Most, if not all, of us must have read at one time or another
something about the life and time of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). We must have
seen some videos as well depicting the Prophet’s life, but I found this one
especially different for some remarkable reason. The narrator visited specific places where history unfolded, and it is only here that the controversies in the life of the Prophet were presented in a much more unbiased fashion. It is only
here that I heard for the first time the Prophet’s deception by the devil that became the basis of Salman Rushdie's writing of his book, “The Satanic
Verses.”
All the prophets of God at one time or another were deceived
by the devil. The devil’s deception, however, is more profoundly demonstrated in Islam than in any other religion. For 3 days during the annual Hajj, pilgrims
stone the devil at precisely the place where Prophet Abraham (a.s.) did five
thousand years ago. The stoning, however, symbolizes not only a replication of what Prophet Abraham (a.s.) did but an affirmation of Muslim’s rejection of evil in all forms and sizes represented by the small, medium, and big devils/Satan
that the pilgrims stone each day for 3 days.
I particularly like that incident where the unbelievers
demanded during the signing of peace with the Meccans at Hudaibia to strike out
the words “messenger of God” beneath the prophet’s name because, as they reasoned out, we don’t believe you to be the messenger of God. The prophet’s
men, especially Ali, were furious, but the prophet took the pen and asked, “Which part here don’t you like?” and he struck out “Messenger of God.” As a genuine
prophet, he possessed knowledge of the future. He knew what peace would bring, and a year later, due to this treaty, he and the entire Muslim army rode into Mecca unopposed. He
conquered Mecca without firing a single arrow.
Peace not war was the way of the prophet whenever given a
choice…
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