The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 405
IX - Repeated Treachery of the Jews, Compilation and Sequence of the Holy Qur ’ā n, Marriage of Ḥaḍrat Zainab ra , the Great Calumny and Mischief of the Hypocrites 405 the attention of a person towards God and uproots pagan notions. Therefore, a grand wisdom in enjoining a form of worship on the occasion of an eclipse, etc. , is to remind the Muslims that irrespective of the apparent instrument by which a person receives light and luminosity in the life of this world, in actuality, it is God the Exalted who is the actual source. For this reason, if an obstruction occurs in the way of this light, even though such a hindrance may be due to the general laws of nature, on this occasion, one should turn towards God. In actuality, Islām has attached divine remembrance to a person’s every movement and to every change in environment, so that a person is never neglectful of his Lord. However, this is a separate religious discussion, which a historian cannot engage himself in. Famine in Makkah and Compassion of the Holy Prophet sa Towards the Quraish Whilst alluding to the Ghazwah of Badrul-Mau‘id, the famine in Makkah was also mentioned. This famine still continued. The Quraish of Makkah were afflicted with great suffering due to this famine, especially those who were poor. When the Holy Prophet sa was informed of this, as an act of compassion, he sent some silver to the less fortunate of Makkah. 1 In doing so, the Holy Prophet sa furnished practical evidence that his heart possessed a deep and immense sympathy for even his most bitter enemies; and that his only opposition was with doctrines and concepts, not with human beings. It is ascertained from Bukhārī that on another occasion as well, the people of Makkah were afflicted by a famine. Abū Sufyān bin Ḥarb presented himself before the Holy Prophet sa on their behalf and requested him to supplicate for their deliverance from the famine on the basis of kinship and relation. 2 This demonstrates that the people of Makkah held mixed emotions with regards to the Holy Prophet sa. They accepted his innate virtue, piety and purity, but were also bent upon expunging the teaching of the Holy Prophet sa , finding it to be at odds with their ancient way of practice and pagan concepts. Such mixed emotions are not impossible in light of principles of psychology. 1 Tārīkhul-Khamīs Fī Aḥwāli Anfasi Nafīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan, Volume 1, p. 470, Shiddatu Quraish, Mu’assasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Istisqā’i, Bābu Du‘āin-Nabiyyi sa Ij‘alhā ‘Alaihim Sinīna Ka-Sinī Yūsuf, Ḥadīth No. 1007