﴿ فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلْقَلْبِ لَٱنفَضُّوا۟ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ ۖ فَٱعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِى ٱلْأَمْرِ ۖ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ ﴾

“And it was by God's grace that thou [O Prophet] didst deal gently with thy followers: for if thou hadst been harsh and hard of heart, they would indeed have broken away from thee. Pardon them, then, and pray that they be forgiven. And take counsel with them in all matters of public concern; then, when thou hast decided upon a course of action, place thy trust in God: for, verily, God loves those who place their trust in Him.”

The gentle way the Prophet is asked to deal with the believers (in this context those who had disobeyed him in quitting their posts, incurring defeat in the battle) is equally essential in any Muslim leader. Moderation is indispensable for him. This lenient attitude is required not only in normal, daily life but also in dealings between Muslims and non-Muslims, even where, due to the disobedience of certain people, a victory turns into a defeat. Unless the leader shows broad-mindedness and high thinking, a powerful polity cannot be established. Mistakes, however grave their outcome, if committed without any evil intention, are pardonable. The leader, therefore, should overlook this type of error while dealing with people. He should be such a great well-wisher of his people that he should pray to God for their guidance. Indeed, the good leader so values his people that he takes decisions on matters of importance only after consulting them.