In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad

Re;iJfan(t, Hllmility, and F-xik^53

attack, torture, and kill, to those who want miracles and proofs, the
prophet invariably answers with the weapon and shield of the Quran,
which in itself constitutes, as we have seen, the miracle and the proof. The
text liberates the real strength in people, that which has the power to resist
and overcome all the persecutions in this world, because it calls for the
Jjfe beyond the illusions of this life: "The life of this world is but amuse-
ment and play. But verily, the home of the hereafter-that is life indeed,
if they but knew.,, 4
1 "he essence of the notion of jihad ji sa!Jilil..LL;h (resistance in the way
of God) is wholly circumscribed in this first occurrence of the word at
the heart of the surah "The Criterion." It is a matter of distinguishing,
through the miracle of the twO Revelations (the universe and the text), the
presence of the One, and of resisting the lies and terror of those who are
moved only by the desire to protect their own interests, powers, or pleas-
ures. The first attitude this requires is to stay aloof:

Therefore shun fho~e who turn away from Our message and desire noth-

ing but the life of this world. That is their attainment of knowledge. Verily,

your u.)rd knows best those who stray from His path, and He knows best

those who receive guidance. To God belongs all that is in the heavens and

on earth: so that He rewards those who do evil, according to their deeds,

and He rewards those who do good with what is best.S

T he criterion also has an ethical dimension, as we can see in the above

verses, since what distinguishes the believer in this life is not only faith but

also a way of being and behaving. Armed with this knowledge, the

Prophet and his Companions first of all tried to convey their message

freely while avoiding confrontation. T he Quraysh leaders did not want it

to be so, and they intensified their persecutions as Revelations followed

upon each other in rapid succession. The first Muslims, like the Prophet,

engaged in resistance-in }ihaJ-reminding people of the existence of

the One G od, of Life after life, of the Last Judgment, and of the neces-

sity for good, and the Quran was always the weapon of their spiritual dis-

cernment and their shield in the face of physical b rutality.

However, the persecution was so violent and continuous that tmsjibad

was sometimes difficult to bear. One day, a group of Muslims came to the

Prophet while he was lying in the shade near th e Kaba. T hey asked him: