Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
7. The Revolution of the Prophet
~ 165 ~
the Sassanian Emperor had allowed them to occupy
only on receiving assurance that they would not
preach any new doctrine, or give refuge to anyone
who did so. “Perhaps rulers would disapprove of
your teachings,” the chieftain added.
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This shows how foreign rule on the borders of
Arabia constituted more than a political and
territorial encroachment on Arab sovereignty; it
obstructed the Prophet’s missionary work as well.
The Prophet could have used this as a pretext for
starting active resistance to foreign powers, saying
that no missionary work could be accomplished
until all external obstructions had been eliminated.
But to have done so in the initial stages of his
mission would have constituted a deviation from
God’s scheme, which was for the empires of Rome
and Persia to become weak by fighting with each
other for twenty years. When the time finally came
for them to be conquered, it was they who had to
shoulder the blame for the initiation of hostilities. It
was, furthermore, relatively easy for the Muslims to
subdue them, paving the way for the
unprecedented conquests of the post-prophetic era.
If the Muslims had confronted Rome and Persia
