Long before Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) received revelation, he participated in one of the most honorable events in pre-Islamic Arabia — the Treaty of Hilf al-Fudul. When a poor Yemeni trader was cheated by a wealthy Qurayshi nobleman who refused to pay for goods he had purchased, and no elder would intervene against the powerful man, the trader resorted to publicly shaming the Quraysh with a poem in front of the Ka’bah. This forced the elders to act — and among them stood the young Muhammad, barely twenty years old.
Standing With the Oppressed
The pact they formed that day declared that the Quraysh would always side with the oppressed, regardless of who the oppressor was — even if he was their own brother, uncle, or tribal chief. Decades later, as a Prophet in Madinah, Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “If I were asked to uphold that treaty even in Islam, I would do so. I would not give up my place in that room for a million dollars.”
“Of what use is it to claim descent from the Quraysh and live close to the Ka’bah when a poor man can be cheated in broad daylight and not one of you moves a finger? Blessedness comes from your manners, not your lineage.”
Battling Islamophobia Through Action
- Dr. Hawa Abdi of Somalia ran the only hospital for hundreds of miles, serving tens of thousands for over 25 years — standing firm against warlords who tried to shut her down
- She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, invited to TED Talks in full hijab, and named Woman of the Year by Glamour magazine
- The best response to Islamophobia is not words but actions — Muslims living their faith through service, justice, and compassion
- Islam’s core message has always been justice for all — defending the weak against the powerful, regardless of tribe, race, or religion
“You want to battle Islamophobia? You see it right in front of you. This is how you battle Islamophobia — through action.”
