- The Prophet Muhammad faced immense difficulties after losing his wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib, who had protected him. Seeking support, he traveled to Ta'if but was rejected and stoned by its inhabitants. - On his return to Mecca, still facing opposition, the Prophet experienced the Night Journey where he traveled on a winged creature called Al-Buraq to Jerusalem and the heavens, meeting previous prophets. - Though met with disbelief when sharing his experience, the Night Journey comforted the Prophet during this difficult period and strengthened his resolve to continue his message despite adversity.

1. 12. Difficulties in Abundance
(10th to 11th year of Prophethood)

2. 
 Shortly after the boycott was lifted, Abu Talib, the
Prophet’s uncle and protector was taken ill
 He was an old man of over 70 years of age and it was
clear that his illness would be terminal
 The Quraysh leaders approached Abu Talib to try
work out an accommodation between them and
Muhammad
Last-minute negotiations

3. 
 However, the negotiations ended like others before it
with Muhammad showing no compromise in his
message
 Thus the Quraysh delegation left in disappointment
 When they had gone, Muhammad pleaded with his
uncle to say the word that summarised his message:
belief in the Oneness of God and renunciation of any
other deity besides God
Last-minute negotiations

4. 
 Abu Talib said, “If it was not for fear that you and
your clan would be abused after I had gone, and for
fear that the Quraysh would think that I said it
because I was afraid of death, I would have certainly
said it to please you.”
Last-minute negotiations

5. 
 The Prophet was very sad to lose his uncle
 He had lost both his parents and his grandfather by
the time he was eight years old and it was Abu Talib
who had brought him up with kindness and care
 Moreover, Abu Talib, as the leader of the Banu
Hashim clan, was the protector of Muhammad when
he needed protection
Last-minute negotiations

6. 
 Within five weeks of Abu Talib’s death, the Prophet
suffered another great loss: his loving wife Khadijah
died
 Kadijah had known his worth ever since she had
proposed marriage to him, well before Prophethood
 When the Prophet received his message, she was the
first to believe in it
Tragedy strikes again

7. 
 Khadijah had shared with the Prophet all his feelings
and worries
 No matter what problems he met outside, he was
certain of finding comfort in his home
 Her departure meant that he lost his internal and
external support within a very brief period of time
Tragedy strikes again

8. 
 The Prophet was now more vulnerable to the
Quraysh’s attacks
 The death of Abu Talib meant that the Banu Hashim
clan’s resolve to protect the Prophet became
considerably weaker
 This new situation meant that the Prophet had to
explore new avenues in search of support
Tragedy strikes again

9. 
 After long deliberation, Muhammad set out on foot
for Ta’if, a mountainous town about 110 kilometres
from Makkah
 His only companion on this trip was his faithful
servant, Zayd ibn Harithah
 Ta’if was populated by the Thaqeef, the second
largest tribe in Arabia
The trip to Ta’if

10. 
 As he began his journey, Muhammad was full of
hope
 If the Thaqeef would respond favourably to the call
of Islam, that would signify a new, happier phase in
the history of the Divine message
 Once at Ta’if, the Prophet approached its leading
personalities, explaining his message and calling on
them to believe in God and to support his message
The trip to Ta’if

11. 
 For ten days the Prophet spoke to one chief after
another
 None gave him a word of encouragement
 In the end they set on him a crowd of their teenagers
and servants, who chased and stoned him
The trip to Ta’if

12. 
 The Prophet’s feet were soon bleeding and he was in
a very sorry state
 Zayd tried hard to defend him and protected him
from the stones
 The Prophet then sought refuge in an orchard in
which he said an highly emotional and touching
prayer
The trip to Ta’if

13. 
 He said, “To You, My Lord, I complain of my
weakness, lack of support and the humiliation I am
made to receive. Most compassionate and merciful!
You are the Lord of the weak, and You are My Lord.
To whom do you leave me? To a distant person who
receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom
you have given power over me? If you are not
displeased with me, I do not care what I face. I
would, however, be much happier with Your
Mercy…”
The trip to Ta’if

14. 
 “… I seek refuge in the light of Your face by which
all darkness is dispelled and both this life and the life
to come are put on their right courses against
incurring Your wrath or being the subject of Your
anger. To You I submit, until I earn your pleasure.
Everything is powerless without Your support.”
The trip to Ta’if

15. 
 The Prophet then set out on his journey back to
Makkah
 Considering the situation he was in, he realised that
the Quraysh might prevent him from entering
Makkah or, worse, they may kill or imprison him
 There was only one way out: to seek the protection
of one of their nobles
The long journey home

16. 
 Normally people of notable standing would extend
their protection to anyone who sought it, because by
doing so they enhanced their own standing and
reputation
 In the case of the Prophet, however, the first two
people his messenger approached, declined
 The third, Al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adiy, responded
favourably
The long journey home

17. 
 Al-Mut’im ibn ‘Adiy and his children and nephews
took up their arms and went to the Mosque
 He then sent word to the Prophet to enter
 The Prophet came up to the Mosque and walked
around it seven times, guarded by his protectors
The long journey home

