There are moments when injustice does not whisper.
It laughs.

A man from the tribe of Iraash arrived in Mecca with nothing but his goods and trust. He struck a deal with Abu Jahl, handed over everything he owned, and waited for payment. When the time came, Abu Jahl denied the agreement entirely.

The man cried out in the marketplace, hoping someone would intervene.

Instead, he became entertainment.

The Quraysh laughed. They mocked. They enjoyed watching a powerless stranger be crushed by one of Mecca’s most feared men. This was not ignorance. It was moral collapse.

But the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was watching.

Some of the mockers, thinking themselves clever, approached him. They knew of the hostility between him and Abu Jahl and imagined a scene of chaos.

They said, “Why don’t you help him? You both share the same enemy.”

They expected drama.

They witnessed justice.

Without hesitation, the Prophet ﷺ took the stranger by the hand and walked straight to Abu Jahl’s home. No speeches. No theatrics. Just presence.

When Abu Jahl opened the door and saw him, the tyrant who had tortured Muslims and led persecution went pale. The Prophet ﷺ said only, “Give this man what is owed to him.”

And Abu Jahl obeyed.

No argument. No resistance.

Later, when asked what frightened him, Abu Jahl claimed he saw a massive camel behind the Prophet ﷺ, ready to trample him if he refused. Whether literal or symbolic, the message was unmistakable: when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood for justice, even the arrogant knew better than to test it.

What makes this moment extraordinary is not what the Prophet ﷺ did for himself, but what he never did.

For years, Abu Jahl had wronged him personally. Insults. Abuse. Violence. The Prophet ﷺ never demanded restitution for his own pain.

But a stranger was wronged.

And the Prophet ﷺ was at the door immediately.

This is prophetic strength.

Justice that does not wait for personal benefit.
Courage that is not transactional.
Leadership that shows up especially when no one else will.

Modern psychology tells us that one of the deepest human wounds is abandonment. Being unseen compounds pain more than loss itself. The Prophet ﷺ healed this at its root. He refused to leave anyone alone in their injustice, even when doing so cost him comfort, safety, and peace.

In a world trained to protect its own interests, he ﷺ taught us to protect people.

Especially the ones with no power.
Especially the ones with no allies.
Especially the strangers who can give us nothing in return.

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“Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”

Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan 'aḥad