Life of Muhammad — Page 102
sa 102 Muslims so cruelly. They were offered what would have been a compassionate award. But, instead of accepting this, they insisted on an award by Sa‘d ra. Sa‘d ra decided to punish the Jews in accordance with the Law of Moses as. Yet Christians to this day continue to defame the Prophet sa of Islam and say that he was cruel to the Jews. If the Prophet sa was cruel to the Jews, why was he not cruel to other people or on other occasions? There were many occasions on which the Prophet's sa enemies threw themselves at his mercy, and never did they ask in vain for his forgiveness. On this occasion the enemy insisted on a person other than the Prophet sa making the award. This nominee of the Jews, acting as umpire between them and the Muslims, asked the Prophet sa and the Jews in public whether they would accept his award. It was after the parties had agreed, that he proceeded to announce it. And what was his award? It was nothing but the application of the Law of Moses as to the offence of the Jews. Why then should they not have accepted it? Did they not count themselves among the followers of Moses as ? If any cruelty was perpetrated, it was by the Jews on the Jews. The Jews refused to accept the Prophet's sa award and invited instead the application of their own religious law to their offence. If any cruelty was perpetrated it was by Moses as , who laid down this penalty for a beleaguered enemy and laid this down in his book under the command of God. Christian writers should not pour out the vials of their wrath on the Prophet sa of Islam. They should condemn Moses as who prescribed this cruel penalty or the God of Moses as , Who commanded him to do so. The Battle of the Ditch over, the Prophet sa declared that from that day onwards pagans would not attack Muslims; instead, Muslims would now attack pagans. The tide was going to turn. Muslims were going to take the offensive against tribes and parties which had so far been gratuitously attacking and harassing them. What the Prophet sa said was no empty threat. In the Battle of the Ditch the Arab confederates had not suffered any