PROPHETIC WISDOM

God’s clear promise that He would send His angels to the aid of His Messenger. (THE QURAN 8: 9) The way of the Prophet was not to retaliate immediately against any act of oppression. He felt that, despite injustice and oppression on the part of the enemy, the way of patience and avoidance of clashes should be adopted. Practical steps were to be taken only when it was certain that they would yield the desired result. Avoiding Confrontation During the thirteen-year period in Makkah, the majority continued to oppose the Prophet, while only a small number of people supported him. When the Makkans found that mere opposition was not enough to extirpate his mission from Makkah, they resolved to remove him from their path by killing him. They unanimously decided that all the leaders of Makkah should attack him together and thus put an end to the movement of monotheism forever. This was a very precarious situation. One option, which appeared to be the only one, was for the Prophet, along with his companions, to meet the enemy on the battlefield. But the Prophet saw this matter from the point of view of the resultant effect. Since in those circumstances armed confrontation was not going to yield the desired result, the Prophet followed the principle of avoidance and migrated to Medina from Makkah. Practical steps were to be taken only when it was certain that they would yield the desired results. The way of the Prophet of Islam was not to follow a collision course at a time of strife or controversy, but to move away from the point of conflict. Such a course enables one to conserve one’s energies in order to utilize them more fruitfully at a later stage. Concession To Others An enduring principle of Islam is that which is called ‘softening of the heart’. It means to unite people by attempting to produce a soft corner in their hearts. This end can be achieved only by making concessions to others, giving due respect to their sentiments and not harming their interests. This policy of sympathising with others is an important part of the