The Prophet Muhammad A simple Guide to his Life
Prophetic Wisdom
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should not be engaged in. Even if a confrontation
does take place, tactical retreat should be resorted
to, so that preparations may be made for taking the
next result-oriented steps.
THE POLICY OF GRADUALNESS IN REFORM
Aisha, the Prophet’s wife, has been recorded as
saying that “the first chapters of the Qur’an to be
revealed, those making mention of heaven and hell,
were short ones. It was only when people became
conditioned to accept Islamic teachings that verses
dealing with what is lawful and unlawful began to
be revealed. And if injunctions like: ‘Do not drink
wine,’ and ‘Do not commit adultery,’ had been
revealed first, people would have refused to
abandon these practices.” (
Fathul Bari
, 8/655)
This tradition tells us of a very important policy of
the Prophet. It is the same practical wisdom, which
is called gradualness. The reform of human beings
is a very difficult and complex task. Generally
because they have become accustomed to certain
ideas and habits, they hold them to be right and
proper. That is why they do not readily accept
anything new. In such a situation the only way to
