当先知穆罕默德ﷺ开始公开宣讲伊斯兰时,他最初的追随者发现,仅仅公开承认信仰就意味着要面对残酷的酷刑,甚至死刑。有些人被在街上打得几近丧命,另一些人则被拖到沙漠中,在正午烈日的炙烤下哀号数小时。人们把沉重、烧得滚烫的石头压在他们的胸口上,把烧烫的锁子甲套在他们身上炙烤身体,还有像赫巴卜·本·阿拉特这样的人被直接扔到燃烧的炭火上,以至于他们闻到了自己皮肉烧焦的气味。[89] 随着这十年悲惨岁月的推进,许多此类暴行不断升级,先知ﷺ本人也遭受了古莱氏多神教徒的残酷虐待。他们不放过任何机会诋毁他,休了他女儿们的婚,还让他的整个家族挨饿了三年,结果导致他的妻子和最支持他的叔叔相继去世。在身体攻击方面,欧格白·本·艾比·穆埃特在先知ﷺ公开礼拜时从背后勒他的脖子;艾卜·哲海勒在他叩头时把血淋淋的骆驼肠子倒在他身上;欧太白·本·艾比·莱海卜吐他唾沫;其他人则把他打到昏迷。这些例子只是先知ﷺ和最早的穆斯林所遭受的残暴与迫害之海中的一滴水。然而,这片苦海始终无法淹没先知ﷺ心中对朋友与敌人所怀的慈悲、善意与关切之情。以下是几则简要的描述,展现了他在权势顶峰之时、面对敌意与侮辱时所表现出的宽宏品格。

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.

阿布·贾赫勒是他最早、最顽固的敌人之一，堪称他那个民族的法老。尽管他对先知ﷺ造成了身体和精神上的种种伤害，尽管他打断了圣门弟子的骨头，后来还率领第一支军队攻打穆斯林，先知ﷺ心中仍然惦记着阿布·贾赫勒的引导与得救。先知ﷺ在麦加时常说："主啊，求你借阿布·贾赫勒·本·希沙姆或欧麦尔·本·赫塔卜来支持伊斯兰。"不久之后，欧麦尔·本·赫塔卜皈依了伊斯兰。90 阿布·贾赫勒是个冷酷的杀人者，但这并没有妨碍先知ﷺ为他祈祷，也没有妨碍先知ﷺ看重他卓越的领导才能，认为这些才能有朝一日可以用于行善。

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.

作为一国领袖掌权之后,先知从未推行复仇或偏狭的政策。相反,他建立了一套仁慈的制度,这与他和他的追随者在麦加所遭受的残暴截然相反。有一次,一群来自麦地那的犹太人进入先知ﷺ的住处,讥讽地说:“Al-sāmu ‘alaykum(愿死亡降临你们)”,而不是伊斯兰的惯常问候语“Al-salāmu ‘alaykum(愿平安降临你们)”。他的妻子‘Āishah 对他们如此肆无忌惮的无礼感到愤慨,便把这句诅咒原样回敬了他们,但先知ﷺ说:“‘Āishah啊,要温和!真主是温和的,在一切事务上都喜爱温和,所以你们要当心粗暴和恶言。”在那个阶段,他的权威也未曾诱使他去报复,或以牙还牙,甚至不允许他的妻子对那些侮辱他的人口出恶言。 在乌候德战役中,古莱氏的军队有三千人,而穆斯林只有七百人,他们成功地伏击了先知ﷺ。他的一颗门牙被打断,身体遍体鳞伤,头盔刺破脸部,鲜血直流。尽管再次在他们手中流血,真主的使者ﷺ仍然以坚韧的品格,在擦去脸上血迹时说:“真主啊,宽恕我的族人吧,因为他们不知道。”92 在其他的传述中,他先说:“一个伤害了自己先知、使他在号召人们归向真主时流血的民族,怎么可能成功呢?”然后,他ﷺ沉默了片刻,之后便以宽恕的祈祷向真主祈求。当尘埃落定时,他的同伴们来到他ﷺ面前,说:“请为反对真主的人祈求诅咒吧。”他ﷺ说:“我不是被派来诅咒人的,我是被派来作为慈悲的。” 93 尽管《古兰经》提到以色列人中的恶人在他们先知的口中受到诅咒，94 尽管先知ﷺ诅咒过某些行为，如高利贷，并且起初曾祈求安拉诅咒迫害他的主要头目，但他的常态是为那些伤害他和他的追随者的人祈求宽恕。

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.

