The System of Mushawarat in Jama'at-e-Ahmadiyya — Page 5
T he S ystem of M ush A warat in J ama * at - e -A hmadiyya Holy Prophetsa once more asked for advice, and again the Companions came up with same two views. [Mnsnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, voL 1, p. 31, published in Beirut; Hayat-e-Muhammad, by Muhammad Hussain Haikal, Urdu translation, p. 330] Because o f his natural propensity to kindness and com passion, the Holy Prophetsa accepted the advice o f Hadrat Abu Bakr™ and rejected the idea o f slaying the prisoners. He decided that the prisoners who could pay for their re lease should be set free. This decision was later endorsed by Divine revelation. (Surah Muhammad, 57:5) A n I mportant M eeting of S hura Having suffered a humiliating defeat, and having lost many o f their chiefs and noblemen at the Battle o f Badr, the Meccans were in a great rage, and their hearts were burning with the fire of revenge. They started preparing for a new onslaught, and, in the third year o f Hijrah, their army was ready to move. When the news reached the Holy Prophetsa at Medina, he summoned an open meeting for the purpose o f consultation, in which all the Companions were present. In view of the superior num bers of the Meccans and their greater skill in warfare, the Holy Prophetsa considered it advisable to adopt a defen sive strategy and to fight the enemy from within Medina. It is recorded on page 43 o f Slrat Ibn-e-Hisham, vol. 2, that the Holy Prophetsa did not consider it expedient to move out o f Medina to meet the Quraish at their camping ground. Some of the eminent Companions agreed with the Holy Prophetsa, but he still called the 5