Stones for telling truth

Immediately after the Ascension, Holy Prophet decided to go to the nearby habitations for preaching, so he went to Taiaf where Abd-e-yalail. a cousin of his grandfather Abdul Mutlib resided. When he was told that Mohammad has come and wanted to see him he refused to see him.

After his refusal, Holy Prophet had a meeting other chieftains of Taiaf and tried to convince them about the true and real way of worshipping the Lord Creator. They not only refused to accept his message but also ushered vagabond people to torture him. They started chasing him, called names, abused and pelted stones at Holy Prophet. They hit him ruthlessly and he bled so badly that his blood filled his shoes. He was in that state of agony when Gabriel came and asked for his permission to turn mountains upon that habitation to crush the people living there with mountains. But Holy Prophet, refusing the suggestion of Gabriel. Replied: -

"I have been sent as mercy for the creatures and not to trouble them. I am sure that there would be such people in their coming generations who would worship only one God."

Holy Prophet in that badly wounded state took refuge in a garden own by two brothers Atha and Sheba Bin Rabia. Noticing the pathetic state of Holy Prophet they ordered their Christian slave to give him some grapes to eat. I Holy Prophet accepted the grapes and started eating them saying "Bismillah” meaning In the Name of Allah.

The slave who was a Babylonian, could not desist from asking the meanings of these words, which had never heard before. Holy Prophet, replying to his query remarked. "You are from the city of my brother John. Who, too, was a prophet of God like me."

Hearing this slave named Addas bowed before him to show his respect for the Holy Prophet and said. "Although my master Atba has ordered me to serve you with grapes, I know that he will not allow you to take refuge in this garden. And the least that I could do to help you is to show you the way out of the town when dark would fall."

And, keeping his words Addas took Holy Prophet with him when it grew dark and bidding farewell said. "Holy man, get away from this town. People of this town will not spare your life."

Drenched in his blood, marching in the desert, Holy Prophet reached a small oasis. In that dark silence of wilderness Holy Prophet started reciting from the holy Quran in a melancholy tone. When a group of jinns (the invisible creatures) heard a melodious melancholy they were attracted to it and the depth of meanings in the melody moved them to such an extent that they appeared before the Holy Prophet and embraced Islam. This event is referred to in the 46th Sura of the holy Quran in the following words: - •

"And. then it was the time when We turned a company of Jinns towards you so that they could listen to the rehearsing of the verses from the Quran. When they stood in our presence thereof, they said. "Listen to it quietly" And then they returned to their fellow beings as fore-warner of God's wrath. {,Sura Ahqaf: Verse 29)

Weary, wounded and exhausted Mohammad returned to Makka giving up any hope of support from the people of Taif for the Muslims. But, in order to survive against the odds, he had to associate himself with one or the other tribe, so he sent a message to Akhnas Bin Sharceq: the Chief of Zohra Tribe, seeking his protection. Akhnas replied that he would have loved to provide protection to him but he had already under an accord with Quraish to support their cause so he should he excused.

Then, Holy Prophet tried to have the protection of Sohail Bin Umro and sent him a message to accommodate him in his tribe but he also denied extending any cooperation because of his association with Quraish Tribes.

Mutam Bin Addi responded positively to the message of the Holy Prophet. He gathered armed men of his tribe escorted Holy Prophet to the Holy Ka'aba. After circumambulating the holy shrine, remaining seated on his steed. Mutam announced. "Be it known to Quraish that I have provided asylum to Mohammad and now on he would belong to my tribe.”

After this Holy Prophet was seen off to his house with decorum and honor.