TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE

the evils of their former countrymen. But the Prophet took a very different approach. He migrated to Madinah and started living there as if nothing had happened to him in Makkah. The biography of the Prophet by Ibn Hisham mentions the first sermon of the Prophet in Madinah. Anyone who reads this sermon will find it surprising that there is no complaint in this sermon against those who expelled him from the country of his birth. Generally, on such occasions, people in exile incite their new acquaintances to aid them to retaliate against their old compatriots. The Prophet did not say anything like this. The summary of this sermon is as follows: Whoever is able to shield himself from the Fire of Hell, even if it be only by giving a piece of a date in charity, let him do so; and whoever is unable to do so, let him shield himself by saying a good word. (Biography of the Prophet by Ibn Hisham, 1/500-1) These words of the Prophet inform us that while his opponents were trying to push him into the ‘fire’, his heart was filled with total wellwishing for them. His message to them was to save themselves from the wrath of God. This is prophetic wisdom. The essence of this wisdom can be worded as: Those who become your enemies, become their wellwishers. Those who wrong you, seek good reward from God for them. For those who do not give anything to you, become a giver person for them. The Issue of Prestige The Quran mentions that people who are trained in wisdom do not make an issue or a problem a problem of personal prestige. A verse of the Quran was revealed when the Treaty of Hudaibiya was being concluded. This verse describes the mental state of the Companions of the Prophet at that time: While those who deny the truth made it a prestige issue [in their hearts]—the bigotry of the days of ignorance— God sent His tranquillity down onto His Messenger and believers and firmly established in them the principle of righteousness, for they were indeed better entitled to it and more worthy of it. God has full knowledge of all things. (48: 26) When two groups enter a discussion on a matter on which they disagree, it usually happens that the group which harbours feelings of community pride and prestige turns the issue at hand into a prestige issue. This makes it difficult to arrive at a peaceful resolution to the issue. The wise group is the one that does not allow the issue to escalate into an issue of prestige. By displaying greater moral resolve, it agrees to adopt the