The Prophet's Character Transforms Hatred into Love

Adi bin Hatim was a respected chief of the Thai tribe. He inherited leadership from his father. Like most Arab tribal chiefs at the time, Adi received a quarter of his people’s income as tax. His life was stable and his wealth abundant.

However, he deeply hated the Prophet Muhammad, even though he had never met the bearer of the Islamic message.

Adi grew increasingly anxious upon hearing that the Prophet’s influence was strengthening across the Arabian Peninsula. Several tribal chiefs had already embraced Islam and joined Medina. Adi feared the Prophet’s arrival would threaten his own leadership.

One day, his servant reported seeing the banners of Muhammad’s army surrounding their settlement. In haste, Adi gathered his family and immediately fled north towards Syam. However, his sister was left behind. He did not dare return, hoping only that she could somehow follow later.

His hope was fulfilled. His sister eventually appeared, arriving with a group from Medina, and she was furious.

“You abandoned us. You took your wife and children, but left me and the others behind,” she scolded.

Adi tried to calm her anger. She then recounted the noble character of the Prophet Muhammad.

“After our land was attacked, I and several other residents were taken captive to Medina,” his sister explained.

“There, we were detained near the mosque. When the Prophet passed by, I called out to him. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, my father has passed away, and the one who guaranteed my safety has vanished. So, bestow upon me the grace that Allah has bestowed upon you.’”

The Prophet asked, “Who is your guarantor?”

She replied, “Adi bin Hatim.”

The Prophet then asked, “The one who fled from Allah and His Messenger?”

She said the Prophet then left her. The next day, she called out to him again with the same plea, and he gave the same response. On the third day, she repeated her request, and a man behind the Prophet gestured for her to speak. She told the Prophet her guarantor had abandoned her, and she needed his mercy. The Prophet replied, “I have granted it.” He then arranged for her to travel with a trustworthy caravan heading to Syam, providing her with clothing and provisions.

When she reunited with her brother, Adi bin Hatim, she told him of the Prophet’s kindness. She urged him to meet the Prophet himself, saying, “If he is a prophet, you will know it, and if he is a king, you will not be humbled in his presence.”

Adi travelled to Medina and met the Prophet, who invited him to his home. On the way, an old woman stopped the Prophet to complain, and he stood patiently listening until she finished. Adi thought to himself, “This is not the manner of a king.”

Inside the Prophet’s humble home, the Prophet offered Adi a cushion to sit on, while he himself sat on the bare floor. Adi insisted the Prophet take the cushion, but he refused. Adi then realised, “This is not the manner of a king.”

The Prophet then invited Adi to Islam, explaining the core principles of the faith and addressing Adi’s concerns about his leadership and wealth. Through this encounter, Adi bin Hatim’s hatred transformed into love, and he embraced Islam.