merciful. You are the Lord of the weak, and You are my Lord; to whom will You entrust me? To a distant one who will receive me with a frowning face, or to an enemy whom You have given mastery over my affair? If there is no anger from You upon me, I care not; yet Your forgiveness is wider for me. I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which the darknesses are illuminated and upon which the affair of this world and the Hereafter is set aright, from Your sending down Your wrath upon me, or Your displeasure alighting upon me. To You belongs the right to be satisfied until You are pleased; and there is no power and no strength except in You.”
Sirat Ibn Hisham 493No grade recorded
[ قِصَّةُ عَدَّاسٍ النَّصْرَانِيِّ مَعَهُ ﷺ ] قَالَ: فَلَمَّا رَآهُ ابْنَا رَبِيعَةَ، عُتْبَةُ وَشَيْبَةُ، وَمَا لَقِيَ، تَحَرَّكَتْ لَهُ رَحِمُهُمَا، فَدَعَوْا غُلَامًا لَهُمَا نَصْرَانِيًّا، يُقَالُ لَهُ عَدَّاسٌ، فَقَالَا لَهُ: خُذْ قِطْفًا ( مِنْ هَذَا ) الْعِنَبِ، فَضَعْهُ فِي هَذَا الطَّبَقِ، ثُمَّ اذْهَبْ بِهِ إلَى ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلِ، فَقُلْ لَهُ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ. فَفَعَلَ عَدَّاسٌ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ بِهِ حَتَّى وَضَعَهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: كُلْ، فَلَمَّا وَضَعَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِيهِ يَدَهُ، قَالَ: بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ، ثُمَّ أَكَلَ، فَنَظَرَ عَدَّاسٌ فِي وَجْهِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: وَاَللَّهِ إنَّ هَذَا الْكَلَامَ مَا يَقُولُهُ أَهْلُ هَذِهِ الْبِلَادِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: وَمِنْ أَهْلِ أَيِّ الْبِلَادِ أَنْتَ يَا عَدَّاسُ، وَمَا دِينُكَ ؟ قَالَ: نَصْرَانِيٌّ، وَأَنَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ نِينَوَى، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: مِنْ قَرْيَةِ الرَّجُلِ الصَّالِحِ يُونُسَ بْنِ مَتَّى، فَقَالَ لَهُ عَدَّاسٌ: وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ مَا يُونُسُ بْنُ مَتَّى ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاكَ أَخِي، كَانَ نَبِيًّا وَأَنَا نَبِيٌّ، فَأَكَبَّ عَدَّاسٌ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُقَبِّلُ رَأْسَهُ وَيَدَيْهِ وَقَدَمَيْهِ قَالَ: يَقُولُ ابْنَا رَبِيعَةَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ: أَمَّا غُلَامُكَ فَقَدْ أَفْسَدَهُ عَلَيْكَ. فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمَا عَدَّاسٌ، قَالَا لَهُ: وَيْلَكَ يَا عَدَّاسُ مَالَكَ تُقَبِّلُ رَأْسَ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ وَيَدَيْهِ وَقَدَمَيْهِ ؟ قَالَ: يَا سَيِّدِي مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ شَيْءٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ هَذَا، لَقَدْ أَخْبَرَنِي بِأَمْرِ مَا يَعْلَمُهُ إلَّا نَبِيٌّ، قَالَا لَهُ: وَيْحَكَ يَا عَدَّاسُ، لَا، يَصْرِفَنَّكَ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَإِنَّ دِينَكَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ دِينِهِ
✧ The story of ʿAddās the Christian with him ﷺ When the two sons of Rabīʿah, ʿUtbah and Shaybah, saw him and what he had met with, compassion for him stirred in them, so they called a Christian slave boy of theirs named ʿAddās and said to him, "Take a bunch of these grapes and place it on this dish, then go with it to that man and tell him to eat from it." ʿAddās did so, then brought it and placed it before the Messenger of God ﷺ, then said to him, "Eat." When the Messenger of God ﷺ put his hand into it, he said, "In the name of God," then ate. ʿAddās looked into his face, then said, "By God, this speech is not what the people of this land say." The Messenger of God ﷺ said to him, "And from the people of which land are you, O ʿAddās, and what is your religion?" He said, "I am a Christian, and I am a man of the people of Nineveh." The Messenger of God ﷺ said, "From the town of the righteous man Jonah son of Matta?" ʿAddās said to him, "And what makes you know who Jonah son of Matta is?" The Messenger of God ﷺ said, "That was my brother; he was a prophet and I am a prophet." ʿAddās fell upon the Messenger of God ﷺ, kissing his head, his hands, and his feet. The two sons of Rabīʿah said to one another, "As for your slave, he has corrupted him for you." When ʿAddās came to them, they said to him, "Woe to you, O ʿAddās, what is it with you that you kiss this man's head, his hands, and his feet?" He said, "O my masters, there is nothing on earth better than this; he has told me something which only a prophet would know." They said to him, "Woe to you, O ʿAddās, do not let him turn you away from your religion, for your religion is better than his."
