“I was made victorious by the winds of as-Saba’ and ‘Aad were destroyed by the winds of ad-Daboor” [Sahih Muslim]
This was what the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. (peace be upon him) said after the miraculous victory of the Muslims in the Battle of Al-Ahzab (The Confederates), a battle in which they were vastly outnumbered by a combination of forces inside and outside the city of Madinah.
With no hope of a military victory, a sandstorm the likes of which many had not seen in their lifetime suddenly swept in and forced the retreat of the army surrounding the Muslim city. The battle was over with less than 10 casualties on the side of the Muslims.
But none of the disbelievers died in that retreat.
Why were the disbelievers not destroyed completely by Allah? After all they were clearly enemies of Islam - opponents on the battlefield, ready to kill the Muslims!
Why did Allah not send the wind of ad-Daboor, with which He had destroyed previous stubbornly unbelieving nations?
Why, instead, did He send the more merciful wind of as-Saba’?
Ulama’ comment that this is because of the rahmah (mercy) that the prophet s.a.w. felt towards his enemies, that they would one day enter into Islam.
And sure enough, in a few years the majority of that army which surrounded Madinah, ready to kill the Muslims off, had themselves become Muslims. And today, a millennium and a half later, their descendants are also Muslims.
This is one of the many examples of the rahmah of the prophet s.a.w. (another famous example being the mercy he showed towards the people of Ta’if, who stoned him for his da’wah. Today the descendants of those people of Ta’if are Muslims).
In other words, the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. truly deserves the title Allah bestowed upon him in the Qur’an - “rahmatan lil ‘alameen” [Surah Al-Anbiya’: 107]
(Translated very roughly to English as “a mercy to all the worlds”.)
Yet today there are quarters who claim that when we promote an inclusive image of Islam in which Muslims are willing to engage with those of other worldviews and to discuss and debate in a healthy manner as a way to show the beauty of this deen, we have somehow perverted the meaning of “rahmatan lil ‘alameen”.
How narrow-minded those accusations are!
After all, did the prophet s.a.w. himself not show a willingness to engage with those around him throughout his life, Muslim or not? Indeed, never did he force the conversion of others to his Message, preferring to let them see the Truth with their own hearts and minds.
Such was rahmatan lil ‘alameen.
Yes, I am aware that there are those out there who abuse the meaning of rahmatan lil ‘alameen, and use the phrase to promote a blind pluralism in which all religions are equally correct with Islam.
That is indeed a perversion, because Allah says very clearly:
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allah, then indeed, Allah is swift in [taking] account.” [Surah Ali Imran: 19]
And thus, it is upon Muslims to believe so.
But at the same time, let us not go to the opposite extreme and deny the right of other religions to exist. Believe it or not, the existence of religions other than Islam is an ayat (sign) of Allah:
“And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed - all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers? And it is not for a soul to believe except by permission of Allah, and He will place defilement upon those who will not use reason.” [Surah Yunus: 99-100]
Put simply:
Islam does not recognise the TRUTH of other religions,
but it recognises the EXISTENCE of other religions
(and the RIGHT for human beings to choose what to believe).
To me, one of the signs of the truth of the prophet s.a.w. was his vision. Although he was born and raised in the middle of the Arabian desert, he had a mission which traverses the space and time he was in.
His Message was not limited to his tribe or race, in a society which was bitterly tribalistic; nor was it limited by time, traversing generations and millennia.
He wanted everyone to receive, and to accept, the Truth - to have as many people and peoples as possible to enter heaven, not limit heaven only for his tribe or race.
That’s the sort of fighters for Islam that Malaysia (and the world) needs today. Those who can see past racial sentiments and lead the way to a better future for all. To offer the God-given solutions within Islam to everyone.
To thus follow in the footsteps of our prophet s.a.w.
Contrast that to the noisy voices in Malaysia today who claim to fight for Islam but limit their fight to the rights of one race only.
In the process they become arrogant, and mock those of a different race to themselves with the excuse of upholding Islam.
How contradictory that is to the ayat:
“O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one's] faith. And whoever does not repent - then it is those who are the wrongdoers.“ [Surah Al-Hujurat: 11]
Who, then, is perverting the message of rahmatan lil ‘alameen?
