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

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name of kinship or friendship, on the basis of mutual respect and trust,

even in perilous situations. Thus, Urn Salamah, who had been separated

from her husband, found herself alone with her son on her way to

Medina. Uthman ibn Talhah, who was not a Muslim, offered to escort and

protect her until she reached the place where her husband was. She did

not hesitate to trust him: he accompanied her and her son to their desti-

nation, then took leave of them in the most respectful manner. Urn

Salamah was often to teU this story, always p raising Uthman ibn Talhah's

noble character.

Examples of this nature abound, and neither the Prophet nor the other

.Muslims ever restricted theif social and human relations to their co-

religionist s. Later, the Q uran was to establish the rightfulness and the

principle of such relationships formed on th e basis of mutual respect:

God does nOt forbid you, with regard to those who do not fight you for

[yourl faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly [show-

ing affection] and justly with them: for God loves those who arc just. God

only forbid~ you, with regard to those who fight you for [your] faith, and

drivt you out of your homes, and support Others in driving you out, from

turning to them [for friendship and protection]. It is those who turn to

them [in these circumstances] who do wrong.^19

T he Prophet himself was a model of eq uity toward those who did not
share his faith. Through all the years of his mission, he had continued to
receive important deposits from non-Muslim traders who went on deal-
ing with him and wholly trmtt>rl him. On the eve of his deparmre for
Medi.na, Muhammad asked Ali to give back one by one to their respective
owners the deposits be still held; he scn.:pulously applied the principles of
honesty and justice that I slam had taught him, whomever he dealt with,
be they !\luslims or non-Muslims.
D uring the same period, dle P rophet also showed a most understand-
ing attitude toward those who, under persecution or pressure from their
families, had left Islam. This was the case with two young Muslims,
Hisham and Ayyash, who abjured Islam after prolonged resistance. No
particular decision or sanction was taken agamst them. Later on, Ayyash
again came back to Islam, full of remorse and sadness. Revelation was sub-
sequently to ease his exceedingly harsh vlsion and judgment about himself: