Hadith (Sahih Muslim 1795)
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَرْحٍ وَحَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَعَمْرُو بْنُ سَوَّادٍ الْعَامِرِيُّ - وَأَلْفَاظُهُمْ مُتَقَارِبَةٌ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدَّثَتْهُ أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ أَتَى عَلَيْكَ يَوْمٌ كَانَ أَشَدَّ مِنْ يَوْمِ أُحُدٍ فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْ قَوْمِكِ وَكَانَ أَشَدَّ مَا لَقِيتُ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْعَقَبَةِ إِذْ عَرَضْتُ نَفْسِي عَلَى ابْنِ عَبْدِ يَالِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِ كُلاَلٍ فَلَمْ يُجِبْنِي إِلَى مَا أَرَدْتُ فَانْطَلَقْتُ وَأَنَا مَهْمُومٌ عَلَى وَجْهِي فَلَمْ أَسْتَفِقْ إِلاَّ بِقَرْنِ الثَّعَالِبِ فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي فَإِذَا أَنَا بِسَحَابَةٍ قَدْ أَظَلَّتْنِي فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا فِيهَا جِبْرِيلُ فَنَادَانِي فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ وَمَا رَدُّوا عَلَيْكَ وَقَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْكَ مَلَكَ الْجِبَالِ لِتَأْمُرَهُ بِمَا شِئْتَ فِيهِمْ قَالَ فَنَادَانِي مَلَكُ الْجِبَالِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَىَّ . ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ وَأَنَا مَلَكُ الْجِبَالِ وَقَدْ بَعَثَنِي رَبُّكَ إِلَيْكَ لِتَأْمُرَنِي بِأَمْرِكَ فَمَا شِئْتَ إِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ أُطْبِقَ عَلَيْهِمُ الأَخْشَبَيْنِ " . فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " بَلْ أَرْجُو أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَصْلاَبِهِمْ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ لاَ يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا " .
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1795
A’isha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that she asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ):
“O Messenger of Allah, has there ever come upon you a day more difficult than the day of Uhud?”
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Yes, I have experienced hardship from your people. The most difficult day I faced from them was on the Day of Al-ʿAqaba. I presented myself to Ibn ʿAbd Yalīl b. ʿAbd Kulāl with the aim of inviting him to Allah, but he did not respond as I wished. So I left with distress on my face and did not recover until I reached Qarn al-Thaʿālib.”
Then he (the Prophet ﷺ) looked up and saw a cloud shading him. In it was the Angel Jibrāʾīl (Gabriel), who called to him saying:
“Allah, the Most Glorious and Exalted, has heard what your people have said to you and how they responded to your call. He has sent to you the Angel in Charge of the Mountains so that you may order him as you wish concerning them.”
The angel then said:
“Muhammad, Allah has heard what your people said to you and how they rejected you. I am the Angel in Charge of the Mountains, and your Lord has sent me to you to do with them what you will. If you wish, I can bring together the two mountains that stand at the ends of Mecca to crush them between them.”
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then replied:*
“Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their descendants people who will worship Allah alone and will not associate anything with Him.”
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Introductory Comments
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Context of this Hadith
This narration is from Sahih Muslim and is part of the chapter titled “The persecution suffered by the Prophet (ﷺ) at the hands of the idolaters and hypocrites.” It recounts one of the occasions when the Prophet ﷺ faced intense rejection and emotional pain while calling his people to Islam.
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Historical Setting
The event referred to as the Day of Al-ʿAqaba relates to one of the early invitations of the Prophet ﷺ to the leaders and tribes of the Quraysh to accept Islam, before the major battles like Uhud took place. On this occasion, certain leaders refused to embrace the message, causing the Prophet ﷺ deep sadness.
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Lessons and Reflections
1. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ faced real hardship
This hadith shows that even the chosen Messenger of Allah ﷺ experienced emotional difficulty and rejection in his mission. He felt deeply when his message was refused, showing his human feelings of sorrow and empathy.
2. The Prophet’s ﷺ response was mercy and hope
Rather than wishing harm on those who rejected him—or commanding mountains to crush them—the Prophet ﷺ expressed hope that future generations of their descendants would be guided to worship Allah alone. This reflects his mercy, compassion, and long-term vision for guidance rather than punishment.
3. Mercy for all humanity
This event exemplifies one of the most fundamental aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mission: he was sent as a “mercy to the worlds” (rahmatan lil-ʿālamīn). Despite opposition, his priority was guidance, compassion, and the well-being of humanity—not retribution. The emphasis on hope for future guidance rather than destruction for rejection teaches Muslims to have patience, mercy, and optimism in spreading goodness.
This quality is repeatedly emphasized in the Qur’an where Allah describes the Prophet ﷺ as a mercy and a source of guidance even to those who rejected him initially.
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Key Takeaway
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ endured rejection and hardship with patience and deep concern for people’s spiritual welfare. His response to suffering was not retaliation but prayerful hope that future generations would know and worship Allah alone. This example encourages believers to respond to adversity with patience, compassion, and a desire for positive rather than negative change.