7.2.4 Mercy and Forgiveness

The Supplication of Mercy in Ta’if

When the Prophet ﷺ left Ta’if injured, bleeding, and rejected, the most remarkable feature of that moment was not the pain of his body, but the mercy of his heart. In Seerah, the journey to Ta’if is one of the clearest mirrors of his character. It shows how he treated people who harmed him, and how he chose mercy when anger was most expected.

As he left Ta’if, he was physically exhausted, emotionally burdened, and socially isolated. Yet his words were not words of revenge. Instead, they were words of turning back to Allah, of humility, and of concern even for those who had just hurt him.

According to an authentic narration, after being driven out and stoned, he ﷺ walked until he reached a garden belonging to two Makkan chiefs, ‘Utbah and Shaybah ibn Rabi‘ah. There, under a vine tree, he raised his hands and made a heartfelt supplication that has been preserved in the books of Seerah and Hadith. This du‘a reveals the depth of his mercy and the way he understood hardship.

He said:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ ضَعْفَ قُوَّتِي، وَقِلَّةَ حِيلَتِي، وَهَوَانِي عَلَى النَّاسِ،
يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ، أَنْتَ رَبُّ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ، وَأَنْتَ رَبِّي،
إِلَى مَنْ تَكِلُنِي؟ إِلَى بَعِيدٍ يَتَجَهَّمُنِي، أَمْ إِلَى عَدُوٍّ مَلَّكْتَهُ أَمْرِي؟
إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِكَ غَضَبٌ عَلَيَّ فَلَا أُبَالِي، وَلَكِنَّ عَافِيَتَكَ هِيَ أَوْسَعُ لِي.
أَعُوذُ بِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَشْرَقَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ، وَصَلَحَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ،
مِنْ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِي غَضَبُكَ، أَوْ يَحِلَّ عَلَيَّ سَخَطُكَ.
لَكَ الْعُتْبَى حَتَّى تَرْضَى، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِكَ.

“In English”:

“O Allah, I complain to You of my weakness, my lack of means, and my insignificance before people.
O Most Merciful of those who show mercy, You are the Lord of the oppressed, and You are my Lord.
To whom do You leave me? To a distant person who insults me, or to an enemy You have given power over me?
If You are not angry with me, then I do not mind, but Your well being is more expansive for me.
I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which the darkness is illuminated, and by which the affairs of this world and the next are set right,
from Your anger descending upon me, or Your displeasure falling upon me.
To You is the surrender until You are pleased. There is no power and no might except through You.”

This du‘a shows that, at the very moment any person might think of cursing those who hurt him, the Prophet ﷺ was more concerned about whether Allah was pleased with him. His first complaint was not about the people, it was a humble complaint of his weakness before Allah, which is the beginning of true mercy. Such a heart does not seek to destroy people, but to guide them.

Choosing Forgiveness When Power Was Offered

In that same setting near Ta’if, Allah sent the Angel of the Mountains. This was a unique moment, narrated in authentic Hadith, that shows how close vengeance could have been, and how clearly the Prophet ﷺ refused it.

Imam al Bukhari and Muslim report that Aishah رضي الله عنها asked the Prophet ﷺ if he had experienced a day harder than the day of Uhud. He ﷺ replied by mentioning the day of Ta’if. He described how the people rejected him, and how he left in sorrow, then he said that while he was in that state:

قَالَ: فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي فَإِذَا أَنَا بِسَحَابَةٍ قَدْ أَظَلَّتْنِي، فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا فِيهَا جِبْرِيلُ، فَنَادَانِي فَقَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ، وَمَا رَدُّوا عَلَيْكَ، وَقَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْكَ مَلَكَ الْجِبَالِ، لِتَأْمُرَهُ بِمَا شِئْتَ فِيهِمْ.

He said in meaning:

“I raised my head and there I was, in the shade of a cloud, and I looked and there was Jibril in it. He called me and said, ‘Indeed Allah has heard what your people said to you and how they responded to you, and He has sent to you the Angel of the Mountains so that you may command him regarding them as you wish.’”

Then the Angel of the Mountains called the Prophet ﷺ and offered him the choice of punishment for the people of Makkah, and by extension those of Ta’if who had joined in opposition. In the Hadith:

فَقَالَ لِي مَلَكُ الْجِبَالِ: إِنْ شِئْتَ أَطْبَقْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَخْشَبَيْنِ.

