Life of Muhammad — Page 157
sa 157 "Very good," said the Prophet sa : "Whoever take shelter in the house of Ab u Sufy a n ra will have peace. Whoever enters the Sacred Mosque will-have peace. Those who lay down their arms will have peace. Those who close their doors and stay in will have peace. Those who stay in the house of H ak i m bin H iz a m ra will have peace. " Saying this, he called Ab u Ruwai h a ra and handed over to him the standard of Islam. Ab u Ruwai h a ra had entered into a pact of brotherhood with Bil a l ra , the negro slave. Handing over the standard, the Prophet sa said, "Whoever stands under this standard will have peace. " At the same time, he ordered Bil a l ra to march in front of Ab u Ruwai h a ra and announce to all concerned that there was peace under the standard held by Ab u Ruwai h a ra. THE PROPHET sa ENTERS MECCA The arrangement was full of wisdom. When Muslims were persecuted in Mecca, Bil a l ra , one of their targets, was dragged about the streets by ropes tied to his legs. Mecca gave no peace to Bil a l ra , but only physical pain, humiliation and disgrace. How revengeful Bil a l ra must have felt on this day of his deliverance. To let him avenge the savage cruelties suffered by him in Mecca was necessary, but it had to be within the limits laid down by Islam. Accordingly, the Prophet sa did not let Bil a l ra draw the sword and smite the necks of his former persecutors. That would have been un-Islamic. Instead, the Prophet sa handed to Bil a l's ra brother the standard of Islam, and charged Bil a l ra with the duty of offering peace to all his former persecutors under the standard borne by his brother. There was beauty and appeal in this revenge. We have to picture Bil a l ra marching in front of his brother and inviting his enemies to peace. His passion for revenge could not have lasted. It must have