Quranic Wisdom

the life of the Prophet of Islam that aptly illustrates this principle. The Prophet of Islam migrated from Makkah to Madinah in 622 A.D. at which time there were some Jewish tribes living in Madinah. One day it happened that the Prophet of Islam saw a funeral procession passing through a street in Madinah. The Prophet was seated at that time. On seeing the funeral, he stood up out of respect. One of his companions said, “O Prophet, that was the funeral of a Jew, not a Muslim.” The Prophet replied: “Was he not a human being?” This means that the Prophet of Islam discovered a commonality between himself and that Jew, because both were men and both were created by God. Both had the same common ancestor; both were members of a universal human society. This commonality was enough to provide a basis upon which both could co-exist. This formula of mutual respect is useful for all religious groups. By adhering to it, every religious group can flourish without any kind of confrontation. How to Face Problems T he Prophet of Islam started his mission in the first quarter of the seventh century in Arabia—an age of religious persecution. The Prophet’s mission was based on the oneness of God, while the people of that time were believers in idolatry. So they became hostile to the Prophet and he and his companions became victims of various kinds of problems. It was obviously an unfavourable situation for the Prophet and his companions. At this critical juncture, God revealed a meaningful piece of guidance which is recorded in the chapter AlSharh (Comfort) of the Quran. This divine guidance is as follows: