Calling Mankind
To The Truth
The message revealed
to the Prophet
Abu Nujaih Amr ibn Absah recounts how, even in the pre-Islamic period, he felt that the idolatrous religion practised in Arabia was misguided and far from the True Path. “Then I heard of the appearance in Makkah of a man who uttered inspired words. I mounted my camel and travelled to Makkah, where I found the Prophet quietly giving his message to the people, while they, for their part, went to extremes in taking liberties with him. I asked him who he was. ‘I am God’s Prophet,’ he replied. When I asked him what a Prophet was, he said, ‘One sent by God,’ ‘for what reason?’ I asked, and the Prophet replied: ‘He has sent me to unite kinspeople, to break idols and to make people regard God as One, and without any partners.’”
(MUSLIM, SAHIH)
Admonishing in general terms
According to Aishah, when the Prophet was displeased with the way someone had acted or spoken, he would express his disapproval of people who act or speak in such a manner, without indicating which particular individual he meant.
(KITAB ASH-SHIFA)
The power of the Quran to inspire faith
Abdullah ibn Abbas, a great Quranic scholar, was possessed of an uncanny ability to fathom the profundities of the Quran. One day, he gave an explanation of the chapter al-Baqarah, which prompted one of his hearers to exclaim: “If the pagans of Daylam were to hear this, even they would believe.”
The Hereafter: all-important to the Prophet, but not so to his opponents
When the Prophet was commanded by God to commence his public mission he ascended the hill of Safa and called the people together. “I have been sent,” said the Prophet, “to warn you of a dreadful doom.” “May misfortune dog your footsteps the whole day!” burst out Abu Lahab. “Have you called us together to hear only this?”
(IBN KATHIR, SIRAH)
Bringing Islam without
condescension, to everyone
Severely wounded, the Prophet was returning from Taif, and, on the way, took refuge in a vineyard belonging to Utbah and Shaybah, sons of a Makkan chieftain. Both Utbah and Shaybah, being in the vineyard at the time, saw the state the Prophet was in and sent their Christian slave, Addas, to him with some grapes. As the Prophet began to eat them, he recited the words: “In God’s name.” Addas expressed his surprise at the Prophet having made such a dedication, and the Prophet asked him where he came from. “From Nainevah,” replied Addas. “Oh, from the town of the good Jonah, son of Matthew,” said the Prophet. And Addas was even more surprised to hear that the Prophet knew about Jonah, whereupon the Prophet recited to him that portion of the Quran which had been revealed to him concerning Jonah. “The Prophet,” writes Abu Nuaim, “did not behave with condescension towards anyone to whom his message was to be communicated.”
(DALA’IL AN-NUBUWWAH)
Unadulterated truth is pure
anathema to many
When the Prophet received his first revelation, he came back home in a state of fright to his wife, Khadijah. “I feared for my life,” he told her. Khadijah then took the Prophet to see a relative of hers, Waraqah ibn Nawfal, who being a convert to Christianity, had studied prophetic and biblical history. After hearing the Prophet’s story in detail, he said, “By the Master of my soul, you are the Prophet of this nation. The angel who visited you is the one who appeared to Moses. Your people will deny you; they will persecute you and expel you from the land; they will fight against you.” “Will they truly expel me?” asked the Prophet. Waraqah said this was certain. “People have turned against whomsoever has taught the message now brought by you.”
Speaking the language
of one’s hearers
Salman Farsi, commander of a Muslim army that fought in the Persian wars, was asked by his soldiers why he did not give them the order to attack the fort to which they had laid siege. He replied that he first wanted an opportunity to invite his opponents to accept Islam, for that was as the Prophet had done. Addressing the occupants of the fort, Salman Farsi said, “I am a Persian like yourselves, yet you can see how I am obeyed by these Arabs. Accept Islam and you shall have the same rights and responsibilities as we have. You may adhere to your religion if you agree to pay the tax. If not, we will fight against you.” According to Abul Buhtari, Salman said all this in Persian, the language of those he was addressing.
Failure to reform should
never elicit curses
Tufayl ibn Amr Ad-Dawsi, who had come to Makkah on the pilgrimage to the Holy Ka’bah, was addressed by some members of the Quraysh, who said, “You, who have come to our town, must be told that there is a man here”—by whom they meant the Prophet –— “who has left our religion and divided our community. His words have a spell-binding effect, separating father from son, and brother from brother. We do not wish him to do with you as he has done with us. Do not speak to him or listen to what he says.” Tufayl says that he went to the Ka’bah with cotton in his ears, so that he would be unable to hear anything Muhammad said. Then he thought: I have a mind of my own; I am able to judge what is said, whether it is good or bad, why should I not listen to him? If what he says seems sound, I will accept it; if not, I will have nothing to do with it. He went, therefore, to see the Prophet, who recited to him some verses from the Quran. “Truly,” said Tufayl, “I have never heard anything so beautiful or so balanced.” He then accepted Islam and went back to his people in order to communicate to them the message of Islam: but only one of them, Abu Hurayrah, became a believer. Tufayl went back once again to Madinah, where he told the Prophet of the obstinacy of his people. He asked the Prophet to curse them, but the Prophet just prayed for their guidance:
“Lord, guide the people of Daws.” “That was not the prayer I meant,” cried Tufayl. “Go back to your people,” the Prophet told Tufayl. “Communicate to them the message of Islam and be gentle with them. You will find many amongst them like yourself. “
(IBN ABDIL BARR)
Notes
- The Mutazilites deny that the Quran is eternal and the speech of God. For them, the Quran was created by God like other created creatures. They deny the uncreatedness of the Quran because for them only God is eternal and infinite. They want to defend the Divine unity when they deny the uncreatedness of the Quran. They hold that the Quran was revealed for human beings who are limited and finite. Whatever is created by God is limited and finite, so is the Quran, because it was created by God to be the book of guidance to all human beings.
- An Arabic weight, Mithqāl is a unit of mass equal to 3.64 grams.
- The Qamus explains the Sā (pl. suwā) as a certain vessel, a measure of capacity. Its invariable measure being, according to ancient authorities, four times the quantity of corn that fills the hands of a man of moderate size.
- I’tikaf: A period of retreat in a mosque during the last ten days of the Fast of Ramadan; during which time the worshipper does not leave the place, except for emergencies. The time is spent in reciting the Quran, in prayer and in remembrance of God, contempleting in His blessing and wonders.
- Mahr money or possessions paid by the groom, to the bride at the time of Islamic marriage as a mark of respect for the bride. A mahr is the obligation in Islamic Marriage law, without which marraige is not legal.
- A litter used on an elephant or camel, in which the ladies travel.
- A reservoir of water in the Heaven for the believers.
- People of the Book.
- The pre-Islamic times were known as the period of ignorance (jāhilīyah).
- He meant that the ‘gift’ of earth was a token that the entire land of Iran would yield to the Muslims.
