Lessons of the Prophet’s Life

LESSONS OF THE PROPHET’S LIFE to return to Madinah without performing the visit. They would be allowed to come the following year but would have to leave the city after a stay of only three days. Humiliating clauses such as this, exacerbating as they were for the Muslims, were all accepted unquestioningly by the Prophet. It seemed to be an acceptance of defeat. The Quraysh deliberately acted aggressively to offend the Prophet. They wanted to provoke him into initiating hostilities so that they could find an excuse for fighting him. To prevent a visit to the Ka’bah was quite contrary to Arab tradition. Moreover, it was the month of Dhu’lQa’dah, one of four months considered sacred in Arab lore, in which fighting was prohibited. The Quraysh wanted to fight the Muslims, but they did not want to be accused of having desecrated the holy month; they wanted to be able to lay the blame at the door of the Muslims, who were few in number at that time, and not even equipped for battle. Yet, there they were, stranded 250 miles from home, right on the border of enemy territory. It was a perfect opportunity for the Quraysh to unleash a savage onslaught on the Muslims and give full vent to their antagonism. They did everything they could to provoke the Muslims into starting a fight, but the Prophet ignored every provocation; he scrupulously avoided falling into their trap. The situation was so grave that Abu Bakr was the only one of the companions not to feel that, in accepting humiliating