Spirit of Islam October 2017

13 Spirit of Islam Issue 58 October 2017 TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion for both—man and the universe. It is the master-key that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour. Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible. AVOIDING CONFRONTATION T HE year after the Siege of the Trench, in 628 AD, the Prophet Muhammad had a dream. At this time, he was in Madinah. In the dream, he saw himself and his Companions visiting the House of God in Makkah. His Companions were very pleased to hear this, for it meant that, after a lapse of six years, they would soon be going to Makkah and visiting the Kabah. In accordance with this dream, the Prophet set out for Makkah with 1400 of his Companions. When they reached a place called Ghadir Ashtat, they heard that the news of their journey had reached the Quraysh. The Quraysh were a powerful tribe that controlled Makkah. The Prophet was born into the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh. When the Prophet began preaching Islam in Makkah in 610 AD, many members of the Quraysh turned his staunch opponents. This is why he left Makkah in 622 AD and migrated to Madinah. Indignant at the idea of the Muslims visiting the Kabah, the Quraysh had amassed an army and vowed to prevent the Prophet and his Companions from entering Makkah, although it was contrary to Arab tradition to prevent anyone from visiting the Kabah. The Prophet was acting under divine inspiration; perhaps that is why he remained calm when he heard of the Quraysh’s reaction. He learnt from informers that Khalid ibn al-Walid, intent on blocking the Muslim’s path, had advanced with two hundred cavalrymen to Ghamim. On hearing this, the Prophet changed route, deviating from a well-frequented path to a little known and arduous route, which led him to Hudaybiya. In this way, he avoided clashing with Khalid’s army.