Consultation

The sagacity or wisdom of God’s Messenger also demonstrated itself in the counsels he made with his Companions. Counsel or consultation is so important in Islam that God’s Messenger did not take a decision, especially in public affairs, without consultation. He sometimes held counsel even in his personal affairs. To cite only a few examples:

1. During the campaign against the Banu Mustaliq, ‘A’isha, the Prophet’s wife, was accompanying the Prophet, riding in a litter. At one halt she lost her necklace; she set off alone to find it only to return and discover that the army had left without her, the camel drivers thinking she was in her litter. She was later found by Safwan, who was charged with collecting what was lost or left behind caravans. There followed a scandal and ‘A’isha’s fidelity was questioned, mostly by hypocrites.

God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, was sure of the fidelity of his wife. However, since hypocrites made this into a pretext to defame God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, he consulted with some of his Companions like ‘Umar and ‘Ali. ‘Umar said that ‘A’isha was undoubtedly chaste and pure, and that she had been slandered. When asked how he knew, ‘Umar answered:

O God’s Messenger! You were once praying. You stopped and explained that the Archangel Gabriel had come and informed you that there was some dirt in your slippers. If there were some impurity in ‘A’isha, your wife, God would certainly have informed you of it. (4)

God’s Messenger, who said, Whoever takes counsel, does not regret in the end, (5) never neglected to consult those who could give informed advice on a particular matter.

2. He also consulted with his Companions before the Battle of Badr, which was the first major encounter between the Muslims and the Makkan polytheists after the Emigration, whether to fight against the Makkan army approaching. The Muslim force numbered 305 or 313, while the Makkans numbered around one thousand.

Miqdad ibn ‘Amr stood up on behalf of the Emigrants and said: ‘Spur your horse forward even to Bark al- Ghimad; we will follow you, with no one left behind.’ (6) When the Messenger turned to the Helpers in order to learn their views, Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh stood up and said:

O God’s Messenger! I think you are waiting for the opinion we will give. This is our opinion: Here we are, at your command, with our souls and possessions. Take from our goods whatever amount you wish; and as many people as you desire are ready to sacrifice themselves in your way! (7)

All of his Companions, including both the Emigrants and the Helpers, promised to follow him in every step he took, and to carry out all of his orders. Despite this, God’s Messenger took counsel with them about almost every matter concerning the community as a whole so that doing so should be adopted or appropriated by everyone as a Sunnah.

3. Again, in the Battle of Badr, the Muslim army was positioned somewhere on the battlefield. Hubab ibn Mundhir, who was not a leading personality among the Companions, stood up and gave this opinion:

O God’s Messenger! If you were not ordered by God to be positioned here, let us be positioned around the wells and close up all but one of them in order to prevent the supply of water to the enemy. You set up your camp at the side of that one well (from which we will take water), and we will encircle you.

The Messenger adopted this view. (8)

4. In the fifth year of Hijra, the Quraysh made an alliance with certain desert tribes and Jews of the Banu Nadir, who had emigrated from Madina to Khaybar. However, the Prophet, forewarned of their plans, consulted with his Companions about what to do in order to defeat the enemy offensive. Salman al-Farisi gave him the idea that they should dig a defensive trench around Madina, a stratagem hitherto completely unknown among the Arabs.

God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, adopted the idea and ordered the digging of the trench. This war was therefore called, after the trench, the Battle of the Trench or Ditch. (9)

5. The Muslims found the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiya unpalatable, and showed some reluctance to perform the Prophet’s order to sacrifice the animals they had brought to sacrifice in Makka during the rites which the Treaty prevented them from observing. God’s Messenger consulted with his wife Umm Salama about how to respond. She gave this opinion:

O God’s Messenger! Do not repeat your order lest they should disobey you and perish. Sacrifice your own animals and take off your pilgrim dress (ihram). When they understand the order is decisive, they will perform it unhesitatingly.

God’s Messenger acted according to the counsel of his wife. (10)