Prophet Muhammad — 22 : Handling Explosive Situations
Islamic Perspectives - Muslim JournalsArab News
& Information - By Adil Salahi
One thing that stands out when we study the character
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his natural
ability to handle explosive situations. When
competition is keen, honor is at stake or a feeling of
injustice is nurtured, great care should be exercised
in order to defuse the situation. Whenever a situation
threatened to go out of control, the Prophet displayed
cool wisdom that was certain to prevent a potential
disaster. This came to him naturally, displayed long
before he became a prophet.
A few years before his prophethood, when the people of
Makkah pulled down the Kaaba and rebuilt it, a dispute
arose as to which of their clans should have the honor
of putting the Black Stone back in its position. This
was considered a matter of great honor, and each clan
wanted it. The whole community attached great
importance to every honorable action. Therefore, none
of them was ready to allow the others that privilege
without first putting a fight for it. Several days of
arguments could not settle the matter and tempers rose
sharply. The situation threatened to develop into a
bloody conflict. However, someone suggested that they
should agree on arbitration and the arbiter turned out
to be Muhammad (peace be upon him).
When the dispute was put to him, he realized that no
one was prepared to give in. Therefore, he sought to
satisfy everyone. He placed a robe on the ground and
put the Black Stone in the middle. He asked the chiefs
of all clans to hold the robe and lift it. As they
moved to the right corner, they lifted the robe up to
the right level. Muhammad then took the Black Stone
and placed it in position. He did so as the arbiter,
and as such he was not representing his own clan.
Thus, no clan could claim a special honor in the
process, none was left out. Another situation occurred
on his arrival in Madinah. There were two major Arab
tribes in Madinah, the Aws and the Khazraj, each of
which included several clans. Rivalry between the two
tribes was fierce. Only a few years earlier they went
into a five-year war against each other. Moreover,
within each tribe, its clans sought to add to what
brings it honor and pride. As the Prophet arrived in
Madinah, each clan wanted to be his host. What could
bring them more lasting honor than to be the hosts of
God’s messenger? He would be receiving God’s
revelations in their midst. Therefore, every single
clan invited him to be their guest, promising
protection and hospitality. Any choice the Prophet
made would have delighted some of his supporters and
dismayed others. He could not wish to make such a
choice at the very beginning of his stay in Madinah,
where he was in effect seeking refuge.
The Prophet simply released the reign of his she-camel
and told his eager hosts that the camel had its
orders. Thus, he moved in Madinah, allowing his
she-camel free reign while people cleared the way for
her. At one point, she sat down close to a solitary
house. The owner, Abu Ayyub, came out, overjoyed and
took the Prophet’s little luggage inside. The Prophet
was to be his guest until he has had suitable
accommodation of his own. Thus, no jealousies were
allowed to creep in. The Prophet did not favor one
clan over another. It was an aspect of the Prophet’s
wisdom that he would look for whatever was certain to
maintain good feelings among people so that there
would be no room for rivalry or conflict.
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