Nothing shows a person’s mettle and whether he is magnanimous or unforgiving more than his treatment of his enemies when he has complete power over them. In open warfare people may kill each other and not feel any qualms about it, realizing that in war, unless you kill your enemy, you will be killed. But when the battle is over and you have achieved victory, it is how you treat your enemy that reveals your true character. History is full of stories about how cities were destroyed, civilians killed, women raped, wealth pilfered and mass graves filled when a victorious army marched into defeated enemy land. Many were the occasions when whole regions were laid to waste and their populations suffered unmitigated misery.
But this was never the case under Islam, apart from isolated cases and situations when Islam was no longer the guiding light of Muslim communities. In the early periods of Islam, when Muslim armies moved against the Persian and Byzantine Empires to liberate their populations from injustice, they set a shining example of compassionate treatment of defeated enemies. Only this treatment enabled Islam to penetrate into these areas and influence their populations to the extent that within a very short period all these areas became Muslim. Such magnanimity is inherent in the Islamic culture. Its seeds were planted by none other than Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It was he who showed the highest degree of magnanimity, knowing that even the most hardened enemy should be addressed with the message of Islam and given a chance to know it. He never allowed revenge to dictate his action. Indeed he never sought revenge against anyone, even when he was certain that that person was out to kill him.
Let us take the case of the Jewish woman who gave him a cooked sheep so that he and his companions would eat. As he was about to eat of it, he stopped and said: “Something tells me that this sheep is poisoned.” The woman was brought in and she admitted having poisoned the sheep. When she was asked about her motive, she said frankly: “I wanted to kill you.” He told her: “God would not let you have power over me.” His companions asked him whether to put the woman to death, and he said: “No.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Another version of this Hadith says that the Prophet realized that the sheep was poisoned when he ate the first bite. Apparently the woman put a large dose of poison, because even a small bite affected the Prophet for a long time. In fact, one of his companions, Bishr ibn Al-Baraa’, who was the first to eat of the sheep died of poisoning. Some reports suggest that the woman was executed for killing Bishr. Although the Hadith that states that the Prophet refused to allow his companions to kill the woman is more authentic, since it is related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, it does not preclude that the woman was subsequently executed for murdering one of the Prophet’s companions. The Prophet’s pardon applied to his own right against a woman who plotted to kill him, but when her action resulted in the murder of another man, justice had to be done.
One of the people who did the Prophet much harm over a long period was Abdullah ibn Ubayy, who was considered the chief of the hypocrites in Madinah. He spoke ill of him, spread false rumors about him and his family, deserted with his supporters the Muslim army shortly before a crucial battle, cooperated with the enemies of Islam and plotted to undermine the Muslim state. Nevertheless, before his death, he specifically requested that the Prophet should lead his janazah prayer, i.e. prayer for a deceased person. Umar ibn Al-Khattab reports:
“When Abdullah ibn Ubayy died, the Prophet was asked to pray for him. When the Prophet stood up to do so, I jumped to him and said: ‘Messenger of God! Are you going to pray for Ibn Ubayy while he said this and that and the other? I reminded him of what the man said. The Prophet smiled and said to me: ‘Leave me alone, Umar.’ But when I was too persistent, he said to me: ‘I have been given a choice and I made my choice. Had I known that if I pray for his forgiveness over 70 times God will forgive him, I would certainly do so.’ He then offered the janazah prayer for him and left. It was not long before two verses of Surah 9 were revealed, stating: ‘You shall not pray for any of them who dies, and you shall not stand by his grave. For they have denied God and His Messenger and died as hardened sinners.’” (9: 84)
The Prophet’s argument about the choice he was given is based on the Qur’anic verse that addresses the Prophet saying: “You may pray for their forgiveness or may not pray for them, (for it will be the same). Even if you were to pray seventy times for their forgiveness, God will not forgive them, for they have denied God and His Messenger. God does not guide those who are transgressors.” (9: 80) This verse tells the Prophet that God will never forgive the hypocrites even though he may pray for their forgiveness, but it does not prevent the Prophet from praying for them. Indeed, at its face value, the verse gives him the choice. Hence, the Prophet, compassionate as he was, was willing to grant Abdullah ibn Ubayy’s wish and pray for him. He even stated that he would pray for him any number of times if that would ensure his forgiveness.
Considering all that Abdullah ibn Ubayy said and did against the Prophet over a period of several years, the Prophet’s conduct was far greater than even the most magnanimous person could achieve. Ibn Ubayy did not merely indulge in defamation against the Prophet and his family, he in fact aided the enemies of Islam in every way he could. He was always quick to side with the unbelievers. In any other situation, he would be arrested, tried for treason and sentenced to death. The Prophet was fully aware of his conduct as many authentically reported events confirm. Nevertheless, the Prophet never said a harsh word to him, hoped for his reformation and would have dearly loved that Abdullah ibn Ubayy would mend his ways. This was not to be. Still, the Prophet prayed for his forgiveness.
It is on the basis of such practical examples that magnanimity has become a cherished quality Muslims always try to ensure in dealing with others. Hence, the groups that claim to advocate Islam yet engage in killing civilians or taking hostages, justifying their action on grounds of retaliation for similar actions by the enemy, are in error. The example they should follow is that set by the Prophet, not by non-Muslims. We must abide by the rules of Islam, and Islam does not approve of avenging wrongs committed against us by similar, indiscriminate actions against innocent bystanders.