Prophet of Mercy

Imam Omar Suleiman is the Founder and President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research, and an Adjunct Professor of Islamic Studies in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at SMU (Southern Methodist University). He is also the Resident Scholar at Valley Ranch Islamic Center and Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square. He holds a Bachelors in Accounting, a Bachelors in Islamic Law, a Masters in Islamic Finance, a Masters in Political History, and is currently pursuing a Phd. in Islamic Thought and Civilization from the International Islamic University of Malaysia.

• Introduction.....................................................................viii‘His Character Was the Qur’an’.................................................xA Blessing in Disguise............................................................. xiA Difficult Decade in Makkah............................................ 11. Let the Angels Respond.....................................................72. They are Misguided in Their Insults................................ 93. Praying for Guidance and Recognizing Their Potential....104. Sparing Them Divine Punishment..................................115. Showing Mercy On the Worst Day of His Life............... 126. More Hope in a Tribe Than Its Own Chief.....................147. Maintaining the Trust of His Persecutors........................158. Integrity in a Desperate Situation....................................16The Legacy Continues in Madinah.................................... 179. Refusal to Resort to Name Calling..................................2110. God Loves Gentleness..................................................... 2211. Abuse Only Increased Him in Grace.............................. 2312. The Quraysh’s Scout........................................................2513. Maintain Your Promise................................................... 2614. I Will Not Mutilate Him, Lest Allah Mutilate Me..........2715. Merciful Instincts............................................................ 2816. Feeding the Captives....................................................... 2917. Clothing the Captives..................................................... 3018. Lenience With the Ransom..............................................3119. Increased Opportunities for Freedom..............................3220. Introducing Prisoner Exchange........................................35v21. Keeping Captive Families Together................................. 3422. No Favour Forgotten........................................................3523. Averting War With Banū Qaynuqāʿ.................................3624. They Just Don’t Know Any Better...................................3725. Forgiving Treason.............................................................3926. God Informed Him of an Assassination Attempt........... 4027. Forgiving a Sorcerer..........................................................4128. A Blessed Woman............................................................ 4229. An Attempted Coup....................................................... 4330. ‘ Let Them Cool Off ’....................................................... 4431. ‘ Ignore Their Insults’........................................................4532. ‘ Do You Not Love that Allah Should Forgive You?’.........4733. Raided in Ḥudaybiyyah Valley........................................ 4834. Hosting the Insulting Ambassador................................. 4935. Eager for Peace................................................................. 5036. ‘ These Are Your Rights’....................................................5137. The Mother of His Companion.......................................5238. ‘ Who Will Protect You From Me?’................................... 5439. A Powerful Prisoner.........................................................5640. Sparing the Quraysh Again............................................. 5841. ‘ Did You Check His Heart?’.............................................5942. The Sword of Allah..........................................................6143. Islam Does Away With the Past....................................... 6244. Allah Loves Those Who Act Justly................................. 64Marching to Makkah: A Conquest Like No Other........... 6545. Abū Jahl’s Partner............................................................6746. ‘ Whoever Enters the Home of Abū Sufyān’.................... 6847. ‘ Today is the Day of Mercy’............................................. 7048. Access Granted................................................................ 73vi49. A Changed Man...............................................................7450. A Proud Heart Humbled.................................................7551. The One Who Mutilated His Uncle.................................7652. The Assassin.................................................................... 7853. A Promise of Security.......................................................7954. Curing the Heart of a Racist............................................8155. The Touch of Compassion.............................................. 8256. His Daughter’s Persecutor................................................8357. The Son of Abū Lahab.................................................... 8458. The Son of Abū Jahl.........................................................8559. A Change of Tune............................................................86A Flawless Finish................................................................ 8760. A Broken Chief.................................................................8961. The Man from Yā-Sīn.......................................................9162. Hypocrites at Tabūk........................................................ 9263. Ibn Salūl’s Death............................................................. 9364. The Man Who Had Him Stoned in Ṭā’if........................9565. A Christian Chief.............................................................9666. The Woman Who Poisoned Him 97 ................................صلى الله عليه وسلم67. Musaylamah’s Delegates.................................................. 98Incorruptible......................................................................9968. The Father of Extremism................................................10369. Help Him With His Debts.............................................10470. The Bedouin Who Suffocated Him...............................105A Mercy Misunderstood.................................................. 107

The authors pertinently observe, “Just as it hurts us to see him insulted, it would pain him to see us responding in ways insulting to his legacy”. This book is a compilation of seventy incidents in which the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) rose above enmity and insult.This book encourages Muslims to adopt the Prophetic model of mercy and forgiveness, which can certainly ameliorate things, help in reducing Islamophobia, build a dialogue with non-Muslims, and, ultimately, improve the image of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him), Muslims and Islam. - The Muslim World Book Review