THE OBEDIENCE OR DISOBEDIENCE OF GOD’S COMMAND

THE OBEDIENCE OR DISOBEDIENCE OF GOD’S COMMAND the story of Gharaniq, which specific individuals fabricated while the Prophet Muhammad was in Makkah. However, when Makkah was conquered in 8 AH (After Hijrah), the Prophet Muhammad gained complete authority over the polytheists who had propagated this story. Yet, he did not declare that these individuals had invented the false tale of Gharaniq and deserved to be killed or condemned to hell. On the contrary, the Prophet forgave them and said, “Go, you are all free” (Ibn Kathir, Al-Sirah, Vol. 3, p. 570). In this matter, the Prophet relied on the ideological power of Islam rather than the power of the sword. Through the ideological influence of Islam, the opponents were conquered. Once granted freedom, they were deeply impacted by Islam’s faith and the prophet’s noble character. Consequently, they wasted no time embracing Islam and becoming devoted servants of God. 2. In his book, Salman Rushdie derisively refers to the Prophet of Islam as ‘Mahound’ in an attempt to distort his image. This name originated in Europe after the Crusades (1095-1291). Another example of such malicious behaviour during the Prophet’s time is narrated in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet) and Seerah (biography of the Prophet). Although the Prophet’s grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, had named him Muhammad, meaning ‘the praiseworthy,’ the Quraysh of Makkah mockingly referred to him as Mudhamman, which means ‘the condemned’. Abu Lahab’s wife, Umm Jamil, a poetess, composed a poem using the term ‘mudhammam’