A GOLDEN PAGE OF HUMAN HISTORY
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) occupies an exalted, everlasting and the most unique position in the religious history of mankind. Of all the Founders of Religion only Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is the first and the last to claim that the Message which he brought from Allah Ta'ala to mankind is absolutely complete and final, that his dispensation shall remain in force till the end of the world, and after him no Divine Messenger will come to modify, add, subtract or abrogate any of his teachings. In him, the institution of Prophethood attained its full, final and most perfect form.
History shows that the world from the beginning has not produced any other man who can rival the Prophet of Islam (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) in the field of his teachings, his actions, his deeds or practical way of life.
It was Hazrat Muhammad's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) grandest contribution to the elevation of his fellow-men that he re-affirmed the sovereign principle of Monotheism and universal brotherhood of man transcending all barriers that people erect in ignorance and fear. Hazrat Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) arose in the midst of a society that was cruelly barbarious, which had no culture, no manners, no society and no civilisation. Humanity was coming very close to calamity. Imagine the same society is today the noble torch-bearer of a new and excellent civilisation. This is one of the main miracles the Prophet ofIslam (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) performed and world history bears testimony to this truth. In a short span of 23 years he brought under one banner a most barbarous tribe spread over 2 000 000 square miles of a very remote region of the world.
It is a universal fact that Hazrat Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is the only Prophet in whose honour praises have been sung by all other religious leaders and some have rather recommended to their followers to follow the path of this great Prophet. People like Guru Nanak, the spiritual head of Sikh sect, and George Bernard Shaw, the philosopher, are such personalities.
Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) accomplished what he undertook in his own short span of life with limited means and all round adversities, trials tortures and tribulations. The task that he accomplished, the work that he did, the manners and the character that he exhibited, and above all, the way in which he completed this stupendous task, is itself a clear proof of his being the last and the living Messenger of Allah whose religion is perfect, character blotless and complete, and teachings marvellous in all respects.
What he preached appealed to man's reasons and rational faculties rather than to mere sentimentalism, fanaticism, irrationality and superstition. He showed what was crystal clear.
Although he was apostle, philosopher, reformer, religious head, statesman, orator, commander, soldier, administrator, and the head of state, he never sat an inch above the place where his followers used to sit, or ate a morsel more than his Companions ate or wore what was superior than what others used to wear.He was a selfless and sincere friend, perfect guide, graceful companion, loving teacher, an impartial judge and above all a simple and straight forward person. He sat in such a simple attire and mixed up so freely and simply with all the common people that the foreign delegations visiting his capital used to inquire from others as to who the Prophet of Islam was. Can any head of the state or any religious head in any part of the world boast to possess such an amicable nature? Can any head of state be so courageous?
History has known many great and glorious civilisations. The main amongst them being the Chinese civilization, Greek civilization, Roman civilization, Marxism and the Imperialistic. None owes its origin and establishment to a single individual. Nor can it be counted as everlasting. Moreover, these civilisations of the world covered a certain field and certain part of the world. All the civilisations were basically collective efforts of many, but Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) gave Islamic civilisation single-handedly for all times to come.
I. UNIVERSAL FACTS ABOUT SAYYIDUNA RASOOLULLAH (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim)
Over the hills of Makkah, there was a heavenly glow. The birth of our Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) was an earth-shaking event in the year 570 A.D. Born in the most backward and uncivilized city of Makkah in the Middle East, lived only 63 years in this world, remained unlettered throughout, but changed the destiny of the entire humanity. The whole culture of humanity and the existence of human race was revolutionised during these 23 years of his Prophethood and throughout the world he was the only one single person with multiple capacities who could successfully carry out this stupendous task in such a short span of time and amidst untold adversities. He was the Prophet who uprooted Polytheism once for all.
His father, Hazrat Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu) and mother, Bibi Aaminah (radi Allahu anhu), passed away after his birth. His grandfather, Hazrat Abdul Mutallib (radi Allahu anhu), who took care of him, too soon passed away. He was thus an orphan. Dai Halimah (radi Allahu anha) took care of him for full five years in the desert. But no one knew at that time that this shy, sweet and sublime orphan will grow up to be the greatest and the last Prophet of Allah and show the world the real path to salvation in the most simple and straight-forward style. They never knew that he is Mercy for them as well as for all the worlds and all the generations and all ages so long as the world lasts. Allah Ta'ala says in the Holy Quran: "We sent to you not but as a Mercy for all mankind".
