Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 24 Day by day, the situation worsened. So the Prophet decided to go to Taif, a neighbouring town, 40 miles from Makkah to spread the teachings of Islam. He was accompanied only by his servant Addas. He spoke to the leaders of the town and invited them to accept Islam. They paid no heed to his message. They were such evil people that they did not stop at that. When the Prophet was leaving the town in a dejected state, he was chased by street urchins instigated by these chiefs. They abused him and threw stones at him as he walked out of town. They continued to pelt stones at him, until the cover of the darkness of night came in before them and the Prophet. He stopped on the way in an orchard to rest. He was badly hurt, bleeding profusely. Yet he only prayed for their guidance. He did not curse them. In all humility he addressed God in these words. “Lord! Forgive these people, for they know not what they do.” In the tenth year of Prophethood the angel Gabriel came to take the Prophet on the miraculous journey to the heavens known as Miraj. They first went from Makkah to Jerusalem, the Prophet riding on a winged horse. At Jerusalem, the Prophet said his prayers in the Temple of David, where all other prophets joined him in prayer. Then he ascended to the heavens still accompanied by the angel Gabriel. God granted an audience to His messenger. It was on this blessed occasion that the Prophet received God’s commandments including the prayer to be said five times daily. The Prophet then came back home. All this took place overnight. There are two views about this heavenly journey. Some hold that this ascension was made by the Prophet’s soul, while others hold that it was made by his body. According to Umm Hani, the body of the Prophet was never missed from his bed. Rather God caused only his soul to travel. Aishah, the Prophet’s wife, was also of the same view. A third opinion is that Miraj from Makkah to Jerusalem took place in the flesh, while from Jerusalem to the heavens it took place only in spirit. Islam spreads to Yathrib (Madinah) The Prophet used to convey the message of Islam to the people coming from outside Makkah. In the eleventh year of prophethood six men from the