The Prophet's Unlimited Scope of Patience

When the Prophet Muhammad , began his mission of tawhid [unity of Allah (God)] in ancient Makkah, there existed as usual a status quo. The Quraysh had assumed the leadership of the town, and according to their beliefs, they had established an idolatrous system.

Now the question arose as to how the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), should begin his work. It appeared that the status quo under the hegemony of the Quraysh would have to be abolished and only then would the path be cleared for Prophet's mission. At that juncture, certain basic guidance was revealed to the Prophet. God declared in the Qur'an: "Surely with every hardship there is ease; with every hardship there is surely ease." (94:5-6)

This means that although the status quo in Makkah appeared to be an obstacle, by the very law of nature, opportunities for the furtherance of his aims, opportunities also existed side by side. Therefore, any attempt to change the status quo was not to be made in the first stage itself. Without disturbing the prevailing situation, such opportunities as were available in other fields were to be utilized to promote the Islamic mission.

The method Islam prescribes for the achievement of our goals, and the model example we find in the life of the Prophet, can be described in brief as a method based on patience. That is, remaining in harmony with the status quo and launching one's struggle in the sphere of the possible. In this respect, it may be called positive status quoism.

1- An Obstacle Turned Into a Stepping Stone:

When the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) began his mission in Makkah, hundreds of idols had been placed in the most sacred mosque. The Kabah, which was built, as a center of monotheism, had virtually become a center of shirk (polytheism). At that time the method adopted by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) provides a perfect example of positive status quoism.

What the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) did was to refrain completely from interfering with the idols and idol worship. Instead, letting things remain as they were, the Prophet began to communicate the call of monotheism to the people who used to visit the Kabah daily, it being a central place. The Prophet availed of these large gatherings by going there every day and reading out to them passages from the Qur'an. In this way Islam began to spread gradually in the country.

2- Avoidance of Protest Gradually Changes the Status Quo:

The Prophet lived in Makkah for thirteen years after he received his prophethood. During this period, a group of people embraced Islam, but the majority continued to be diametrically opposed to it.

At that time in Makkah, Dar-al-Nadwa was its political center. The Makkan leaders held meetings here and decided unanimously to boycott the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS). When they failed to apply a brake even with this method, they decided to assassinate him.

At that time, the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) did not launch a campaign to capture Dar al-Nadwa, the center of his opposition. The Prophet did not even commence hostilities against these Makkan leaders. There was to accept the status quo and quietly leave that place for Madinah, which became the center of his activities. As history tells us, extraordinary results were produced through this superb and far-sighted strategy.

3-Internal Harmony Results in External Expansion:

At that time Madinah, three religious groups existed - Muslims, Idolaters and Jews. Here too the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) did not directly confront the status quo. Instead, he issued a charter which is known as Sahifa-al-Madinah in the history of Islam. In this situation he adopted almost the same kind of policy as that known as non-interference in modern times. He declared that every religious group would enjoy full freedom in religious and cultural matters, and that the systems in Madinah will be run on the basis of the policy of mutual respect.

Consequently, the Prophet found an opportunity to consolidate his mission without unnecessarily setting himself on a collision course. Even after he had left his homeland, the Makkans did not leave him alone. They continued their hostile activities against him. Many big and small battles took place as a result.

Again the Prophet followed the same policy of refraining from interfering with the status quo. By accepting the superior position of the Makkans he entered into a peace treaty with them, which is known as the Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty. In this, he acknowledged the established position of the Makkans and made a truce with the condition that no war would take place between the two parties for a period often years.

The Hudaybiyya Peace Treaty was a successful example of positive status quoism. Consequently, the Prophet, by accepting the prevalent situation in Arabia, secured full opportunities for peaceful da'wah struggle and this opened the door for a "clear victory" in the words of the Qur'an (48:24). The principle of Islamic activism has been briefly alluded to in the Qur'an: "Therefore bear up patiently as did the steadfast Prophets before you. Bear up with patience and do not seek to hurry on their doom." (46:35)

According to this verse, there were in any given situation two ways of launching a campaign, - the patient and the impatient.

The letter is that of emotional while the former is that of considered response. The impatient person launches himself on a collision course at the very outset making the continuance of the struggle impossible. On the contrary, one who follows the patient method, and avoids any confrontation with the status quo, is free to make full use of any opportunities which come his way. This method leads to sure success without creating any new problems in society.

In short, there is unlimited scope for both individuals and groups who adopt the patient method as a matter of permanent policy in all their affairs. In this lies the secret of all great successes. This course of positive status quoism ensures that all our powers and potential will be completely focused on the accomplishment of long term constructive plans, rather than being unnecessarily wasted in any non-productive or even self-destructive activity against the status quo.

Moreover, if you are one of those who wish to work for Islam or struggle for the revival of the Muslim Ummah, then treading the path of patience and adhering to the principle of positive status quoism is strictly obligatory on you. Firstly as we have shown earlier, it has been highly recommended in the Qur'an and secondly, it was by the application of this same method that Islam secured an unopposed victory over all its enemies, bringing into existence, as a result, the ideal Muslim society of the early period of Islam.