TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

fact a no-war pact. The Hudaibiyah principle can thus be summed up in these words: unilateral acceptance of all the demands of the opposite party in order to obviate any risks of further clash and confrontation. The Demonstration rather than the Use of Force In spite of this no-war pact, the Prophet’s opponents reopened hostilities—thus committing a breach of their agreement. This time the Prophet adopted a different strategy, with the result that Makkah was ultimately conquered. Very few lives were lost, however, for, beyond minor skirmishes, no armed struggle between the opposing forces took place. The superior strategy employed on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah was, quite simply, to achieve one’s end, not by the use of force, but by the demonstration of strength. Refraining from Revenge Psychology The initial strategy adopted by the Prophet after the conquest of Makkah was one of remarkable leniency. After the victory, men who had been his deadliest enemies were now brought before him. Today, we would call them war criminals of the worst kind. The only possible fate for such criminals in those days was summary execution. But the Prophet granted them all an unconditional amnesty. The greatest advantage of this general amnesty was that the country was spared a counter-revolution and all the bloodshed that would have ensued. Had the Prophet punished these men, the fire of revenge would most certainly have been ignited in the tribes all over Arabia. The shedding of Arab blood would then have reached a new peak. Rising above the Psychology of Reaction If a peaceful atmosphere is to be maintained in society while one goes about achieving one’s ends, albeit in a peaceable manner, a great sacrifice is required. The Prophet himself set such perfect examples for the building of the nation on the basis of nonviolence. One example of such a sacrifice can be seen in the Battle of Badr. In this battle, 70 Makkans were taken as prisoners of war. All of them belonged to the nobility of Makkah and all were well educated by the standards of the time. Considering that in Madinah, where the Prophet The word Islam itself means peace, having been derived from the Arabic root ‘silm’ meaning peace. And the Prophet of Islam is described in the Scriptures as a “Mercy to the world.”