The personality of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is the most perfect and profound in history. A personification of the moral code of life as enshrined in the Holy Quran, he created a moral society and a just State that blended the spiritual with the temporal in the most beautifully balanced synthesis. This was the only Prophet whose words and deeds were 100% alike. He preached what he and his Companions practised, he treated the King and commoner alike. He was sweet, simple, civil and kind to each and everyone. He never hurt the feelings of even his deadliest enemy.
Let us see how some great men, who were not Muslims, but fascinated by Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), have described him before the World:
1. Lord Hadly, Sir Charles Archibald, Thomas Carlyle, H.G. Wells, Gibbon, George Bernard Shaw, Guru Nanak, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mahatma Gandhi, Bertland Russel, Dozy, Michael H. Hart and a countless number of historians, philosophers, authors, statesmen and orators have painted a marvellous picture of the Prophet's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) personality and echoed to salute him, his preaching and his practices.
3. Socrates, the Greek philosopher, told his followers that a man will come from Arabian land, introduce a new religion of purity and peace. He will come earlier and bring prosperity to each and every one.
4. In the book "Prophet of East", the famous writer of Asia, Diwan Chand Sharma, writes that Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) was the soul of kindness and his influence was never at all forgotten.
5. British Prime Minister, Mr James Callaghan, said on the 5th of February 1979 in a programme "World this Week" on 1978 and events in 1979 in a television interview with B.B.C. that, "traditions, faith andbelief of Prophet Muhammad's religion, Islam commands great support and are indeed very worthy beliefs".
6. In the famous book, "The 100 Great", Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) name has been selected to be first of all others. The writer, Mr Michael H. Hart, writes that he is the only one in the world who is the greatest in the worldly affairs as well as in the ecclesiastical affairs alike.
7. There are thousands of the authors of the world, including Russians, who have placed Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) name on the top of the Law Givers of the World.
8. Prof. Muir writes: "All agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad (peace be on him) a modesty of truth and purity of manners rare amongst the people. Endowed with refined mind and delicate taste, reserved and humble, he lived much within himself. The fair character and honourable bearing of unobtrusive youth was the approbation of his fellow citizens and by common consent received the title of 'Al Amin' - The Trustworthy. Even those who opposed him agreed to this title".
9. Mr Marcus Dods writes in his book, "Muhammad, Buddha and Christ": "Certainly Muhammad had most important characteristics of the Prophetic order. He saw truth about God which fellow men did not see, and he had an irresistible inward impulse to publicise this truth. In respect of this latter qualification, Muhammad may stand first in comparison to most courageous of the heroic Prophets of Israel. For truths sake he risked his life, he suffered daily persecution for years and eventually banishment, the loss of the property, separation of his fellow citizens and of his friends, he suffered in short as much as any man can suffer short of death. No bribe, threat or inducement could silence him".
10. Arthur Gilman, in his famous book, "Saracens", writes: "The day Muhammad's (peace be on him) greatest triumph over his events was also the day of his grandest victory over himself. He freely forgave the Koraysh. Muhammad's victory was in very truth one of religions and not of politics, he rejected every token of personal homage and declined all legal authority and when the naughty chiefs appeared before him he asked, 'what you can expect at my hands? ' 'Mercy O generous brother.' 'Be it so. You are free', he exclaimed".
11. In the book, "The History of Intellectual Development", Mr John William Draper, says: "A Prophet was born at Mecca in Arabia, the man who of all men has exercised the greatest influence upon human race".
12. Sir Charles Edward Archibald was a Lieutenant in the British Royal Defence Corpse. He was also the President of the Royal Selsy Conservative Society of Britain. He was so much influenced by the life and works of Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), the Prophet, that he embraced Islam on 20th December 1923. Abdullah was his new name. He was a popular writer, thinker, statesman and was familiarly known as Sir Abdullah Hamilton. He has written volumes on Islam, and in praise of the Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim).
