Table of Contents
Context of Divine Support
After the people of Ta’if rejected the Prophet ﷺ with insults and stones, he left the town wounded, exhausted, and emotionally deeply pained. His sandals were filled with blood and his heart was heavy, not because of his own suffering, but because his message had been turned away with such harshness. At a nearby orchard, he made one of the most moving supplications of his life, turning fully to Allah in humility and trust.
This moment of extreme pain became the setting for a unique manifestation of divine care. In response to his distress and his sincere supplication, Allah honored him with a visit from Jibril عليه السلام and another angel known in the reports as the Angel of the Mountains.
The Visit of Jibril and the Angel
The central narration about the Angel of the Mountains is found in authentic hadith. After the Prophet ﷺ left Ta’if and took shelter, Jibril عليه السلام came to him with a message of comfort and an offer of power.
Al Bukhari and Muslim both narrate from ‘Aisha رضي الله عنها that the Prophet ﷺ said:
«يَا مُحَمَّدُ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ، وَمَا رَدُّوا عَلَيْكَ، وَقَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْكَ مَلَكَ الْجِبَالِ لِتَأْمُرَهُ بِمَا شِئْتَ فِيهِمْ»
Then the Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me and said, “O Muhammad, Allah has heard what your people have said to you and how they have rejected you, and Allah has sent to you the Angel of the Mountains so that you may order him to do whatever you wish with them.”
[Al Bukhari and Muslim]
The Angel of the Mountains was specifically tasked with control over the mountainous terrain surrounding the region. He was ready to carry out a command that could instantly destroy those who had persecuted and rejected the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
The Offer to Crush the People
The hadith continues with the Angel of the Mountains stating his readiness to act:
«إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ أُطْبِقَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَخْشَبَيْنِ»
“If you wish, I will crush them between the two mountains (al Akhshabayn).”
The two mountains mentioned refer to the large mountains surrounding Makkah and its region. The meaning is that the people of Makkah who persecuted him and the people of Ta’if who had just stoned him could be destroyed completely and swiftly, without any effort from the Prophet ﷺ.
Here, Allah was not only comforting His Messenger, but also showing him that the power of punishment was available and that there was no weakness in the divine support for his mission. Yet the decision was left to the Prophet ﷺ, who was being honored with a choice.
The Angel of the Mountains offered the Prophet ﷺ immediate, total destruction of those who harmed him, yet the Prophet chose mercy and hope over revenge.
The Prophet’s ﷺ Merciful Response
The most remarkable part of this incident is not the offer itself, but the Prophet’s response. At a time when he had been driven out of his city, lost his strongest worldly supporters, and had just been humiliated and physically assaulted by a new community, he remained full of mercy and vision.
His answer is recorded in the same narration:
«بَلْ أَرْجُو أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَصْلَابِهِمْ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ، لَا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا»
“Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their descendants those who will worship Allah alone, not associating anything with Him.”
[Al Bukhari and Muslim]
Here, the Prophet ﷺ refused the destruction of his enemies. He looked beyond their present rejection and hostility and saw the possibility of future believers among their children and grandchildren. This shows that his concern was never personal victory or safety. His concern was always guidance and salvation for people.
His answer also reflects a deep trust in Allah’s plan. Although he had just experienced severe rejection, he believed that the same people who now opposed him could be the ancestors of sincere worshippers of Allah. For him, the mission of guidance was larger than his immediate pain.
This attitude reflects the Quranic description of his mercy:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ﴾
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
[Quran 21:107]
The scene with the Angel of the Mountains is a practical, living demonstration of this verse in action.
Mercy Over Justice and Revenge
From a human perspective, it would have been understandable to seek justice, or even severe punishment, after such intense persecution. Yet the Prophet ﷺ chose a path that gives a clear principle for believers.
He did not deny that these people were wrong. Their disbelief, ridicule, and violence were real. What he did was prefer mercy over immediate justice. This does not mean that Allah never punishes wrongdoers, but in this moment Allah allowed His Messenger to show the highest form of patience and forgiveness.
