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He, for example, managed to unite the mutually hostile
tribes of 'Aus and Khazraj on the one hand and the Muslims and the Jews on the
other (at least during the early years). He established a new kind of
brotherhood (Mawakhat) between two fighting groups of Muhajireen and Ansar.
He was the best strategist and could therefore fight any
enemy even many times stronger than the Muslims. According to him, "War is
nothing but a game of tricks." His great success was to foil the attempt
of the Allies to win over the Jews of Banu Qurayza during the siege of Madinah
in 5 A.H. If that attempt had gained success, it might have brought destruction
to Medinah.
Despite his genius, he was in the habit of consulting his Shoora, the body of his advisors, on all important occasions. This is a habit that should be followed by all Muslim leaders of modern times. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ), similarly, set several examples of dispensing justice without any prejudice or discrimination. In Madinah often cases were brought before him by the non-Muslims against the Muslim citizens of the same town.
The Holy Prophet (ﷺ), in many instances, gave strong rulings even against some of the noted companions. A companion, Abdullah bin Abi Hadrad Ansari was indebted by five Dirhams to a Jew. Abdullah was in a state of sheer poverty but the Jew was not willing to give him any concession and he appealed in the court of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) for the recovery of his debt.
On Holy Prophet's orders, Abdullah sold one of his garments
for three Dirhams and borrowed two Dirhams from another companion to retire the
debt of the Jew. In Medinah, it was a custom among the issueless women that
they vowed to God that if a child was born to one she would devote the child to
Judaism.
Now after conversion to Islam several Muslim women wanted to get their children back and make them Muslims. When the matter was brought to the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) he gave his verdict that it was up to the choice of the children themselves and they could not be forced by Muslims. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) took special care of the rights and protection of the non-Muslim citizens of the Republic of Medinah.
Non-Muslims were never forcibly recruited into the Muslim army and they just had to pay a nominal tax (Jizya) in return for the security provided to them by the Muslim government. Even in this regard, the Holy Prophet's statement over the death of his son Ibraheem (from the Coptic wife, Maria) is worth quoting: "If Ibraheem had survived, I would have exempted all the Coptic (Egyptian Christian) population from the payment of Jizya."
Also read:
- Hazrat Bilal RA and his importance in Islam – Short biography in English
- Explanation of 3 Ahadith that a Muslim need to believe and should act
- Who is Akça Hatun? Wife of Sultan Alp Arsalan - Biography in English
- Sultan Alp Arsalan | A heroic Seljuk leader | Biography in English
