Ketika Nabi Muhammad ﷺ mulai menyeru kepada Islam secara terbuka, para pengikut awalnya mendapati bahwa sekadar menyatakan keimanan berarti menghadapi penyiksaan yang kejam bahkan eksekusi. Sebagian dipukuli hingga hampir mati di jalanan, dan yang lain diseret ke padang pasir untuk menjerit selama berjam-jam di bawah terik matahari siang yang membara. Batu-batu besar yang panas membakar diletakkan di atas dada mereka untuk menghancurkan mereka, baju zirah rantai yang membara dipasangkan untuk memanggang tubuh mereka, dan sebagian, seperti Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt, dilemparkan langsung ke atas bara api yang menyala sehingga mereka mencium bau daging mereka sendiri yang terpanggang.89 Banyak dari kekejaman ini semakin meningkat seiring berjalannya dekade yang tragis ini, dan Nabi ﷺ sendiri menderita penganiayaan brutal dari kaum musyrik Quraisy. Mereka tidak melewatkan kesempatan apa pun untuk menjelek-jelekkan beliau, mereka menceraikan putri-putri beliau, dan mereka membiarkan seluruh kaum beliau kelaparan selama tiga tahun, yang menyebabkan wafatnya istri beliau dan paman beliau yang paling mendukung. Dalam hal kekerasan fisik, ‘Uqbah ibn Abī Mu‘ayṭ akan mencekik beliau dari belakang ketika beliau salat di tempat terbuka, Abū Jahl menumpahkan usus unta yang berdarah ke atas beliau ketika beliau sujud, ‘Utaybah ibn Abī Lahab meludahi beliau, dan yang lain memukuli beliau hingga pingsan. Contoh-contoh ini hanyalah setetes dari lautan kekejaman dan penganiayaan yang dihadapi Nabi ﷺ dan kaum Muslimin generasi awal. Namun, lautan ini tidak pernah mampu menenggelamkan kasih sayang, kebaikan hati, dan kepedulian protektif dalam hati Nabi ﷺ terhadap kawan maupun lawan. Berikut ini beberapa gambaran singkat tentang akhlak beliau yang agung, bahkan di puncak kekuasaan beliau, dalam menghadapi permusuhan dan penghinaan.

When the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم began to call to Islam openly, his initial followers discovered that merely professing faith meant facing ruthless torture and even execution. Some were beaten to near death in the streets, and others were dragged out to the desert to scream for hours under the inferno of its midday sun. Hefty, sizzling hot stones were situated atop their chests to crush them, scorching suits of chainmail armor were fastened to roast their bodies, and some like Khabbāb ibn al- Aratt  were hurled directly upon ignited coals which caused them to smell their own flesh cooking.89 Many of these atrocities only escalated as this tragic decade progressed, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself suffered brutal abuse from the idolaters of Quraysh. They spared no opportunity to demonize him, they divorced his daughters, and they starved his entire clan for three years which led to the death of his wife and his most supportive uncle. In terms of physical assault, ‘Uqbah ibn Abī Mu‘ayṭ would strangle him from behind when he prayed in public, Abū Jahl had bloody camel intestines dumped over him while he prostrated, ‘Utaybah ibn Abī Lahab spat at him, and others beat him unconscious. These examples are a drop from the ocean of cruelty and persecution faced by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the earliest Muslims. And yet, this ocean was never able to drown the mercy, goodwill, and protective concern the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم heart had for friends and foes alike. The following are a few brief depictions of his magnanimous character, even at the height of his power, in the face of enmity and insult.

Abū Jahl adalah salah satu musuh terawalnya yang paling keras; ia adalah Firaun kaumnya. Meskipun ia telah melukai tubuh dan perasaan Nabi ﷺ, dan meskipun ia telah mematahkan tulang-tulang para Sahabat dan kemudian memimpin pasukan pertama melawan mereka, keselamatan serta hidayah bagi Abū Jahl tetap ada dalam pikiran Nabi ﷺ. Beliau ﷺ biasa berkata ketika masih di Mekah, "Ya Allah, kuatkanlah Islam dengan Abū Jahl bin Hisyām atau 'Umar bin al-Khaṭṭāb." Tidak lama setelah itu, 'Umar bin al-Khaṭṭāb memeluk Islam.90 Abū Jahl yang merupakan seorang pembunuh tanpa belas kasihan tidak menghalangi Nabi ﷺ untuk mendoakannya, maupun untuk menghargai kemampuan kepemimpinannya yang menjanjikan dan yang berpotensi digunakan untuk kebaikan.

