Stand Hopeful

Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, relates that once she asked the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be with him): ‘Did you face a day severer than the day of the Battle of Uhud?’ He answered: ‘Yes, I have experienced such things at the hands of your people and such a day was the day of Aqabah. On this day I presented myself to Abd-e-Lail bin Abd Kulal and offered him Islam; but he failed to make any response to what I had offered to him. I therefore left with a heavy heart and depressed. I felt some relief only when I reached Qarn Sa‘alib. Here I looked up and saw a cloud covering me. In this cloud I saw Angel Gabriel who called me and said: ‘Allah, the Most High, has heard what your people have said to you and the response to your offer. Allah has now sent the Angel of Mountains to you to carry out your order to do what you might like to be done to them.’

Then the Angel of Mountains addressed me greeting with Salam and then said: ‘Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be with him), Allah has heard what your people have said to you. I am the Angel of Mountains and my Lord has sent me to you to carry out your orders. What do you want now to be done? If you like I may crush them between the two mountains encircling the city of Makkah.’

The Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be with him) replied: (I do not want their destruction) I am still hopeful that Allah will make some of their children (good Muslims) who would worship Allah; the One without associating anybody with Him.

(The Agreed Upon)

This hadith highlights the fact that Holy Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be with him) was in fact mercy to mankind. It also brings into light a salient feature of Islamic Dawah. When a person invites someone to Islam, it is not necessary for the addressee to respond positively; for everyone’s comprehension does not work equally. But it is likely that his progeny may realise the Ultimate Truth; hence no curse for those who reject Islamic Dawah.