18. 
 The Prophet then went home safely
 He had learnt, however, a very important lesson:
that he must not venture outside Makkah before first
completing the necessary groundwork which
ensured a good reception for his message and his
own safety
The long journey home

19. 
 When the Prophet, re-entered Makkah, he must have
felt that he was in a very dire situation
 Within the same year he had lost his loving wife and
his uncle, who afforded him unwavering support
 His attempt to compensate for this dual loss with
outside help not only failed to win him anything, but
also compelled him to seek the protection of a
Quraysh notable who did not believe in Islam
The long journey home

20. 
 The Prophet felt himself alone in the whole world
 His few followers were no match for the forces
opposing him
 Yet he firmly believed in the truth of the message he
was preaching and His faith in God did not waver
Comfort on the way

21. 
 At this point something unusual happened to him
 One night, as the Prophet was asleep in the home of
his cousin Umm Hani bint Abi Talib, the Angel
Gabriel came and woke him up
 The Angel Gabriel took him by the hand to the
Mosque, where the Prophet found an animal smaller
than a mule but slightly bigger than a donkey
Comfort on the way

22. 
 The animal, which was a quadruped, also had two
wings and floated easily as he moved with
unimaginable speed
 Together, the Prophet and Gabriel rode the animal,
which was called Al-Buraaq, a name derived from
‘Barq’, meaning lightning
 In no time they reached Jerusalem in Palestine
Comfort on the way

23. 
 There the Prophet met Abraham, Moses, Jesus and
other noble prophets
 He led them all in prayer
 When they had finished their business in Jerusalem,
they flew up to heaven
Comfort on the way

24. 
 The Prophet tells us that as they entered each of the
seven heavens Gabriel would confirm to its guardian
angel that Muhammad had already received his
mission
 In each heaven he met one or other of the prophets
who preached the message of God’s oneness to
mankind
 Among those were Adam, Jesus, John, Joseph, Moses
and Abraham
Comfort on the way

25. 
 He also saw examples of the suffering which would
be endured by certain groups of people, as they
would be condemned to hell in the hereafter
 The Prophet was then admitted into Paradise and
saw examples of the happiness to be enjoyed by
those who would seek God’s pleasure
 While in Paradise he was informed of the obligatory
prayers he and his followers were expected to offer
Comfort on the way

26. 
 The Prophet then returned to Makkah, having only
been absent for part of the night
 He returned to the house of his cousin Umm Hani,
where he was staying that night
 When everyone in the house had woke up and
finished their dawn prayers, the Prophet told Umm
Hani about his journey
Comfort on the way

27. 
 A firm believer, she accepted what the Prophet
related as true but advised him against telling people
openly
 The Prophet made clear his intention to tell them
even though they would not believe him
 While he was sitting in the mosque, absorbed in this
thoughts, Abu Jahl, the arch-enemy of Islam, noticed
that and came up to him to ask: “Any news?”
Comfort on the way

28. 
 The Prophet replied: “Yes. I was taken last night to
Jerusalem”
 Making sure that he had heard him correctly, Abu
Jahl asked: “To Jerusalem?”
 The Prophet’s answer came in the affirmative
Comfort on the way

29. 
 Realising that there was a chance to consolidate the
opposition to Muhammad and his message, Abu Jahl
asked Muhammad whether he would repeat what he
had just said in front of others
 Unhesitatingly, the Prophet said: “Yes”
 Thus Abu Jahl gathered the people so that
Muhammad would tell them about his journey
Comfort on the way

30. 
 When the Prophet had finished his story, everybody
was expressing disbelief in one way or another
 Some people clapped, some put their hands over
their heads and others jeered
 Following this, there were many unbelievers going
around into every quarter in Makkah to relate what
sounded to them the most incredible story ever told
Comfort on the way

31. 
 Some of them went straight to Abu Bakr, the
Prophet’s closest friend, to tell him and to find out
what his reaction would be
 Abu Bakr first accused them of bringing false stories
 When they assured him that Muhammad actually
claimed to have made the return journey to
Jerusalem overnight, Abu Bakr’s answer was: “If he
actually said this, then he is telling the truth”
Comfort on the way

32. 
 When they expressed their amazement that he
would believe such a story, Abu Bakr said: “What is
so surprising? I believe him when he says something
even more incomprehensible. He says he receives
revelations from God and I believe him”
Comfort on the way

33. 
 The Prophet faced the Quraysh with his story, fully
aware that he would be accused of telling lies
 That did not influence his determination to do what
was required of him
 The interests of his message came first and people’s
accusations could not weaken his resolve
Confronting Adversity

34. 
 The night journey was a very effective morale
booster for the Prophet
 Only a short time earlier he had lost his wife
Khadijah, his uncle Abu Talib and he had returned
from Ta’if disappointed
 The night journey gave the Prophet first-hand
experience of the smallness of this world in relation
to the wider universe and it had on him a lasting
effect
Confronting Adversity

35. 
(Source: ‘Muhammad – Man and Prophet’ by Adil Salahi)
End