13. John Davenport says: "There is no doubt that amongst all Lawgivers and Conquerors, there is not a single one whose life story is found in more details and authenticity than that of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)".
14. Dr A.K. Germanus, a well-known historian and author of Hungary, who was also for a few years in association with Rabindranath Tagore, embraced Islam and his new name was Abdul Karrim. This was all due to the influence of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah's (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) teaching and his practical life which he studied thoroughly.
15. A number of other non-Muslim authors of Europe, Asia and Africa have also written volumes on the Prophet of Islam. Only a cursory glance at these books will show as to how minutely they have studied the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) and reached at a definite conclusion that he was the greatest of all. Some of them have declared the Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) as the President of all the Prophets of Allah.
16. Dr Johnson paid his tribute to Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) in the following words: "His purely historical character, his simple humanity, claiming only to be a man among men, his intense realism, avoiding all mystical remoteness; his rejection of miracle; the thoroughly democratic and universal form under which his idea of the Divine monarchy led him to conceive the relations of men; the force of his ethical appeal; ... all affiliate Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the modern world".
17. George Bernard Shaw opines: "I believe that if a man like Muhammad (peace be upon him) were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness".
The Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) shed a brilliant light on all problems with which humanity has had to tackle and grapple. His sayings deserve to be studied by all those who want justice, equality and brotherhood established upon earth.
Let us inform our western world that their Prophet Jesus (I'sa alaihis salaam) declared in the most explicable terms to his followers, thus, "O Children of Israel, surely I am the Messenger of Allah to you verifying that which is before me of the Torah and giving the good news of a Messenger of Allah who will come after me his name being Ahmad (Muhammad)".
The historians of the world have whole-heartedly admitted that Prophet Muhammad (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) is that supreme model of human conduct and behaviour that we are enjoined to emulate and imitate. "As regards all standards by which human greatness is measured, we may ask, is there any one greater than Prophet Muhammad?" (Lamartine)
He lived 13 years at Makkah and 10 years in Madina Shareef. He lived the most simple life, he kept all his Companions close to him and all the 23 years were his years of hard toil and continuous exertion. He fought battles and wards, won them, managed the affairs of the State and gave justice to friend and the foe alike, and his words had a magical impact upon life action and behaviour of all humanity.
In only 10 years that he lived in Madina Shareef, he destroyed idolatry, uprooted all evils from the society, raised woman from the status of a chattel to a complete legal equality with man, eradicated drinking and immorality which had till then disgraced the human race, made men in love with faith sincerity and absolutely honest dealings, transformed tribes who had been for centuries content with all kinds of ignorance into a people with ever increasing thirst for knowledge, and for the first time in human history made universal human brotherhood a fact and principle of common law. The life of the Holy Prophet of Islam infact was a miracle in itself judging the above facts.
Writing on the personality of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), Sir Stanley Lane-Poole says: "In his habits he was extremely simple, although he bestowed great care on his person. His eating and drinking, his dress and his furniture retained, even when he had reached the fullness of power, their almost primitive nature. The only luxuries he indulged in were arms, which he highly prized, and a pair of yellow boots, a present from the Negus of Abyssinia. Perfumes, however, he loved passionately, being most sensitive to smells. Strong drinks he abhorred.
"He was gifted with mighty powers of imagination, elevation of mind, delicacy and refinement of feeling. He is more modest than a virgin behind her curtain, it was said of him. He was most indulgent to his inferiors, and would never allow his little page to be scolded whatever he did. Ten years, said Anas, his servant, I was about the prophet, and he never said as much as 'uff' to me.
"He was very affectionate towards his family. One of the boys died on his breast in the smoky house of the nurse, a blacksmith's wife.He was very fond of children; he would stop them in the streets and pat their little heads. He never struck anyone in his life. The worst expression he ever made use of in conversion was 'What has come to him? May his forehead become darkened with mud!' When asked to curse someone he replied, 'I have not been sent to curse, but to be a mercy to mankind'.
"He visited the sick, followed any bier he met, accepted the invitation of a slave to dinner, mended his own clothes, milked the goats, and waited upon himself, relates summarily another tradition.He never first withdrew his hand out of another man's palm, and turned not before the other had turned.