The Angel said, in meaning:

“If you wish, I will crush them between the two mountains (al Akhshabayn).”

At that moment the Prophet ﷺ had, by the permission of Allah, an opening to remove his enemies entirely. They had insulted him, driven him out, and hurt his followers. From a worldly point of view, it could have looked like the perfect chance for revenge and for safety from future harm.

Yet his answer was the opposite of revenge. In the same narration, he ﷺ replied:

بَلْ أَرْجُو أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَصْلَابِهِمْ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا.

“Rather, I hope that Allah will bring from their descendants those who will worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him.”

This reply captures the essence of his mercy. He did not even say, “I hope they themselves will change,” although this is included in his general da‘wah. He went further and said that, even if these particular people remained hostile, his concern was that their children and grandchildren might one day know Tawhid and worship Allah alone. His vision went beyond the present hurt and looked to future guidance.

Here we also see that his mercy was not weakness or fear. He was not incapable of responding. Power, through the Angel of the Mountains, had just been placed before him. Yet he voluntarily refused to use it. He chose to leave the door of repentance open, even for those who had just humiliated him.

The Qur’an describes the believers who follow this path:

خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِينَ
“Show forgiveness, enjoin what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.”
(Surah al A‘raf 7:199)

While this verse is general, the Prophet ﷺ embodied it in the most perfect manner at Ta’if. He forgave by choice, he maintained his call to goodness, and he turned away from the ignorance and cruelty shown to him without letting hatred enter his heart.

Mercy Rooted in Hope for Guidance

The key to understanding his forgiveness at Ta’if is to realize that his mercy was not merely emotional softness. It was a mercy rooted in a deep hope that people would be guided.

When he said, “I hope that Allah will bring from their descendants those who will worship Allah alone,” he disclosed the main concern that always governed his actions. His greatest priority was that people should be saved from shirk and guided to the worship of Allah. Personal injury, humiliation, and hardship were secondary in his eyes.

The Qur’an speaks of his intense concern for people’s guidance in many places. Allah says:

لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ، عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ، حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ، بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ
“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer. [He is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.”
(Surah al Tawbah 9:128)

Ta’if shows this concern in practice. “Grievous to him is what you suffer” means that he feels pain when others are harmed or misled. So instead of praying against those people, he worried about the suffering that would result if they remained in disbelief, and he saw a better path through patience and continued da‘wah.

Similarly, Allah describes his eagerness that people should believe:

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَاخِعٌ نَفْسَكَ عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ إِن لَّمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهَٰذَا الْحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا
“Then perhaps you would kill yourself with grief over their footsteps if they do not believe in this message, out of sorrow.”
(Surah al Kahf 18:6)

This verse shows the emotional weight the Prophet ﷺ carried. He cared so much that their rejection caused him deep sadness. But he did not turn that sadness into revenge. Rather, he transformed it into more patience, more effort, and more du‘a, as we see in Ta’if.

In that city, he asked its leaders to simply listen to the message of Islam. When they rejected and mocked him, they could not recognize that the one they insulted was actually the greatest mercy sent to them. Allah says:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”
(Surah al Anbiya’ 21:107)

At Ta’if, his status as a mercy to all worlds became very clear. Mercy does not only mean kindness toward those who are kind. It means wanting goodness even for those who are hostile. His hope that future generations from those people would worship Allah was an active expression of that mercy.

Forgiveness in the Face of Extreme Harm

The hurt he faced in Ta’if was not small. The narrations mention that the children and foolish people of the town were gathered to throw stones at him. His sandals filled with blood, and Zayd ibn Harithah رضي الله عنه, his close companion, tried to protect him with his own body until he was severely wounded.

This was not a single insult or a few harsh words. It was a coordinated public humiliation, physical assault, and rejection at a time when he had just suffered the loss of Khadijah رضي الله عنها and Abu Talib. Emotionally, it was a very low point in his worldly support.

However, his reaction teaches that forgiveness is most meaningful when the wound is deepest. Smaller offenses can be tolerated by anyone. The true beauty of his character appears when he forgives those who went far beyond any normal limit.