Abū Jahl was one of his earliest and staunchest adversaries; the pharaoh of his nation. Despite all the physical and emotional wounds he inflicted on the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and despite breaking his Companions’ bones and later leading the first army against them, the guidance and salvation of Abū Jahl was still on the Prophet’s mind. He صلى الله عليه وسلم used to say while still in Mecca, “O Allah, strengthen Islam with Abū Jahl ibn Hishām or ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb.” A short time thereafter, ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb  embraced Islam.90 Abū Jahl being a heartless murderer did not prevent the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from praying for him, nor from appreciating his promising leadership qualities that could potentially be used for good.

Ketika memegang kekuasaan sebagai seorang negarawan, Nabi ﷺ tidak pernah menerapkan kebijakan balas dendam atau intoleransi. Sebaliknya, beliau menerapkan sistem kasih sayang yang bertentangan langsung dengan kekejaman yang beliau dan para pengikutnya alami di Makkah. Pada suatu kesempatan, sekelompok Yahudi dari Madinah masuk menemui Nabi ﷺ dan dengan nada mengejek berkata, “Al-sāmu ‘alaykum (kematian atasmu),” sebagai ganti ucapan salam Islam yang biasa, yaitu “Al-salāmu ‘alaykum (keselamatan atasmu).” Istri beliau, ‘Āishah, merasa geram atas sikap kurang ajar mereka, lalu membalas kutukan itu kepada mereka. Namun Nabi ﷺ bersabda, “Wahai ‘Āishah, bersikap lembutlah! Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Lembut dan mencintai kelembutan dalam segala urusan, maka hindarilah kekerasan dan kata-kata kotor.”91 Kekuasaannya pada fase itu pun tidak membuatnya tergoda untuk membalas, atau merespons dengan cara yang sama, bahkan tidak membiarkan istrinya menanggapi dengan keras terhadap mereka yang telah menghinanya ﷺ. Dalam Perang Uhud, pasukan Quraisy yang berjumlah 3.000 orang melawan 700 kaum Muslimin berhasil menyergap Nabi ﷺ. Gigi depan beliau patah, tubuh beliau terluka parah, dan darah mengalir dari tempat helm beliau menembus wajah. Meski telah berdarah lagi di tangan mereka, Rasulullah ﷺ tetap memiliki keteguhan akhlak untuk berkata sambil menyeka darah dari wajahnya, “Ya Allah, ampunilah kaumku, karena mereka tidak mengetahui.”92 Dalam riwayat lain, beliau pertama kali bersabda, “Bagaimana mungkin suatu kaum akan beruntung setelah mereka melukai nabi mereka dan membuatnya berdarah, padahal ia menyeru mereka kepada Allah?” Kemudian beliau ﷺ terdiam sejenak, sebelum memohon kepada Allah dengan doa ampunan. Para Sahabat datang menghadap beliau ﷺ ketika debu telah reda dan berkata, “Doakanlah kutukan atas orang-orang musyrik.” Beliau ﷺ bersabda, “Aku tidak diutus sebagai pengutuk. Sebaliknya, aku diutus sebagai rahmat.” 93 Meskipun Al-Qur'an menyebutkan bahwa orang-orang fasik di antara Bani Israil dilaknat melalui lisan para nabi mereka,94 dan meskipun Nabi ﷺ melaknat praktik-praktik tertentu seperti riba, serta pada awalnya memohon kepada Allah agar melaknat para tokoh penganiaya, sikap beliau yang lazim adalah memohonkan ampunan bagi mereka yang menzalimi beliau dan para pengikutnya.

Upon wielding the power of a statesman, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never enacted a policy of vengeance or intolerance. Instead, he implemented a system of mercy that was in direct opposition to the cruelty he and his followers had been subjected to in Mecca. On one occasion, a group of Jews from Madinah entered upon the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and mockingly said, “Al-sāmu ‘alaykum (death be upon you),” in place of the customary Islamic greeting of “Al-salāmu ‘alaykum (peace be upon you).” His wife ‘Āishah , appalled by their brazen disrespect, repeated the curse back to them, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “O ‘Āishah, be gentle! Allah is Gentle and loves gentleness in all matters, so beware of harshness and vulgarity.”91 His authority in that phase still did not tempt him to retaliate, or respond in kind, or to even let his wife respond harshly to those who had insulted him .صلى الله عليه وسلم During the Battle of Uḥud, Quraysh’s army—3,000 strong against the Muslims’ 700—managed to ambush the Prophet .صلى الله عليه وسلم His front tooth was broken, his body was battered, and blood flowed from where his helmet had pierced his face. Somehow, after bleeding at their hands yet again, the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم still had the resilience of character to say as he wiped the blood from his face, “O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.”92 In other narrations, he first said, “How can a people succeed after they have wounded their Prophet and caused him to bleed as he calls them to Allah?” Then, he صلى الله عليه وسلم fell silent for a moment, before appealing to Allah with the prayer for forgiveness. His Companions came to him صلى الله عليه وسلم and said as the dust cleared, “Invoke a curse against the polytheists.” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “I have not been sent as a curser. Rather, I was sent as a mercy.”93 Though the Qur’an mentions that the wicked among the Israelites were cursed on the tongue of their prophets,94 and though the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم cursed certain practices like usury, and initially asked Allah to curse the leading persecutors, his normative demeanor was to seek forgiveness for those who wronged him and his followers.

