Visit to Taif | GCE O Level (2058) | Best Notes

The visit to Taif is a significant event in the history of Islam because the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) performed a journey to Taif where he invited people to Islam.

It is to note that al-Taif was a very important town of Hijaz and it is located 60 miles South-East of Makkah.

So when you know something about the topic, it is time to discuss it from the very beginning without further introductions.

We'll take a look at:

Why did Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) go to Taif?

To find out the answer to this question, it is compulsory to reflect upon the social boycott of Banu Hashim imposed by the Quraish from 616 to 619 A.D.

This complete social, political and economic boycott ended in 619 A.D and soon after this event, Abu Talib (uncle of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) passed away.

What impact did the demise of Abu Talib have on the life of the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)?

The Quraish increased their hostility to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) because he lost the tribal protection with the death of his uncle.

The Makkans found the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) vulnerable to attack so they utilised this opportunity and opposed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Another reason is that the spread of Islam stopped almost completely in these years because the Quraish did not allow the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to preach the message of Islam openly.

Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) decided to go to Taif to spread his religion (Islam) to this important area. Taif was dominated by the Banu Thaqeef tribe who were rivals to the Quraish of Makkah.

Al-Taif was a beautiful city with orchards, gardens and date palm trees and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) expected and hoped for a welcoming response to carry out his mission of preaching Islam.

Now, it is time to summarize why Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) undertook the journey to Taif:

To preach Islam in Taif
The Quraish increased their hostilities
Banu Thaqeef were rivals to the Quraish of Makkah

This takes us to a very important component of this topic which is about the events of the visit to Taif, so let’s discuss this topic as well.

Events of the Prophet’s Visit to Taif:

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was accompanied by his slave, Hazrat Zaid bin Haritha, on his journey to Taif.

The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was received by the leaders of Taif (who were the sons of Amr Bin Ummaya) and those were:

Habib
Mas’ud
Abd Yalail

The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) arrived to Al-Taif on his camel and he invited the leaders of Taif to Islam. He informed them about the basics of his religion (Islam).

But, what was the response of the sons of Amr Bin Ummaya?

In the beginning, the leaders did not take the message seriously and they neglected the teachings of Islam. However, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) intensified his preaching, they turned violent.

These chiefs adopted a strategy of appointing street urchins, slaves and other locals who pelted the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his slave (Hazrat Zaid ibn Haritha) with stones and pebbles.

They continued till both were driven out of the city and this attempt was to prevent them from coming back. The response of the people of Taif was so brutal that the shoes of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were filled with blood.

Hazrat Zaid bin Haritha was also severely injured because he tried to his utmost to protect the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

What happened next?

The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his slave (Hazrat Zaid ibn Haritha) arrived in an orchard which was not far away from al-Taif. This orchard was a property of Utba and Sheba.

This was the place where they stayed for some while under a tree and the owners of this orchard witnessed the condition of both of them.

They felt sympathy for them and therefore, they sent their slave, Addas, to serve Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with grapes.

According to some sources, the wounds of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were also dressed by this slave and he also accepted Islam after a conversation.

This was the place where Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) prayed to Allah Almighty in a very touching manner:

O, God! To you alone, I complain of my weakness, my insufficient ability and my insignificance before the people. You are the most merciful and the Lord of the helpless and the weak.

What happened after this Dua (supplication) of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

The mercy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) then decided to leave for Makkah and after some time, angel Jibrael approached with the angel of the mountain to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

It is popularly believed that this place was Qaran-Al-Manzil. Hazrat Jibrael conveyed the message that if he (the Holy Prophet) wanted, the insulters of Taif could be crushed between the mountains.

However, the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) displayed utmost mercy and forgiveness and he forgave all the people of Taif.

Instead, he refused to curse them but even prayed for them (for their guidance) from Allah Almighty in a very touching manner.

The history has never witnessed this degree of mercy and forgiveness which the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him displayed).

This Dua (supplication) was accepted by Allah Almighty and the people of Taif embraced Islam in the coming years (in 9 Hijri).

In short, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) had the choice to take revenge from the insulters of Taif but he forgave them and that is why Allah says that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is sent as a mercy for all (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:107)

What happened after the journey to Taif?

After the visit to Taif (of the Holy Prophet), he decided to seek tribal protection so that he could carry out his mission of preaching Islam because the opposition of the Quraish was at the peak.

The popular and influential Makkan leaders declined to extend their tribal protection but finally, Mutim ibn Adi (of Banu Nawfal tribe) extended his tribal protection.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) decided to take a different approach to spread the teachings of Islam.

This takes us to a very important topic which is about the importance of the journey to Taif, so let’s discuss this topic as well.

The Importance:

The significance is that this journey encouraged the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to carry out his mission of preaching Islam because the help of Allah by sending angel Jibrael was motivating.

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) displayed the utmost degree of mercy and forgiveness which indicated the peace-loving nature of the Prophet, proving that Islam is a religion of peace which encourages forgiveness.

The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) came across the fact that he has to adopt a different strategy and therefore, he turned his attention towards the pilgrims from Yathrib (later named Madinah).

This led to the great migration to Madinah of the Muslims.

This visit was also significant because Allah Almighty took the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to the journey of Isra and Mi’raj to encourage the Prophet to carry out his task.

The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) never lost hope which serves as a lesson to Muslims that the help and support of Allah comes after difficulties.

Similarly, in the Quran, Allah also says to never lose hope about the mercy of God (Surah Zumar 39:53)

Hazrat Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) showed that Muslims should remain steadfast and they should always seek the help and support of Allah as he himself demonstrated.

Thus, it be said that the importance of this visit (to Taif) was:

The response of Banu Thaqeef was known.
The visit served as a source of encouragement and motivation.
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) adopted a different strategy afterwards.
The examples of mercy and forgiveness were set.
The examples of patience and steadfastness were set.

Conclusion:

To conclude, this article about the visit to Taif, of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) has come to an end. I hope that all your queries have been cleared and questions are answered.

If you have further questions, you can use the comment box below and let us know your concern.

Other than that, the background, events and importance of the Journey to Al-Taif have been discussed in detail. This event holds massive importance in the history of Islam because a chain of events was set that eventually led towards the migration to Madinah.

Thank You very much for reading and staying with me till the end. Stay tuned for more!