The Revolution of the Prophet

non-Muslims. Muslims could now freely communicate the teachings of their faith to non-Muslims, who, in turn, were free to accept them. No worldly rivalry or prejudice now stood in the way of disseminating the faith. After this treaty and the calming effect it had on non-Muslims, the message of Islam spread rapidly throughout Arabia. In just two years, the number of Muslims increased tenfold. There had seemed no way that Makkah could ever be conquered by force of arms, yet it succumbed two years later to the strength of Islamic teachings. A critical aspect of the Prophet’s method was compassion towards his foes, even when they were wholly at his mercy. This was because he did not look upon anyone as an enemy; he saw all men and women as potential recipients of Islamic teachings and was keen to give them every possible chance to accept the faith. One outstanding example of this magnanimity, which the Prophet displayed throughout his life, can be found in his treatment of the Quraysh after Makkah had been conquered. The people who had been relentlessly persecuting the Prophet and his followers for the previous twenty years were now at the Prophet’s mercy. But, rather than punish them for past crimes, he forgave them all. When the Quraysh were brought before him in chains, he said to them, “Be on your way: you are all free men.” He pronounced suspended death sentences on some, but these were freed when they appealed for clemency, personally or through representatives. Seventeen people were sentenced to death, but only five —those who did