The Prophetic Method

ox called out: “The shepherd is lying. We are here, in this under-growth.” On hearing the cry, the Muslims entered the wood, seized a few beasts, and took them before Sa’d. When the rest of the army listened to the story, they were pleased and interpreted it as a sign that God’s succour was with them. But, as the historian Ibn al-Taqtaqi has written, one should not be under the impression that the ox called out, “We are here,” in Arabic. Instead, it lowed as oxen usually do, and from its sound, the Muslims realized that cattle were hidden in the undergrowth. Trusting In God The Quran sums up the Islamic method in the following words: And if they incline to peace, incline you to it, and put your trust in God. Indeed He is the Hearing, the Knowing. Should they seek to deceive you, God is All-sufficient for you.87 This shows that the proper Islamic method is to pursue our aims peacefully. Even when there is a fear that our opponents may deceive us, Muslims should still trust God and be ready to make peace. This means that we should concentrate our efforts in that field of action where—without confrontation with others—there are opportunities for us to advance. As for other fields, those in which no opportunities present themselves—one should let the forces of nature go to