The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume I — Page 342
Seal of the Prophets - Volume I 342 The Holy Prophet sa said: اِنِّی ْ اُمِرْت ُ بِالْعَفْو ِ فَلَا تُقَاتِلُوْا “I have been ordered to pardon. Thus, I cannot give you permission to fight. ” 1 Upon this order of their master, the steadfastness and pleasure with which the Muslims bore this persecution, yes, these very lion-hearted Muslims, who a few years later overthrew the Ceasar and Chosroes, has already been mentioned in some detail above. Does this not prove that in Makkah, for the Muslims not to take up the sword against the infidels, and to remain silent, and to bear their persecution in steadfastness, was not due to their being weak and not having the power to fight (as some opponents have understood). Rather, it was because the Holy Prophet sa had been ordered to pardon and the companions were not given permission to fight. However, when the completion of argumentation had been done and the infidels did not refrain from their persecution, rather, they grew more mischievous and stubborn, and set their hearts to uproot the flower of Islām, and did not leave the Muslims even after migration, despite the fact that he did not have an army to fight Arabia at all, the Holy Prophet sa took this hand-full of a community and fought them. Since the Divine succour of Allāh was with the Holy Prophet sa , he was triumphant in this contest. Prophet ’ s Migration and its Causation The migration of the Holy Prophet sa and his companions was not a leisurly journey for the purpose of travel and tourism. Rather, this journey was a result of the inhumane persecution of the Quraish, which the Muslims were being victimized to for years upon years. Finally, the Muslims and their beloved master were compelled to leave their homeland. To accurately evaluate the persecution that Muslims were made to bear during these initial thirteen years, at the hands of the Quraish and their allies, is impossible. This much can be said: that in an ignorant and free country like Arabia, in the fervour and commotion of their enmity, a barbaric and arrogant people like the Quraish inflicted as much persecution upon the weak and helpless Muslims as possible to disgrace the Muslims. They were laughed and mocked 1 Sunan Nasa’ī, Kitābul-Jihād, Bābu Wujūbil-Jihād, Ḥadīth No. 3086