In Madinah…
Once, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) returned to Madinah from a journey/battle. It was his custom that whenever he returned from a travel, he would first go to the mosque (Masjid) and pray two Rak’ahs (units of prayer). After that, he would visit the house of his daughter, Hazrat Fatima (RA), and only then would he go to the houses of his pure wives.
Following this custom, he went to visit his daughter Fatima (RA) first. When she came to the doorstep to welcome her father, she kissed his holy face and eyes, and began to cry.
The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, “Fatima, why are you crying?”
She replied, “O Messenger of Allah! Your complexion has changed (you look tired and pale), and your clothes have become old and worn out. I am crying thinking about this.”
The Prophet (ﷺ) comforted her and said, “Fatima, do not cry! Allah has sent your father with a mission. Allah will make this mission enter every single mud house, palace, and leather tent on this earth, either with honor or with humiliation (whether people accept it willingly or by force). This message will reach as far as the night reaches.”
In Makkah…
The Story of Munib al-Azdi (RA)
Hazrat Munib al-Azdi (RA) narrates: “I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) during the days of ignorance (before Islam spread widely) in Makkah. He was calling out to the people, ‘O people! Say La ilaha illallah (There is no god but Allah), and you will succeed!’ Hearing this, some people spat on his holy face, some threw dust on him, and others insulted him. This abuse continued until noon.
Then, a young girl came carrying a large vessel of water. The Prophet (ﷺ) washed his face and hands with it. He then looked at the girl and said, ‘My dear daughter! Do not fear that your father will be killed or humiliated.’
I asked the people, ‘Who is this girl?’ They replied, ‘She is Zainab (RA), the daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ).’ She was a very beautiful young girl at that time.” (Source: Tabarani)
The Story of Amr ibn al-Aas (RA)
The companion Amr ibn al-Aas (RA) narrates: “One day, while the leaders of the Quraysh were sitting in the shade of the Kaaba, the Prophet (ﷺ) was praying near Maqam-e-Ibrahim. A man named Uqbah approached the Prophet (ﷺ), wrapped his upper garment tightly around the Prophet’s neck, and pulled it hard. The pull was so violent that the Prophet (ﷺ) fell to his knees. Looking at this, the people around shouted, thinking the Prophet (ﷺ) had been killed.
At that moment, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) rushed to the spot. He came behind the Prophet (ﷺ), held his waist to protect him, and asked the crowd, ‘Are you trying to kill a man just because he says, My Lord is Allah?’
When the people finally left the Prophet (ﷺ) alone, he stood up and resumed his prayer. After finishing his prayer, he walked away while the Quraysh sat back in the shade of the Kaaba, just watching.”
The Story of Ibn Mas’ud (RA)
The companion Ibn Mas’ud (RA) narrates: “We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) at the Kaaba. Seven people, including Abu Jahl, Shaybah, Uqbah, and Umayyah, were sitting on the porch of the Kaaba. The Prophet (ﷺ) started praying and went into prostration (Sajdah), staying in that position for a long time.
Abu Jahl looked at his friends and asked, ‘Who among you will go to the family of so-and-so, bring the dirty intestines of a slaughtered camel, and dump it on him (the Prophet) while he is prostrating?’
The most wicked person among them, Uqbah, went and brought the camel’s filthy inner parts. He dumped it right on the shoulders of the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was in Sajdah. Because of the heavy filth, the Prophet (ﷺ) could not lift his head.
I was standing there watching everything, but I was completely helpless and did not have the power to help him.
Meanwhile, the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima (RA), heard about this. She rushed to the spot, cleaned the filth off her father’s shoulders, and turned around to scold the Quraysh severely. But they remained silent and said nothing.
The Prophet (ﷺ) completed his Sajdah and stood up calmly. As soon as he finished his prayer, he said three times, ‘O Allah! I leave the Quraysh to You.’ He then specifically named, ‘O Allah, I leave Utbah, Uqbah, Abu Jahl, and Shaybah to You,’ and then he left the place.”
In the City of Ta’if…
The Prophet (ﷺ) traveled to the city of Ta’if to convey the message of Islam. He met with the leaders of the city, but they completely rejected his message. Not stopping at rejection, they lined up children and street thugs on both sides of the path the Prophet (ﷺ) had to take to leave.
They mocked him with abusive words, threw stones at his face, and repeatedly pelted stones at his feet every time he took a step, causing severe wounds.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) finally managed to walk away from the mob to a quiet place, both of his holy feet were bleeding heavily. The Prophet (ﷺ) himself later mentioned that he had never suffered as much pain in any other situation as he did on the day of Ta’if.
In the Battle of Uhud…
Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA) narrates: “During the Battle of Uhud, I was very close to the Prophet (ﷺ). I saw a man quickly swinging his sword, defending the Prophet from the idolaters. When I looked closely, it was Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (RA).
When we all gathered around the Prophet (ﷺ), we saw that one of his holy teeth had been broken, and two metal rings from his helmet had pierced deep into his face, causing a severe wound.
At that moment, the Prophet (ﷺ) pointed towards Hazrat Talha (RA), who was lying nearby covered in blood after being heavily attacked, and said, ‘Take care of your companion.’ But at that instant, our attention was completely fixed on the Prophet.
I stepped forward to pull out the metal rings from the Prophet’s face. Seeing this, Hazrat Abu Ubaidah (RA) said, ‘I swear by Allah, please leave this task to me.’ I stepped back because I did not want to pull it with my hands and cause more pain to the Prophet (ﷺ).
Abu Ubaidah (RA) used his teeth to grip and pull the first ring out. When the ring came out, one of Abu Ubaidah’s own teeth broke and fell out with it. I tried to pull the second ring, but Abu Ubaidah (RA) again begged me, swearing by Allah to let him do it.
Just like the first time, he used his teeth to pull out the second ring, and another one of his teeth broke and fell out.
Furthermore, in this battle, the Prophet (ﷺ) faced immense grief as he lost his beloved uncle (Hazrat Hamza) and more than seventy of his dear companions.”
Conclusion
The hardships faced by the Prophet (ﷺ) like these are countless. The beautiful patience with which he faced all these trials is a great lesson for all of us.
O Allah! Send Your everlasting peace and blessings upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his family, and his companions forever!