Sirat Ibn Hisham 494No grade recorded
[ أَمْرُ الْجِنِّ الَّذِينَ اسْتَمَعُوا لَهُ وَآمَنُوا بِهِ ] قَالَ: ثُمَّ إنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ انْصَرَفَ مِنْ الطَّائِفِ رَاجِعًا إلَى مَكَّةَ، حِينَ يَئِسَ مِنْ خَيْرِ ثَقِيفٍ، حَتَّى إذَا كَانَ بِنَخْلَةَ قَامَ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ يُصَلِّي، فَمَرَّ بِهِ النَّفَرُ مِنْ الْجِنِّ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى وَهُمْ - فِيمَا ذُكِرَ لِي - سَبْعَةُ نَفَرٍ مِنْ جِنِّ أَهْلِ نَصِيبِينَ فَاسْتَمَعُوا لَهُ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ وَلَّوْا. إلَى قَوْمِهِمْ مُنْذِرِينَ، قَدْ آمَنُوا وَأَجَابُوا إلَى مَا سَمِعُوا. فَقَصَّ اللَّهُ خَبَرَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ ﷺ، قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: وَإِذْ صَرَفْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَفَرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقُرْآنَ إلَى قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى وَيُجِرْكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ وَقَالَ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِنَ الْجِنِّ إلَى آخِرِ الْقِصَّةِ مِنْ خَبَرِهِمْ فِي هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ
✧ [ The affair of the jinn who listened to him and believed in him ] He said: Then the Messenger of God ﷺ departed from al-Ṭāʾif, returning to Makkah, when he despaired of any good from Thaqīf. When he was at Nakhla, he rose in the middle of the night to pray. A group of the jinn whom God, blessed and exalted be He, mentioned passed by him—they were, as was mentioned to me, seven jinn from the jinn of the people of Naṣībīn—and they listened to him. When he finished his prayer, they turned back to their people as warners, having believed and responded to what they heard. God recounted their story to him ﷺ. God, mighty and glorious be He, said: And when We turned toward you a group of jinn listening to the Qurʾān, up to His words, exalted be He: and He will protect you from a painful punishment. And He, blessed and exalted be He, said: Say: It has been revealed to me that a group of jinn listened, to the end of the account of their story in this sūrah.
Sirat Ibn Hisham 491No grade recorded
سَعْيُ الرَّسُولِ إلَى ثَقِيفٍ يَطْلُبُ النُّصْرَةَ قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: وَلَمَّا هَلَكَ أَبُو طَالِبٍ نَالَتْ قُرَيْشٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ الْأَذَى مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَنَالُ مِنْهُ فِي حَيَاةِ عَمِّهِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى الطَّائِفِ، يَلْتَمِسُ النُّصْرَةَ مِنْ ثَقِيفٍ، وَالْمَنَعَةَ بِهِمْ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ، وَرَجَاءَ أَنْ يَقْبَلُوا مِنْهُ مَا جَاءَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، فَخَرَجَ إلَيْهِمْ وَحْدَهُ. [ نُزُولُ الرَّسُولِ بِثَلَاثَةِ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ، وَتَحْرِيضُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: فَحَدَّثَنِي يَزِيدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيِّ، قَالَ: لَمَّا انْتَهَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إلَى الطَّائِفِ، عَمَدَ إلَى نَفَرٍ مِنْ ثَقِيفٍ، هُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ سَادَةُ ثَقِيفٍ وَأَشْرَافُهُمْ، وَهُمْ إخْوَةٌ ثَلَاثَةٌ: عَبْدُ يَالَيْلَ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، وَمَسْعُودُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، وَحَبِيبُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُمَيْرِ بْنِ عَوْفِ بْنِ عُقْدَةَ بْنِ غِيرَةَ بْنِ عَوْفِ بْنِ ثَقِيفٍ، وَعِنْدَ أَحَدِهِمْ امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ مِنْ بَنِي جُمَحٍ، فَجَلَسَ إلَيْهِمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ، فَدَعَاهُمْ إلَى اللَّهِ، وَكَلَّمَهُمْ بِمَا جَاءَهُمْ لَهُ مِنْ نُصْرَتِهِ عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ، وَالْقِيَامِ مَعَهُ عَلَى مَنْ خَالَفَهُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ؛ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَحَدُهُمْ: هُوَ يَمْرُطُ ثِيَابَ الْكَعْبَةِ إنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ أَرْسَلَكَ، وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ: أَمَا