Bertahun-tahun kemudian, ketika kaum Muslimin kembali ke rumah dari Dhāt al-Riqā‘, Nabi ﷺ dan para Sahabatnya turun dari kendaraan dan mencari keteduhan dari terik matahari siang. Beliau ﷺ beristirahat di bawah sebuah pohon rindang dan menggantungkan pedangnya di sana. Pasukan tertidur sejenak, lalu mereka mendengar Rasulullah ﷺ memanggil mereka. Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh meriwayatkan bahwa ketika mereka datang, mereka mendapati seorang Badui bernama al-Ghawrath ibn al-Ḥārith sedang duduk bersama beliau. Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda, "Orang ini menghunus pedangku ketika aku tidur, dan aku terbangun mendapati pedang terhunus di tangannya. Ia berkata kepadaku, 'Apakah engkau takut kepadaku?' Aku menjawab, 'Tidak.' Ia berkata, 'Siapa yang akan melindungimu dariku?' Aku menjawab, 'Allah,' tiga kali. Maka ia pun memasukkan kembali pedang itu ke sarungnya. Dan inilah dia, sedang duduk."95 Jābir menambahkan, "Dan Rasulullah ﷺ tidak menghukumnya setelah itu."96 Dalam riwayat lain, pedang itu jatuh dari tangannya, lalu Nabi ﷺ mengambilnya dan bersabda, "Siapa yang akan melindungimu?" Ia berkata, "Jadilah engkau pemenang yang lebih baik." Beliau bersabda, "Apakah engkau tidak juga bersaksi bahwa tiada tuhan yang berhak disembah selain Allah?" Ia berkata, "Aku berjanji tidak akan memerangimu, dan tidak akan bersama suatu kaum yang memerangimu." Nabi ﷺ pun membebaskannya, lalu orang itu kembali kepada kaumnya dan berkata, "Aku datang kepada kalian dari manusia terbaik."97 Demikianlah, Nabi ﷺ memaafkannya tanpa syarat dan membebaskannya, meskipun orang itu menolak masuk Islam.

Years later, as the Muslims traveled home from Dhāt al-Riqā‘, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions dismounted and sought shade from the midday sun. He صلى الله عليه وسلم rested under a leafy tree and hung his sword on it. The army slept for a while, but then heard the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم calling for them. Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh  reports that upon their arrival, they found sitting with him a Bedouin man named al-Ghawrath ibn al-Ḥārith. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “This person drew my sword as I slept, and I awoke to find an unsheathed blade in his hand.” He said to me, ‘Are you afraid of me?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Who will protect you from me?’ I said, ‘Allah,’ thrice, and so he returned the sword to its scabbard. And thus, here he is, sitting.”95 Jābir  added, “And the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not punish him thereafter.”96 In another narration, the sword fell from his hand, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم took it and said, “Who will protect you?” He said, “Be the better victor.” He said, “Will you still not testify that none is worthy of worship except Allah?” He said, “I will promise to never fight you, nor be with a people that fight you.” The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم let him go, and so the man returned to his tribe and said, “I have come to you from the best of people.”97 Just like that, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم forgave him unconditionally and released him despite the man’s refusal to convert to Islam.

Hind binti ‘Utbah adalah istri Abū Sufyān dan putri ‘Utbah bin Rabī‘ah, dua pemuka dari Quraisy yang keduanya adalah musuh yang sangat memusuhi Nabi Muhammad ﷺ. Hind adalah seorang wanita yang dipenuhi kebencian beracun terhadap Muhammad ﷺ, dan secara pribadi ikut menggalang permusuhan terhadap Islam dan kaum Muslimin. Ia termasuk di antara orang-orang yang merekrut Waḥshī untuk membunuh Ḥamzah bin ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib ﷺ, paman Nabi ﷺ dari pihak ayah, dengan menjanjikan imbalan besar sebagai balasan atas kematian ayahnya yang tewas di Badar. Para sejarawan awal melaporkan bahwa ia memotong telinga dan hidung Ḥamzah lalu menjadikannya kalung, dan sebagian melaporkan bahwa ia mencungkil hati Ḥamzah dan berusaha memakannya. Ketika Nabi ﷺ menemukan jasad pamannya yang telah dicincang setelah Uhud, beliau sangat terpukul saat mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada pamannya yang sangat beliau cintai, seraya bersabda, “Semoga Allah merahmatimu, wahai pamanku.

