Chapter One

been converted into a centre for polytheism. 360 idols had been installed therein. One might think that, given this situation, the first commandment of the Quran should have been to purify the Kabah of these idols. But ignoring this problem, the Quran’s initial commandments were about the need for inner purification. Had the Prophet been ordered to purify the Kabah of idols at the very outset, at a time when the Quraysh polytheists were dominant in Makkah, it would inevitably have led to conflict and even war. Therefore, after being appointed as a prophet, the Prophet continued to pray peacefully for over a period of thirteen years at the Kabah even while scores of idols remained therein. Likewise, after he shifted to Madinah, he and his Companions performed the Umrah or ‘lesser pilgrimage’ to Makkah and circumambulated the Kabah following the Treaty of Hudaybiya (628 C.E.) at a time when these idols were still there. The Prophet acted in this way so that war and confrontation with the polytheists could be avoided and peace could be maintained. The entire life of the Prophet exemplified this peace-loving policy of his. The Quraysh of Makkah were ready to attack him, but he avoided this by quietly leaving the town and shifting to Madinah. Just before the Hudaybiya Treaty, war-like conditions prevailed, but the Prophet agreed to the Quraysh’s one-sided conditions and entered into a peace pact with them. Likewise, on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench (627 C.E.), a massive force of some 12,000 polytheists reached the outskirts of Madinah, challenging the Muslims to battle. However, the Prophet ordered a long trench to be dug around the town, thus establishing a buffer between the Muslims and their opponents. All this clearly indicates the great importance that the Prophet gave to peace. Islam’s mission centres on tawhid, the oneness of God. The purpose of Islam is to convince human beings to worship and serve only the one God. It aims to so transform people’s minds