The Prophet of Mercy

Introduction.....................................................................viii ‘His Character Was the Qur’an’.................................................x A Blessing in Disguise............................................................. xi A Difficult Decade in Makkah............................................ 1 1. Let the Angels Respond.....................................................7 2. They are Misguided in Their Insults................................ 9 3. Praying for Guidance and Recognizing Their Potential....10 4. Sparing Them Divine Punishment..................................11 5. Showing Mercy On the Worst Day of His Life............... 12 6. More Hope in a Tribe Than Its Own Chief.....................14 7. Maintaining the Trust of His Persecutors........................15 8. Integrity in a Desperate Situation....................................16 The Legacy Continues in Madinah.................................... 17 9. Refusal to Resort to Name Calling..................................21 10. God Loves Gentleness..................................................... 22 11. Abuse Only Increased Him in Grace.............................. 23 12. The Quraysh’s Scout........................................................25 13. Maintain Your Promise................................................... 26 14. I Will Not Mutilate Him, Lest Allah Mutilate Me..........27 15. Merciful Instincts............................................................ 28 16. Feeding the Captives....................................................... 29 17. Clothing the Captives..................................................... 30 18. Lenience With the Ransom..............................................31 19. Increased Opportunities for Freedom..............................32 20. Introducing Prisoner Exchange........................................35 v 21. Keeping Captive Families Together................................. 34 22. No Favour Forgotten........................................................35 23. Averting War With Banū Qaynuqāʿ.................................36 24. They Just Don’t Know Any Better...................................37 25. Forgiving Treason.............................................................39 26. God Informed Him of an Assassination Attempt........... 40 27. Forgiving a Sorcerer..........................................................41 28. A Blessed Woman............................................................ 42 29. An Attempted Coup....................................................... 43 30. ‘ Let Them Cool Off ’....................................................... 44 31. ‘ Ignore Their Insults’........................................................45 32. ‘ Do You Not Love that Allah Should Forgive You?’.........47 33. Raided in Ḥudaybiyyah Valley........................................ 48 34. Hosting the Insulting Ambassador................................. 49 35. Eager for Peace................................................................. 50 36. ‘ These Are Your Rights’....................................................51 37. The Mother of His Companion.......................................52 38. ‘ Who Will Protect You From Me?’................................... 54 39. A Powerful Prisoner.........................................................56 40. Sparing the Quraysh Again............................................. 58 41. ‘ Did You Check His Heart?’.............................................59 42. The Sword of Allah..........................................................61 43. Islam Does Away With the Past....................................... 62 44. Allah Loves Those Who Act Justly................................. 64 Marching to Makkah: A Conquest Like No Other........... 65 45. Abū Jahl’s Partner............................................................67 46. ‘ Whoever Enters the Home of Abū Sufyān’.................... 68 47. ‘ Today is the Day of Mercy’............................................. 70 48. Access Granted................................................................ 73 vi 49. A Changed Man...............................................................74 50. A Proud Heart Humbled.................................................75 51. The One Who Mutilated His Uncle.................................76 52. The Assassin.................................................................... 78 53. A Promise of Security.......................................................79 54. Curing the Heart of a Racist............................................81 55. The Touch of Compassion.............................................. 82 56. His Daughter’s Persecutor................................................83 57. The Son of Abū Lahab.................................................... 84 58. The Son of Abū Jahl.........................................................85 59. A Change of Tune............................................................86 A Flawless Finish................................................................ 87 60. A Broken Chief.................................................................89 61. The Man from Yā-Sīn.......................................................91 62. Hypocrites at Tabūk........................................................ 92 63. Ibn Salūl’s Death............................................................. 93 64. The Man Who Had Him Stoned in Ṭā’if........................95 65. A Christian Chief.............................................................96 66. The Woman Who Poisoned Him 97 ................................صلى الله عليه وسلم 67. Musaylamah’s Delegates.................................................. 98 Incorruptible......................................................................99 68. The Father of Extremism................................................103 69. Help Him With His Debts.............................................104 70. The Bedouin Who Suffocated Him...............................105 A Mercy Misunderstood.................................................. 107