Re: In praise of God-The Prophet’s Birthday by Hamza Yusuf
The name Yathrib was changed to Medina, city of hope. It became a city founded on the brotherhood of virtue. The Prophet enacted a treaty uniting the once warring groups. He secured the rights of the Jewish minority by granting them full citizenship and freedom to practice their religion without constraint.
Days after his arrival in Medina he began the construction of a mosque, a sanctuary of prayer and meditation, in the center of the city. And he had his companions; the Muslims create their own marketplace in order to insure economic strength.
The Meccans, sensing that a rising power was now emerging in the peninsula, plotted ways of subverting the prophet and his growing community of believers.
And the prophet, who had practiced a strict pacifism in Mecca for 13 years and disliked the use of coercive force, was now given permission by God to defend against any attacks by his enemies. The Quran declared, “Fighting has been prescribed for you and you detest it, but perhaps you detest something and in it is much good. And perhaps you love something and in it is much harm, and God knows and you do not know.” (Quran 2:216)
The prophet said, “Never desire to meet your enemies, rather ask God for peace and well-being; but should you be forced to meet them, then act courageously.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Muslims are not ashamed of their Prophet’s teaching about war. On the contrary, for us it is a great source of pride. He was courageous as a great lion against the strong and oppressive yet gentle as a shepherd with the weak and the oppressed.
The true object of war fought for God should always be peace. What the Prophet taught is that Muslims fight for a just cause only. In this world, there are only two choices: two sides, truth and justice or falsehood and oppressions. You don’t have to be a Muslim to understand that.
After years of conflict between members of his clan and his followers, the Prophet had a revelation that he should visit the sacred mosque. In the eighth year after his migration to Medina the Prophet set out for Mecca but his adversaries refused to allow him in. They sent out an arbitrator to strike an agreement that would bring the stand-off to an end. And on every point of this treaty the Prophet compromised his own position in pursuit of peace.
On the journey back to Medina some of the companions were deeply troubled by what had just taken place and disappointed that they were thwarted from visiting the sanctuary. When asked to explain, the Prophet replied, “Did I say it was going to be this year?”
And so the following year, in accordance with the treaty, the prophet and his followers performed a pilgrimage completely unmolested. But soon his clan the Koreish broke their end of the deal, massacring another clan with alliance to the prophet, attacking them even in the sacred precinct. Abu Sufyan, the head of the Prophet’s enemies, attempted to restore the truce but it was too late. News of the massacre enraged the believers and the prophet summoned all of the Muslims capable of bearing arms to march on Mecca. When the nearly ten thousand Muslims arrived on the outskirts of the city, the Koreish realized they did not stand a chance and people either fled or stayed in their homes.
And so it was, after years of persecution, the Prophet marched triumphant into the city of his birth at the head of the largest army ever assembled in Arabian history. With his head bowed in humility he declared a general amnesty and granted war criminals refuge.
His overwhelming magnanimity of character led to a mass conversion among the citizens of Mecca. Even Abu Sufyan, his archenemy, embraced the religion of the Prophet. In the months that followed, almost all of Arabia dispatched representatives to swear allegiance to this Prophet, and to enter in the faith of Islam.
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