This choice also revealed the difference between a prophet and an ordinary leader. An ordinary leader might see the removal of enemies as a great opportunity. The Prophet ﷺ saw an opportunity for generations of worshippers instead.
The Quran later speaks about this kind of response:
﴿ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ﴾
“Repel evil with that which is best. Then the one between you and whom there was enmity will become as if he were a close and devoted friend.”
[Quran 41:34]
Although this verse refers generally to dealing with opponents, the Prophet’s response at Ta’if is one of the clearest examples of repelling evil with good, and of responding to hatred with sincere hope for guidance.
The Prophet ﷺ was given a choice between destroying his enemies and hoping for their guidance. He chose guidance, even for their descendants, as the higher goal.
Long-Term Vision and Trust in Allah’s Plan
The episode of the Angel of the Mountains also teaches that the mission of Islam is not tied to immediate results. At Ta’if, there were no new believers, no immediate success, and only pain. Yet the Prophet ﷺ spoke about descendants, about people who did not yet exist.
By saying, “I hope that Allah will bring forth from their descendants those who will worship Allah alone,” he showed that true callers to Allah think in terms of generations, not days or weeks.
In the unfolding of history, this hope became a reality. Many of the later generations in those same regions entered Islam. The very descendants of those who once rejected him became those who preserved and spread the message.
The Quran reminds believers that Allah’s plan can take time to unfold:
﴿وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
“And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.”
[Quran 12:21]
At Ta’if, it might have appeared as a severe setback. Yet, through this incident and the coming support in other events, Allah was preparing a better future, including the opening of Madinah, the spread of Islam, and later, the eventual acceptance of Islam by many of the same people or their descendants.
The Angel of the Mountains as a Sign of Honor
The fact that the Angel of the Mountains was sent at this moment is also a sign of the special status of the Prophet ﷺ with his Lord. In the unseen world, the angels were ready to act at his command, but he remained a servant of Allah who chose what was pleasing to Allah.
This incident revealed to him that, although people had rejected him, Allah had not left him alone. Instead, he was being honored with choices that no ordinary human being receives. Yet his humility remained. He did not boast of this power or use it for personal revenge. He maintained the attitude expressed in his supplication at Ta’if, where he declared that as long as Allah was not angry with him, he did not mind what befell him.
This harmony between deep humility and great honor is part of what makes his example unique. The Angel of the Mountains appears in the seerah not as a central figure in himself, but as a mirror that reflects the character of the Prophet ﷺ.
The sending of the Angel of the Mountains was a sign of the Prophet’s honor with Allah, and his refusal to use that power for destruction was a sign of his perfect servitude and mercy.
Lessons Specific to the Angel of the Mountains
From this specific episode, several distinct lessons appear that are tied directly to the presence of the Angel of the Mountains.
First, true power in the path of Allah is not measured by the ability to destroy, but by the ability to forgive when you have the power to punish. The offer of destruction made it clear that the Prophet ﷺ had the option of severe response. His choice of mercy gives a standard for believers who face hostility.
Second, the mission of calling to Allah is not broken by refusal and harm. Even when a whole town rejected him, the Prophet ﷺ continued to see his work as ongoing and future oriented. The presence of the Angel of the Mountains underlined that this rejection was known to Allah and fully under His control, not a sign of abandonment.
Third, the incident shows that angels are not independent actors. They do not punish without Allah’s command, and even the Angel of the Mountains waited for the instruction of the Prophet ﷺ who, in turn, always sought to act within what pleases Allah. This preserves balance in understanding the unseen: angels are powerful, but they are servants of Allah, and all ultimate decision belongs to Him alone.
Finally, the event connects pain with divine nearness. The Angel of the Mountains did not come at a time of worldly victory, but at a time of heartbreak. This is a reminder that moments of hardship for believers can be moments of special closeness and special gifts from Allah.
Through the arrival and offer of the Angel of the Mountains, the seerah presents a powerful scene where immense divine power, severe human hostility, and perfect prophetic mercy all meet. The outcome chosen by the Prophet ﷺ defines the path of this Ummah: a path that seeks the guidance of people before their destruction, and that trusts Allah’s wisdom in the rise and fall of communities across generations.