AN EXAMPLE FROM THE PROPHET
The Battle of Badr was the first major battle in Islamic history (624 CE), near a place called Badr, southwest of Madinah in present-day Saudi Arabia. It marked a pivotal turning point for the early Muslim community. Among the early events of the battle, one incident is recorded by Ibn Ishaq: the Prophet of Islam advanced swiftly during the journey and camped near a spring close to Badr.
At that point, Al-Hubab ibn Al-Mundhir ibn Al-Jamuh said, “O Prophet of Islam, is this a place where God has commanded you to stop so that we are not allowed to move forward or go back? Or is it a personal opinion and a matter of war strategy?” The Prophet replied, “Rather, it is opinion, and strategy, and planning for war.”
He said, “O Prophet of Islam, then this is not a suitable place to stop. Please move ahead. Let us camp at the spring that is closer to the Quraysh. Then we can render the remaining wells behind us unusable and construct a reservoir to fill with water. Then we will drink, and they will not.”
On hearing this, the Prophet said, “You have given excellent advice.”
After that, the Prophet and all his companions got up and moved ahead until they reached the spring closest to the Quraysh. They camped there. Then the Prophet gave orders regarding the other springs, and they were rendered unusable. A reservoir was built at the spring where they camped, and it was filled with water. (Seerah Ibn Hisham, Vol. 1, p. 620)
This incident demonstrates that the Prophet of Islam fostered an open environment for expressing opinions. When someone presented a different view from his own, it was not received negatively, nor was there any anger. Instead, he simply inquired why the person held a different opinion. When the reasoning was clarified, it became evident that the suggestion was correct; the Prophet commended the opinion and accepted it immediately. This illustrates that allowing people to express differing views, listening to them, and learning from them is also among the practices of the Prophet of Islam.
