God Arises
Affirmation of Prophethood
~ 272 ~
embroiled in wars for ten long years. In these
battles, the Prophet was badly wounded, even
losing some of his teeth, and witnessed the
martyrdom of many of his best companions, not to
speak of all the suffering, misery and hardship
which are inflicted on people in wartime conditions.
Makkah was finally conquered towards the end of
the Prophet’s life, but only after twenty-three years
of trials and tribulations. His enemies, who had
shown themselves obdurate and unrelenting then
stood before him in a state of utter helplessness.
That was the moment to crush them completely. But
this was not the way of the Prophet Muhammad.
What other, lesser men would do in such a situation
is common knowledge, but the Prophet did not
avenge himself upon them for their past offences.
He quite simply asked them, “O people of the
Quraysh, how do you think I shall deal with you?”
They replied, “You are our noble brother and son of
our noble brother.” The Prophet then said, “Go, you
are all free.” Stanley Lane-Poole, in his introduction
to E.W.Lane’s
Selection from the Quran
elaborates
upon the Prophet’s remarkable self-discipline:
