The True Jihad
Preface
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followed the same pattern of emphasis on
militarism. The Prophet’s biographies were called
maghazi
, that is, ‘The Battles Fought by the Prophet,’
yet the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon
him, in fact did battle only three times in his entire
life, and the period of his involvement in these
battles did not total more than one and a half days.
He fought; let it be said, in self-defence, when
hemmed in by aggressors, where he simply had no
option. But historians—flying in the face of fact—
have converted his whole life into one of
confrontation and war.
We must keep it in mind that the Prophet
Muhammad, may peace be upon him, was born at a
time when an atmosphere of militancy prevailed in
Arab society, there being, in their view, no other
path to justice. But the Prophet always opted for
avoidance of conflict. For instance, in the campaign
of Ahzab, the Prophet advised his Companions to
dig a trench between them and the enemies, thus
preventing a head-on clash.
Another well-known instance of the Prophet’s
dislike for hostilities is the Hudaibiyyah peace
