As we go about our lives in this modern age, we are constantly bombarded with reports of violence and unrest in all parts of the world.
It often feels like our world is broken, and nothing short of a miracle will fix it.
So many people have serious grievances and seemingly unsolvable problems.
But this is nothing new.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born into a society that had many of the major problems that we face today.
And he mended ties between neighbors, people and even his own enemies.
He taught us how to turn those issues of strife into peace and security for everyone.
A Peacekeeper Between Neighbors
In the society in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) was raised, treating one’s neighbor badly was considered acceptable and even expected behavior.
It wasn’t uncommon for neighbors to be constantly fighting and spitting insults at one another, among other more harsh treatment.
Ja’far ibn abu Talib, Prophet Muḥammad’s cousin, described to Negus, The King of Ethiopia, the common practice of un-neighborliness.
He said:
“We were a nation of ignorance and evil. We used to break our family ties and treat neighbors badly”. (Reported by Ahmad)
To this society who thought nothing of treating each other so badly, the Prophet Muhammad said:
By God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, with whom his neighbors are not secure. (Al-Bukhari)
The Prophet came to establish peace, justice and social harmony.
And by rectifying the treatment of neighbours, he was using a grassroots approach to establishing a community based on neighbourliness.
But he didn’t just preach this good treatment of neighbours to others. He practised it.
One of many examples of this was when the Prophet learned of the sickness of his Jewish neighbour, he visited him and made sure he was taken care of.
A Peacekeeper Among Peoples
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born into a world filled with turmoil.
Not only did neighbors regularly disrespect and goad each other, tribes were constantly warring with each other over the smallest and even perceived infractions.
Corruption was the order of the day in politics.
The rich and wealthy lived lavishly on the backs of the weak and oppressed.
Peace and safety was not a luxury many enjoyed.
Prophet Muhammad’s time and place had a great effect on him. Before the revelation came to him, he spent a lot of time in seclusion, contemplating the chaotic state of his society. It weighed on him heavily.
During the Prophet’s life, even prior to revelation from Allah Almighty, he was known as a peace keeper.
He demonstrated his desire to keep the peace and his genius way of doing so while the tribes of Quraysh were rebuilding the Ka’bah:
“The tribes of Quraysh reached the point where the Black Stone was to be placed in its designated site.
A dispute erupted between the various tribes of Quraysh.
[… The Prophet] asked them to bring a garment and place it on the ground. He placed the Black Stone on it.
He then requested that each of the leaders of Quraysh hold the garment from one side and all participate in lifting the Black Stone, moving it to its designated area. […].” (Tafsir ibn Kathir)
This is one of many examples in which he established peace among different peoples.
After having received revelation from Allah and proclaiming the message, his role as peacekeeper intensified.
Many people did not like the message of Islam. It demanded justice and social equality.
Those who benefited from the unjust social structure of the time didn’t want to see their status change nor did they want their privilege taken away.
These tyrants saw Islam as a threat to their unjust advantage in life over the weak.
Those who opposed Islam sought to destroy the message by any means necessary.
The first Muslims in Mecca were tortured, murdered, starved, boycotted by these enemies of Islam.
But during this time in Mecca, the Prophet sought peace and told the Muslims not to retaliate.
When the situation in Medina got so bad that the Muslims were running the risk of extinction, Prophet Muhammad’s reputation as a peacekeeper secured for the Muslims a home in a new city called Yathrib, now known as Medina.
In Medina at that time, there were many different peoples, tribes, and faiths living in extreme civil unrest.
The city was lawless and most disputes were settled by the blade, which lead to even more disputes.
The inhabitants of Medina desperately needed peace and structure, so they ask the Prophet to come to arbitrate and establish peace among them.
Upon his arrival in Medina, the Prophet drew up the constitution of Medina. A document that is, to this day, a shining example of how pluralism can exist and can even exist in peace.
The Zia Shah explains that:
“The Constitution established: the security of the community, religious freedoms, the role of Medina as a haram or sacred place (barring all violence and weapons), the security of women, stable tribal relations within Medina.” and so much more.
