Insight

The Prophet ﷺ was speaking with the leaders of Quraysh, hoping they would accept Islam, when a blind man interrupted with a question. He frowned and turned away.

Allah revealed a surah about it.

Why This Incident

Because of what it demonstrates. The correction was recorded in the Qur'an, permanently, and the Prophet ﷺ recited it himself for the rest of his life — which tells a reader something about the honesty of the revelation and something about the man who conveyed it without editing.

And because of what it establishes: that the poor man asking about his religion mattered more than the assembled nobility of Makkah, and that assessing people by their standing is exactly the error being corrected.

What the Book Draws From It

The lesson is addressed to a young adult audience with contemporary concerns in view — materialism, status, who is worth your time, and the transient nature of what people spend their lives accumulating.

Twenty-four pages, retold to be read rather than studied.

Related Reading

• The Revelation — the same authors on the coming of revelation
• Man and a Horse — the same authors on how animals are treated
• Life is a Fading Shadow — on the brevity of worldly life, for adults