I’m currently at a spiritual retreat in Rosales, in the South of Spain. And this morning, after Fajr the Sheikh leading the retreat reminded us of a beautiful story from the life of the Prophet Muhammad, peace & blessings upon him.
During the climactic highlight of the Prophet’s life, towards the end of his life, the Prophet, along with 10,000 of his companions finally returned to Mecca – his birthplace, which he and his followers had to flee a few years earlier.
Now the situation was different and he had the support of an entire nation of devoted followers and could confidently go back to his birthplace and freely practice and teach Islam and govern the affairs of the people.
When he entered, he was walking very humbly, and asked the people, “What do you think we will do with you…?”
The norm would have been to destroy his enemies, steal everyone’s goods and pillage the land.
However, the people knew he was no ordinary man. They knew him to be very noble, like his predecessors. And his next words proved it:
“You’re all free to go”.
There was no condition on everyone’s safety. They didn’t have to join him. They were free to do whatever they wanted.
And one woman did.
She had heard all kinds of terrible (untrue) stories about this man “Muhammad”.
So, when she heard that she was free to go, she started getting all of her things together to leave the city.
A man was walking by and saw her panicking and trying to gather and move all of her stuff out of her home. The man asked her what she was doing. She replied: “Havent you heard? This crazy, bewitched man Muhammad has returned to Mecca and he’s giving us a little respite and letting us leave. I’m getting outta here!”
The man offered to help her, while listening to her stories about how bad this man ‘Muhammad’ was. He carried her stuff and helped her efficiently move it and transport it to where she was going. She was ever so grateful for his help and reassurance – there’s no way she would have been able to move all her belongings on her own.
When the job was done, and she felt secure the man was just about to leave when she asked: “But wait, I haven’t thanked you properly. What’s your name?”
He replied in words that changed her entire world-view and shifted her paradigm of reality:
“Muhammad”.
This is the essence of Islam. No matter what people say or do to you, you respond with benevolence and kindness.
As Imam Junaid (ra) once put it:
“The true Muslim is like the earth. All filth and dirt is cast upon it, but only beauty comes from it.”
The only way I’ve ever found of living by such beautiful teachings and examples of excellent conduct, is to realise the psychological truth of the ‘Inside-Out’ reality, so we can be free from being reactive and always at the mercy of other people’s behaviour, the past, or the circumstances we find ourselves in.
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Inside The Soul Of Islam: Live.
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