Prophet Muhammad (SAS) – His Forgiveness and Sincerity
(Peace and be upon him and his beloved companions)
At the moment when the accomplishment of his mission was clearly reaching its final stage, the Prophet continued to show a nobleness of soul that both surprised and attracted his former enemies , whether isolated individuals or entire clans , who now came to him in large numbers. Though he remained open, he knew he had to be wary of certain individuals or groups. His experience with the Banu Ghanam ibn Awf, and Revelation that had ensued, had taught him prudence.
The Banu Ghanam had asked him, before he left for Tabuk, to inaugurate a mosque they wanted to build in Quba. [ibn Hashim, As-Sirah an- Nabawiyyah, 5:211.]
He had been kept busy by the Tabuk expedition and decided to go to Quba after his return. He later learned that the project had been contrived by a well-known hypocrite, Abu Amir, and Revelation had confirmed his misgivings:
"And as for those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity—to disunite the believers—and as an outpost for one who formerly warred against God and His Messenger: they will surely swear that their intention is nothing but good , but God bears witness that they verily are liars.
Never stand (to pray) there.[Quran , 9:107-8].
Abu Amir wanted to build a mosque in order to attract the faithful of another mosque in the area, merely to foster division and exert his influence. Behind apparent faith and sincerity, some individuals thus tried to obtain prerogatives and power and did not hesitate to attempt to use the Prophet [peace and blessing be upon him and his beloved companions] in this aim. Such situations were occurring more frequently as the community grew.
Muhammad [peace and blessing be upon him and his beloved companions] nevertheless remained very accessible and constantly ready to receive the women and men who tried to understand Islam or were in quest of truth. He had forgiven a lot to those who had apposed him in conflict or war situations, and he was now showing great patience and deep affection to those who, in peacetime , were struggling against the path that could lead them to the One . He observed them, answered their questions , and accompanied their progress, whether it was swift , hesitating, or sometimes even rebellious.
When returning from the Hunayn expedition, the Prophet [peace and blessing be upon him and his beloved companions] had declared :
"We are back from the lesser Jihad [effort, resistance, struggle for reform] to the greater jihad." A Companion asked: " What is the greater jihad, Messenger of God?" He answered : " It is fighting the self [the ego] .[Hadith reported by al-Bayhaqi]
For the Muslims , as for all human beings, required the most understanding, forgiveness , and . of course, sincerity to oneself. War and its lesser jihad had shown how difficult it was to die for God; daily life and its greater jihad now showed Muslims that it is even more difficult to live for God , in light, transparence, coherence, spiritual demand, patience, and peace.
The Prophet [peace and blessing be upon him and his beloved companions] asked all those him who not convinced of the truthfulness of his message to seek , to observe signs, to search for meaning while fighting the illusions of the self and its conceit.
He taught Muslims—those who had recognized the presence of the One—to carry on their inner struggle, to remain humble and aware of their fragility , to seek to derive spiritual nourishment from dhikr [ remembrance of God] , and, as the Quran recommended , to ask God to keep their hearts firm:
"Our Lord! Do not cause our hearts to stray after You have guided us.[Quran , 33:8] The Prophet used to pray to God and say , " O Transformer of Hearts, keep my heart firm in Your religion! [Hadith reported by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi.]
Thus , in peacetime , some were searching for truth and some verse searching for sincerity , while they all experienced a new form of inner conflict that required effort , patience, and a perpetually awake consciousness. At a time when the prospect of the establishment of the last religion seemed to be opening up, each of them was sent back to his or her own inner universe to seek light or forgiveness, to find peace and the clemency of He Who constantly returns to those who come , or come back, to Him. Revelation reminded the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him and his beloved companions] :
"When comes the help of God , and victory , and you see the people enter God’s religion in crowds , celebrate the praises of your Lord, and pray for His forgiveness, for He is oft-returning [in-forgiveness].[110:1-3]
Those verses expressed the need to return to the One even when people seemed at last to recognize the message as true. Since this was an initiation to the perpetual struggle against appearances, the Prophet [peace and blessing be upon him and his beloved companions] had, once more, to cope with contradictory tensions, which was the only way to transcend the self and reach toward the divine. While crowds were coming to him from everywhere, he was asked to return to the solitude of his heart and pursue his dialogue with the Most Near; while victory was coming to him in this world , he understood that he had to prepare to depart , to leave this life, to go home to be near the One. Abdullah ibn Msud was later to say that Revelation of that surah announced the end of the Prophet’s mission and, in effect, his imminent departure.
See also:The Greatest Man in History- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95s5HSa_Nfs
From The Messenger-by Tariq Ramadhan
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