The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page clv
GENERAL INTRODUCTION 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-Lāt, 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 Ṭā'if and Mecca were owned by Meccans. On arrival at Țā’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, Zaid. The towns folk 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. Zaid 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" (Bukhārī, Kitāb Bad'ul-Khalq). 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, 'Addās by name and belonging to Nineveh. 'Addās 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 ‘Addās said Nineveh, upon which the Prophet said, "Jonah, son of Amittai, who belonged to Nineveh, was a holy man, a Prophet like me. " The Prophet also told 'Addās of his own Message. 'Addās felt charmed and believed at once. He embraced the Prophet with tears in his eyes and started kissing his head, hands and feet. The meeting over, the Prophet turned again to Allah and said: cxxix