Prophet Muhammad: A Man of Peace

He was a peace-loving personality in the complete sense. His peace-loving nature was so heightened that he did not even like to hear a child being named Harab which meant war and guided the parents to change it to Hasan which meant goodness. He believed in cultivating a peaceful character. He wanted his followers to do good works for the people, giving them the message of peace and prosperity, and not of death and destruction. MILITARY ACTIVITIES UNDER THE PROPHET’S LEADERSHIP The battles that took place during his life were only incidental and under exceptional circumstances. Therefore, these battles do not constitute the main feature of his life. However, most of the Prophet’s biographers have painted an altogether different picture of him. Instead of presenting him as a prophet of peace, they have portrayed him as a prophet of violence. The battles fought during the Prophet’s time were related to the culture prevailing amongst the Arab tribes. Before the Prophet’s birth, there was an ongoing conflict between two major tribes of Madinah, It is said that this war continued for 120 years and thousands of people perished in these battles, the prominent one of which was known by the name of the Battle of Buath. (Biography of the Prophet by Ibn Ishaq) The Prophet Muhammad was born when Arabia was divided by many different tribes, with several clans, all vying for domination. Fights between tribes and clans over trivial issues were common. Due to this culture, there were skirmishes between the Prophet’s followers and their opponents. However, most of the incidents that the biographers of the Prophet have presented as battles can be better classified as minor skirmishes instead. He began his mission of conveying God’s guidance to humankind in a peaceful manner. There was never any act of violence by the Prophet against those who objected to his teachings or oppressed him and his followers during the entire thirteen years of his life as a prophet in Makkah. While he was in Makkah, his teachings were always those of patience, tolerance and avoidance.