Islam Rediscovered
18. Islamic Activism
~ 310 ~
Nadwa or to launch a protest campaign supported
by his followers. On the contrary, what the Prophet
did was quietly leave the city for Madinah, a town
300 miles away from Makkah. Even after reaching
Madinah, he did not devote any time to planning
counter moves, but gave his full attention to the
task of
da’wah
. This was also an example of positive
status quoism. In this way, the Prophet, by avoiding
direct confrontation with the situation at hand,
found another vast field in which to continue his
peaceful activities.
3.
Positive Status Quoism in Political Affairs:
When the Prophet migrated to Madinah, after
thirteen years of his prophethood, the existing
society of Madinah was composed of three
groups—Muslims, idolaters, and Jews. Accepting
that social set-up as it was, the Prophet established
a system based on plurality. The status of Madinah
under this system was that of a city state, the
Prophet being the head of state. Within this
framework, other social groups were granted the
right to lead their lives as they wished and resolve
