PROPHET OF PEACE, OR OF VIOLENCE — An Objective Analysis

was a symbolic name for violence, Hasan was a name that symbolised peace. The Prophet of Islam believed in cultivating a peaceful character. Zaid bin Muhalhil, a poet from Najd, was born before the Prophet. He was also a skilled swordsman and horse rider, because of which he was known as Zaid-ul-Qail. Qail means horse, and in those days, horses were associated with cavalry. When Zaid embraced Islam, the Prophet did not like his title and changed it from Zaid-ul-Qail to Zaid-ul-Qair. Qail was a symbolic name associated with battles and violence. Qair on the other hand was symbolic of peace and goodness. The Prophet changed the direction of Zaid’s character by changing his name. He instructed him to be a professor of goodness giving the gifts of peace and prosperity to people instead of being a harbinger of death and violence. He wanted his followers to do good works for the people, giving them the message of peace and prosperity and not of death and destruction. If we were to objectively study the entire 23 years of Muhammad’s prophetic life, it would be absolutely clear that Muhammad was a Prophet of peace, not a prophet of violence. With these examples we can understand that peace was the guiding principle of the Prophet's character. The battles that took place during his life were only incidental and under exceptional circumstances, rather than being the main feature of his life. However, most of the Prophet's biographers have painted an altogether different picture of him. Instead of presenting him as a Prophet of peace they have portrayed him as a prophet of violence. The battles which were fought during the Prophet's time were related to the culture then prevailing amongst the Arab tribes. The Prophet Muhammad was born in the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe of Arabia. At that time, Arabia was divided by many different tribes, each with several clans, all vying for domination. Fights between tribes and clans over trivial issues were common. Due to this culture, there were skirmishes between the Prophet's followers and their opponents. Most of the incidents that have been presented by the