Life-of-Muhammad

Life of Muhammad sa 157"Very good," said the Prophet sa : "Whoever takeshelter in the house of Abu Sufyan ra will have peace.Whoever enters the Sacred Mosque will-have peace.Those who lay down their arms will have peace. Thosewho close their doors and stay in will have peace. Thosewho stay in the house of Hakim bin Hizam ra will havepeace."Saying this, he called Abu Ruwaiha ra and handedover to him the standard of Islam. Abu Ruwaiha ra hadentered into a pact of brotherhood with Bilal ra , the negroslave. Handing over the standard, the Prophet sa said,"Whoever stands under this standard will have peace."At the same time, he ordered Bilal ra to march in front ofAbu Ruwaiha ra and announce to all concerned thatthere was peace under the standard held by AbuRuwaiha ra .THE PROPHET sa ENTERS MECCAThe arrangement was full of wisdom. When Muslimswere persecuted in Mecca, Bilal ra , one of their targets,was dragged about the streets by ropes tied to his legs.Mecca gave no peace to Bilal ra , but only physical pain,humiliation and disgrace. How revengeful Bilal ra musthave felt on this day of his deliverance. To let himavenge the savage cruelties suffered by him in Meccawas necessary, but it had to be within the limits laiddown by Islam. Accordingly, the Prophet sa did not letBilal ra draw the sword and smite the necks of his formerpersecutors. That would have been un-Islamic. Instead,the Prophet sa handed to Bilal's ra brother the standard ofIslam, and charged Bilal ra with the duty of offering peaceto all his former persecutors under the standard borneby his brother. There was beauty and appeal in thisrevenge. We have to picture Bilal ra marching in front ofhis brother and inviting his enemies to peace. Hispassion for revenge could not have lasted. It must have