The Prophetic Method

disavows self-interest becomes an invincible force who gains all by forsaking everything. After the Prophet Muhammad had captured Makkah in A.H. 8, some of the Quraysh fled to the tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif and incited them to start a new war against the Muslims. The tribes responded by mobilizing all their human resources and amassing a force of 20,000 men. They met the Muslims on the field of Hunayn. The archers of Hawazin had concealed themselves in a ravine, and when they rained their arrows down on the Muslims, about 11,000 of the 12,000-strong army turned and fled. Yet, despite this initial setback, the Muslims finally won an extraordinary victory. The reason for their recovery was the inner strength of their leader, the Prophet Muhammad, who, at this critical juncture, showed no signs of panic, but was the epitome of “tranquillity”74 and remained full of trust in God. Once his inner strength came out into the open, he immediately altered the course of battle. Standing up in the very midst of the enemy, he called out to his panicking followers: I am the Prophet, and I do not lie: I am the grandson of ‘Abdul Muttalib. “To me, servants of God!” the Prophet called. His cousin Ibn ‘Abbas, had a loud voice. The Prophet asked him to appeal to the fleeing soldiers: “You who swore allegiance to the Prophet in the shadow of the Ridwan tree: you swore that you would give your lives for the Faith! Where are you now?” When the Muslims saw their leader standing firm