The Patience of the Prophet

nobody ever experienced the amount of hardship, trials, difficulties and crises that the prophet,

sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, experienced throughout his mission. however, he confronted all

such strains with the ultimate perseverance and steadfastness.

he was patient when he was an orphan, when he was poor, hungry and needy. he was described

as a liar, a poet, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, and insane, yet he was patient. he was harmed,

wronged, cursed and insulted, yet he was patient.

his uncle abu taalib died, and he remained patient. his wife died, and he remained patient.

people drove him out and fought him, and he remained patient. his uncle hamzah was killed,

and he remained patient. his son died, and he remained patient. false accusations were made

against his chaste noble wife, yet he was patient and forbearing.

his relatives were killed, his companions were murdered, his followers were driven out of their

homes, his enemies gathered against him to fight him, yet he was patient and forbearing.

he had a great deal of patience with those who attacked and insulted him, with those who

gathered together to fight him, with the aggression of those who denied the truth and the power

of falsehood.

he had a great deal of patience in the face of the adornments and beautifications of the worldly

life, and was attached to none of it.

the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the ideal example of ultimate perseverance and

steadfastness in all his life affairs. in fact, patience was his armour, shield, friend and ally.

whenever he was disturbed by the malicious words of his enemies, he would remember the verse

in which allaah the almighty says (what means): {so be patient over what they say.} [quran

20:130]

whenever he feared the power of his enemies or when the disbelievers harmed him, he would

remember the verse in which allaah the almighty says (what means): {so be patient, [o

muhammad], as were those of determination among the messengers and do not be impatient

for them.} [quran 46:35]

would patience be learned from other than him? would other than him be the ideal example of

ultimate perseverance, steadfastness and thankfulness? [sheikh ‘aa’idh al-qarni in muhammad

ka’annaka taraahu]

furthermore, the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the ideal example of

patience in the field of calling people to islam till allaah the almighty disseminate d his

religion all over the world.

it was narrated that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “i was harmed for the sake

of allaah like no one else, and i was frightened in the sake of allaah like no one else, and

thirty days and nights would pass while my family and i had no edible thing except what

bilaal could hide under his armpit.” [ahmad, at-tirmithi and ibn maajah; al-albaani: saheeh

(authentic)]

it was narrated that ‘urwah ibn az-zubayr, may allaah have mercy upon him, said, “i asked

‘abdullaah ibn ‘amr, ‘what was the worst thing the polytheists did to the messenger of allaah,

sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?’ he said, ‘i saw ‘uqbah ibn abi mu‘ayt coming to the prophet,

sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while he was praying. ‘uqbah put his garment round the

prophet's neck and squeezed it tight until abu bakr came and pulled ‘uqbah away from the

prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, ‘do you intend to kill a man just because he

says: 'my lord is allaah the almighty?’” [al-bukhaari]

it was also narrated that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was once offering prayers at

the ka‘bah and abu jahl was sitting with some of his companions. one of them said to the

others, "who among you will bring the abdominal contents (intestines, and so on.) of the camel

of the banu so and so and put it on the back of muhammad when he prostrates?" the most evil

of them got up and brought it. he waited till the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,

prostrated and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. ‘abdullaah ibn mas‘ood said, “i

was watching but i could not do anything. i wish i had some people to support me against them.”

they started laughing and falling over one another. the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi

wa sallam, was in prostration and he did not lift his head up till faatimah (his daughter) came

and threw away what was on his back. he raised his head and said thrice: "o allaah, punish the

quraysh." [al-bukhaari and muslim]

it was narrated that anas, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “people beat the messenger of

allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, till he fainted. abu bakr, may allaah be pleased with him,

shouted saying, ‘woe to you, do you intend to kill a man just because he says that my lord is

allaah the almighty?’ people asked, ‘who is this?’ others replied, ‘this is ibn abi quhaafah,

the madman.’” [al-haakim in al-mustadrak]

this was how the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, suffered from the harm,

cruelty and violence of his people, and yet he was patient and forbearing. then, he went to taa’if

hoping for the support of the people there. however, their response was even more bitter and

painful for the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. this incident deeply wounded his soul: it

was narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said,

i asked the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “did you ever encounter a day that

was tougher than the day of the battle of uhud?" the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa

sallam, replied: "i have seen what i have seen from your people, and the worst trouble

was the trouble on the day of ‘aqabah when i presented myself to ibn ‘abd yaaleel ibn

‘abd kulaal and he did not respond to my call. so i departed, overwhelmed with

excessive sorrow, and proceeded on aimlessly, and i was not aware of my whereabouts

till i found myself at qarn ath-tha‘aalib where i lifted my head towards the sky to see

a cloud shading me unexpectedly. i looked up and saw jibreel (gabriel) in it. he called

me saying, ‘allaah has heard your people's words to you, and what they have

responded to you with. allaah 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

called and greeted me, and then said, ‘o muhammad, order what you wish. if you like,

i will let al-akhshabayn (the two mountains surrounding makkah) collapse over

them.’ (the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said): no. rather, i hope that

allaah will let them beget children who will worship allaah alone and worship none

beside him." [al-bukhaari and muslim]

there is no doubt that the example of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in patience,

forbearing and self-denial for the sake of calling people to the religion of allaah should be

followed and adopted.

the polytheists did not stop at this or realize his patience or appreciate his forgiveness in return

for their aggression; instead, they plotted against him and conspired to kill him. when they were

determined to do that, allaah the almighty allowed him to emigrate.

thus, he went to madeenah only to find a more severe type of affliction and difficulty from the

jews and the hypocrites. they hatched plots against him, sought out the faults of muslims,

helped the pagans to defeat them, and harbored malicious envy for him and the muslims.

however, he confronted all these trials with great patience.

then, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, moved to another kind of patience in confronting the

disbelievers: patience on the battlefield, patience in the face of swords, spears and arrow heads.

this is the patience of those who have determination among the messengers. the prophet,

sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, persisted in his patience and he never yielded. he went on

perfecting his mission, from one battle to another and from one hardship to another.

on the day of the battle of uhud, one of his incisors was broken and he sustained many wounds

on his face and body - may my father, mother, myself and my child be sacrificed for him, and yet

he was patient and forbearing. it was narrated that ibn mas‘ood, may allaah be pleased with

him, said, “it is as if i can see the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, telling us the story of

one of the prophets whose people beat him and made him bleed, and he was wiping the blood

from his face and saying: ‘o allaah, forgive my people for they do not know.’” [al-bukhaari

and muslim]

allaah the almighty, the most truthful says (what means) describing him: {and indeed, you

are of a great moral character.} [quran 68:4]