Page 108 - The Vision of Islam

Seerah as a Movement

tactful and ingenious manner, introduced Islamic constitutional
government to the city of Madinah.
The Prophet’s departure to Madinah, instead of appeasing the
Quraysh, aroused their anger to new levels of intensity. They saw
that the Muslims were all gathering in one place, and becoming
stronger in the process. Only two years elapsed before the Prophet
had to decide whether to meet the Quraysh army outside the city,
or allow them to enter Madinah and cast the newly built nest of
Islam into disarray. The Quraysh had 950 men in their army, while
the Muslims numbered only 313. But the Prophet’s insight told
him that the Quraysh were moved by solely negative impulses.
Hatred of the Muslims, and jealousy of the Prophet, lay behind
their aggression. The Muslims, on the other hand, were moved
by the most positive and noble instincts. They had faith in God
to spur them on, as well as the certainty that they were fighting
for a true cause. The Muslims, then, were immeasurably more
strongly motivated than their foes. Besides this, Arab warfare
was an individual affair. Every warrior sought to make a name for
himself by exhibiting his own bravery. Faith in God had removed
this weakness from the Muslims. The Prophet was the first person
in Arab history to command his forces to pursue a united course of
action, and fight in ranks. He stressed the importance of fighting,
not as individuals, but as a unit. The believers were urged to destroy
the Quraysh’s individual strength with the strength of solidarity:
“God loves those who fight for His cause in ranks as if they were
a solid cemented edifice.” (61:4)
It was faith and the Muslims’ ability to fight as one that brought
about the first victory of Islamic history—the Battle of Badr.

vicTory of islam

Defeat at Badr had the effect of further provoking the Quraysh
and several battles, notably that of Uhud (3 a.h.), ensued within
the space of a few years. The Muslims ran into severe difficulties

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