وَجَدَ اللَّهُ أَحَدًا يُرْسِلُهُ غَيْرَكَ وَقَالَ الثَّالِثُ: وَاَللَّهِ لَا أُكَلِّمُكَ أَبَدًا. لَئِنْ كُنْتَ رَسُولًا مِنْ اللَّهِ كَمَا تَقُولُ، لَأَنْتَ أَعْظَمُ خَطَرًا مِنْ أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَلَيْكَ الْكَلَامَ، وَلَئِنْ كُنْتَ تَكْذِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، مَا يَنْبَغِي لِي أَنْ أُكَلِّمَكَ. فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ عِنْدِهِمْ وَقَدْ يَئِسَ مِنْ خَيْرِ ثَقِيفٍ، وَقَدْ قَالَ لَهُمْ - فِيمَا ذُكِرَ لِي -: إذَا فَعَلْتُمْ مَا فَعَلْتُمْ فَاكْتُمُوا عَنِّي، وَكَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ يَبْلُغَ قَوْمَهُ عَنْهُ فَيُذْئِرَهُمْ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ ابْنُ هِشَامٍ: قَالَ عَبِيدُ بْنُ الْأَبْرَصِ:: وَلَقَدْ أَتَانِي عَنْ تَمِيمٍ أَنَّهُمْ ذَئِرُوا لِقَتْلَى عَامِرٍ وَتَعَصَّبُوا فَلَمْ يَفْعَلُوا، وَأَغْرَوْا بِهِ سُفَهَاءَهُمْ وَعَبِيدَهُمْ، يَسُبُّونَهُ وَيَصِيحُونَ بِهِ، حَتَّى اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ، وَأَلْجَئُوهُ إلَى حَائِطٍ لِعُتْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ وَشَيْبَةَ بْنِ رَبِيعَةَ، وَهُمَا فِيهِ، وَرَجَعَ عَنْهُ مِنْ سُفَهَاءِ ثَقِيفٍ مَنْ كَانَ يَتْبَعُهُ، فَعَمَدَ إلَى ظِلِّ حَبَلَةٍ مِنْ عِنَبٍ، فَجَلَسَ فِيهِ. وَابْنَا رَبِيعَةَ يَنْظُرَانِ إلَيْهِ، وَيَرَيَانِ مَا لَقِيَ مِنْ سُفَهَاءِ أَهْلِ الطَّائِفِ، وَقَدْ لَقِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ - فِيمَا ذُكِرَ لِي - الْمَرْأَةَ الَّتِي مِنْ بَنِي جُمَحٍ، فَقَالَ لَهَا: مَاذَا لَقِينَا مِنْ أَحْمَائِكَ ؟
✧ The Messenger's journey to Thaqīf seeking support. Ibn Isḥāq said: When Abū Ṭālib died, Quraysh inflicted on the Messenger of God ﷺ such harm as they had not been able to inflict on him during the lifetime of his uncle Abū Ṭālib. So the Messenger of God ﷺ went out to al-Ṭāʾif seeking support from Thaqīf and protection through them from his own people, hoping that they would accept from him what he had brought them from God, Mighty and Majestic. He went out to them alone. [The Messenger's alighting with three of their nobles, and their incitement against him] Ibn Isḥāq said: Yazīd b. Ziyād related to me, from Muḥammad b. Kaʿb al-Quraẓī, who said: When the Messenger of God ﷺ reached al-Ṭāʾif, he went to a group of Thaqīf, who were that day the leaders and nobles of Thaqīf. They were three brothers: ʿAbd Yālīl b. ʿAmr b. ʿUmayr, Masʿūd b. ʿAmr b. ʿUmayr, and Ḥabīb b. ʿAmr b. ʿUmayr b. ʿAwf b. ʿUqda b. Ghīra b. ʿAwf b. Thaqīf. With one of them was a woman of Quraysh from Banū Jumaḥ. The Messenger of God ﷺ sat with them and called them to God and spoke to them about what he had come to them for, of supporting him in Islam and standing with him against those of his people who opposed him. One of them said, 'He is stripping the coverings of the Kaʿba if God has sent you.' Another said, 'Did God not find anyone to send other than you?' The third said, 'By God, I will never speak to you. If you are a messenger from God as you say, you are of too great an importance for me to answer your speech; and if you are lying about God, it is not proper for me to speak to you.' The Messenger of God ﷺ rose from them, having despaired of any good from Thaqīf. He had said to them—as was mentioned to me—'If you have done what you have done, then keep it secret from me,' for the Messenger of God ﷺ disliked that his people should hear of it from them and be incited against him. Ibn Hishām said: ʿAbīd b. al-Abraṣ said: 'And there came to me from Tamīm that they were incited on account of the slain of ʿĀmir and grew fanatical.' They did not do so, but they incited their fools and their slaves against him, who reviled him and shouted at him, until people gathered around him and forced him into a garden belonging to ʿUtba b. Rabīʿa and Shayba b. Rabīʿa, who were in it. The fools of Thaqīf who had been following him turned back from him. He made for the shade of a vine trellis and sat in it. The two sons of Rabīʿa were looking at him and seeing what he had met with from the fools of the people of al-Ṭāʾif. The Messenger of God ﷺ had—as was mentioned to me—met the woman who was from Banū Jumaḥ and said to her, 'What things we have met with from your protégés!'