Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
8. Rising above Events
~ 182 ~
All this goes to show how far Arabian territory had
become a prey to the expansionist designs of Rome
and Persia at the time of the Prophet Muhammad’s
mission. In such a situation two paths were open to
a reformer such as the Prophet. He could have
allowed himself to be carried by the tide of current
events, and initiated political agitation against the
colonial powers that were threatening his land. Or
he could have concentrated on building up his
people’s internal strength to such a degree that,
with a slight effort on their part, the imperial edifice
would crumble to the ground.
The Prophet chose the second rather than the first
course. Abraha’s attack on the Holy Ka’bah is
mentioned in the two chapters (105 and 106) of the
Qur’an entitled
al Fil
and
Quraysh.
The Qur’an
explicitly states that such threats should be
countered by “worship.” This is the Islamic way.
When a political threat is perceived, a solution
should be sought—not on a political level—but on a
spiritual level, on a level of worship.