"He was the most faithfully protector of those he protected, the sweetest and most agreeable in conversation. Those who saw him were suddenly filled with reverence. Those who came near loved him; they who described him would say, 'I have never seen his like either before or after'. He was of great reservedness, but when he spoke, it was with emphasis and deliberation, and no one could forget what he did".
Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France says: "Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a prince; he rallied his compatriots around him. In a few years, the Muslims conquered half of the world. They snatched away more souls from false gods, pulled down more idols, demolished more pagan temples in fifteen years than the followers of Moses and Jesus did in fifteen centuries.Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a great man. He might have been, in fact, a god, if the revolution which he was instrumental in bringing about had not been prepared by circumstances. When he appeared, the Arabs had been, since many years, afflictedwith civil wars. All those nations that have achieved great things have done them when they came out of such ordeals that renewed equally their souls and their bodies. If the battles of Kadesia and (gap in the original MSS) which enabled the intrepid Muslims to plant the standard of the Prophet on the banks of the Oxus and on the frontiers of China; if those of Ajnadin and Yarmuk, which caused Syria and Egypt to fall under their dominion, were turned against them;if the Khalids, the Zerars and the Amrs had been defeated and repelled to the vast deserts, the Arabs would have gone back to their wandering life; they would have lived like their forefathers, poor and miserable; the names of Muhammad, Ali, and Omar would have remained unknown to the World".
The Prophet of Islam (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim) attained eminence due to his excellence. He dispelled the darkness with his radiance. Very splendid are his qualities and on him and his family. May Allah Ta'ala shower His blessings in countless number. If we recite Durood in abundance, we are sure to enter Paradise safe and sound.
Let us say Salawat in abundance and get the maximum benefit and blessings of Holy Prophet (Sallal Laahu Alaihi Wasallim), his love, worldly success, and in addition to all this, salvation of the next world.
Muhammad (PBUH) is, without a doubt, the most famous personality in world history. No other personality throughout time has conjured up such overpowering emotion from the masses. On the Muslim side he is absolutely the most venerated and beloved man ever, a mercy sent to the entire world from God and the final prophet to all of mankind. The western view, however, has been anything but philanthropic. Rather, there has been a continuous “smear campaign” raged against this man from the very onset of the revelations and throughout the Middle Ages till now.
It is known that Muhammad (PBUH) never partook in idol worshipping and was greatly disturbed by it. He was known to retreat for weeks at a time to a cave where he would pray to God alone and ask for guidance. At some point in his late teens he began to accompany his uncle to Syria with the trading caravans, giving him the knowledge to become a successful merchant. Among the people of Mecca he was nicknamed “Al-Amin” which means “The Trustworthy” due to his honesty and integrity displayed in every aspect of his life. This reputation attracted a 40 year old widow named Khadija who proposed marriage to Muhammad (PBUH) while he was in his mid twenties. They were happily married for more than twenty years and had 6 children together, however his sons died in their early childhood.
During the month of Ramadan in the year 610 CE, Muhammad (PBUH) had retreated to a cave on Mount Hira outside of Mecca for fasting, prayer and contemplation. It was here that the angel Gabriel first descended from Heaven and told the prophet to “Recite in the name of your Lord who created!” which was the first revelation of the Qur’an. The word Qur’an itself means recitation, or something to be recited. Muhammad (PBUH) was terrified of the experience and was afraid he was going crazy. He returned to his wife, Khadija, and told her what had happened. Khadija was the first person to accept Islam; she told him that she believed that he was a prophet of God and that he was not crazy or sick.
It was evident that the Muslims would have to seek a new place to establish themselves. The prophet asked many different tribes for their protection when they came for pilgrimage to Mecca, but found none. It began to look hopeless and Muhammad despaired that the religion would die with all the Muslims. Then, a miracle happened. In the town of Yathrib, now Medina an-Nabi, there had been fighting amongst the Arabs and the Jews for many years. The leaders of the tribes came to Muhammad (PBUH) because they knew his reputation as a trustworthy man and peaceful arbitrator. They asked that he come to Yathrib, with all of his followers, where they would have sanctity in exchange for his arbitrating between the tribes. Muhammad (PBUH) agreed and the Muslims emigrated to Yathrib in 622, this even is known as the hijra and it marks year 1 of the Muslim calendar.
