Choose the Easy Way

Aisha, the wife of the Prophet of Islam, provides a guiding principle. She said: Whenever the Prophet had to choose between two courses, he would always opt for the easier one. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith, No. 3560) This means that whenever the Prophet had two options before him in any matter, he would always abandon the harder option in favor of the easier one.

Thus, whenever the Prophet had to choose between avoidance and confrontation, he always abandoned the method of confrontation and opted for the method of avoidance. Similarly, when he had the opportunity to choose between war and peace, he would always opt for peace.

This is wisdom. The advantage of this wisdom is that one can save oneself from further harm and can manage his affairs successfully. In every situation, both methods are always available. But wisdom lies in following the example we find in the life of the Prophet of Islam.