Page 45 - Quranic Wisdom - New.indd

Quranic Wisdom

the life of the Prophet of Islam that aptly illustrates this principle.
The Prophet of Islam migrated from Makkah to Madinah in
622 A.D. at which time there were some Jewish tribes living in
Madinah. One day it happened that the Prophet of Islam saw
a funeral procession passing through a street in Madinah. The
Prophet was seated at that time. On seeing the funeral, he stood
up out of respect. One of his companions said, “O Prophet, that
was the funeral of a Jew, not a Muslim.” The Prophet replied:
“Was he not a human being?”

This means that the Prophet of Islam discovered a commonality
between himself and that Jew, because both were men and both
were created by God. Both had the same common ancestor; both
were members of a universal human society. This commonality
was enough to provide a basis upon which both could co-exist.
This formula of mutual respect is useful for all religious groups.
By adhering to it, every religious group can flourish without any
kind of confrontation.

How to Face Problems

he Prophet of Islam started his mission in the first
Tquarter of the seventh century in Arabia—an age of religious
persecution. The Prophet’s mission was based on the oneness of
God, while the people of that time were believers in idolatry. So
they became hostile to the Prophet and he and his companions
became victims of various kinds of problems.
It was obviously an unfavourable situation for the Prophet
and his companions. At this critical juncture, God revealed a
meaningful piece of guidance which is recorded in the chapter Al-
Sharh (Comfort) of the Quran. This divine guidance is as follows:

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