EASE IN DIFFICULTY

The Prophet of Islam conquered Makkah in 8 A.H. Then he set off from Makkah for Taif, along with his companions. In those days there were no well-laid roads in and around Makkah, and on the journey, they had to walk along a narrow path, which lay between two hills.

When the Prophet of Islam reached that point, he asked his companions what its name was. They replied that it was called Azzaiqa, meaning the “narrow path.” The Prophet said:

No it is rather a broad path. (Sirah ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 282)

On this journey the Prophet was accompanied by ten thousand of his companions. If they had attempted to go along this path walking several abreast, it would certainly have been difficult to do so, due to its narrowness. But because they went along it in single file, despite its being narrow, it was easy to do so. It was this practical wisdom, which the Prophet pointed to in his reply. We find an important secret of life in this incident: the necessity to adapt our strategy to the circumstances. This practice relates to all matters in life. By our being adaptable all life’s difficulties maybe resolved.