1002 — Al-Firyābī also narrated to us, saying: Ahmad ibn Īsā narrated to us, saying: Abd Allāh ibn Wahb narrated to us, from Yūnus ibn Yazīd, from Ibn Shihāb, who said: Urwa ibn al-Zubayr informed me that Āisha (may Allah be pleased with her) told him that she said to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah, did you ever endure a day harder than the Day of Uhud?”

He replied, “I certainly suffered at the hands of your people, and the worst I suffered from them was on the Day of al-Aqaba, when I presented myself to Ibn Abd Yālīl ibn Abd Kulāl, but he did not respond to what I sought. I departed, overwhelmed with sorrow and heedless of where I was going, and I did not come to my senses until I had reached Qarn al-Tha'ālib. Suddenly, I saw a cloud shading me. I looked and saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) within it. He called to me and said, ‘Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, has heard what your people said to you and how they rejected you. He has sent you the Angel of the Mountains so that you may command him concerning them as you wish.’

“The Angel of the Mountains then called to me and greeted me with peace. He said, ‘O Muhammad, Allah has heard what your people said to you. I am the Angel of the Mountains, and your Lord has sent me to you so that you may command me ⦗1479⦘ to do whatever you wish. If you wish, shall I crush them between the two mountains?’”

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “Rather, I hope that Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, will bring forth from their loins people who worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him.”

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn (may Allah Most High have mercy on him) said: Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, has said:

“It is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within Mecca after giving you victory over them.” [al-Fath 48:24]

This verse demonstrates the Prophet’s graciousness toward a group of the people of Mecca whom he overcame after they had plotted against him. Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, did not allow them to accomplish the plot they intended. The Prophet gained the upper hand over them, yet pardoned them out of compassion and mercy toward them.