When the people rejected him, what did Allah send instead?

Delegate the responsibilities of his protection to those who would accept Islam from those responsibilities were on the shoulders of Abu Talib previously. Abu Talib was protecting the prophet with his status, with his with his authority there in in amongst Quresh. And then Abu Talib passed away. Khadijah passed away. And so there was a vacancy in that. So the prophet decided to go to a in order to call the notables there to Islam. That if they would accept Islam that they have the ability to then protect him and provide a haven for him. And order to call to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala with impunity and his efforts there were rejected in a five and as a matter of fact, he was harmed very much in that. He was turned away and he was attacked verbally and otherwise in a life. And so, the prophet returned and his only companion at the time was a person may ask, well, why did he take Zaidab in for instance? Why didn't he go to if with Abu Bakr for instance, Abu Bakr was a closer companion and second of all, Abu Bakr knew all of the tribes and had very high standing in above and the reason for that is that Quraish would not have allowed that. They didn't know that he was going to if for this reason. If he would have prepared himself and taken Abu Bakr for instance, then, that would have raised the suspicions of Quraish and they would have impeded his path there too. And so, Zaidab and Harita, remember, was his adopted son and he was as Zaid Ibn Muhammad up until the time of the battle of Al Khandak when was revealed and adoption was abolished in that case. And so the prophet taking Zaid Ibn Harith it was very natural. It didn't look they were going to anything of the sort. Just a normal travel as people would at that time. So it would not the suspicions Quraish and their efforts would then be magnified and impeding that. And so and so, when he arrived at Aktar, if he invited the notables of he invited all of the people of Ataif, individuals, people in the streets, people in the market. He had a session or a few sessions with thee nobility of Akbar if inviting them to Islam, reciting the Quran, etcetera. showing of his miracles that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala provided him with And unanimously the people of Allah if rejected the prophet's message. And not only that but they escalated things to the point of physical harm. And pretty much drove him out in in a very sense and so the prophet retreated bloodied and battered to a is a basically like an orchard, right? You would have these cons, it's the desert. So, you would have these concentrated places where farmers have their date palms and whatever else it is. So, the prophet retreated to such a place and he remained there for a few days. And some things transpired when he was there at that We have the very prominent dua that is known of the prophet when he retreated to that area. He had been cut, lacerated on his head, his heels were bloody. They were literally stoned out of a five. So, he retreated for some reprieve. There in that and there is where he made his dua to the end of the Dua. Oh Allah, it is to you that I complain. It is to you that I that I bemoan the weakness of myself and the lack of ability that I have. To the end of it. And in summary the essence of that dua is oh Allah the people have turned against me. And if you are pleased with me then that means that it doesn't matter to me. Who is with me or against me at that point. And so, after having made this dua Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sent to him the angel of the mountains. And was sent to the prophet to ask him if he would him to retaliate on his behalf to the people of I mean they unanimously disbelieved in their messenger and the prophet and they harmed him physically and so this constitutes that they be punished by Allah And so he he asked the prophet what he wished to do. If he wished to basically clash the mountains, clash them with the mountains, basically destroy them, eradicate them, and the prophet He said, I would rather that they be left alone for yes, these people have disbelieved in me but perhaps, they will come to have offspring that will believe in me. And will worship Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala without any partners. Abdul Kaim says, Allah.

[Silence]

In much prayer and recitation of the Quran and unbeknownst to him, there was a group of the that happened to be in the area and they had actually gathered around the prophet listening to the Quran. And he knew nothing of this. Until Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala sent down verses from mentioning that a group of the Jim had actually been there. heard his recitation. And many of them accepted Islam. This was very good for his confidence. This was showed that there was some progress being made. Even if not progress with the people that he had intended but we see that what the prophet intended didn't happen. However, because of those efforts, others became Muslim that otherwise would not have. And if you think about it, the prophets went to with the intentions that the people of except Islam that they believe in him. They drove him away. This was the only reason that he ended up in that orchard and this is the only reason that those gin happen to hear of him. And possibly the only reason that they would have become Muslim. Had that not happened. Perhaps they would have never heard about Islam. That that group of the Jin. Right? And so Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala didn't give the prophet exactly what he had intended. But he did give him a fruit to his labor. So, while he was there in this orchard, he was contemplating returning to Mecca. Now, they were left without a choice now. the return to Mecca and Zaid asked the prophet how are we going to go back into Mecca when they essentially drove us out. they drove us out. By the time he had finished and headed back. Quraish already heard about what he had done and where he had gone. And basically did not want him to come back. And so the prophet said that indeed Allah is going to make a way. He is going to make this possible. And regardless of what we see. It is the promise of Allah that he will raise his religion and that he will raise and make victorious his prophet. Ibn Adi. The.

