This Article was send to me and I found it interesting. This will teach us how to behave/act against non-muslim as it was successfully practised by hazoor (SAW).
Article #68
PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESS IN THE LIGHT OF SEERAH
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
It is a well-known fact that the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) was the
supremely successful man in the entire human history. But he was not
just a hero, as Thomas Carlyle has called him. According to the Qur’an,
he was a good example for all mankind. He has shown us the way of
achieving supreme success in this world.
By studying the life of the Prophet we can derive those important
principles which were followed by the Prophet. In short, the Prophet of
Islam was a positive thinker in the full sense of the word. All his
activities were result-oriented. He completely refrained from all such
steps as may prove counter-productive.
First Principle: To begin from the possibleThis principle is well
explained in a saying of Aishah. She said: “Whenever the Prophet had to
choose between two options, he always opted for the easier choice.”
(Al-Bukhari)To choose the easiest option means to begin from the
possible, and one who begins from the possible will surely reach his
goal.
Second Principle: To see advantage in disadvantageIn the early days of
Mecca, there were many problems and difficulties. At that time, a
guiding verse in the Qur’an was revealed. It said: “With every hardship
there is ease, with every hardship there is ease.” (94:5-6).This means
that if there are some problems, there are also opportunities at the
same time. And the way to success is to ignore the problems and avail
the opportunities.
Third Principle: To change the place of actionThis principle is derived
from the Hijrah. Hijrah was not just a migration from Mecca to Medina.
It was to find a more suitable place for Islamic work, as history
proved later on.
Fourth Principle: To make a friend out of an enemyThe prophet of Islam
was repeatedly subjected to practices of antagonism by the unbelievers.
At that time the Qur’an enjoined upon him the return of good for evil.
And then, as the Qur’an added, “You will see your direst enemy has
become your closest friend” (41:34).
It means that a good deed in return of a bad deed has a conquering
effect over your enemies. And the life of the Prophet is a historical
proof of this principle.
Fifth Principle: To turn minus into plusAfter the Battle of Badr, about
70 of the unbelievers were taken as the prisoners of war. They were
educated people. The Prophet announced that if any one of them would
teach ten Muslim children how to read and write he would be freed. This
was the first school in the history of Islam in which all of the
students were Muslims, and all of the teachers were from the enemy
rank. Here I shall quote a British orientalist who remarked about the
Prophet of Islam: He faced adversity with the determination to wring
success out of failure.
Sixth Principle: The power of peace is stronger than the power of
violenceWhen Mecca was conquered, all of the Prophet’s direst opponents
were brought before him. They were war criminals, in every sense of the
word. But the Prophet did not order to kill them. He simply said: “Go,
you are free.” The result of this kind behavior was miraculous. They
immediately accepted Islam.
Seventh Principle: Not to be a dichotomous thinkerIn the famous Ghazwa
of Muta, Khalid bin Walid decided to withdraw Muslim forces from the
battlefield because he discovered that the enemy was unproportionately
outnumbered. When they reached Medina, some of the Muslims received
them by the word “O Furrar” (O deserters!) The Prophet said “No. They
are Kurrar” (men of advancement)."
Those Medinan people were thinking dichotomously, either fighting or
retreating. The Prophet said no. There is also a third option, and that
is to avoid war and find a time to strengthen yourself. Now history
tells us that the Muslims, after three years of preparation, advanced
again towards the Roman border and this time they won a resounding
victory.
Eighth Principle: To bring the battle in one’s own favorable fieldThis
principle is derived from the Ghazwa of Hudaibiyya. At that time, the
unbelievers were determined to engage Muslims in fighting, because
obviously they were in an advantageous position. But the Prophet, by
accepting their conditions unilaterally, entered into a pact. It was a
ten-year peace treaty. Until then, the meeting ground between Muslims
and non-Muslims had been on the battlefield. Now the area of conflict
became that of ideological debate. Within two years, Islam emerged as
victorious because of the simple reason of its ideological superiority.
Ninth Principle: Gradualism instead of radicalismThis principle is
well-established by a hadith of Al-Bukhari. Aishah says that the first
verses of the Qur’an were related mostly to heaven and hell. And then
after a long time when the people’s hearts had softened, the specific
commands to desist from adultery and drinking were revealed in the
Qur’an.This is a clear proof that for social changes, Islam advocates
the evolutionary method, rather than the revolutionary method.
Tenth Principle: To be pragmatic in controversial mattersDuring the
writing of Hudaibiyyah treaty, the Prophet dictated these words: “This
is from Muhammad, the Messenger of God.” The Qurayshi delegate raised
objections over these words. The Prophet promptly changed the word and
ordered to write simply Muhammad, son of Abdullah.
These were the principles through which the Prophet of Islam gained
that success which has been recognized by historians as the supreme
success.
In the end, I would like to repeat those ten principles of success:
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To begin from the possible
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To see advantage in disadvantage
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To change the place of action
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To make a friend out of an enemy
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To turn minus into plus
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The power of peace is stronger than the power of violence
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Not to be a dichotomous thinker
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To bring the battle in one’s own favorable field
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Gradualism instead of radicalism
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To be pragmatic in controversial matters
In making the Prophet Muhammad the greatest figure, and consequently
one of the most resplendent landmarks in human history, God has
bestowed his greatest favor on mankind. Whoever seeks guidance cannot
fail to see him, for he stands out like a tower, a mountain on the
horizon, radiating light like a beacon, beckoning all to the true path.
It is inevitable that the seekers of truth will be drawn up to the
magnificent pinnacle on which he stands.