CHAPTER FOURTEENAt Home, Over There
The Prophet had come back to Mecca as a victor, and the generosity he
had shown had surprised even his fiercest o?ponents. \Vhile many had
insulted him, fought against him, and even killed members of his famlly
and his dearest Companions, he offered them forgiveness, o blivion of the
past, and protection The Quran had mentioned those "wh o have been
expelled fro m their homes in d e fiance of right, [for no cause} except that
they say: 'Our Lord is G od ."'! Also, Revdaton had already announced
that when those persecuted people were victorious, they would stand out
by their human dignity and their behavior, for they are "those who, if We
est:lblish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give zaleat lthe
purifying social tax], enjoin the right and forbid wrong.,,2
The i\:lcssenger was the living example of mch nobleness. He showed
no interest in revenge, wealth, or power. He entered !\'Iecca prostrated,
went to pray and prosrnne himself in the Kah a san ctuary, destroyed the
idols (10 a gesture that recalled Abraham's), s;>oke numerous invocations
expressing his tfUSt in the One God and his thankfulness, and then at last
established peace in the city o f r-.-Iecca.
Hunayn
Muhammad realized that he still had to face a number of dangers th reat-
ening the Muslim community. All the tribes had not acknowledged the
Prophet'S authority, and some thought the time had come to overthrow
him. Persistent rumors indica[ed that the Hawazin tribes and their allles