[Silence]

That he reenter Mecca under the protection of Multaim Ibn Adi. Now, Multime Ibn Adi was not a Muslim. He's a non Muslim and he died as a non Muslim, right? Very similar to Abu Talib. However, his son was became a Muslim, became one of the great reciters of the Quran, Mutraim. And had a number of number of good merits and and good positions that he took. So, we remember when the famine was happening in Sheb Abu Talib that roughly three years that they spent there. When they basically were under this kind of embargo, right? Well, there were six men that collaborated to end that embargo. And of them was he was one of those six guys that convinced Quraish to let off of the prophet and so and and Benny Abdul Muttalib. So, this was one of the very numerous and very significant positions that Multiimubin Adi took. Unfortunately, Abu Talib, he did not accept Islam. He died as a non Muslim upon the religion of the pagan religion of his forefathers but he had some good traits and some virtue positions that he took and so, he sent I'd to return. May I return in your protection? Said yes, told the man from Hosea, tell him yes to come in under my protection. Multi Then, called to arms, his sons, and his tribesmen, and said, take up your arms and come with me to the Kaaba. Because I have granted protection to Muhammad. To reenter into Mecca under my protection. Ibn Masjid al Haram.

[Silence]

On his horse, on his riding animal, whatever that was and he announced to the nobility of Quresh that noone is to harm Muhammad in any way. Because I have granted him safety. I have granted him safety in my care, in my hospice. So, we will defend that oath that I have given him. And of course, his tribesmen were with him wearing their wearing their arms in arms and so, it was clear that this was very serious, meaning that we're willing to take up arms and protect this oath with violence. So, this became very clear and he was granted refuge once again in Mecca. Fente On Sarafa the He.

[Silence]

And the while was there with his tribesmen and his sons in arms protecting him and having this display of protection all the way until he was delivered safely to his home. And so the prophet has had a very difficult year. This is why this year in history and in Sierra is referred to popularly This is not in any narration or anything. It's just popularly referred to as Ahmed Husan, the year of sadness. Why? Because the prophet lost his wife. Then he lost Abu Talib. And then he was rejected from a Taif and this triggered a whole other level of aggression. amongst Quraish towards him. But as we've learned from the Quran, as we've learned from the ways of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala that Allah never allows the night to become too dark upon his righteous servants. Yes, night time is inevitable. Yes, darkness must come. It has to. That's the way that the natural world is. it's a daytime for a while and then there's that contrast of night time. However, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala never allows the night to become too dark upon his believing servants and so, this was also the year in which the night ascension took place which is referred to as a almighty. Al Isra was the night journey from Mecca to Masjid al Aqsa and Al which was the ascension is when the prophet ascended into the seven heavens met various prophets and messengers and had a very critical dialogue with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala himself. And so historians Muslim historians, the Islamic scholars of history, they have debated when took place. We have to remember something. The order of events the exact order of events is not known 100percent. We have a most likely order of events that the majority of the scholars have kind of agreed upon. And that's what Ibn is presenting to us here. But there is a difference of opinion. I mean some of the historians view that was in the second year, the third year after prophethood, the 13th year, there was different, different opinions But the most correct well low Adam opinion of the timing of is after the famine, after the death of Khadijah and after the death of Khadijah and Abu Talib. And we know this for a number of reasons. We don't have any dialogue recorded of the prophet discussing Al Isra or Al Miraj with Khadijah. That would be a big issue, right? You would think that would occur and the person that he would speak to about and discloses to the first person would be Khadijah but we don't have any narration that. We don't have any narration. Explic mentioning that Abu Talib ever heard of remember now at that time, the the story of is that he traveled in a portion of the night, just a small amount of time, he traveled a month's journey from Mecca to Al Masjid al Aqsa, and then not only that, but ascended into the heavens and spoke to Allah. This is a huge event, right? And so this was a source or a point of contention with Quraish. Quraish ridiculed the prophet a lot and said how how can you even say that that's possible? That's just absolutely blew their mind. And you know today that would be less of a shock, right? Because of the kind of travel that we have today. Person can make a journey like that. and that's not too inconceivable but at that time, the fastest travel available was a postal a postal horse, right? postal horse and a postal horse is somebody who's doesn't have a lot of gear. They're just running on the on these horses and passing off postage to the next place. Even in the of the Romans who had perfected the postal service and were one of the first known civilizations to perfect the postal service. This would have been an ad vent of weeks at the fastest to get from Mecca to Al Aqsa. Let alone to go and return. And in the same day it was inconceivable that a human being could travel that. Right? For us with the kind of travel that we have It's not so inconceivable, right? But at that time, no human being was known to have traveled like that, not even close, not even slightly. It was beyond what they could picture, what they could imagine and so, this was a huge event for the prophet You have a question that comes up and that is, what is, more, significant, for the prophet and for us The day when he became a prophet or the day when he ascended. And we would say for us, the greater day in the prophet life is the day when was revealed. The first day of his prophet. For us, that's the most virtuous. For the prophet his most virtuous time, the pinnacle of his day, his days was on that night of this was the most significant event in his entire legacy. The.

