The books of Seerah mention an incident which took place during the Hijrah of the Prophet (ﷺ) from Makkah to Madinah. At one point, the Prophet (ﷺ), Abu Bakr (R), and their guide encountered a fork in the road. 
They could choose to travel through a mountain pass which was home to two notorious highway robbers, or they could choose a different (and safer) route. The Prophet (ﷺ) chose to travel through the mountain pass. He wanted to meet and speak with the highway robbers.
One thing to keep in mind here is that the Hijrah was not a leisurely journey for the Prophet (ﷺ). As he was preparing to leave Makkah, the leaders of Quraysh were planning to assassinate him. After he left the city, he was pursued by bounty hunters.
Anyone else in such a dangerous situation might not have stopped to have a conversation and with highway robbers no less, but the Prophet (ﷺ) never missed an opportunity to share the message of Islam. No matter what he faced in his personal life, he never gave up on his mission.
The narration continues and mentions that as they entered the mountain pass, the Prophet (ﷺ) called out to the highway robbers. They were surprised by this as most people usually tried to avoid them. The Prophet (ﷺ) presented Islam to them and they became Muslim.
Afterwards, he asked their names and this part of the story is just amazing subhanAllah. The highway robbers said, “We are the two disgraced and wretched individuals.” This is how they were known because of their past actions and current lifestyle.
The Prophet (ﷺ) looked at them and said, “No. You are actually two honorable individuals.” He then instructed them to come see him in Madinah and continued with his journey.
This story is short but powerful. The way in which the Prophet (ﷺ) understood, engaged with, and encouraged people is amazing. Sometimes people lose hope and give up on themselves because of their past mistakes, or because others have given up on them.
The Prophet (ﷺ) was able to see the good in everyone even, and especially when they were not able to see it within themselves. He was the one who reached out his hand and pulled others up. He inspired the people around him to achieve their potential.
These two individuals started their day as highway robbers and went to sleep that night as Sahabah (R), as Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). SubhanAllah. This is one of the stories that always reminds me why we study and teach Seerah.
I'm really looking forward to this year's Seerah Intensive inshaAllah. There are so many beautiful stories from the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) and I hope y'all will join us as we learn from them.
Learn more about Seerah Intensive: qalamintensives.com
Learn more about Seerah Intensive: qalamintensives.com
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