In the tenth year of the message, Muhammad’s uncle Abu-Talib and his wife Khadeejah both died. With their death the abuse of Quraish multiplied greatly. Of those few people who were allowed to hear the Qur’an many became Muslims. However, the continuous and unrelenting torture of Quraish towards the Muslims drove Muhammad (pbuh) to seek an ally for them to protect them against Quraish and allow the people to hear the message of Islam.
This new situation meant that the Prophet had to explore new avenues in his search for support. After long deliberation, he set out on foot for Taif, a mountainous town about 100 kilometers from Makkah. His only companion on this trip was his faithful servant, Zayd ibn Harithah.
So he traveled to Al-Taif in search of the protection of the tribe of Thaqeef and with the hope that they might accept his message. He presented his message to Ibn Abd-Yalayl ibn Abdu Kulal and the nobles of Al-Taif. They, however, met him with curses and abuse.
They then roused the citizens and enflamed their passions against him till they stoned him out of their city and he fled from them into a farm belonging to Utba and Shaiba the sons of Rabeea. These two watched him from a distance as he sat below one of their grape arbors and supplicated to Allah.
In spite of the catastrophe and hardships faced in this journey and the sorrow that not a single body embraced Islam, the heart of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam) was full of love and glorification of ALLAAH (the Most High). When Muhammad (pbuh) saw that the people of Thaqeef had left him alone and returned to their daily lives, with a heavy heart he lifted his hands towards the heavens and prayed:
“O my Lord, unto you I bewail my weakness, inability, and disregard of mankind towards me. O Most Merciful of the merciful, you are the Lord of the weak and my Lord. Unto whom shall you deliver me?. Unto one who is distant and shall glower at me, or unto an enemy whom you have given authority over me? If you are not angry against me then I do not care [what befalls me], but your [gifts of] well being are more commodious for me. I seek refuge in the light of your face that has overcome all darkness, and through which all matters of this life and the hereafter have been established in justice, that your retribution should fall upon me, or your disdain should befall me. Unto you is [all] appeasement until you are appeased, and no one has power or ability except in You“
As Utba and Shaiba watched Muhammad (pbuh) they felt pity on him and sent to him their slave boy, Addas, to collect a bowl of grapes and take it to him. Addas collected the grapes and took them to Muhammad placing them in his hand. He then said: “Eat.” As Muhammad was about to eat he began with the words “In the name of Allah” (which all Muslims say before eating or drinking). Addas was a Christian and when he heard these words he said to Muhammad “Verily, these are not the words of the people of this land.” Muhammad asked him from which land he came and Addas replied “From ‘Ninwa’.” Muhammad said: “From the land of the pious man Jonah the son of Amittai.” Addas marveled: “And how do you know Jonah the son of Amittai?” Muhammad (pbuh) responded: “He is my brother. He was a messenger and I am a messenger” Upon hearing these words Addas took to kissing the hands, head and feet of prophet Muhammad
When Urwa and Shaiba saw this they said to one another: “Verily, he has quite corrupted our slave boy.” When Addas returned to them they said to him: “Fie upon you Addas! Why did you kiss the man’s head, hands and feet?” Addas replied: “O masters, there is nothing in this earth better than this matter. He has told me of a matter which is only known to a messenger” They rebuked him saying: “Fie unto you Addas! Do not allow him to divert you from your religion. Your religion is far better than his!”
Muhammad (pbuh) then departed and returned home practically overwhelmed with excessive sorrow. On his way home he stopped in Qarn ath-Tha’alib, as he looked up, he saw a cloud shadowing him and he saw angel Gabriel in it. Angel Gabriel then addressed him saying: “Allah has heard what your people said to you, and how they have replied to you. Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.” The Angel of the Mountains then called out greeting him and then said, “O Muhammad! Order what you wish. If you like, I shall cause al-Akhshabayn (two mountains surrounding Al-Taif) to fall upon them.” The Prophet (pbuh), replied “No, for I hope that there shall be among their children those who will worship Allah alone, and will worship none besides Him.” He then returned to Makkah and to the abuse of its people.