The third major attack came in 627 when the Meccans once again mustered a huge army to attack Medina. The Muslims were forewarned of the impending attack and dug a trench around the unprotected parts of medina, making it impossible for the enemy to enter the city. The Meccan army led an ineffective attack and decided it was best to return home.
The next major event to take place was the Treaty of Hudaybiya. The verses commanding hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a person’s life, had already been commanded, but the Muslims had not yet been able to make a pilgrimage. So, in the month of Shawwal in the year 628, the prophet (PBUH) and 1,400 Muslims set out for the lesser pilgrimage, Umra, wearing the simple white cloth that pilgrims wear. The Meccans heard the Muslims were coming and met them outside of Mecca at Hudaybiya. Here there were heavy negotiations that took place between the two sides, resulting in the treaty which made 4 main points:
It was here, in Medina, that Islam began to truly flourish. It was here that the laws of Islam were first put into practice, allowing the city and religion to blossom. Muhammad (PBUH) successfully brought peace amongst the warring factions of Medina, and quite a few of them became Muslim in the process. He drafted the Constitution of Medina which proclaimed the rights and duties of each of the citizens and detailed the relationship between each of the eight tribes of Medina and the Muslim emigrants.
After the first revelation, three years passed before the angel Gabriel returned to Muhammad (PBUH) with more of the Qur’an. During those three years he spent his time in prayer and religious practice. He had not started openly preaching yet, the only other people who knew of Islam and followed him were his wife, his young cousin Ali who was only 10, his adopted son Zaid and his best friend Abu Bakr.
So, Muhammad (PBUH) was well-loved and respected by his family and friends before the revelations of the Qur’an began. The most famous incident in his life before Islam was his arbitration between four major clans in Mecca that were near taking up arms against each other. There had been a flash flood that destroyed part of the Ka’aba and each of the four major tribes were helping to rebuild the holy structure. The last stone to be placed was the black stone of the corner and each of the tribes wanted the honor of putting the stone back in its place. They decided that the next person who walked through the doors of the mosque would decide which tribe would have the honor of replacing the black stone. When they saw Muhammad (PBUH) walk in they were overjoyed, for here came Al-Amin, and they were confident he would find a just solution. Muhammad’s solution was to place the black stone on a cloak and have one member of each of the four clans hold a corner to lift it up, a! and Muhammad (PBUH) himself put the stone in place. Everyone was happy with this solution and fighting was averted.
So who was this man who today has more than 1.6 billion followers? Who was this man that Michael Hart named as the “most influential person in history” in his 1978 book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History? What is it about him that continues to inspire so many people today in the west and afar, causing Islam to be the fastest growing religion in the world? Why is Muhammad the most common name in the world today?
Mecca was a thriving commercial center and the home of the Ka’aba which is believed to have been built by Abraham and his son Ishmael. Even in that era of pre-Islam the Ka’aba was a holy site of pilgrimage for all of Arabia, but at that time it was filled with idols that were thought to be intermediaries between the worshipper and Allah. In pre-Islamic Arabia Allah was recognized as the Supreme Being, but the paganism and idolatry had corrupted the true religion that was originally brought to the Arabs by Ishmael.
Of course the answer is too broad to attempt in this short article, but perhaps we can have a brief introduction to this great prophet of God. His name was Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, which means Muhammad the son of Abd Allah the son of Abd al-Muttalib. He was born on Monday, the 12th of Rab'i-ul Awwal (1) in the year of the Elephant. Certainly, it was the most auspicious day in the history of mankind. He was born into the tribe of Quraysh and the family of Banu Hashim in Mecca around 570 CE, to a family standard that could be described as “upper middle class.” His father died before he was born and his mother died when he was around six years old. The young orphan was then sent to live with his paternal grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib. When he was just eight years old, his grandfather also died and Muhammad (PBUH) was cared for by his uncle, Abu Talib, who continued to support and protect him for the next 40 years.
The other clans of Quraysh implemented a trade embargo on the clan of Banu Hashim, Muhammad’s clan. The embargo lasted for three years and many of the clan starved to death. Khadija, weakened by starvation, died during this time as did his beloved uncle and sole protector, Abu Talib. That was the year 619 CE, “the year of sorrows.”
