Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 118
118 The Prophet Goes to Ta’if It seemed that in Mecca now nobody would listen to him and this made him sad. He felt he was stagnating. So he decided to turn elsewhere for the preaching of his Message, and he chose Ta’if, a small town about sixty miles to the south-east of Mecca and famed for its fruit and its agriculture. The Prophet’s decision was in keeping with the traditions of all Prophets. Moses turned now to the Pharaoh, now to Israel, and now to Midian. Jesus, similarly, turned now to Galilee, now to places across the Jordan, and now to Jerusalem. So the Holy Prophet of Islam, finding that Meccans would ill-treat but not listen, turned to Ta’if. In polytheistic beliefs and practices Ta’if was not behind Mecca. The idols to be found in the Ka‘bah were not the only, nor the only important, idols in Arabia. One important idol, al-Lat, was to be found in Ta’if; because of it Ta’if also was a centre of pilgrimage. The inhabitants of Ta’if were connected with those of Mecca by ties of blood; and many green spots between Ta’if and Mecca were owned by Meccans. On arrival at Ta’if, the Prophet had visits from its chiefs but none seemed willing to accept the Message. The rank and file obeyed their leaders and dismissed the teaching with contempt. This was not unusual. People immersed in worldly affairs always regard such a Message as something of an interference and even an offence. Because the Message is without visible support— such as numbers or arms—they also feel they can dismiss it with contempt. The Prophet was no exception. Reports of him had already reached Ta’if, and here he now was, without arms or following, a lone individual with only one companion, Zayd. The townsfolk thought him a nuisance which should be ended, if only to please their chiefs. They set vagabonds of the town and street boys at him who pelted him with stones and drove him out of the town. Zayd was wounded and the Prophet began to bleed profusely. But the pursuit continued until this defenceless party of two was several miles out of Ta’if. The Prophet was sorely grieved and dejected when an angel descended upon him and asked if he would like his persecutors to be destroyed. "No," said the Prophet. "I hope that of these very tormentors would be born those who would worship the One True God. 133 Exhausted and dejected, he stopped at a vineyard owned by two Meccans who happened to be present. They were among his persecutors at Mecca, but on this occasion they became sympathetic. Was it because a Meccan had been ill-treated by the people of Ta’if, or was it because a spark of human kindness suddenly glowed in their hearts? They sent to the Prophet a tray full of grapes with a Christian slave, ‘Addas by name and belonging to Nineveh. ‘Addas presented the tray to the Prophet and his companion. While he looked wistfully at them, he became more curious than ever when he heard the Prophet say, "In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful. " His Christian background was enlivened and he felt he was in the presence of a Hebrew Prophet. The Prophet asked him where he belonged and ‘Addas said Nineveh, upon which the Prophet said, "Jonah, son of Amittai, who belonged to