后来,穆斯林们从Dhāt al-Riqā‘返家途中,先知ﷺ和他的圣门弟子们下马,在正午的烈日下寻找阴凉。先知ﷺ在一棵枝叶繁茂的树下休息,把他的剑挂在树上。军队睡了一会儿,然后听到安拉的使者ﷺ在呼唤他们。Jābir ibn ‘Abdillāh 讲述说,他们到达时,发现有一个名叫al-Ghawrath ibn al-Ḥārith的贝都因人与先知ﷺ坐在一起。安拉的使者ﷺ说:"这个人在我睡觉时拔出了我的剑,我醒来时发现他手中握着出鞘的刀。他对我说:'你怕我吗?'我说:'不怕。'他说:'谁能保护你免受我的伤害?'我说:'安拉。'说了三遍,于是他把剑放回剑鞘。这就是他,现在正坐在这里。"95 Jābir 补充说:"此后,安拉的使者ﷺ没有惩罚他。"96 在另一则传述中,剑从他手中掉落,先知ﷺ拿起剑说:"谁能保护你?"他说:"愿你成为更好的胜利者。"先知ﷺ说:"你还不愿作证除安拉外没有应当崇拜的主吗?"他说:"我承诺永不与你作战,也不与攻打你的部族同在。"先知ﷺ释放了他,于是这人回到自己的部落,说:"我是从最优秀的人那里来到你们这里的。"97 就这样,先知ﷺ无条件地宽恕了他并释放了他,尽管这人拒绝皈依伊斯兰。

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.

希德·宾特·乌特巴是阿布·苏福延的妻子，也是乌特巴·本·拉比阿的女儿。她们的父亲与丈夫都是古莱什部落的显贵，二人都是先知穆罕默德ﷺ的敌人，怀有敌意。希德对穆罕默德ﷺ怀着满腔毒恨，并亲自组织反对伊斯兰和穆斯林的行动。她也是那些招募瓦赫希去杀害哈姆扎·本·阿卜杜勒-穆塔利ﷺ的人之一。哈姆扎是先知穆罕默德ﷺ的叔父，她许诺给瓦赫希丰厚的酬劳，以为她的父亲报仇，她的父亲是在白德尔战役中被杀的。早期的史学家记载，她曾割下哈姆扎的耳朵和鼻子，将其串成项链佩戴；也有记载称，她挖出了他的肝脏并试图吞食。乌侯德战役之后，先知穆罕默德ﷺ找到了叔父被肢解的遗体，他悲痛欲绝，在向心爱的叔父告别时说："愿真主怜悯你，我的叔父。"

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.

“你们过去常常维系亲情，总是争先行善。” 阿卜杜拉·本·麦斯欧德说：“我们从未见过使者ﷺ哭得像他为哈姆扎哭泣那样厉害。”98 五年后，希德在征服麦加时站了出来，斥责古莱什人向穆斯林投降。

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.

但她很快意识到抵抗是徒劳的，而且天意似乎确实在支持穆罕默德ﷺ，于是她与一群妇女一同来到他面前，以穆斯林的身份宣誓效忠。得知她的身份后，先知ﷺ和颜悦色地回答道："欢迎你，欣德。"她被先知ﷺ出人意料的宽宏大量所打动，宣告道："以真主发誓，我从来没有比想要摧毁你们家更想做的事，而现在，我也再没有比尊敬你们家更想做的事了。"99 至于瓦赫希，那个埃塞俄比亚奴隶刺客，因杀死哈姆扎而获得自由。麦加征服时，他逃离了这座城市，深信杀害统治者的亲属理应被处死。然而，先知ﷺ与任何统治者都不同。瓦赫希后来说："我听说，无论一个人对他犯下多么严重的罪行，穆罕默德ﷺ总是选择宽恕。"这使他最终返回麦加，皈依伊斯兰，并亲身体会到真主的使者ﷺ的宽恕。100 瓦赫希几乎不敢相信，自己竟能活到赎罪的这一天。

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.

他常常回忆此事，并说：“安拉借我的手使哈姆扎·本·阿卜杜勒-穆塔利卜和图法利·本·努尔曼殉道而尊崇了他们，又没有借他们的手使我蒙羞（被不信道者杀害）。”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