Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
5. Lessons of the Prophet’s Life
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be sent back to Makkah. “Abu Jandal,” he said, “be
patient. God will grant you, and those persecuted
along with you, release from your suffering.”
If the previously mentioned
hadith
enjoined on one
to fight and be martyred irrespective of the
conditions, the Prophet would not have urged
patient resignation on Abu Jandal; rather he would
have told him to seek martyrdom; he and his
companions would have fought with great zeal at
Abu Jandal’s side.
During the same Hudaybiyyah encounter, the
Quraysh told the Prophet that they would not let
him enter Makkah that year. Accepting this, the
Prophet returned to Madinah, without insisting on
visiting the House of God. This was an entirely
religious affair; indeed, the Prophet had acted on
divine inspiration in setting out for Makkah with
his companions. Even so, he withdrew. If the
previously mentioned
hadith
had referred to
fighting and being martyred in an absolute sense,
the Prophet would have insisted on visiting the
House of God that year, whether he had succeeded
in his purpose or been martyred in the process.
