The Finality of Prophethood

several attempts on his life. Their crimes were so great that the only fitting punishment according to the prevalent custom was to have all of them beheaded. Their past crimes could be forgiven, but another danger lurked which was even greater: if these people were set free, they might re-organize themselves to plot against Islam and once again wage battles against the Muslims. All these people were brought to the Kabah, the house of God. They stood there as if on the verge of death. But, instead of awarding punishment, the Prophet declared a general amnesty for all of them, saying, “Go, you are all free.” When the Prophet took such a great risk, he benefited equally as a result. This was setting an example of trust in human nature, although it had its dangers. As a narrator puts it: “After this unexpected general amnesty, when these opponents came out of the House of God, they felt as if they had come out of their graves. And then all of them entered Islam.” (Sunan al-Kubara by Al-Baihaqi, Vol. 9, p. 199) When these people came to Prophet Muhammad, after the conquest of Makkah, they were in a psychological state when death seemed certain; they felt sure that they were to be consigned to their graves. The moment the Prophet granted them pardon, it seemed as if they had been given a new lease of life. It was such a great favour to them that after this they could no longer remain obdurate, and psychologically it was no longer possible for them to remain insolent after such noble behaviour on the part of the Prophet. Ultimately, they all embraced the religion of the Prophet. The very people who had been the greatest of enemies now became his greatest companions and supporters. This is the most unique event in history, but this could come about only because the Prophet dared to take the most unique risk. Another noteworthy incident which took place after the conquest of Makkah concerns the Hawazin tribe. The Prophet and his companions, heading for Taif by a route bordered by Hawazin settlements, avoided encounters with the tribesmen and did not so much as utter a word of criticism against them. Yet, when they were halfway along the floor of a valley running through Hawazin territory, the tribesmen rained down arrows upon them from the hilltops. At this sudden onslaught, the Muslims were stricken with panic. Many precious lives were lost. However, after an initial defeat, the Muslims won the battle. About 6,000 people were taken captive. These prisoners of war, according to the prevalent custom, deserved the severest of punishment. Furthermore, their release again posed a severe threat to Islam. In this respect arriving at a decision to set them free was undoubtedly taking a great risk. But the Prophet of Islam did take this risk and liberated the prisoners without setting any conditions. They were even provided with mounts and provisions so that they might comfortably travel to their homes. Again, the same miracle happened. They converted to Islam en masse. The truth is that the extraordinary magnanimity of the Prophet rid them entirely of their haughtiness.