It is important here to notice that he did not excuse their actions as right. He did not say that what they did was acceptable. Instead, he shifted his focus from their wrongdoing to Allah’s greater plan. He turned away from the immediate pain and looked at the possibility of future faith. He placed his personal hurt under the greater priority of the message he carried.

The Prophet ﷺ taught believers in general:

وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ، وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Those who restrain anger and pardon people, and Allah loves the doers of good.”
(Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:134)

Although this verse speaks to the community of believers, the first and greatest example of it is in the life of the Prophet ﷺ himself. At Ta’if, he restrained his anger, pardoned those who hurt him, and then went beyond that and wished goodness for their descendants. He rose from merely “not retaliating” to active ihsan, or doing good.

His forgiveness also did not mean that he would never protect his community or take firm action when required by revelation. Later events in his life demonstrate that he did apply legal and political measures when necessary. However, Ta’if shows that his starting point was mercy. If there was any room for guidance, he would choose it before punishment.

The Fruits of His Mercy in Ta’if

One of the most powerful confirmations of his choice at Ta’if is what happened in later years. The city that once stoned him eventually became a place of Islam, prayer, and learning. Many of its people embraced the faith they had first refused.

While the detailed events of their later acceptance of Islam belong to other chapters, in this context it is enough to recognize that his hope was fulfilled. Allah did, in fact, bring from them people who worshipped Him alone. This fulfillment confirms that his choice of patience and forgiveness was far from naive. It was in harmony with Allah’s plan.

The Seerah shows that some of the harshest enemies of Islam in its early days later became among its strongest supporters. The Prophet ﷺ saw this possibility even at moments when others saw only hostility. At Ta’if, he did not limit his vision to the current generation. He looked beyond and saw the potential for future hearts to open.

This way of seeing people is a core part of his mercy. He did not fix people in their worst moment and judge them forever on that basis. Instead, he recognized that Allah can turn hearts, and that the child of one who throws stones today may one day stand in prayer, recite Qur’an, and spread justice.

His life illustrates the meaning of the verse:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا، إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
“Say, ‘O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.’”
(Surah al Zumar 39:53)

At Ta’if, his behavior was in harmony with this divine call. If Allah invites even the greatest sinners to repent and not despair, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reflected that same attitude in how he dealt with people. He did not push them further away by making du‘a against them. He left the door open for them and their descendants to respond to Allah’s mercy.

Mercy and Forgiveness as Part of His Universal Role

The episode of Ta’if connects directly to his universal mission. He was not sent to one tribe alone, nor to punish, but as a mercy to all. This universal mercy required a heart that could rise above personal suffering.

When Allah described his sending as a mercy, as mentioned:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ
(Surah al Anbiya’ 21:107)

this was not an abstract title. Ta’if shows what “mercy to the worlds” looks like in real life: a man, bleeding and exhausted, declining the destruction of those who attacked him, and instead hoping that their families would one day be people of Tawhid.

His mercy and forgiveness were not limited to Ta’if. Similar patterns appear at other key points in his life, such as the general amnesty at the Conquest of Makkah. However, Ta’if is unique because it came at a time of apparent weakness and deep personal loss. Forgiveness at the height of power is noble, but forgiveness at the depth of weakness displays an even more remarkable sincerity.

In this way, the journey to Ta’if, and especially his response there, stands as one of the clearest proofs of his prophethood. Human nature usually inclines to retaliation when hurt and to anger when humiliated. Yet the Prophet ﷺ consistently chose a different path that aligns perfectly with what revelation commands.

Allah says:

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ، فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ، كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ
“Repel (evil) with that which is best, then the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as if he were a close, devoted friend.”
(Surah Fussilat 41:34)

Ta’if illustrates “repel with that which is best.” He answered harm with patience, insult with supplication, and the offer of destruction with a hopeful plea for future guidance. In doing so, he provided a living example of this Qur’anic principle that would teach his followers to respond to hostility with a higher moral standard.

In summary, the episode of Ta’if is not only a story of physical pain and rejection. It is a lesson in how the Prophet ﷺ understood mercy. His heartfelt du‘a showed humility before Allah. His refusal to destroy his enemies, even when given the chance, displayed forgiveness rooted in hope for guidance. The later Islam of that region confirmed the wisdom of his choice. Above all, Ta’if remains a clear sign that his heart was filled with the mercy that Allah described in the Qur’an, mercy that extended even to those who, at that moment, were throwing stones at him.