The Foreign Policy

[Islamic Revival]

The Prophet(saw) carried Islam following a specific methodology, well defined from the early days of the Dawah. His (saw) efforts in Mecca was oriented toward the establishment of platform that would implement Islam and assume the function of calling other nations to it. This would be effectively performed through the daily and practical implementation of Islam to solve life’s affairs.

Upon establishing the state in Medina and implementing Islam, he (saw) immediately initiated a well though out foreign policy for the propagation of Islam. Conveying Islam to the world was the core of the state’s foreign policy. The actions of the Prophet(saw) demonstrated this well acknowledged fact. It is reported from ibn al ather and Bukhari that during the episode of al Hudaybiya that budayl bin warqaa, one of the delegates from Quraish came and notified the Prophet(saw) that the Quraish had mobilized all of their resources in order to prevent the Prophet(saw) from entering Mecca. Upon hearing this the Prophet(saw) said, ‘I swear by one in whose hand is my soul, I will keep fighting for my cause until my neck would be chopped off or Allah will make my cause prevail.”

In fact, by observing the actions of Prophet(saw) following the state’s establishment, a well engineered foreign policy is evident. This policy was well planned, designed and executed for the sole purpose of spreading Islam. This foreign policy reveals great foresight and political maneuvering as exhibited by the Prophet(saw) to achieve his (saw) objective. The stages of the foreign policy can outlined s follows:


From Hijrah up to Battle of Badr


The Muhammad(saw) was aware of deep hated and animosity of Quraish toward Islam and the Muslims. They attempted to obstruct his (saw) dawah from being realized. Their malicious campaign against the Muslims consisted of physical torture and abuse, boycott, confiscation of wealth and property, severance of all social relations and media bombardment. Even after Muhammad(saw) establish the state in Medina, Quraish continued its diabolical campaign against Muslims.


However, in spite of heavy burdens place upon Muslims by Quraish, Messenger of Allah (saw) did not allow his emotion to direct his campaign against Quraish in the Arabian peninsula due toe the Kabaa situated in Mecca and its high reputation as center of commerce, language, and culture. He (saw) realized that the Quraish could easily use its influence to muster all the surroundings tribes during a confrontation. So, to neutralize this advantage that Quraish had in the Arabian peninsula with other tribes Prophet(saw) initiated diplomatic and military maneuvers to secure neutrality from other tribes surrounding Mecca by
signing treatise with them.


Consequently, immediately after writing the constitution of the state, (Mithaq al Medina), the Messenger of Allah (saw) began the campaign to secure diplomatic ties with neighboring states in addition to applying the Islamic code internally. With the waddan expedition and the campaign led by Ubaydah bin al Harith, followed by the Buwar and al Asheerah expeditions, the Prophet(saw) was able to sign treaties with Banu Damrah, Banu madlij, Banu Ghafar, and Banu Juhainah, thereby neutralizing their effectiveness and dampening the diplomatic influence of the Quraish


Afterwards, Muhammad(saw) focused his political might on the ultimate enemy of Islam, The Quraish. Even before the battle of Badr, He (saw) repeatedly launched military expeditions to challenge and instigate the Quraish. On one, Muhammad(saw) had presaged for a substantial confrontation with the Quraish. He (saw) dispatched an expedition of 330 fighters to attack the caravan of Abu Sufyan from Shaam. He (saw) purposely targeted the caravan of one of the leaders of Quraish, well aware that such a maneuver would constitute a direct threat to the Quraish’s national interest and force it to fight the Islamic state. Although some Muslims targeted the caravan, the Prophet(saw) focused his (saw) objective on establishing the reputation of the Islamic state as a substantial entity in the peninsula and demoralizing the power of Quraish, as Allah(swt) wanted and stated in the following ayat that was revealed at that time:


“And remember when Allah promised you one of the two parties that it should be yours, you wished that the one not armed should be yours, but Allah willed to justify the truth by His words and to cut off the roots of the disbelievers.” Al Anfal 8:7


The battle of Badr was a decisive victory that shattered the reputation of Quraish and firmly established the new state in Medina as a powerful military force. Several others battles occurred between the two states some were initiated by the Prophet(saw) while others such as Uhud and Khandaq were initiated by Quraish. However, through this policy, the Prophet(saw) maintained his main objective: confronting with Quraish in order to damage its states as the most powerful state in Arabia.