THOUGHTS WORTH CONSIDERING HAJR JAMEEL

HAJR JAMEEL (GRACEFUL AVOIDANCE) O Abu Bakr, isn’t he the Messenger of God? He replied: Yes. Umar asked: Are we not believers in God? He answered: Yes. Umar inquired: Are they not non-believers in God? He responded: Yes. Then why should we accept humiliation in our religion? (Sirah Ibn Kathir, Vol. 3, p. 320) According to narrations, Umar voiced the same concerns directly to the Prophet. What warrants reflection here is that the Prophet, despite the excesses of the Quraysh, agreed to a peace treaty with one-sided terms. This was based on an important Islamic wisdom: to create a moderate environment through a peace agreement so that the message of Islam could proceed effectively. This wisdom, however, was not included in the peace treaty, nor was it announced publicly at Hudaybiyyah, even despite Umar’s dissatisfaction and that of other companions. This is the second aspect of graceful avoidance—one that always stays hidden. It can’t be fully conveyed in words. If it were expressed openly, its true meaning would be lost. In such situations, people have only two correct options. Either they should be wise enough to understand the meaning between the lines without it being openly stated, or, if they lack that awareness, they should trust in their leader’s insight. They should, based on trust and goodwill, believe that what their leader has said is surely rooted in deep wisdom. Our responsibility is to follow our leader, not to question his honesty.