Without precluding the possibility of conflict and violencein human situations Islam does not make it a necessary condition or an idealfor human conduct. In pursuit of truth God values life of the faithful andenjoins them to tread with caution. The apt illustration of this can be foundin the conduct of His messengers in relation to their divinely ordained missionof calling people to the righteous path. Whatever account of their pursuance ofthe noble prophetic mission we get in Qur’an is that they, with extremely highdegree of perseverance and determination, exhibited immense patience againstall types of persecution and oppression. All of them treaded the divinelyordained path with caution and resisted any temptation of reacting toprovocations with any angry or violent response lest their powerful adversariesdraw a justification to inflict greater harm to them and their followers intheir situation of physical and numerical weakness. This is indicated in theconduct of all the prophets. It was in rare cases, when some of these succeededin constituting a politically community that they would be allowed to fight asand when situation demanded.
In his thirteen years of prophetic life in Makkah Prophet Muhammad (SAW), despite all the persecution that he and his followers had to bear with, always guarded against his companions getting provoked. During these years of extreme tribulation Quran always stressed on patience. The Prophet also stressed on the same. In all the circumstances his first priority was security of the life and honour of his companions. So much so that in situations of extreme difficulty he persuaded his companions to leave their homes and migrate to places that could be safer for them. In the 7th BH (Before Higrah) he sent a small group of 12 companions to the Christian Kingdom in Abyssinia (Ethiopia). After learning about the safe atmosphere for Muslims in that country next year (6th H.1) he sent a larger vulnerable group of 100 followers for the secure stay there. The Prophet remained grateful to its Christian King, Negus for this kind gesture of his.
The lesson in all this is that in their divinely guidedwisdom Prophets valued the life of their followers. They understood that howprovocation to violence would jeopardise their mission in its infancy. Therefore, even God in his absolute wisdomdid not permit the faithful to get into violent campaign or resistance even inself defence. As indicated above, Quranalways stressed the virtues of patience and perseverance in the face extremeprovocations and persecution. During the thirteen years of prophetic mission inMecca, although they suffered worst kind of oppression and persecution, Muslimsremained calm and composed in their suffering. In response to abuses they weretold to “have patience with what they say, and leave them with noble(dignity).” (73: 10). They were not permitted to take recourse to violence evenin self defence. As we understand in terms of human psychology it is because the discourse of violence creates moreproblems, generated more hatred, hardens attitudes, blocks communication,hinders understanding, precludes the possibility of continuing dialogue and asour present day experience indicates, it afflicts those involved, socially,economically, culturally, physically and psychologically. Therefore, for Muslims at a time when theywere in their weakest in an atmosphere vitiated by violence spreading themessage of God would have become even harder. Instead the faithful are advisedthat while preaching they should be most courteous and the most gracious. “Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord withwisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best andmost gracious…” (16:125). Even whereMuslims were (in position) to punish the culprit they were told that “let yourpunishment be proportionate to the wrong that has been done to you: But if yeshow patience, that is indeed the best (course) for those who are patient.”(16:125)
This extraordinary character, commitment and moraldiscipline reflected in conduct of the Prophet and his followers against allodds did not go unnoticed within the length and the breadth of the Arabia.Thus, Muslims began to develop pockets of empathy, influence and a constituencyof Muslim converts across in far off places like Yathrib (about 500 km awayfrom the Mecca). This made a new opening of contacts between the sufferingMuslims in Mecca and the delegations visiting Mecca during the Hajj. The Prophethad success in dealing with the delegations coming from the Yathrib. Itgradually began to change atmosphere in the city for Islam & Muslims. Theatmosphere became so favourable within only a couple of years in Yathrib thatthe Prophet was formally invited to migrate and settle in the city.
Thus, the Prophet immigrated to Medina in the 13th (H. 1)year of his prophet hood under a plan with a certain understanding with arepresentative delegation of tribal leadership from the city. One reason forsome feuding tribes to invite Prophet to their city was to seek his help toresolve their mutual feuds and create a peaceful, safe and secure atmosphere inthe city. Therefore, at Yathrib, (which became Madinatul Nabi after Prophet’sarrival and is known as Madina) Prophet of Islam began his mission by makingpeace in the city among the warring tribes and all communities living there andfounded a polity patterned on a sort of “social federation”. He (SAW) convened a general meeting of therepresentatives from different communities and tribes, both Muslim andnon-Muslim. The participants in themeeting unanimously agreed to a framework of mutual relationship and theprovisions according to which the newly formed city-state was to be run. Theagreed provisions were reduced to writing and they constitute (according to oneof the prominent 20th century Muslim Scholars Dr. Muhammad Hamidullah,1908-2002) “the earliest written- Constitution of a state promulgated by itshead in the world”. The text has come down in Sahih Bukhari. The main points ofthe agreement related to:
1. thebanning of internecine feuds within and dissuade aggression from without,
2. constitutinga city-state in the region of Madina, on a confederal basis, with very largeautonomy to the units with the Prophet as its sole administrator/arbiter;
3. privatejustice was to be banished. Appeal could be made to the head of the State, whohad also the prerogative to decide the issues related to war and peace.
It also included the prerogatives and obligations of theruler and the ruled, as well as other immediate requirements (including a sortof social insurance for the needy). The right of seeking justice wastransferred from the individuals to the community (i.e., the centralauthority). The final court of appeal was to be the Holy Prophet himself. Thisled to the formation of a political community in Madina under the leadership ofthe Prophet. This allowed a secure atmosphere for Muslims to live in relativepeace and practice and propagate their religion internally and in theneighbouring areas helping them to expand their mission and influence. Eventhereafter, God (in his absolute wisdom) did not grant permission of Qital(fight/war) for another year till Muslims settled down properly in Medina and hadestablished a polity relatively within the safe zones of the town.
But even after theemigration of the Prophet to Madina, the Makkans did not end their enmity toMuslims. Under the leadership of the holy Prophet, the political community inMedina began to stabilise, and migrant destitute Muslims dislocated in Meccawere rehabilitated by establishing a unique mechanism of Muakhah (brotherhoodof sharing). The Meccans knew that they had not only persecuted Muslims, forcedthem to seek refuge away from the comfort of their home, rendering themhomeless destitute, occupied their properties, created difficulties in theirmigration in peace, and continued their hostilities. So it was not only becauseof the continued hostility toward Islam, they were also apprehensive aboutMuslims having settled and stabilised at a place that was strategically vitalfor their trade to outside world (Sham in particular). Soon after Hegrah, theMakkan Quraish began to conspire against the nascent political community anddid not want Muslims to consolidate in Madina. It was in this context, when thecommunity in Madina had relatively stablised that Muslims, one year afterHigrah (H.2) i.e. in the 14th year of the prophethood, were allowed to fight todefend themselves through the following verse of Quran, “Fight in the cause ofAllah those who fight you but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth nottransgressors.”