The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

100 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
Ynlil, Mas'iid and Habib, all sons of'Amr b. 'Umayr b. 'Awf b. 'Uqda b. Ghiyara
b. 'Awf b. Thaqif. One of these was married to a Quraysh woman of the Bana
Jumah.
"'He sat with them and invited them to God, asked them to help Islam and
himself against those of his people who were opposing him. One of them replied,
"He would tear off the covering of the ka'ba if it were God who had sent
you!"Another said, "Did not God have anyone but you to send?" The third
commented, "By God, I will never speak to you. If you were a messenger from
God, as you claim, you are far too important for me to argue with, and if you are
lying against God, then it would certainly not be appropriate that I talk to you."
"'And so the Messenger of God (SAAS) arose and left them, despairing of
any good from Thaqif. I have been told that he had asked them, "Since you have
so behaved, at least keep it secret for me." The Messenger of God (SAAS) did
not want his people to hear about this, since it would have encouraged them to
oppose him.
"'However, they did not agree, and incited their fools and slaves to revile him
and to shout out after him. A crowd gathered against him and forced him to seek
refuge in a garden belonging to Wtba b. Rabi'a and Shayba b. Rabi'a, they both
being there at the time. The Thaqif fools who had been following him then withdrew.
"'He made for the shade of a grape vine, where he sat down, while the two
sons of Rabi'a watched him, having seen his ill-treatment by the Thaqif fools.
"'As I have been told, the Messenger of God (SAAS) had met the woman
from the Bana Jum& and had told her, "Well, how is it we've been so treated by
your husband's family?"
"'When he felt secure, as I have been told, he spoke the prayer, "0 God, I complain
to You about my weakness and inadequacy before the people. 0 You, most
Merciful of all, You who are Lord of the oppressed, You who are my Lord, to
whom would You entrust me, to those far away who greet me with displeasure,
or to some enemy to whom You entrust me? As long as You are not angry with
me, I will not care, but I would prefer your favour.
"'"I take refuge with the light of Your face that brightens the shadows, repairs
the troubles of this world and the hereafter, ensuring that Your anger or discontent
not alight upon me. May You be content and be pleased; all power and
strength stem from You."
"'When Rabi'a's two sons Wtba and Shayba saw what had happened to him,
they felt compassion for him. They summoned a Christian servant they had
called 'Addas and told him, "Take a cluster of grapes, place it on a plate, then go
over to that man and tell him to eat it."
'"'Add% did this; he placed it before the Messenger of God (SAAS), and told
him to eat.
"'As the Messenger of God (SAAS) placed his hand upon it, he spoke the
words, "In the name of God" then he ate. 'Add% looked into his face and said,