PATIENCE AND COMPASSION

THE WOMAN WHO THREW GARBAGE AT RASULULLAH Prophet Muhammad, PBUM

                                        The wicked people among the Kuffar (Non-Muslims) enjoyed hurting Rasulullah (S) (Prophet Muhammad, PBUM ) . Only a small number of Muslims saw how patient he was. Seeing the Prophet's patience made their faith strong.

                                            One Kafir (Non-Muslim)woman especially hated Muhammad (S). He walked down the street where she lived every day. She decided that she was going to give him trouble.

                                               The woman swept her house every day. She started saving all the garbage and dirt, and she threw it on Rasulullah (S) whenever he passed her house. Doing this made her feel very good. Now I have taken revenge for our idols she thought. But she expected Muhammad (S) to become angry at what she did. "Perhaps he will shout at me she thought. "Then people will see Muhammad (S) getting mad. That will be a great thing."

                                                However, when she threw the garbage on Rasulullah (S), he didn't say anything. He just continued on his way. Silently he prayed that the woman might accept Islam. The Kuffar thought that Muhammad (S) was too afraid to shout at the woman. They didn't realize that he was too gentle to do that. If Rasulullah (S) had cursed the woman, Allah would have destroyed her, but Rasulullah (S) had come to save people from Kufr, not to destroy them.

                                               Rasulullah (S) continued to walk down the same street every day. He didn't go by a different route, because he didn't want to disappoint the woman. He hoped that Allah would guide her to the truth.

                                        One day as Rasulullah (S) walked down the street, there was no garbage. Rasulullah (S) was surprised. He asked people what had happened to the woman. "She's very sick," they told him. "She can't even get up to do her own work."

                                            Rasulullah (S) was sad to hear this. Since it was his habit to visit the sick and to pray for their health, he went to the woman's house right away. People told her that Muhammad (S) had come to visit her. He has come to show his anger, she thought. Today I'm sick, and I can't even talk back to him. But she decided to let him come in. Rasulullah (S) entered her house. He looked at the woman kindly. He spoke to her gently and asked how she was. Then he prayed to Allah that she might get well. Right away she felt better.

        

                                            The woman was ashamed of what she had done to Muhammad (S). Now she realized that he was not an ordinary person. Anyone else in his situation would certainly have been happy about her sickness. But Rasulullah (S) was so kind that it made him sad to see her suffer.

                                            She now understood that Muhammad (S) was Allah's prophet. She begged him to forgive her, and he did so with great kindness. The woman who had been Rasulullah's(Prophet of God) enemy and who had thrown garbage on him day after day now accepted Islam!