Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
5. Lessons of the Prophet’s Life
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enemies of Islam. He also turned his attention to
building up the strength of Islam in Madinah. The
culmination came within only two years of the
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah: the Quraysh surrendered
without even putting up a fight. There was no
further barrier now to the Prophet’s triumphant
entry into Makkah. It was the deliberate imposition
of a humiliating retreat from Makkah, which had
paved the way for a great victory.
People nowadays tend to resort to arms on the
slightest provocation from their enemies. When the
losses of meaningless war are pointed out to them,
they justify themselves by saying that they were not
the aggressors; the enemy had wickedly involved
them in warfare. What they do not realize is that
non-violence—does not mean remaining peaceful
so long as no one is acting violently towards you; it
is to refrain from violence even in face of violence—
to refuse to be provoked even in face of
provocation. Insidious plots should be met and
defeated by quiet deliberations. Deeply-rooted
though the antagonism of one’s foes may be, one
should not let their antagonism become either a
stimulus or a vindication of one’s actions.
