The Revolution of the Prophet

THE REVOLUTION OF THE PROPHET to anyone who did so. “Perhaps rulers would disapprove of your teachings,” the chieftain added.66 This shows how foreign rule on the borders of Arabia constituted more than a political and territorial encroachment on Arab sovereignty; it also obstructed the Prophet’s missionary work. The Prophet could have used this as a pretext for starting active resistance to foreign powers, saying that no missionary work could be accomplished until all external obstructions had been eliminated. But to do so in the initial stages of his mission would have constituted a deviation from God’s scheme, which was for the empires of Rome and Persia to become weak by fighting each other for twenty years. Then, when the time finally came for them to be conquered, they had to shoulder the blame for initiating hostilities. It was, furthermore, relatively easy for the Muslims to subdue them, paving the way for the unprecedented conquests of the post-prophetic era. If the Muslims had confronted Rome and Persia prematurely, when these empires were strong and weak, the outcome would have been the opposite. Fitting in with God’s Scheme If a farmer is to grow crops, he must fit his cogwheel in with God’s. Providence has created unique opportunities for crop cultivation on earth, but to avail of them, there are certain things that a farmer must do. For instance, on the earth’s surface lies a layer of fertile soil, which is unique in the entire universe. But this soil, despite its innate fertility,