EVENTS

619 CE / The Year of Deep Sorrow. 10th Year of Prophethood

Important events and incidences that took place

The difficulties of the Prophet and his followers did not come to an end after the annulment of the ban. Six months after the end of the boycott Abu Talib fell ill and it soon became clear that he was dying. The strain of the boycott had proved too heavy for him. It was at this time that a deputation of Quraysh visited him at his deathbed. It was here that they inclined to offer terms of peace to Muhammad on the condition that he refrained from criticising their faith and their gods. However, there could be no such agreement for the Prophet as ‘there was no god but God, and all other gods were false’. 

The Prophet then longed for his uncle to accept Islam and so he called upon him once again to embrace it. He seemed to lend him an ear but was cut short by Abu Lahab and his ilk and so he stuck to the religion of his people and died upon this.

A short while after the death of Abu Talib, Khadijah, the wife of the Prophet; the Mother of the believers, also passed away. The deaths of Abu Talib and Khadijah marked the end of an era. Abu Talib had been more than a father to the Prophet, and in spite of the strong pressure of Quraysh, he had protected him to the last breath, even leaving a bequest in his favour.

Khadijah had been for the Prophet more than wife. She placed her wealth at his disposal, never faltering she showered him with love, honour, and support. Not only was she the mother of his children, she was also his most sincere advisor and an ardent believer.

The passing away of Abu Talib and Khadijah created a great vacuum in the life of the Prophet. The loneliness he once felt in the cave of Hira had returned. The intensity of his grief was so great that the year of the deaths of Abu Talib and Khadijah came to be known as the ‘Year of Sorrow’.

These two painful events took place within a short space of time and added to his grief. The Makkans, now with the Prophet’s protector absent, openly declared their campaign of torture and oppression. It was then that he decided to seek help from Thaqif, the people of Ta’if – the guardians of the temple goddess al-Lat.

In the month of Shawwal, Muhammad set out towards Ta’if, about sixty kilometres from Makkah. He approached the welcoming orchards and gardens and cornfields in the company of his freed slave Zaid bin Harithah inviting people to Islam. contrary to his expectations, the general atmosphere was that of hostility. He approached various notables, all of whom rejected his call.

He remained amongst them for ten days, but all to no purpose. Stirred up to hasten the departure of the unwelcome visitor, the people hooted him through the alleyways, pelted him with stones and obliged him to flee from the city pursued by a relentless rabble. Blood flowed down his body; and Zaid, endeavouring to shield him, was also wounded in the head. The mob would not desist until they had chased him two or three miles across the sandy plains to the foot of the surrounding hills. There, wearied and exhausted, he took refuge in one of the numerous orchards, and rested against the wall of a vineyard.

LESSONS & WISDOMS

619 CE / The Year of Deep Sorrow

A closer look at the events; in search of deeper meanings and drawing lessons

The troubles for the Muslim community did not finish with the end of the social boycott. Frustrated at the failure of the boycott, the Quraysh were in a sullen and hostile mood, and they began to adopt even more stringent measures to try and quash the new movement. In this year the Prophet suffered two great losses in the death of his wife Khadijah and his uncle Abu Talib. Still further, the Prophet then faced the difficult rejection of his call from the people of Ta’if. The following lessons can be learnt from the events of this year:

1) The Prophet had lived with his wife Khadijah in profound harmony for twenty-five years, and she had been not only his wife but also his intimate friend, his wise counsellor, and mother to his whole household including ‘Ali & Zayd. When she past away his four daughters were overcome with grief, but he was able to comfort them by telling them that Gabriel had once come to him and told him to give Khadijah greetings of Peace from her Lord and to tell her that He had prepared for her an abode in Paradise- such is the lofty status of Khadijah.

The death of Abu Talib as a disbeliever was of great grief to the Prophet; he had been his guardian from the age of eight.Though the outward consequences for the entire Muslim community was more serious. It is said that God had decreed that he die a disbeliever so that people could not attribute the establishment of the Islamic state (later to occur) to Abu Talib and thereby discredit the role of the Muslim community. Or possibly speculate that in reality Islam was nothing more than a tribal movement seeking leadership in Arabia. 

