Apabila memegang kuasa sebagai seorang negarawan, Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم tidak pernah melaksanakan dasar balas dendam atau sikap tidak bertoleransi. Sebaliknya, baginda melaksanakan satu sistem kasih sayang yang bertentangan secara langsung dengan kekejaman yang baginda dan para pengikutnya alami di Makkah. Pada suatu ketika, sekumpulan Yahudi dari Madinah datang menemui Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم dan dengan nada mengejek berkata, “Al-sāmu ‘alaykum (kematian ke atas kamu),” sebagai ganti ucapan salam Islam yang biasa, iaitu “Al-salāmu ‘alaykum (kesejahteraan ke atas kamu).” ‘Āishah, isteri baginda, terkejut dengan sikap biadap mereka yang terang-terangan, lalu mengulangi kutukan itu kepada mereka. Namun Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم bersabda, “Wahai ‘Āishah, bersikap lembutlah! Allah itu Maha Lembut dan mencintai kelembutan dalam setiap urusan, maka jauhilah kekasaran dan perkataan keji.”91 Kuasa baginda pada fasa itu pun tidak mendorong baginda untuk membalas, atau memberi balasan yang sama, atau membenarkan isterinya membalas dengan kasar kepada mereka yang telah menghina baginda صلى الله عليه وسلم. Dalam Perang Uhud, tentera Quraisy—seramai 3,000 orang berbanding 700 orang tentera Muslim—berjaya menyerang hendap Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. Gigi depan baginda patah, tubuh baginda cedera teruk, dan darah mengalir dari tempat topi keledar baginda menusuk wajah baginda. Walaupun telah berdarah di tangan mereka sekali lagi, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم tetap memiliki ketabahan akhlak untuk bersabda ketika mengelap darah dari wajahnya, “Ya Allah, ampunilah kaumku, kerana mereka tidak mengetahui.”92 Dalam riwayat lain, baginda mula-mula bersabda, “Bagaimana sesuatu kaum boleh berjaya setelah mereka melukai Nabi mereka dan menyebabkan baginda berdarah sedangkan baginda menyeru mereka kepada Allah?” Kemudian, baginda صلى الله عليه وسلم diam seketika, sebelum memohon kepada Allah dengan doa memohon keampunan. Para Sahabat datang menemui baginda صلى الله عليه وسلم apabila debu peperangan reda dan berkata, “Doakanlah laknat ke atas kaum musyrikin.” Baginda صلى الله عليه وسلم bersabda, “Aku tidak diutus sebagai pelaknat. Sebaliknya, aku diutus sebagai rahmat.” 93 Walaupun al-Qur'an menyebut bahawa orang-orang fasik dalam kalangan Bani Israel dilaknat melalui lidah nabi-nabi mereka,94 dan walaupun Nabi ﷺ melaknat amalan-amalan tertentu seperti riba, serta pada mulanya memohon kepada Allah agar melaknat tokoh-tokoh utama yang menganiaya baginda, sikap biasa baginda ialah memohon keampunan bagi mereka yang menzalimi baginda 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.