Two Paths, Two Outcomes

of water over that spot. For you have been sent to make things easy, not difficult.” The people did so accordingly. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 220, Sunan al-Nasai, Hadith No. 56, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 147, and Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 380) The Bedouin, upon realizing the mistake he had made, was deeply moved by the Prophet’s gentle behavior. When he returned to his tribe, he narrated the entire incident to them. He said, “I urinated in the place of worship, but by God, Muhammad came to me—and by God, he neither cursed me, nor scolded me, nor struck me.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 10533) Hearing this, his people were deeply moved and became his followers. Consider a real event that took place in India during the festival of Holi. A group of Hindu youngsters was joyfully walking down a road, celebrating the festival with traditional colours and enthusiasm. On their path stood a mosque. In a moment of excitement, one of the youngsters playfully sprayed coloured water, some of which unintentionally splashed onto the mosque’s outer wall. Seeing the colour on the mosque’s wall, the local Muslims became enraged. They began fighting with the Hindu youngsters. News of the incident spread quickly throughout the city, and riots erupted. The Muslims could not tolerate the colour on the wall, and as a result, the streets of the city were stained with their blood, and their houses and shops were set on fire.