Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes)

32. And whosoever does not respond to Allah’s Caller, he cannot escape on earth, and there will be no supporter for him besides Allah [from Allah’s punishment]. Those are in manifest error.

Any path besides that of God is manifest error. Disbelief entangles man such that he may neither release himself nor may anyone release him. According to the blessed Verse, whosoever does not respond to Allah’s Caller, i.e., Prophet Muhammad (S), out of disobedience and turning away from God’s Callers, torment shall befall him and he shall have no support to release him from the affliction, since all beings are God’s friends and the enemies of His enemies.

Such astray ones tread the path of manifest error.

In the same vein, Qur’anic exegets say that following the demise of his support, Abu Talib, the Noble Prophet (S) was harassed by the Quraysh and know that his call could not affect the disbelievers from Quraysh whose hearts had been hardened in time. Consequently, the Noble Prophet (S) found himself in jeopardy.

Even though he entertained no fear, but in order to accomplish his mission he left Mecca for Ta’if, located at the verdant foot of a hill at a distance of a three day journey from Mecca. Ta’if and Thaqif, his maternal uncles, resided there and the Prophet (S) thought that they may render him support there.

He entered into negotiation with three chiefs of Thaqif, ‘Abdiyaliyl ibn ‘Amr and his two sons Mas’ud and Habib and called them to his support; however they not only declined his call but also derided him and instigated some rascals against him.

The people of Thaqif were of substance and had transactions with Quraysh. Their town was the seat of Lat, one of the most respected Qurayshi idols. They even failed to send their guest away unharmed. When the Noble Prophet (S) learned that they did not accept his call, he requested them to disregard the call so as not to instigate the Qurayshis.

Au contraire, they instigated rascals to stone him such that he suffered a wound in his foot and was sent away. On his way, the Prophet (S) stayed in a garden called Nakhila for a few days.

Released from the hands of the rascals from Ta’if, his heart broke and finding himself without support from men, he turned to his Lord with tears in his eyes saying:

“O Lord! I complain to You from powerlessness, insufficient means, and humility in the eyes of people, O Most Forgiving Lord!” When the sons of Rabi’a noticed his sadness, their sense of family ties made them to ask ‘Addas, a Christian slave, to take a dish of grapes to him. Fining the dish before him, he said “In the Name of Allah” and began eating the grapes.

Shockingly ‘Addas asked him:

“The inhabitants of this town never utter such words. Where are you?”

He replied:

“From Mecca. Where are you from? What is your religion?”

The slave answered:

“I am a Christian from Nineveh.”

The Prophet (S) inquired:

“Are you from the village of the pious man Yunus ibn Matta (as)?”

‘Addas asked:

“What do you know about Yunus?”

Muhammad (S) replied:

“Yunus (as) the prophet was my brother and I am a prophet too.”

Upon hearing him, ‘Addas fell to his knees and kissed the Prophet’s (S) hands and feet. The sons of Rabi’a saw them surprisingly from afar; however they did not convert to the Islamic faith. Upon their slave’s return they warned him against the Prophet asking him to be cautious lest he might lose his faith though his was better than the one proclaimed by Muhammad.

‘Addas informed them that he had heard something from Muhammad (S) that no one save a prophet would be apprised of it.

They said to him:

“the man is a sorcerer and a charlatan.”

When Prophet Muhammad (S) learned that the people of Ta’if would not believe in the Islamic faith, he departed for Mecca and upon arriving at Nakhla at night he established his late night prayers and recited the Qur’an when the jinn heard him and believed in the Islamic faith:

(“And when We sent to you a group of the jinn listening to the Qur’an…”).

The Verse in question as well as those of Chapter 72 (Surah al-Jinn) and some other Verses evidently indicate two points - one is that the jinn exist and they are different from mankind and the other is that the Seal of the Prophets (S) was Divinely appointed to proclaim his Call to the jinn and mankind alike.