Hawzah News Agency- Hojatoleslam Khanjani, speaking about the Prophet's approach to attracting opponents, said multiple factors drew those with differing beliefs—Jews, Christians, and polytheists—toward the Prophet of Islam. But based on Quranic verses and the Prophet's conduct, he stressed that the most important factor was friendship, love, compassion, and forbearance.
He referenced verse 159 of Surah Al-Imran, where God addresses the Prophet: "It is by God's mercy that you were gentle to them; had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have scattered from around you." The verse, he noted, underscores that harshness and stone-heartedness drive people away. It concludes with a divine command to pardon, seek forgiveness for them, and consult with them—reflecting the highest level of tolerance and clemency in the prophetic tradition.
A shining example of this mercy, Hojatoleslam Khanjani said, was the conquest of Mecca. When the city fell with minimal military conflict, someone declared that the day of revenge had arrived. But the Prophet immediately countered with a different approach, saying: "Today is the day of mercy." This response astonished enemies and observers alike. The Quraysh and other polytheists had opposed the Prophet for years, yet his conduct toward them in victory was one of compassion and pardon—and it was this very mercy that led them to embrace Islam.
When the defeated polytheists approached the Prophet in fear, asking what he would do with them, he uttered the famous words: "Go, for you are all free." This sweeping amnesty came after years of persecution so severe that the Prophet had been forced to migrate from Mecca. Yet at the height of his power, he chose forgiveness over retribution.
The scholar noted that while some figures like Abu Sufyan only embraced Islam outwardly, many from the Quraysh and among the polytheists genuinely believed, and some went on to become close companions of the Prophet. This is why God says in verse 107 of Surah al-Anbiya: "And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds." The Prophet was not a mercy only to Muslims or the devotees of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)—he was a mercy to all of humanity. One telling example, he said, was the Prophet's visit to a Jewish man who used to throw ash on him. When the man fell ill and was absent for several days, the Prophet went to check on him. The man was overcome with shame and embraced Islam.
The depth of the Prophet's concern for people's guidance, Hojatoleslam Khanjani explained, is captured in the Quranic verse: "Perhaps you will grieve yourself to death because they will not believe." This shows that the Prophet's compassion was not superficial—it came from the very depths of his soul.
One of the most beautiful dimensions of the Prophet's mercy, he continued, was that when someone joined Islam, the Prophet never brought up their past misdeeds. He never said, "You did such-and-such in Mecca" or "You fought against us in past battles." He treated them as though their record was spotless. It was for this very character that God granted him the distinction: "And indeed, you are of a great moral character."
This merciful conduct, the scholar noted, is what allowed Islam to spread rapidly across the Arabian Peninsula and later throughout the world, reaching a following of billions and becoming the world's second-largest religion.
He concluded that if we wish to attract opponents or those who disagree with us today, we must act with genuine kindness and compassion, just as the Prophet did. "If they sense that we act out of sincere concern for them, they will be drawn to us," he said.
Drawing on Quranic teachings, he added that this must be done with gentle speech and expressions of love. We should not constantly highlight the shortcomings, mistakes, or moral failings of others, because when we repeatedly point the finger at someone's weaknesses, we only push them further away.
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