The Prophet Muhammad A simple Guide to his Life
The Prophet as a Model
~ 185 ~
Prophet adopted a patient attitude in response to
the armed aggression of the idolaters. For instance,
on the occasion of Ahzab (5 A.H.) in the face of the
idolaters’ military challenge the Prophet stayed in
Madinah and, by digging a long trench, successfully
prevented the idolaters from advancing. Thus by
adopting this strategy, no actual fighting could take
place. This clearly demonstrated an attitude of
patience, which obviated
qital
or fighting.
Similarly, for instance, the Prophet said his prayers
secretly during the first half of his stay in Makkah.
But when he had migrated to Madinah, he began
saying his prayers publicly.
The change of
sunnah
does not mean that now and
for all time only the latter
sunnah
is applicable to the
believers, and that praying secretly has been
disallowed
forever.
Rather,
according
to
circumstances, both the ways are equally desirable.
When the circumstances are those of the Madinah
period, the
sunnah
of the Prophet applicable to us
would be that or public prayer. While the
circumstances are those of the Makkah period, the
same way of prayer which the Prophet adopted in
