Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
4. Sublime Character
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deaf ear. Obviously retribution will be more
complete if it is left to God.
The Prophet once borrowed some money from a
Jewish scholar. After a few days the Jew came to
demand payment of his debt. “At the moment, I
have nothing to pay you with,’ the Prophet told
him. “I won’t let you go until you have paid me
back,’ the Jew retorted. And so he stayed there,
from morning until night, holding the Prophet
captive. At this time the Prophet was the
established ruler of Madinah: he had the power to
take measures against the Jew. His companions,
indeed, wanted to rebuke the man and chase him
away. But the Prophet forbade them to take any
action. “A Jew is holding you captive,’ protested
one of them. “True,’ the Prophet replied, “but the
Lord has forbidden us to wrong anyone.” Night
turned to morning. With the light of dawn, the
Jew’s eyes opened. He was profoundly moved on
seeing the Prophet’s tolerance, notwithstanding the
latter’s power to take action, and he thereupon
embraced Islam. This Jew, a rich man, had detained
the Prophet the day before on account of a few
pence; but the Prophet’s noble conduct had such an
