They wrote the following orders on the skin of a sheep and...

They wrote the following orders on the skin of a sheep and hung it on the door of Ka'aba in Mecca. “Do not buy or sell to Muslims.” “Do not salute the Muslims nor speak to them.” “Do not give or take daughters in marriage from any Muslim. Do not have any dealing with them.” Thus the people of Quraish went on oppressing and torturing the Prophet and his followers. They would throw dirt on him when he walked on the streets of Mecca.

One day (S) secretly went out of Taif to convey the message of Islam to the people there. But the leaders of that place laughed and jeered at the Prophet. They were always intoxicated by drinking wine made from the grapes. The Prophet was persuading them to leave this bad habit and was saying that drinking wine has no benefit, it makes man senseless, it badly affects health and more so, it draws man far away from God.

That day, the Prophet having conveyed to the people of Taif what he wished to about Islam, decided to return to Mecca. But on the way the children threw stones and laughed at him, When he managed to be rid of them, he took shelter and rested under the shadow of a grape tree. He raised his face toward the sky and said: “Oh God! I complain to Thee for my inability.” “Oh God! I pray to Thee to lead these people to the right path.” “Oh God! You are the Forgiver and Kind”.

Incidentally Atba and his brother Shaiba were in the same garden. On hearing this prayer of the Prophet, they felt sorry. They called their servant Adas and gave him a plate full of sweet grapes and asked him to deliver them to the Prophet so that he may recover from fatigue. Adas took the plate of grapes and presented it to the Prophet. Before he started eating the grapes, the Prophet said “Bismillah” (in the name of one God). Adas was an Iraqi Arab.

On hearing this, he began to wonder and asked what are these words. “I have never heard them before!” (S) asked, “Where are you from?” Adas replied, “I have come from Nainawa” (a region in Iraq presently known as Kerbala. The Prophet asked, “Have you heard of the Prophet Yunus?” Adas said, “Yes! Yunus was a Prophet.

But why have you mentioned his name to me?” The Prophet replied, “I, like Yunus, also am a Prophet and have come from the One God for the guidance of mankind.” Adas had already heard before of the truthfulness and trustworthiness of (S). Now he became attracted towards him because of his kindness and good character.