V. The Active Life of the Prophet


The Prophet did participate in social life in its fullest sense. He married, had a household, was a father and moreover he was a ruler and a judge, and had to fight many wars in which he underwent painful ordeals. He had to undergo many hardships and experienced all the difficulties which human life, especially that of the founder of a new state and society implies. But with all these activities, his heart rested in contentment with the Divine, and he continued inwardly to repose in the Divine peace.
In fact, his participation in social and political life was precisely to integrate these domains into a spiritual center.
The Prophet entertained no personal political or worldly ambition whatsoever. He was by nature a contemplative. Before being chosen as Prophet, he did not like to frequent social gatherings and activities. He used to lead a caravan from Mecca to Syria passing through the majestic silence of the desert whose very “infinity” induced men towards contemplation. He often spent long periods in the cave of Hira`, in the mountains surrounding Mecca, in solitude and meditation.
He was by nature neither a man of the world nor one who was naturally inclined to seek political power among the Quraysh or social eminence in the Meccan society, although he came from the noblest family. All the traditional sources testify to the great hardship the Prophet underwent by being chosen to participate in the active life in its most acute form.

VI. The Combativeness of the Prophet


The Prophet possessed a quality of combativeness, of always being actively engaged in combat against all that negated the Truth and disrupted harmony and equilibrium. Inwardly, this combativeness meant a continuous struggle against the carnal soul, against all that in man tends toward the negation of God and His Will. Outwardly, this combativeness meant fighting wars, either military, political or social wars, the war that the Prophet named the “little Jihad”, by opposition to the “Greater Jihad” which is the internal struggle.
The Prophet believed that if his religion is to be an integral part of life, he must try to establish peace in the most profound sense, namely to establish equilibrium between all the existing forces that surrounded him and to overcome all the forces that tended to destroy this equilibrium.
Thus the wars undergone by the Prophet were never aiming to oblige anyone to embrace Islam. The Quran stated the rule of: “There is no compulsion in religion” [2:256], and emphasized the fact that a person’s belief in Islam or his rejection to believe is a matter that depends upon man’s free will and his sincere conviction. This is stated in hundred of verses like: “Let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject it” [18:129].
The Quran precised the way to be used to invite people to Islam, and it was not war. The Quran says to the Prophet: “Invite to the way of your God with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious” [16:125].
So why wars? The Prophet went on to war only when he was obliged to do so against those who were threatening the existence of the newly born community in Medina. He tried to have peace with everybody, with the Meccans, the Arab tribes, the Jews, etc… and when these people were not honoring their pacts concluded with the Muslims, the Prophet went on to war. He did so to protect his community and to allow the people to worship God freely, without oppression or fear.
Islam was not spread by the sword. But the sword of Islam abolished the oppression of the powerful and the persecutions they were carrying on against the worshipers of God, be they Christians, Jews or Muslims.