In the year 613 Muhammad (PBUH) started to speak out in public, calling people to give up the worship of idols and worship only Allah, the one true God. At first the Meccans only thought he was a nuisance, they laughed at him and said his only followers were an old lady, a slave and a little boy. But, as he continued to preach the number of followers grew. The entire economy of Mecca was based on the idols housed inside the Ka’aba, so when Muhammad (PBUH) started to preach against the idol worshipping he was threatening the finances of the leaders of Quraysh. They offered Muhammad (PBUH) all the money, stature and women in Mecca if he would stop preaching, but he said that he preached for God and needed nothing from the materials of this world. They began to physically torture the Muslims and tried to get them to denounce Islam and they brutally murdered many more. Muhammad (PBUH) was protected from physical harm by his uncle Abu Talib who stood by his nephew’s side his entire life, but never converted to Islam.
Of course the Meccans were outraged and vowed all-out war on the Muslims until Muhammad (PBUH) was dead and Islam effectively obliterated. The next major battle was the Battle of Uhud, where the Muslims lost more than 75 men and were defeated by the Meccans. However, they were unsuccessful in killing the prophet or his closest companions, Umar and Abu Bakr, so they were not satisfied. It was in this battle that Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the beloved uncle of the prophet (PBUH) was killed.
In 624 the first and possibly most famous major battle between the Muslims and the Meccans took place, the Battle of Badr. In this battle the Muslims were outnumbered more than 3 to 1, yet they were victorious. They killed at least 45 Meccans and took approximately 70 prisoners of war while losing only 14 Muslims. Many of the prisoners of war were wealthy, so the Muslims ransomed them off for high prices which further increased their growing wealth. The prisoners who could not afford to ransom themselves were let go for free.
Muhammad’s (PBUH) success in Medina was like a thorn in the sides of the Meccans. Although he was no longer physically in their presence, he had become quite famous and was thus constantly with them through conversations.
In 633 Muhammad (PBUH) passed away at the age of 63. He had succeeded in taking the pagan, tribal society of Arabia and changing it to a monotheistic land that denounced tribalism and nationalism and completely changed every aspect of the society and government. He had proved himself to be a prophet of God, a man of truth, a man who revolutionized the world for all time, a loving husband and father, an intelligent and highly successful politician, a master of strategy and military command, a faithful friend, a good neighbor and the greatest man to ever walk the face of the earth. He is Muhammad (PBUH), the prophet of God sent as a mercy to all of the world.
In the year 630 he prophet (PBUH) gathered a huge army of more than 10,000 men and marched on Mecca. Without a drop of blood shed, the Muslims marched into Mecca and took control. Muhammad forgave all of the Meccans for the crimes that they had committed against the Muslims, which was revolutionary for that place and time, the norm would have been revenge. Muhammad (PBUH) marched right up to the Ka’aba, entered it, and smashed all of the idols that were housed inside. Almost all of the Meccans converted to Islam though they were not forced to, and, because of Mecca’s importance to Arabia, very shortly after all of Arabia converted to Islam.
Two years after the treaty was signed, a clan associated with the Meccans raided a clan associated with the Muslims, killing several people. Muhammad (PBUH) sent a letter to the Meccans stating that either they should pay blood money for the killed, or cease all ties with the offending clan, or consider the Treaty of Hudaybiya nullified. The Meccans chose to nullify the treaty, but soon realized that was a mistake. They sent a delegation to try to reinstate the treaty, but Muhammad (PBUH) denied them.
Muslims in Medina who wanted to return to Mecca could do so. Many of the Muslims were unhappy with the treaty since they felt it greatly favored the Meccans, but Allah revealed verses in the Qur’an that stated it was an emphatic victory. And indeed, it was. Because of the peace treaty the men of Mecca and Medina were able to meet in peace, and in the next two years the number of Muslims more than doubled.
4. Any Muslims living in Mecca were forbidden to move to Medina, but any
3. When they come for hajj they should not stay in Mecca more than 3 days.
2. The Muslims would not be allowed to make the pilgrimage that year, but could return the following year for hajj.
1. Both sides would cease hostile activities against each other.
No comments:
Post a Comment