The Image Of Islam

The Image of Islam – صورة الإسلام

1- Ibn Sa’d narrates with an authentic chain:
عَنْ أُمِّ كَبْشَةَ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ قُضَاعَةَ أَنَّهَا اسْتَأْذَنَتِ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ تَغْزُوَ مَعَهُ ، فَقَالَ : لَا فَقَالَتْ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُدَاوِي الْجَرِيحَ وَأَقُومُ عَلَى الْمَرِيضِ ، قَالَتْ : فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ : اجْلِسِي لَا يَتَحَدَّثُ النَّاسُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَغْزُو بِامْرَأَةٍ .
A woman wanted to join the Prophet on a military expedition.
The Prophet said: “No.”
She said: “I can help the wounded and the sick.”
The Prophet said to her: “Sit down – before people start saying that Mohammad has come to fight/conquer us with a woman.”
[‘Tabaqaat’, 12424].

2- The Prophet once stopped his companions from killing a hypocrite enemy in their ranks by saying:
دَعْهُ، لاَ يَتَحَدَّثُ النَّاسُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا يَقْتُلُ أَصْحَابَهُ
“Leave him, before people start saying: Mohammad kills his companions.”
[Sahih Bukhari, 4905].

CONCLUSION:

It shows that the Prophet was conscious of preserving the positive image of Islam and the Muslims in the eyes of the general public.
If the image of Islam and the Prophet is tainted – it will put people off.
This issue is even more severe in this age of technology and globalisation.
False information spreads at the speed of light.