Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam

Muhammad The Prophet of Islam

1985 10 October 20-23 Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam (1525) In the year 6AH, the Prophet Mohammad, may peace be upon him, had a dream in Medina. He saw that he, along with his companions, was visiting the House of God in Mecca. His companions were very pleased to hear this, for it meant that, after a lapse of six years, they would soon be going to Mecca and visiting the Holy Ka’aba. In accordance with this dream, the Prophet set out for the holy city with 1400 of his companions. When they reached Ghadeer Ashtat, they heard that the news of their journey had reached the Quraish. Indignant at the idea of the Muslims visiting the House of God, they had amassed an army, and vowed to prevent Mohammad and his companions from entering Mecca, although it was absolutely contrary to Arab tradition to prevent anyone from visiting the Ka’aba. The Prophet was acting under divine inspiration: nevertheless he remained calm when he heard of the Quraish’s reaction. He was informed by his spies that Khalid Ibn Walid, intent on blocking the Muslims’ path, had advanced with two hundred cavalrymen to Ghameem. On hearing this, the Prophet changed route, deviating from a well-frequented path to a little-known and arduous route, which led him to Hudaibiyya. In this way he avoided clashing with Khalid’s army. This is how the historian Ibn Hisham describes the events:

“Who can show us a path not occupied by the Quraish?” the Prophet asked. Someone volunteered to do so. He then proceeded to guide the Muslims by a route which led through arduous, rocky and mountainous passes. The Muslims had great difficulty in crossing these passes, but when they had done so, and emerged upon an open plain, the Prophet called on them to seek forgiveness of God, and turn to Him. This they did and the Prophet said that this was the word of forgiveness which the Israelites had been called upon to utter, but they had failed to do so (see Quran, 2:58).

(Seerat Ibn Hisham, Vol. III, p357)

This was indeed a trying time for the Muslims, but they had to face their trial with patience and forbearance. This was the path laid down for them by God. Even the slightest hesitation to follow that path was to be considered a transgression, for which forgiveness had to be sought. That is why the Prophet urged his followers to repent and seek forgiveness for any weakness or irritability they may have shown at that taxing time. Difficulties should be faced with fortitude. No impulse should cause one to deviate from the path of God.

Hudaibiyya is situated nine miles from Mecca. The Prophet made a halt here in order to survey the situation. From Hudaibiyya he sent Kharash Ibn Umaiyya on camelback to inform the Meccans that the Muslims had come to visit the House of God, not to do battle. On reaching Mecca, Kharash’s camel was slaughtered, and attempts were made to murder him as well, but somehow he managed to escape and return to Hudaibiyya. The Prophet then sent Uthman to appeal to the Meccans to refrain from hostilities, and tell them that the Muslims would return quietly to Medina after performing the rites of Umra.* The Meccans paid no heed, and took him prisoner. Later Mikraz Ibn Hafs along with fifty men attacked the Muslims’ camp at night, raining stones and arrows down on the pilgrims. Mikraz was captured, but no action was taken against him: he was released unconditionally. Then, as the Muslims were praying in the early morning, eighty men attacked them from Tan’eem. They were also taken captive and then allowed to go free.

* A minor pilgrimage which, unlike Hajj proper, need not be performed at a particular time of the year, and which entails fewer ceremonies.

Lengthy negotiations with the Quraish followed. Finally, a truce was made between the two sides. At first sight this truce amounted to an outright victory for the Quraish and defeat for the Muslims. The Prophet’s followers could not understand how, when God had given them tidings of a visit to the House of God, the Prophet could have agreed to return to Medina 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 Quraish deliberately acted in an aggressive manner in order 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’aba was in itself quite contrary to Arab tradition. Moreover, it was the month of Dhu-al-Qadah, which was one of four months considered sacred in Arab lore, which prohibited fighting in these months. The Quraish 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.

There they were, stranded 250 miles from home, right on the border of enemy territory. It was a perfect opportunity for the Quraish 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 peace terms, they had bowed before the aggressor. They were even more astonished when a verse of the Quran was revealed which referred to the agreement as an “obvious victory”. “What kind of victory is this?” one of them protested. “We have been prevented from visiting the House of God. Our camels for sacrifice have not been allowed to proceed. God’s Prophet has been forced to turn back from Hudaibiyya. Two of our persecuted brethren, Abu Jandal and Abu Baseer, have been handed over to their persecutors.....” Yet it was this humiliating treaty that paved the way for a great Muslim victory.

The Treaty of Hudaibiyya appeared to be a capitulation before the enemy; but in fact it gave the Muslims an opportunity to strengthen themselves, and consolidate their position. The Prophet accepted all the Quraish’s demands, in return for a single assurance from them, namely that they would cease all hostilities against the Muslims for ten years. Continual raids and threats of warfare had prevented the Muslims from pursuing constructive missionary work. As soon as the Prophet returned from Hudaibiyya, he intensified missionary work in and around Arabia, the groundwork having been done beforehand. Now that peace prevailed, the message of Islam started spreading like wildfire. People in their thousands, tribe after tribe, thronged to join the fold of Islam. Islam began spreading beyond the borders of Arabia too. Safe from the idolaters of Mecca, the Prophet was able to take action against, and drive out, the Jews of Khaibar, who had missed no opportunity of helping the enemies of Islam. He also turned his attention to building up the strength of Islam in Medina. The culmination came within only two years of the Treaty of Hudaibiyya: the Quraish surrendered without even putting up a fight. There was no further barrier now to the Prophet’s triumphant entry into Mecca. It was the deliberate imposition of a humiliating retreat from Mecca which had paved the way for a great victory.

People nowadays tend to resort to arms on the slightest provocation from their enemies. When the losses of meaningless war are pointed out to them, they justify themselves by saying that they were not the aggressors; the enemy had wickedly involved them in warfare. What they do not realize is that non-violence does not mean remaining peaceful so long as no one is acting violently towards you; it is to refrain from violence even in face of violence – to refuse to be provoked even in face of provocation. Insidious plots should be met and defeated by quiet deliberations. Deeply-rooted though the antagonism of one’s foes may be, one should not let their antagonism become either a stimulus or a vindication of one’s actions.

To fight one’s enemies is no way to succeed in life. Only by avoiding conflict can one consolidate one’s strength. Then by awe alone will one be able to overpower one’s foes. To fight at the slightest provocation, and ignore the need to quietly build up one’s own strength, is to condemn oneself to destruction. Such conduct can never lead to success in this world of God. The Prophet achieved success by pursuing a policy of non-confrontation; how, then, can his followers succeed by pursuing a policy of confrontation? How can they be called his followers when they are blind to his example? How can they expect him to intercede for them on the Day of Judgment?