Over time, the neighbouring settlements joined the Makkan chiefs in persecuting the emerging Muslim community. They would not let the Prophet (PBUH) preach his message anywhere; gangsters followed him all over Makkah. In the face of such opposition, the Prophet (PBUH) decided to turn his
Attention to other cities and tribes. In one such mission with adopted son Zeyd bin Haritha (RAH), he crossed rugged mountains to the city of Taif, some 85 kilometres southeast of Makkah. This was the scorching hot month of June 620 AD.
Taif was a beautiful, green, and cool place. A hill resort where rich people from Makkah had built big houses for themselves. The people were mostly prosperous and were engaged in worldly pursuits.Like Makkans, they also worshipped idols. The Prophet (PBUH) met the chiefs and invited them to Islam, but their reaction was extremely hostile.
He was met with very humiliating treatment and was driven out of the city by stone-throwing vagabonds. At one point, he was completely exhausted, his feet bleeding, and he fell down. In this desperate situation, Zeyd (RAH) asked him to curse the tyrannical citizens of Taif. In reply, the Benefactor of the Worlds (PBUH) raised his eyes to the sky and, in a tone of deep agony, cried to his Lord:
"Allah! To You alone I send my petition of lack of strength, lack of means, and lack of help against the people! You are the most merciful. You alone are the sustainer of the weak. You are my Lord! To whom do you consign me?"
O Allah!If even in this state I retain your goodwill, I am content.--- My Lord!I seek refuge in your light and grace which illuminates all darkness-O Lord! Save me from Your wrath or that I shall become liable to Your torment, I am content with Your Will till I gain Your goodwill. No power and strength can come from aught but You".
"My Lord, forgive them; They do not know who I am.
Q. Allah, guide them to the right path;
And do not forsake me".
Ascension to Heavens
Soon the news of the mishap in Tall spread in Makkah. Idolators were rejoiced at his failure. Little success amongkah. dokans, and the totally failed attempt, which he made the sermon in the city of Taif, left a lot to be desired. "Shall he be more successful in establishing the religion of Allah?". This question bothered his sensitive mind very much, yet he was not dismayed. With his full faith in Allah, he decided to return to Makkah to continue his fight against paganism, ignorance and falsehood. He was stopped at the outskirts of Makkah and refused entry into the city. However, after a few days Bani Quraish allowed him to enter.
Undeterred by failures, he went from person to person, tribe to tribe, place to place, to discharge his duty to deliver the message of Allah, which he was receiving continuously. Full of arguments, with a smiling face, he would approach anyone and beseech to listen to the words of Quran, the words that could pierce through the hearts and have the power to change the destiny of man, here on earth and in the Hereafter. For example, he would recite for them passages from the Holy Quran such that they know the Creator by reflection into His creations:
By the sun and his dazzling brightness,
By the moon which follows it,
By the night which veils it;
By the heaven and Him who built it,
By the earth and Him who spread it,
By the soul and Him who perfected it,
Blessed shall be the one
And inspired it with (knowledge of) sin and piety, And ruined (will be the one) who corrupted it!
Who has kept his (soul) pure,
Any man would have given up in these circumstances, ba his commitment to the mission assigned to him by Allah w himitless. Inspired by the Truth revealed to him, he determined to enlighten the whole world with the Divine Light he was receiving from the High. But, the unfortunate Quraish did not give heed to the Message of Quran. Instead, they resorted to violence. Gangs of urchins were appointed to chase him and shout at him. When he was in the act of prayer, they would clap with their hands. As he walked in his way, they would throw faith at him. Abu Jehl tried to kill him in the Kaaba, but Allah filled him with awe that he could not fulfill his evil designs.
It was in this state of affairs that Allah bestowed upon him the unique experience called "Miraaj" in the year 620 AD. This was like crossing over the barriers of Time and Space to see the hidden realities in other dimensions (1, 10, 11). He had set the highest example of patience, perseverance and dedication for all times to come. "Miraaj" was not only the acknowledgment of his splendid effort but also to have a human witness of what is ahead in life after death.
Holy Quran refers to this great event in the following words:
"Limitless in His Glory is He who carries."
His Servant by night from the Inviolable House of Worship,
to the Remote House of Worship,
So that We show him some of Our Signs;
For, verily, He alone is All-hearing, All-seeing."
it was just past midnight when he was sleeping in the home of his cousin Umm-e-Hani (RAH) that angel Gibraeel carne with a special ride called "Burraag", a word that is plural of Barg meaning electricity or lightning. The Prophet (PBUH) mounted on it along with the angel, and began his journey turning to the heavens. In this journey, he crossed the space and time limits and witnessed the marvel of the creations of his Lord all over the universe.
(25. 3 the Apostle of Allah (PBUH), accompanied by the angel Goraeel, first found himself transported by night to the site of many of the earlier, long since deceased, prophets in prayer, some of them he afterwards encountered again in prayer, Kcording to Mohammad Asad, "The Prophet (PBUH) himself has not left any clear-cut explanation. However, most of telef narrators believe that both the Night Journey and the Ascension were physical occurrences. A minority thinks that the experience was purely spiritual" (42). In any case, the experience, whether physical or spiritual, speaks of a unique happening in the life of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH), and a great occasion for Mankind, when one of them crossed over the limits of the Time and Space continuum to see life in other dimensions of living
During his ascension, he met all the earlier prophets, including Adam (PBUH), the first of the prophets and the father of the present day humanity. He was bestowed with the closest vision of the Lord of the Universes, so close that even Gibraeel could not dare to be with him. In this Space-Time journey, he also got the gift of five times daily prayers, a direct means of communication with the Creator. He personally saw Paradise, Hell and all other scenes of life after death. Thus, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) got the first hand knowledge of the miserable realities hidden behind the veil of death. For
example is reported by The Pour paced by people who every time they completed the agen Grand said, "There are the fathe (Mupidur). Then they passed by people wote being shattered by rock, and every time they were damay they became whole agen Grand sed. These us they we heads were oblivious of prayer "Then they set by seoge who were eating raw, rotten meat and throw wholesome meat, Gora, these are the adulterers(20-30)
Thus, it was a multi-directional experience of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH). This was slow a pointer towards the unimaginable honor and power given to the Man By f Beneficent Creator in other words, the journey of Accendion of the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) was an invitation from the Creator to Man to conquer the utilverse physically and spiritually, which he has made for him only, the opening new horizons of thought for the Vicegerent of Allah on earth it is celebrated by the Muslims on 27 Rajab, every year. But truly, it is a universal ay of humanity because for the first time in history it sets the mind of Man to the conquest of unimaginable mysteries of nature and heavenly worlds.
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