Faith Matters

Faith Matters: Prophet Muhammad builds allegiences with justice, honesty, truth

Correction: This Faith Matters column incorrectly identified the tribes encountered by Prophet Muhammad as he fled to Medina. The sentence should read, "Through their caravans and during Hajj the Meccan leadership instigated the Arab tribes in order to develop deep-seated enmity against the Prophet to spread hatred against the new faith all over Arabia.”

In my last column, we saw Muhammad (Peace be on him.) and his early followers suffering inhumane atrocities at the hands of Meccans -- so much so, that at last, he risks his life to flee from their clutches. According to Arab customs, however, by leaving his tribe and abandoning his clan, he became fair game for attack by his enemies.

Meccan chiefs wielded extreme influence over the tribes spread all over Arabia because they were the custodians of the most holy shrine for the Arabs: the Kaaba, in Mecca. Meccans had also emerged as very successful leaders of commerce between Yemen and Syria. Great mercantile caravans moved merchandize between East and West on huge camel trains, cutting through tribal lands and oases along the Red Sea coast.

Medina, the city that provided refuge to their fugitive, Muhammad, was one such oasis. It was home to two large Arab farming tribes of Aus and Khazraj living with three mostly mercantile Jewish tribes. Various bedouin tribes inhabited the outskirts. Meccans were not expected to just leave Muhammad there in peace.

"Out of the frying pan into the fire" perfectly describes the situation Prophet Muhammad faced. Although 70 or so believers from Medina had taken an oath to protect him in their city after his migration, it was a small number in comparison with the thousands living there. However, the rivalry between the two dominant Arab tribes of Medina over the past several decades and the ensuing civil wars had almost decimated the city.

At that juncture, Muhammad enters the scene. His grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, was born in Medina and spent his childhood days among the tribe of Khazraj. Muhammad was not an unknown figure here. His impeccable reputation of honesty and truthfulness had already reached there. The tribes agreed unanimously to elect Muhammad as their chief arbiter and ruler.

The news of Muhammad being made the uncontested ruler of Medina fell on Meccans like a thunderbolt. They sent a threatening letter to the chief of Khazraj, asking them to extradite Muhammad to Mecca -- or at least withdraw their support and throw him out of the city right away. Otherwise, the Khazraj would face war, whereby the Meccans would -- most certainly -- destroy and dishonor them. Abdullah, the chief of Khazraj, who was already bitter over losing his bid to become the king of the city, hurried to gather support to evict Muhammad.

Prophet Muhammad called in a counsel of the tribal leaders and diffused the situation by highlighting the fact that such an action would invite civil strife, pitting brother against brother and clan against clan, throwing them back into a civil war they so loathed. Influenced by the high morals of Muslims and just rulings of the Prophet, most members of the two tribes soon converted to Islam of their own volition.

In the face of an impending attack on Medina, Prophet Muhammad quickly moved to make a treaty with the three Jewish tribes, who each lived within their own walled mini-cities within the bigger metropolis of Medina. Under this compact, the foundation of a secular and just welfare state was laid, giving freedom of religion and expression to all its citizens and requiring each to defend collectively the city and the rights provided therein to all its citizens. In particular, the Jewish tribes were not to provide any assistance or protection to the Meccans in case of an attack against Muslims; they were duty-bound, in fact, to come to help the Muslims.

But through their caravans and during Hajj, the Meccan leadership instigated the Jewish tribes to develop deep-seated enmity against the Prophet and to spread hatred against the new faith all over Arabia. Especially perturbing were the well-armed caravans that would come close to Medina and ignite the fire of their malice, while at the same time projecting their power.

This had caused Muslims to live in constant fear and anxiety, lest someone assassinate them or the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad, therefore, set out to develop peace treaties with the bedouin tribes inhabiting the outskirts of Medina. He also set up scouting parties to stay informed of the enemy movement, so the Muslims would not be caught off guard by a surprise attack. The information coming in from Mecca through those who accepted Islam and escaped to Medina was daunting indeed, as the Meccans were preparing night and day for an attack on Medina, dedicating entire profits of certain huge caravans to the sole purpose of war.

In the formative years of Islam, we see Meccan chiefs severely persecuting Muslims for 13 years and going on to declare war against them as a state when Muslims flee to Medina.

Prophet Muhammad was working relentlessly as an able statesman to avert such wars by all means. Did he have to face the enemy in the battlefield at the end? How ruthless was he in war -- or was he? Did he force people to convert to Islam during and after these battles? Were these battles then directed for plunder and slaves? To learn more, please stay tuned for the next part.

NAN Religion on 06/27/2015

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