Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 29Allah, I submit my plaint to Thee. I am weak, and withoutmeans. My people look down upon me. Thou art Lord ofthe weak and the poor and Thou art my Lord. To whomwilt Thou abandon me—to strangers who push me aboutor to the enemy who oppresses me in my own town? IfThou art not angered at me, I care not for my enemy. Thymercy be with me. I seek refuge in the light of Thy face. Itis Thou Who canst drive away darkness from the worldand give peace to all, here and hereafter. Let not Thyanger and Thy wrath descend on me. Thou art neverangry except when Thou art pleased soon after. And thereis no power and no refuge except with Thee (Hisham andTabari).Having said this prayer, he set back for Mecca. Hestopped en route at Nakhla for a few days and set outagain. According to Meccan tradition he was no longer acitizen of Mecca. He had left it because he thought ithostile and could not return to it except with thepermission of the Meccans. Accordingly, he sent word toMut‘im bin ‘Adi—a Meccan chief, to ask if Meccanswould permit him to come back. Mut‘im, though asbitter an enemy as any other, possessed nobility ofheart. He collected his sons and relatives. Armingthemselves, they went to the Ka‘ba. Standing in thecourtyard he announced he was permitting theProphet sa to return. The Prophet sa then returned, andmade a circuit of the Ka‘ba. Mut‘im, his sons andrelatives, with swords unsheathed, then escorted theProphet sa to his house. It was not protection in thecustomary Arabian sense which had been extended tothe Prophet sa . The Prophet sa continued to suffer andMut‘im did not shield him. Mut‘im's act amounted to adeclaration of formal permission for the Prophet sa toreturn.The Prophet's sa journey to Ta‘if has extorted praiseeven from the enemies of Islam. Sir William Muir, in hisbiography of the Prophet sa , writes (speaking of thejourney to Ta’if):