An Analysis of Islām’s Strength in Peace and War

The Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah is among the most significant events in the history of Islām and the life of the Holy Prophet(sa), with which, a new era in the life of the Holy Prophet(sa) began. The commencement of this new era began with the Ghazwah of the Aḥzāb, when the Holy Prophet(sa) said:

i.e., “Henceforth, we shall fight the Quraish of Makkah, but they shall not have the strength to attack Madīnah.”1

This new era was completed with the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah, when the chain of fighting between the infidels of Makkah and the Holy Prophet(sa) was ended by a formal treaty. After nineteen years of prolonged tension, which originally was of the character of ruthless persecution and torture, later taking on the form of systematic war, a peaceful environment was created for the Holy Prophet(sa) and his companions, as far as the people of Makkah were concerned at least. Therefore, at this occasion it seems appropriate that we cast a glance upon the nineteen-year bloodstained life of Islām and see the manner in which Islām grew during these nineteen years. Then, afterwards in a time of peace (peace meaning relative peace, because although a treaty had been agreed to with Makkah, other nations of Arabia were still at war with Islām) what form did the growth of Islām take on? This would be an exceedingly sublime analysis by which every just researcher and clear-sighted individual can attain a very good criterion by which to compare Islām’s power of peace and war.

It is obvious that a record of Islām’s first census is not available. For this reason, we must estimate the rate of Islām’s growth by the number of people which participated in the early Islāmic wars. This method is quite satisfactory in ascertaining approximate growth. Therefore, leaving out smaller intermediary events, we see that in the first Islāmic war, i.e., at the occasion of the Battle of Badr which took place in 2 A.H., with a difference of narration, the number of Muslim soldiers equalled 310 to 319.2 After this, the Battle of Uḥud took place in 3 A.H., and the number of Muslims that participated in it was 700.3 After Uḥud, the Battle of the Ditch was a major war, which took place in 5 A.H. In this war although the total number reached 30004 if the children and elderly who were assigned to digging the ditch, etc. are also included, because this war as if took place in Madīnah and it was not a question of leaving the city; however, perhaps practically during wartime only 1,000 Muslims participated.5 After this in 6 A.H. the expedition of the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah occurred, in which the number of Muslims is recorded as 1,400.6 This is a total of 19 years, because approximately 13 years of the Makkan life and about 6 years of life in Madīnah up to the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah equals a total of 19 years. The growth in this number of the Muslims can be gauged by the number that participated two years after the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah, i.e., in 8 A.H., at the occasion of the Fall of Makkah. This number was definitively 10,000.7 In other words, during a time of war where 19 long years of effort and striving produced only 1,400 Muslims, on the other hand, after that, in a time of peace, two years of peaceful preaching increased that number by 8,600. This astonishing increase came about because on one hand during an era of war there was very little opportunity for disbelievers and Muslims to meet and for this reason, the disbelievers received very little opportunity to hear and be influenced by the attractive teachings of Islām. On the other hand, people who were in fact influenced by the teachings of Islām, were unable to come forward upon witnessing the severe trials and tribulations of that era. However, when war ended and an environment of peace prevailed, it was as if that large barrier which had previously held back the flow of the sea of Islām, suddenly came crashing down. Once the life-giving water of Islām cut a clear path, Islām grew at the astonishing pace that we see before us. Upon witnessing these clear facts can any just individual dare raise the allegation that Islām was spread by the sword? Look and ponder, for when the sword was unsheathed, a long effort and struggle of nineteen years merely produced 1,400 Muslims. When this sword was sheathed however, a short span of two years brought 8,500 individuals to the feet of the Holy Prophet(sa). It is these hard and solid facts and figures which the bigotry of even the most prejudiced of individuals cannot obscure.

