Don’t Let Blood Flow Where “Water” Is Sufficient

DON’T LET BLOOD FLOW WHERE “WATER” IS SUFFICIENT The Prophet’s model inspires us to gain the love and sympathy of people through kindness, benevolence, forgiveness and patience. I would like to conclude by quoting an incident from the life of the Prophet. Once the Prophet and his Companions were conversing in the Mosque of Madinah. Some moments later, a Bedouin Arab entered the mosque and defiled a spot in the precincts of the sanctuary. The Prophet’s Companions became furious and rose to beat up the Bedouin. The Prophet forbade them and instead directed them to purify the soiled spot by pouring a bucket of water on it. The Bedouin thereafter returned to his tribe. Since this experience with the Prophet influenced him profoundly, he would roam about the streets telling his tribesmen how he had desecrated Muslims’ place of worship and he would enthusiastically exclaim: “By God, Muhammed did not rebuke me! By God, Muhammad did not chastise me!” (Sunan Ibn Majah 1:529)