Prophet Muhammad as he walks out of Taif make this dua with shoes full of blood, wounds all over his body and after having been insulted, ridiculed and abused by the people of Taif to whom he had taken recourse seeking a place of refuge. Moreover, this occurs after three years of suffering a boycott at the hands of the Quraysh as a result of which Muslims were reduced to eating grass and leaves off of trees. Prophet Muhammad make this powerful supplication:
Dua at Ta’if – A Beautiful Dua, Especially During Trying Times
Dua at Ta’if
“O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and the humiliation I have been subjected to by the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you entrusted me?
To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair? So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favor is of a more expansive relief to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure descends upon me. I desire Your pleasure and satisfaction until You are pleased.
There is no power and no might except by You.”
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
"O Allah! I complain to You of my weakness, my scarcity of resources and the humiliation I have been subjected to by the people. O Most Merciful of those who are merciful. O Lord of the weak and my Lord too. To whom have you entrusted me?
To a distant person who receives me with hostility? Or to an enemy to whom you have granted authority over my affair? So long as You are not angry with me, I do not care. Your favor is of a more expansive relief to me. I seek refuge in the light of Your Face by which all darkness is dispelled and every affair of this world and the next is set right, lest Your anger or Your displeasure descends upon me. I desire Your pleasure and satisfaction until You are pleased.
There is no power and no might except by You."
One of the most important lessons of the journey of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj (Night Journey and Ascension) is that it highlights the high status that Al-Aqsa Mosque has in the Muslim Ummah. It was to Al-Aqsa Mosque that the Night Journey of Prophet Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) was made and from it that the Prophet’s ascension to the Heavens took place.
The journey of Al-Israa’ was a sign that the leadership of the world would move to the Muslim Ummah. Such leadership was based on mercy and justice, not on oppression and aggression.
Another significant lesson of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj is knowing the importance of prayer; it is through prayer that one can directly communicate with his Almighty Lord.
Al-Israa’ was a land-to-land journey that Allah Almighty caused His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to make from Makkah to Jerusalem, that is, from Almighty Allah’s Sacred House to Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless, in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who Heareth and Seeth (all things). [17:1]
Let us now take into consideration the facts that Allah Almighty had blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and its neighborhood and referred to it even before even the Prophet’s Mosque was built, as the Prophet’s Mosque was established after his immigration to Madinah.
Mind also that when Prayer was ordained on the Muslims, Al-Aqsa Mosque was the qiblah to which they were to turn during Prayer. They would turn their faces in Prayer towards it for three years in Makkah, and for 16 months in Madinah before the qiblah was changed to Allah’s Sacred House.
Besides, Al-Aqsa Mosque is one of the three mosques to which Muslims are required to dedicate time for visiting; the other two mosques are the Sacred Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque. This shows that Jerusalem is the third sacred place after Makkah and Madinah in Islam.
Allah Almighty wanted to establish and emphasize the significance and sacredness of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Muslims’ hearts so that they do not cede it for anything. They are to hold it as sacred as both Allah’s Sacred House and His Prophet’s Mosque.
That was why the Muslims [when they were strong] were zealous to keep Al-Aqsa Mosque under their rule and protection.
Hence, Muslims must realize the importance of Jerusalem in their history and the significance of Al-Aqsa Mosque in their religion and life.
Prayer is the gift that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought with him from that journey to all Muslims so that they can worship Allah Almighty through it.
Prayer had to do with Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa Mosque was the first qiblah in Islam. If it is true that Al-Israa’ took place in the tenth year of the Prophet’s mission, this would mean that the Muslims’ qiblah in Prayer was towards Al-Aqsa Mosque for three years before the Hijrah to Madinah and 16 months after it.
Then Almighty Allah decreed that the qiblah be changed towards the Sacred Mosque. Allah Almighty says:
(So turn thy face toward the Inviolable Place of Worship, and ye (O Muslims), wheresoever ye may be, turn your faces when ye pray) toward it.) [2: 144]
To sum up, Prayer is the spiritual means through which Muslims can ascend to their Lord. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ascended to heaven we, brothers and sisters, could spiritually ascend to there as much as we can through Prayer.
There is so many lessons we can learn from the stories of prophets , their struggles how they dealt with trials and tribulations, no storm could stop their mission . They were patient and had total reliance on the creator Allah . How beautiful their patience and contentment