The True Jihad

Preface ~ 6 ~ followed the same pattern of emphasis on militarism. The Prophet’s biographies were called maghazi, that is, ‘The Battles Fought by the Prophet,’ yet the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, in fact did battle only three times in his entire life, and the period of his involvement in these battles did not total more than one and a half days. He fought; let it be said, in self-defence, when hemmed in by aggressors, where he simply had no option. But historians—flying in the face of fact— have converted his whole life into one of confrontation and war. We must keep it in mind that the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was born at a time when an atmosphere of militancy prevailed in Arab society, there being, in their view, no other path to justice. But the Prophet always opted for avoidance of conflict. For instance, in the campaign of Ahzab, the Prophet advised his Companions to dig a trench between them and the enemies, thus preventing a head-on clash. Another well-known instance of the Prophet’s dislike for hostilities is the Hudaibiyyah peace