Life-of-Muhammad

102Life of Muhammad saMuslims so cruelly. They were offered what would havebeen a compassionate award. But, instead of acceptingthis, they insisted on an award by Sa‘d ra . Sa‘d ra decidedto punish the Jews in accordance with the Law ofMoses as . Yet Christians to this day continue to defamethe Prophet sa of Islam and say that he was cruel to theJews. If the Prophet sa was cruel to the Jews, why was henot cruel to other people or on other occasions? Therewere many occasions on which the Prophet's sa enemiesthrew themselves at his mercy, and never did they askin vain for his forgiveness. On this occasion the enemyinsisted on a person other than the Prophet sa makingthe award. This nominee of the Jews, acting as umpirebetween them and the Muslims, asked the Prophet sa andthe Jews in public whether they would accept his award.It was after the parties had agreed, that he proceeded toannounce it. And what was his award? It was nothingbut the application of the Law of Moses as to the offenceof the Jews. Why then should they not have accepted it?Did they not count themselves among the followers ofMoses as ? If any cruelty was perpetrated, it was by theJews on the Jews. The Jews refused to accept theProphet's sa award and invited instead the application oftheir own religious law to their offence. If any crueltywas perpetrated it was by Moses as , who laid down thispenalty for a beleaguered enemy and laid this down inhis book under the command of God. Christian writersshould not pour out the vials of their wrath on theProphet sa of Islam. They should condemn Moses as whoprescribed this cruel penalty or the God of Moses as , Whocommanded him to do so.The Battle of the Ditch over, the Prophet sa declaredthat from that day onwards pagans would not attackMuslims; instead, Muslims would now attack pagans.The tide was going to turn. Muslims were going to takethe offensive against tribes and parties which had so farbeen gratuitously attacking and harassing them. Whatthe Prophet sa said was no empty threat. In the Battle ofthe Ditch the Arab confederates had not suffered any