The Excellent Exemplar - Muhammad — Page 88
THE EXCELLENT EXEMPLAR — MUHAMMAD 88 converted into an achievement and the three hundred - odd ragged, half - starved, ill - armed Muslims gained complete victory over the thousand or so well - armed, seasoned Qureish warriors, proud of their might and arrogant in their pride. During the height of th e battle, the Prophet took up a handful of pebbles and sand, throwing it in the direction of the Meccan army. A fierce gust of wind happened to rise suddenly, blowing from the Muslim side in the direction of the Meccans, and carried with it a whole storm o f pebbles and sand, which so confused and bewildered the Meccans that they could not see aright, and were seriously handicapped. It contributed materially to their defeat. This incident is referred to in the Quran as: “You slew them not, but it was Allah W ho slew them. Thou threwest not when thou didst throw, but it was Allah Who threw, that He might overthrow the disbelievers and that He might confer on the believers a great favor from Himself. Surely, Allah is All - Hearing, All - Knowing” (8:18). Again, the Quran affirms that those who swear allegiance to the Prophet swear allegiance to God. “God’s hand is upon their hands” (48:11). This verse has particular reference to an incident during the negotiations which resulted in the Treaty of Hudaibiyya, but it is of general application also. The expression “God’s hand” is, of course, metaphorical. God has no physical attributes of any kind, but the meaning is obvious: those who swear allegiance to the Prophet enter into a covenant to subordinate their wi lls and purposes completely to the will and purpose of God. Thus, though they make a covenant by placing their hands upon the Prophet’s hand, their true purpose is to make a covenant with God; and in that sense God’s hand is