Death of Khadijah
Khadijah, weakened by the years of the boycott in the valley, died not long after its end. She had been the Prophet's first believer, his support during the terror of the first revelation, and the mother of all his surviving children except Ibrahim. He never spoke of her without affection for the rest of his life. The Prophet ﷺ said of her: 'Allah did not give me anyone better than her in this world.'
Death of Abu Talib
Abu Talib, the uncle who had raised him from age eight and protected him publicly even when the Quraysh threatened, died shortly after Khadijah. He never publicly accepted Islam, but the Prophet ﷺ grieved him deeply and remained grateful for his protection. Without Abu Talib, the Prophet ﷺ now had no formal tribal protector in Mecca.
The journey to Ta'if
Looking for a community that would receive the message, the Prophet ﷺ travelled to the city of Ta'if, about 100 km from Mecca, with his adopted son Zayd. The leadership of Ta'if rejected him cruelly and incited the city's children to throw stones at him as he left. Zayd shielded him with his own body. They walked back bloodied.
The supplication of Ta'if
The supplication the Prophet ﷺ is reported to have made on the road back from Ta'if — placing his condition before Allah without complaining about his attackers — has been preserved in the Sirah literature. When Allah offered, through an angel, to crush the people of Ta'if between the surrounding mountains, the Prophet ﷺ refused, hoping that their descendants might one day believe.
Reflection
The Year of Sorrow demonstrates that the Prophet ﷺ was not exempt from the most ordinary human grief, and that even at the lowest moment of his mission he chose mercy over revenge — refusing to wish destruction on the people who had injured him.
Primary sources
- Sahih Bukhari 3818 (on Khadijah)
- Sahih Muslim 1795 (the angel of the mountains)
- Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah