Murder in the Name of Allah — Page 36
Murder in the Name of Allah disposal were not only magnanimously pardoned but also, as even. Montgomery Watt admits: 'Were not forced to become Muslims; they and doubtless many others remained pagan, at least till after Al-Jiranah'. 43. Maxime Rodinson agrees with Watt: 'No man seems to have felt under constraint to embrace Islam. '44. Had there been even the remotest hint of conversion by force in our primary sources of hadith or sirah, the critics of Islam would have had a field day. Now compare again the opinions of Irving, Watt and Rodinson with what Maulana Maududi said on the subject: 'When every method of persuasion failed, the Prophets took to the sword. That sword removed evil and mischief and the filth of the soul. '. The conquest of Mecca will be engraved on the pages of history for ever. That day will continue to absolve the Prophetsa - the Mercy for. Mankind from charges of violence and force which Maulana Maududi has imputed to him. That a non-Muslim orientalist, Stanley Lane-Poole, should have to put right Maududi's mistake is a tragedy of great magnitude which should sadden the heart of every Muslim. Lane-Poole says:. The day of Muhammad's greatest triumph over his enemies was also the day of his grandest victory over himself. He freely forgave the Quraish all the years of sorrow and cruel scorn to which they had inflicted him, and gave an amnesty to the whole population of Mecca. 45. The last phase of the Prophet's sa life begins with Mecca's conquest and ends with his death. There were seven expeditions during this time. . There was no fighting at all in three of them and no prisoners were taken. . In the remaining four, more than 6000 prisoners were seized. What happened to these prisoners? Maududi's logic would lead us to believe that this would have been the perfect occasion for removing filth from prisoners' souls and converting them to Islam. History tells us something different. . At the battle of Hunayn, 6000 prisoners were taken. The Holy. Prophet had spent his infancy with one of the clans of this tribe as a foster child. Among the prisoners, an old woman protested to her captor saying, 'By God, I am the sister of your chief!' The woman was produced before the Holy Prophetsa, who realised it was indeed one of his foster-sisters,. Shayma'. The Prophet spread his rug and bade her be seated. With tears in his eyes he asked about Halimah, his foster-mother. There was no word of reproach. The Prophetsa did not ask why the tribe had not thought of its foster-son before going to war. Instead, he said: 'So far those who have fallen unto me and unto the sons of Abd ul-Muttalib, they are yours; and 36