The Prophet's journey to Taif

For nine years, since his selection by Allah for His mission, the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had been delivering the message of Allah in Mecca and making all-out effort to guide and reform his community. Excepting a few persons who had either embraced Islam or who helped him though not accepting his creed, all the rest in Mecca left no stone unturned in persecuting and deriding him and his followers. His uncle Abu Talib was one of this good-hearted people who helped him inspite of not entering the fold of Islam.

"Hey, Allah has made you a prophet!"

The other exclaimed with derision:

"Could Allah not lay His hand on anyone else, besides you. To make him His Prophet?"

The third one gibed at him:

"I don't 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 talk with an imposter?"

The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) who was a rock of steadfastness and perseverance, did not lose heart over this setback from the chieftains, He tried to approach the common people; but nobody would listen to him, instead, they asked him to clear off from their town and go wherever else he liked. When he realised that further efforts were in vain, he decided to leave the town. But they would not let him depart in peace, and set the street urchins after him, to hiss, to hoot, to jeer at, and to stone him. He was so much pelted with stones that his whole body was covered with blood and his shoes were clogged to his feet. He left the town in this woeful plight. When he was far out of the town, and safe from the rabble, he prayed to Allah thus:

"O, my Allah! To thee I complain of the feebleness of my strength, of my lack of resourcefulness, and my insignificance in the eyes of the people. O, Most Merciful of all 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 on me, or to an alien to whom thou hast given control over my affair? Not in the least do I care for anything except that I may have thy protection for myself. In the light of Thy face do I seek shelter - the light of which illumines the Heaven 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 Jabratl appeared before the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) greeting him with Assalamoalaikum and said:

"Allah knows all that has passed between you and these people He has deputed an angel in charge of the mountains to be at your command."

Saying this Jabrail ushered the angel before the Prophet. The angel greeted the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and said:

"O, Prophet of Allah! 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 (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said:

"Even if these people do not accept Islam, I do hope from Allah that there will be persons from among their progeny who would worship Allah and serve His cause."

Behold the conduct of our noble Prophet whom we profess to follow! We get so much irritated over little trouble or a mere abuse from somebody that we keep on torturing and taking our revenge throughout our lives in every possible manner. Does this behove people who claim to follow the magnanimous Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam)? Look, even after so much suffering at the hands of the Taif mob he neither curses them nor does he desire any revenge even when he has the full opportunity to do so.

From teachings of Islam