Source: pakistanchristianpost.com

The Prophet Muhammad received his first Divine revelation in Makkah in the year 610 C.E. God had appointed him to spread the message of tawhid or the oneness of God. Now, with regard to this mission there was a major issue that he had to deal with. And this was that the Ka‘aba, which is in Makkah and which the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael had built for the worship of the one God, had, in later times, been converted into a centre for polytheism. 360 idols had been installed therein.

One may think that, given this situation, the first commandment of the Quran should have been to purify the Ka‘aba of these idols. But no! Ignoring this problem, the Quran’s initial commandments were about the need for internal purification. Had the Prophet been ordered to purify the Ka‘aba of idols at the very outset, at a time when the Quraish polytheists were dominant in Makkah, it would inevitably have led to conflict and even war. After being appointed as a prophet, the Prophet prayed for thirteen years at the Ka‘aba even while scores of idols remained therein. Likewise, after he shifted to Madina, he and his Companions performed the Umrah to Mecca and circumambulated the Ka‘aba following the Treaty of Hudaibiyah (628 C.E.) at a time when these idols were still present there.

The Prophet’s behaviour in this regard clearly suggests that he wanted to avoid confrontation and war with the polytheists and to preserve peace. The entire life of the Prophet was an illustration of this peace-loving policy …continue reading at pakistanchristianpost.com