Let us further explore these facts and figures to fully calculate the weight of Islām’s strength in peacetime as opposed to its strength in wartime. Generally speaking, we have seen that nineteen years of war produced 1,400 Muslims and in comparison to that, two years of peace added 8,600 to that number. However, if this is looked upon with a deeper mathematical eye, the nineteen year period we have counted, in fractions, is actually between eighteen and nineteen years, i.e., approximately 18½ years. Similarly, it is ascertained by authentic narrations that the number of 1,400 which we have stated as being present at the Treaty of Ḥudaibiyyah is actually between 1,400 and 1,500.8 In other words this number is best stated as 1,450. In addition to this however, there is still one more variant which must be removed in order to arrive upon a precise mathematical total. The variant being that history and Ḥadīth substantiate that the Holy Prophet(sa) spent the first three years of his commission to Prophethood in complete silence, preaching on an individual basis, and did not preach Islām publicly.9 Hence, it is necessary to subtract these first three years from the 18½ year period. In his manner, the actual time of the effort and striving of preaching during an era of conflict equals 15½ years. Therefore, the result is that during the 15½ years of conflict 1,450 men became Muslim. In contrast to this, in 2 years of peace this number was increased by 8,550. As such, the average of both these eras is that the rate of growth during conflict equals 1450 ÷ 15½ = 2900/31 (or 93.55 per year) and the rate in an era of peace and harmony equals 8550/2 (or 4,275 per year). The resulting calculation can be made by even a child, in that the ratio between these two eras is 1:46. In other words, if the result of the power of preaching in a time of conflict equals 1 then in comparison, the result of the power of preaching in a time of peace would be 46. This is exactly the relation which our Master, may peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, has described between a normal believer and a Prophet of Allāh. As such, the Holy Prophet(sa) states:

“The true dream of a believer is one of the forty-six parts of the prophethood of a prophet.”10

Now ponder, what a strange, astonishing, and subtle relationship this is. In the early history of Islām, its power of the era of war, in comparison to its power of the era of peace precisely corresponds to the relation between a Prophet of Allāh and a normal believer. This is a fine spiritual point which sheds fundamental light on many important issues. For example:

1. This proves that in actuality, the spiritual power of Islām lies in its preaching during an era of peace, and not in its conquest by war. Moreover, rationally speaking, so should it be. Indeed, only that peaceful preaching by which the beauty and superiority of Islām is proven through reason, argumentation and clear signs, is the flag-bearer of the inner strength of Islām. In contrast to this, an environment of war is merely an outer reality, which is only produced as a result of the enmity of disbelievers. Furthermore, it is obvious that the actual inner strength, which is as if, the innate and permanent essence of Islām, should either way, be dominant over the result of the external conditions.

2. Then, this proves that Islām was not spread by the sword, rather, it disseminated by its own spiritual power, inherent magnetism and superior argumentation.

3. Then, this also proves that the actual personal inclination of the Holy Prophet(sa) was towards peace and harmony, not war. A state of war was merely a product of the disbelievers, into which the Holy Prophet(sa) was made to enter by compulsion.

It is these three magnificent outcomes which every sensible and just individual is compelled to accept. Through them, such fundamental light is shed on the early history of Islām and the life and character of the Holy Prophet(sa) as this entire realm begins to sparkle with a special kind of light. Undoubtedly, Jihād by the sword is also an important part of the Islāmic teaching, because Islām has also ordered that the sword be taken up in defense against a nation or government that takes up the sword to eliminate Islām by force, or wishes to prevent the publication of Islām by the sword.11 Moreover, not only does it enjoin that the sword be taken up, rather, it instructs that you fight against such a tyrannous enemy with resolve, as if you were a strong wall cemented with molten lead.12 You should strike the enemy, so that not only they, but other enemies who are behind them, should also disperse, trembling.13 However, excluding these tyrannous enemies who first take up the sword against Islām and remain adamant in wiping out Islām by force and coercion, Islām has come with a message of peace for all nations. In this message, the grandeur of its spiritual power and the dominance of its God-given argumentation is hidden within. For it is this very Jihād, which in comparison to the Jihād of the sword, is known as Jihād-e-Kabīr (i.e., the Greater Jihād) in Islām.14 Similarly, it is mentioned in Ḥadīth that when a party of the companions returned from an expedition, the Holy Prophet(sa) addressed them saying, “Now you are returning from a lesser Jihād to the greater Jihād.” When the companions inquired, “O Messenger of Allāh, what is meant by the greater Jihād?” the Holy Prophet(sa) responded, “The Jihād of an individual against his inner-self.”15