The Forgiveness by the Prophet Muhammad

Throughout his life, there are many attempts to hurt and kill the Prophet Muhammad.

None of such attempts succeeded, all have failed. Although Muhammad was able to retaliate and strike back those who attempted to kill him, however, let all of them go.

In this article, two examples are given.

Example (1) The 80 men who wanted to kill Muhammad,

Anas (one of Muhammad's Companions) reported that eighty men from Mecca came down a mountain intending to take on the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions by surprise and kill them.

However, Muhammad and his Companions captured them and spared their lives.

So Allah, exalted is He, revealed:

(And it is Allah Who has withheld men's hands from you, and has withheld your hands from them, after He had made you victors over them).

‘Abdu Allah al-Muzani (one of Muhammad's Companions) said:

"We were with the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, at al-Hudaybiyyah (a place that is near by Mecca by few kilometers) when eighty armed youths suddenly charged on us.

The Prophet, prayed against them, and Allah took away their sight.

We then bounced on them and seized them.

Prophet Muhammad asked them:

‘Have you come under the protection of someone?

Has anyone given you a guarantee of safety?'

They said: ‘No!'

He let them go.

After which Allah, revealed

"And it is Allah Who has withheld men's hands from you, and has withheld your hands from them…".

Verse 48:24

QARIB: it was he who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the hollow (al-Hudaybiyyah) of Mecca after he had given you victory over them. Allah sees the things you do.

SHAKIR: and he it is who held back their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Mecca after he had given you victory over them; and Allah is seeing what you do

PICKTHAL: and he it is who hath withheld men's hands from you, and hath withheld your hands from them, in the valley of Mecca, after he had made you victors over them. Allah is seer of what ye do.

YUSUFALI: and it is he who has restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the midst of Makka, after that he gave you the victory over them. And Allah sees well all that ye do.

The meaning of the verse,

And it is Allah Who has withheld their hands of the people of Mecca from fighting you, and has withheld your hands from fighting them, in the valley of Mecca, at al-Hudaybiyyah, after He had made you victors over them: for eighty of them surrounded your camp in order to inflict losses upon you, but they were captured and taken to the Prophet, who pardoned them and set them free, and this resulted in the truce.

And Allah is ever Seer of what you do and of what they do, that is to say, He is ever possessed of this attribute.

Example (2) the woman who wanted to poison Muhammad

A Jewess came to the Prophet Muhammad with poisoned mutton and presented it as a gift. Muhammad took it and ate a little of it.

When the effects of the poison were felt by him, he called for her and asked her about that, whereupon she said: I had determined to kill you.

Thereupon he said: Allah will never give you the power to do it.

The narrator of this story said that the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad said:

We have to kill her?

But Muhammad said: No. Let her go.