The Prophet's Attitude Towards His (former) Enemies

 

The Prophet's Attitude Towards His (former) Enemies

Since moving to Medina, the Quraysh have never stopped trying to attack and harm the Prophet. They kept lurking and looking for ways to kill the Prophet and paralyze the power he was building. The Quraysh disbelievers, ironically driven by people who still count as big families with the Prophet such as Abu Jahal and Abu Sofyan really saw Muhammad as a threat to their establishment of power in the Arabian desert.

In the second year of Hijri, the Battle of Badr broke out, in which hundreds of Muslims succeeded in defeating thousands of Quraysh troops led by Abu Jahal. Apart from the Battle of Badr, there were a number of minor clashes on the Mecca-Medina border. The defeat of the Qurays at Badr led them to swear revenge. So a year after that, the third year of Hijri, they invaded Medina. Led by Abu Sufyan, the Quraysh infidels succeeded in defeating the Muslim army. Many companions died, including the Prophet's uncle, Hamzah bin Abdul Muttalib.

The Prophet was very sad about the many friends who died. Friends who are still alive are also sad and angry. The Companions then asked the Messenger of Allah to curse the unbelievers of Qurays who kept trying to harm him and had killed many of the Companions. But the Prophet replied, "I was never sent to curse anyone. I was sent to invite to goodness and as a mercy." Then the Messenger of Allah raised his hand, looked up at the sky and prayed, "O my Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know."

For the Prophet, both the Battle of Uhud and the Battle of Badr were forms of resistance to threatening forces. All done in the spirit of self-defense, not destroying the opponent.

So when there was a landslide victory in the fathu of Mecca five years later or the eighth year of Hijri, not a single Quraysh disbeliever who was hostile to the Prophet he killed. Abu Sufyan and his wife, Hindun, who were known to hate the Prophet deeply and were behind Hamza's murder, were pardoned, and converted to Islam. Even Wahsyi, the perpetrator and slave specially assigned to kill Hamzah, was also pardoned, and converted to Islam. Because everything is done not in the spirit of wanting to win or destroy the opponent, but to invite and increase followers to leave the Arab jahiliyah life which is full of discrimination and idolization – statues and objects.