Hind bint ‘Utbah  was the wife of Abū Sufyān and the daughter of ‘Utbah ibn Rabī‘ah, two nobles from Quraysh who were both belligerent enemies of the Prophet Muhammad .صلى الله عليه وسلم Hind was a woman who boiled with venomous hate against Muhammad, and personally campaigned against Islam and the Muslims. She was among those who recruited Waḥshī to kill Ḥamzah ibn ‘Abdul-Muṭṭalib , the paternal uncle of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, promising him great rewards for avenging her father who was slain at Badr. Early chroniclers report that she had Ḥamzah’s ears and nose cut off and used for a necklace, and some report that she gouged out his liver and attempted to eat it. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم located his uncle’s mutilated body after Uḥud, he was devastated as he bade farewell to his beloved uncle, saying, “May Allah have mercy on you, my uncle.

"Sesungguhnya engkau dahulu menyambung tali silaturahmi dan selalu bersegera dalam berbuat kebaikan." ‘Abdullāh bin Mas‘ūd berkata, "Tidak pernah kami melihat Rasulullah ﷺ menangis sehebat tangisannya untuk Ḥamzah."98 Lima tahun kemudian, Hindun berdiri pada Fathu Makkah, mencela kaum Quraisy karena menyerah kepada kaum Muslimin.

Indeed, you used to maintain the ties of kinship, and always rushed to do good.” ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd  says, “Never did we see the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم weep as intensely as he wept for Ḥamzah.”98 Five years later, Hind stood at the Conquest of Mecca, chastising Quraysh for surrendering to the Muslims.

Namun ia segera menyadari bahwa menentang itu sia-sia, dan bahwa langit memang tampak mendukung Muhammad ﷺ. Maka ia pergi menemui beliau bersama sekelompok wanita dan menyatakan baiatnya sebagai seorang Muslimah. Setelah mengetahui siapa dirinya, Nabi ﷺ dengan ramah menjawab, "Selamat datang, wahai Hind." Tersentuh oleh kemurahan hati Rasulullah ﷺ yang tak terduga, ia berseru, "Demi Allah, tidak ada keluarga yang paling ingin kuhancurkan selain keluargamu, tetapi sekarang tidak ada keluarga yang paling ingin kuhormati selain keluargamu."99 Adapun Waḥshī, budak Habasyah pembunuh yang memperoleh kebebasannya dengan membunuh Ḥamzah, ia melarikan diri dari kota saat penaklukan Mekah, yakin bahwa membunuh anggota keluarga seorang penguasa pantas dibalas dengan kematian. Namun, Nabi ﷺ tidaklah seperti penguasa mana pun. Waḥshī kemudian berkata, "Aku mendengar bahwa seberat apa pun kejahatan seseorang terhadap beliau, Nabi Muhammad ﷺ selalu memilih untuk memaafkan." Hal ini mendorongnya untuk akhirnya kembali ke Mekah, memeluk Islam, dan merasakan langsung pengampunan Rasulullah ﷺ.100 Waḥshī hampir tidak percaya bahwa ia diberi umur panjang sehingga dapat menebus dosanya.

But she soon realized that resisting was futile, and that the heavens really did seem to support Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, and so she went to him among a group of women and gave her pledge of allegiance as a Muslim. Upon learning who she was, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم kindly replied, “Welcome, O Hind.” Touched by the unexpected magnanimity of the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, she proclaimed, “By Allah, there was no household that I wished to destroy more than yours, but now there is no household that I wish to honor more than yours.”99 As for Waḥshī, the Ethiopian slave-assassin who earned his freedom by killing Ḥamzah, he fled the city at the conquest of Mecca, certain that killing a ruler’s family member warranted his death. However, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was unlike any ruler. Waḥshī later said, “I heard that no matter how grave a person’s crime against him, the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم always chose forgiveness.” This encouraged him to eventually return to Mecca, embrace Islam, and experience firsthand the forgiveness of the Messenger of Allah 100 .صلى الله عليه وسلم Waḥshī  could hardly believe he lived long enough to redeem himself.

Beliau sering mengingat hal itu dan berkata, "Allah memuliakan Hamzah bin 'Abdul-Muththalib dan Ath-Thufayl bin An-Nu'man [dengan syahadah] di tangan aku, dan tidak menghinakan aku [dengan terbunuh dalam keadaan kafir] di tangan mereka."101

He would often recall it and say, “Allah honored Ḥamzah ibn ‘Abdil-Muṭṭalib and al-Ṭufayl ibn al-Nu‘mān [with martyrdom] at my hands, and did not humiliate me [by being slain while a disbeliever] at their hands.”101