2) A group of Qurashite leaders visited Abu Talib on his deathbed and managed to dissuade him from accepting the longing call of the Prophet to embrace Islam. Such a terrible fate is a clear proof that only God, the all Mighty, is able to guide the hearts of His creation. Not even the most eloquent caller to Islam, the messenger of God, was able to convince his uncle.

3) Due to the noble tribal status of his uncle the Prophet was always shielded from the callousness of the Qurashites. However, after his death they were unrelenting in their abuse. The Prophet responded with great patience and placed his reliance upon his Lord. He was always optimistic of change. For instance, it was reported that a Qurashite threw dust on his head. His daughter wept as she cleaned it off but the Prophet remarked, “Don’t cry. Your Lord will protect your father”.

The Prophet’s trip to Ta’if had ample lessons to be learnt: 

1) The Prophet sought out the three leaders of the Thaqif tribe as he knew that if they accepted Islam the masses would follow suit. Likewise if they rejected him it was obvious that there was little hope. Hence he did not tarry long in Ta’if.

2) The Prophet demonstrated remarkable patience at Ta’if, despite the brutal treatment they mete out to him. He chose not to respond with revenge, though it was at his disposal, but rather prayed for their guidance. This shows us that in general one should always pray for mankind’s guidance even if they show enmity to you.

3) The supplication of the Prophet illustrates just how intimate his relationship with God was. In this crisis he was was pushed to his limit which ultimately further developed a complete reliance upon God. He knew he could no longer rely on human companionship, as he did with Khadijah, nor security through his noble uncle Abbas, for “there was no protector save God”.

4) The proof of the existence of Jinn who became a source consolation for the Prophet as it was revealed to him that they had listened to him reciting the Quran and had converted to Islam and went on to propagate it to their kind. In this was also an indication of a near success which would arise from a seemingly unknown source i.e. Madinah.

5) The vigilance of the Prophet regarding the political system of the Quraishites and its subtle nuances enabled him to utilize it and secure a safe return. 

6) The Prophet never once complained of his tough ordeal to his people upon return, he did display a ‘victim-mentality’ and nor is such a attitude a motif of the Quran. This is because it is not a dignified mentality, and such an attitude does not befit a believer who believes in an All-Mighty Being who Hears and Sees all. Our Prophet suffered more at the hands of his detractors than any Muslim in our time, yet he maintained a moral dignity and an internal courage.

EDICTS & RULINGS

619 CE / The Year of Deep Sorrow

Revelation and rulings particular to this year

“The following were revealed in relation to the events that occurred this year:

Verse 56 of the Quranic chapter al-Qasas was revealed regarding the Prophets attempt to advise Abu Talib to accept Islam,

Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but God guides whom He pleases, and He knows best the followers of the right way.

Verses 29-32 of the Quranic chapter al-Ahqaf were reveled regarding the Prophets encounter with the Jinn,

And when We turned towards you a party of the jinn who listened to the Quran; so when they came to it, they said: Be silent; then when it was finished, they turned back to their people warning (them).

They said: O our people! we have listened to a Book revealed after Musa verifying that which is before it, guiding to the truth and to a right path:

O our people! accept the Divine caller and believe in Him, He will forgive you of your faults and protect you from a painful punishment.

And whoever does not accept the-Divine caller, he shall not escape in the earth and he shall not have guardians besides Him, these are in manifest error.

Verse 1 of the Quranic chapter al-Jinn was also revealed regarding this incident,

Say: It has been revealed to me that a party of the jinn listened, and they said: Surely we have heard a wonderful Quran,”

CONTENTIOUS NARRATIVES

619 CE / The Year of Deep Sorrow

Polemical rebuttals particular to this year

We have not found any contentious narratives particular to this year. If your aware of any such narratives, please select the feedback button below and inform us; quoting any citations.