The Gift of Grapes: How “Bismillah” Healed a Wounded Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

The Wound of Taif

After the heartbreak of Taif, when stones chased the Prophet ﷺ until his sandals filled with blood, he sought shelter beneath a tree beside an old garden wall. Alone, exhausted, and rejected, he lifted his face to the sky and made a duʿa that still trembles through the ages, a plea of love, patience, and surrender.

In that moment of exhaustion, when the mission seemed broken, help arrived in the gentlest form: not an army, not a miracle, but a bowl of grapes.

Mercy Sent in Grapes

Inside that garden were Utbah and Shaybah, sons of Rabīʿah, distant uncles of the Prophet ﷺ. Though they did not believe in his message, they were moved by pity and tribal honor. “How could they do this to one of our own?” they whispered.

So they sent their servant with a bowl of grapes.

His name was Addas, a Christian from Nineveh in Iraq. He approached quietly, placing the fruit before the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet raised his hands and said, “Bismillah”, before eating.

Addas froze. “What is this word you said? The people of this land never speak like that.”

The Prophet ﷺ smiled with compassion. “It is something my Lord has taught me. And where are you from, O Addas?”

“I am from Nineveh,” he replied.

At that, the Prophet’s eyes lit with warmth. “The city of Yunus ibn Matta, the Prophet of Allah?”

Addas’s heart skipped. “How do you know of Yunus? No one here speaks his name!”

The Prophet ﷺ said, “He is my brother, and I am his brother. We are both prophets of Allah.”

Something broke open inside Addas. He fell at the Prophet’s feet, kissing them with reverence, tears filling his eyes. He believed not because of a miracle, but because of one simple word spoken with sincerity: “Bismillah.”

When “Bismillah” Becomes Dawah

That word born of remembrance, even in pain, became the seed of faith in a heart that had never met him before.

When Addas returned, his masters stared in disbelief.
“Woe to you! Why do you kiss that man’s hands and feet?” they scolded.

Addas replied, “There is no one on earth better than he. He told me what only a prophet could know.”

They sneered, “He has bewitched you from your religion.”
But Addas was no longer theirs to command.

Years later, when the Battle of Badr came, Utbah and Shaybah ordered him to fight. He refused, saying, “By Allah, even the mountains could not harm him.” Both masters died that day, and Addas’s quiet faith was vindicated.

The Lesson Behind the Grapes

Even exhausted and bleeding, the Prophet ﷺ remembered Allah before tasting the grapes. That small act of dhikr opened the gate to guidance for another soul.

Here lies a timeless truth: remembrance transforms pain into light.

What left him humiliated before men became the very moment Allah honored him before the unseen. When Taif closed its doors, Allah opened a heart in Nineveh.

This was more than comfort; it was prophecy in motion. The message of mercy would not be confined to Arabia; it would travel across deserts, seas, and centuries.

Nineveh, the land that once resisted Yunus عليه السلام, would later embrace the message of his brother Muhammad ﷺ.

Applying This Teaching to Our Lives

1. Say “Bismillah” in Every Beginning

Just as the Prophet ﷺ began even in pain with Allah’s name, begin your meals, tasks, and moments of uncertainty with Bismillah.

• Hadith: “Every important matter that does not begin with Bismillah is cut off from blessing.” (Abu Dawud 4840)

• Benefit: Saying it activates mindfulness, anchoring the brain in purpose rather than autopilot. Neuroscientists link this to the prefrontal cortex, the seat of focused awareness.

2. Respond with Dignity, Not Bitterness

When hurt, remember how the Prophet ﷺ showed gentleness even after rejection. Emotional regulation through faith helps release resentment and reduce cortisol spikes, protecting both the heart and body.

3. Trust Allah’s Hidden Openings

The rejection at Taif became the doorway to a new world of hearts. What feels like loss may conceal divine redirection. Train yourself to pause and say, “Allah knows what I do not.”

4. See the Power in Small Acts

One phrase, “Bismillah,” guided a man from another nation. Never underestimate the ripple of sincerity. Your small dhikr, your quiet patience, may awaken someone’s heart long after you forget it.

FAQ

Q1: Why is the story of Taif so significant in Seerah?
Because it marks the Prophet’s lowest outward point and highest inward surrender, a model of how spiritual victory begins in humility.

Q2: Who was Addas in Islamic tradition?
Addas was a Christian servant from Nineveh who believed in the Prophet ﷺ after their meeting in Taif.

Q3: What lesson does “Bismillah” teach us?
It teaches awareness that every act, even eating grapes, can become worship when begun with Allah’s name.

Q4: How does neuroscience relate to dhikr?
Consistent remembrance strengthens neural pathways for calm and focus, reducing amygdala reactivity, the center of fear and anger.

Q5: What does Taif teach about rejection?
That rejection is not divine abandonment; it is often divine selection, the pruning before fruitfulness.

Footnotes

1. Davidson, R. J. & Lutz, A. “Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation.” IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, 2008.

2. McEwen, B. S. “Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators.” New England Journal of Medicine, 1998.

3. Brewer, J. et al. “Meditation Experience is Associated with Differences in Default Mode Network Activity.” PNAS, 2011.