PROPHETIC WISDOM

the drawing up of the Treaty of Hudaybiya. When the Makkans heard that their opponents had gathered at Hudaybiya, they too reached there to stop the Muslims from going any further. The Prophet at this juncture was on his way to Makkah to perform the rite of Umra (minor pilgrimage). Thus a situation of deadlock came to be created at Hudaybiya. The Prophet did not resort to breaking this deadlock in order to move ahead. Instead he withdrew and came back to Medina. It amounted to accepting the status quo already established between the Prophet and the other party. This wisdom gave the Prophet an opportunity for further consolidation, which became a reality within a period of a mere two years. It was at that stage that the Prophet’s victorious entry into Makkah became a possibility. Ease In Difficulty The Prophet of Islam was successful in taking over Makkah in 629 A.D. Then he set off from Makkah for Taif, along with his companions. In those days there were no well-laid roads in and around Makkah, and on the journey they had to walk along a narrow path, which lay between two hills. The way of the Prophet was not to return opposition for opposition. It was rather to make allowances in the face of opposition. When the Prophet reached that point, he asked his companions what its name was. They replied that it was called Azzaiqa, meaning the 'narrow path.' The Prophet said: No, it is rather a broad path. Seerah ibn Hisham, 4: 127 On this journey the Prophet was accompanied by ten-thousand of his companions. If they had attempted to go along this path walking several abreast, it would certainly have been difficult to do so, due to its narrowness. But because they went along it in single file, despite its being narrow, it was easy to do so. It was this practical wisdom, which the Prophet pointed to in his reply. We find an important secret of life in this incident: the necessity to adapt our strategy to circumstances. This practice relates to all matters in life. By being adaptable all life’s difficulties could be resolved.