[Silence]

Was not just his soul. Meaning, if it were just his soul that was taken. This would be akin to a vision that a person sees or a premonition. And that's not something that is so unfathomable and unbelievable to Qureish. Quraish. Believe and things that. Believed in that there were things that were beyond their grasp and beyond their experience. What was so alarming is that he said, I really went in that travel. I mean, I my body, all of me went from Mecca to Al Masjid al Akman from Al Masjid Al Aqsa in my body ascended to the heavens. This is what caused so much such a stir amongst Quresh, right? And so and so there are some scholars that have mentioned or positive that this night journey and ascension occurred only with the prophet soul. Just his soul alone. But that is the weaker opinion. The correct opinion and it's almost absolutely the case. Is that physically his body and his soul? Was transported to Al Masjid al Aqsa Roman Masjid al Aqsa into the heavens. He says, better.

[Silence]

For instance in the Arabic language is lightning, right? Is lightning. And Al Barack is referred to as Al Barack with that same with those same letters and that same order. The root word is shared. This articulates swiftness and blinding speed, right? And so he rode this animal. This animal is unclear what exactly it was It was smaller than a mule, bigger than a horse, and it was extremely fast. Some scholars mentioned that as its eye sees, its hoof reaches, right? Meaning, it's hoof will reach as far as his eye sees. How is this animal low item. That's the only details that we have about him We don't know what color it was. We don't know what it looks like exactly. Some imagery that Muslims have drawn of Al Burak is basically a horse with wings. This obviously has nothing to do with Barak. The prophet didn't mention that it had wings. As a matter of fact, that is under the assumption that he rode Alburaq in his ascension and that's not correct. He rode the Boraq from to Medina. He tied there and then he ascended. Not that he ascended into the heavens on Albarak. That's a misunderstanding that many people have. So, all of these kinds of imagery that we see in certain later parts of the Muslim empire where artists were given a lot more liberty to draw such things. These things should never be drawn obviously but some of them have tried to capture or symbolize with certain imagery being you know a horse with wings or what have you. All of this is incorrect. And this imagery is is not something that the Muslims do. This is something that usually comes from. paganism and idolaters usually are the ones that draw and depict such things in drawing it. So I say this because Many Muslims, especially in the English speaking Muslims have seen some of these images, right? They've seen some of these images. has anybody here ever seen that? Al Barack with the wings and that's even I've seen some books of Sierra that have the pictures on the cover. Right? So you have the dove on the cover and you have the spider on the cover and you have a barak on the cover. This obviously has nothing to do with what really happened and you know honestly putting imagery that on a book of knowledge, especially a book as illustrious as one that claims to capture the biography of the prophet cheapens, cheapens the entire experience. This is not a fairy tale, right? This is not you know, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This is not you know, Pinocchio. This is not a fairy tale. This is a real thing that the messenger of Allah went through and did. We should never ever accept that these things be cheapened by drawings and depictions and so forth. This is something that the scholarship of Islam has unanimously rejected from the inception. This ascension happened after the journey, the night journey. So, when we say right? So, it's two things. It's two things that occurred. What's mentioned in the Quran explicitly is the Israt, the Night Journey, right? Al Part is mentioned in the explicit narrations of the prophet and it from was taken into the heavens. I was made to ascend. These two things are connected because in the correct opinion, these two things happen on the same night and they only happen once. They did not happen multiple times. And the ascension happened after the night journey. And the night journey was with his body and his soul and the ascension was with his body and soul. He he traveled from Mecca to Al Masjid al Aqsa on Il Barak. Then he tied off Al Barak and ascended into the heavens without Alburaq. Okay? Just so we can kind of get a full picture here. I know that many of us have read stuff or or seen other things that are contrary to that. And that's because a lot of things were written that shouldn't have been. that's enough for tonight. We'll continue next week with.

[Arabic recitation]