AKHBAR IS ANWA'R - al - Taif

AKHBAR - al – Taif

Muhammad (S.A.) set out from Mecca in the year 619 C.E. to bring the Quraish polytheists into the fold of Islam. He went with his freed slave Zaid bin Harithhah to Al – Taif a prosperous town having fruit and vineyard farms, located at a distance of 60 kms from Mecca.

He first approached the family of Umair, reckoned as among the nobility of the town. All the three sons of Umair turned a deaf year and used abusive language, as regards the cause for which he had been striving.

For ten days, he stayed in al Taif, delivering the message of Islam to all the noble people, one after another, but to no avail. Contrary to Arab tradition of hospitality, he was hooted at and pelted with stones, and obliged to flee pursued by a merciless crowd.

So much so, that blood flowed down his legs and thus tired and exhausted, he took refuge in one of the numerous fruit farms, and rested against the wall of a vineyard belonging to Walid bin Ukaba . Seeing the plight of a stranger he sent with his slave Adras, who was a practicing Christian, a bunch of luscious grapes – 18 in all. Nabi Muhammad (S.A.) quenched his thirst and felt refreshed, and prayed for Walid, who himself died a polytheist, fighting the Muslims,

ANWA’R

Haq and truth has always been misunderstood by worldly people steeped in materialism. Al – Taif was a very prosperous region, and compared to other parts of Arabian peninsular, enjoyed a very good climate.

Nabi (SA) mission became more difficult as he was addressing those, who were immersed in wealth and enjoying good life.

But the WILL OF ALLAH working through His Nabi (SA) had more profound purpose, which became manifest after many centuries. This than is the Anwa’r in Muhammad (SA) travelling all the way to al – Taif and suffering hardship at the hands of haughty and ignorant Arabs.

A single act borne out of compassion evoked a doa that would fructify in the nasl of Walid many centuries later. As a direct result of Nabi Muhammad (S.A.) prayer, on that eventful day at Al – Taif the Fatemi Dawat of Yemen was resplendent with 18 Doat ul Mutlaqeen, the first and foremost being Syedna Ali bin Mohammad Walid (RA) whose story of tawajo and khusu in well known in the annals of Fatemi Dawat, and it is not mere coincidence that Syedna Mohammad bin Walid (RA) wrote 18 kutubs.

If we reflect it would be crystal clear that although the outward purpose of Nabi (SA) journey to al- Taif was to propagate Islam, the inner purpose, was to create a situation, whereby compassion arose in the heart of Walid bin Ukaba, whose offering of 18 grapes symbolized not only the quenching of the thirst of Nabi (SA) but when the time was ripe, the doa Mubarak of nabi (SA) would result in the quenching of the thirst of all true seekers of Ale Mohammad Uloom by the progeny of Walid bin Ukaba.