Omid Safi: Muhammad's own responses

(Muhammad and Angel Gabriel)

Rather than assume what Prophet Muhammad's responses might be concerning the recent anti-Muhammad "film," Professor of Islamic Studies Omid Safi went right to the source.

Having done extensive biographical research and writing about                             Prophet Muhammad, Safi sought answers to the question "What would Muhammad do?" within Muhammad's own living example.

Within a September 16, 2012 Religion News Service blog, Safi reports that "for the majority of his 23 years as a prophet, he [Muhammad] confronted almost constant assault, insult, persecution, exile, defamation, attempts at his life, and even stoning."  He further states that "those insults, and Muhammad's responses to them, are a matter of readily available historical record."

Safi then recounts the story of Muhammad's triumphant return to Mecca after years of exile and vicious persecution.  At that point, Prophet Muhammad had an essential choice to make - "whether to exact revenge on those who had persecuted him, or seek another path."  Muhammad sought another path – the blessed path of mercy.

Within his book Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters (pages 149-151), Safi gives this specific example of Muhammad's mercy:  Muhammad came face to face with Hind, who had devoured the liver of Muhammad's uncle Hamza.  When she declared her intention to embrace Islam, Muhammad simply said to her: "Welcome."      

Resources

http://www.religionnews.com/about/authors/omid-safi

http://www.religionnews.com/blogs/omid-safi/how-would-prophet-muhammad-respond-to-the-anti-muhammad-film

Copyright September 19, 2012 by Linda Van Slyke  All Rights Reserved