An important requirement of religion is that its followers should also continue to urge others to adopt and adhere to it. It is this requirement of religion for which the terms da'wah (preaching) and tabligh (propagation) are used.
We Muslims have always been aware that the radiance of faith and good deeds that we have been blessed with entails that we must also enlighten others about it. It is because of this importance of preaching and propagation that the Almighty has revealed a detailed shari'ah about it just as He has done so in spheres such as politics, economics and worship besides some others. A study of this shari'ah shows that the responsibility of preaching has been imposed in distinct categories on the believers according to their various capacities.
FOR CONVENIENCE OF UNDERSTANDING, THE SHARI'AH OF PREACHING CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS FOLLOWS:
i. Preaching of Muhammad (sws)
ii. Preaching of Abraham's Progeny
iii. Preaching of the Scholars
iv. Preaching of the Rulers
v. Preaching of an Individual
vi. Strategy for Preaching
THE SHARI'AH OF PREACHING DESCRIBED IN THE QUR'AN IS DETAILED OUT BELOW:
PREACHING OF MUHAMMAD (SWS):
O Prophet! We have sent you forth as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, and a warner and as one who shall call men to God by His leave and as a shining lamp for the guidance of mankind. (33:45-46)
The above verses refer to the preaching responsibility of the Prophet Muhammad (sws). It is evident from the Qur'an that all prophets of God were sent to call people to God and to warn and to give glad tidings to them. The Qur'anic words also mention this very fact. From among these anbiya (prophets), those who were given the status of rusul (messengers), their indhar (warning) culminated in shahadah.
In the terminology of the Qur'an, shahadah means that the truth is communicated to people in such a manner that no one is left with an excuse to deny it. The Qur'anic words used are: (so that mankind after the coming of these messengers are left with no excuse against the Almighty. The way this shahadah is established is that the Almighty selects these rusul and then, before the actual Day of reward and punishment, rewards and punishes in this very world people to whom the rusul are sent. People are told that if they honour their covenant with God they will be rewarded in this world and if they dishonour it, they will be punished here.
The result of this is that these rusul become signs of God, and it is as if people see God walking along with the rusul who deliver His verdicts. Moreover, these rusul are directed to propagate the truth and deliver to people the exact guidance of God they have received. This is shahadah, and when it is established on this earth, it becomes a basis for God to deliver His Judgement both in this world and in that to come.
Consequently, the Almighty grants dominance to these rusul and punishes those who reject them. The word used in the above quoted verses of Surah Ahzab delineates this very status of Prophet Muhammad (sws).
Delivering of warnings and glad tidings by anbiya (prophets) does not require any explanation. However, when rusul (messengers) deliver these warnings and glad tidings then this requires some elaboration because these rusul must also fulfill the responsibility of shahadah. As a result of this responsibility, there are certain phases of their preaching endeavour. And there are certain consequences of these phases which are peculiar to the rusul only. This preaching is not related to any other person except the rusul.
In the following paragraphs, these phases are elaborated upon.
INDHAR (WARNING):
This is the first phase of preaching of the rusul. Indhar means to warn someone of the evil consequences of something. It is evident from the Qur'an that the rusul of God always warn their people of two punishments: the punishment which those who reject these rusul will face in the Hereafter, and the punishment which they will face in this very world for this very reason. These rusul inform their people that they have been sent in this world to create a miniature Day of Judgement.
Once they have communicated the truth to their addressees in a manner that they are left with no excuse to deny it, they will have to face punishment in this very world. Surah Qamar, which belongs to the sixth group of Qur'anic surahs, is the best example of this indhar.
Here, after indicating His practice about rusul of Allah and their people, the Almighty has warned: (Are your disbelievers better men than these? Or are you given immunity in the Scriptures? It is evident from the coherence and arrangement of the Qur'an that in the last group of the Qur'an, the six surahs from Surah Mulk (67) to Surah Jinn (72) belong to this phase of preaching. A study of these surahs reveals the tone, style and arguments Messengers of God adopt in this phase. In Surah Qalam, after mentioning the parable of the people of the orchard, while summing up this indhar, the Qur'an says:
[O people of Makkah! you are denying this rasul. So take heed] in such a way shall the punishment come, and the punishment of the Hereafter shall be much greater than this if they only knew. (17-33)
Since the consequences of this indhar have to materialise in this world, hence its addressees are primarily people who wield influence in some form or another. These are the people whose character and conduct the masses follow; their illness or health is instrumental in keeping others ill or healthy; if their intellect is convinced of a certain ideology, it becomes a source for convincing others of this ideology; their material means and resources increases the power wielded by the truth; their mental ability can inspire the intellect of the masses and stir their souls in favour of the message they preach.
Such is the influence they exercise that unless the masses are able to see that these people have been intellectually defeated, and their philosophies have been uprooted from their base through sound reasoning and the edifice of their systems of morality and politics is publicly brought down, the masses would not be fully devoted and convinced of the cause of the right message; they would not be able to get out of the whirlpool of their previous views and relieve themselves of indecision; they would also not be able to feel elevated while following the message of truth - the elevation which is necessary to induce in them the courage and strength to break the shackles and hold of the dominant elements of the society that have spun a strong web of influence.
THE WAY THIS CHARACTERISTIC OF INDHAR BECOMES EVIDENT FROM THE QUR'AN IS EXPLAINED THUS BY IMAM AMIN AHSAN ISLAHI:
Abraham at the very outset called to the truth his family and clan who held the reins of religious leadership. He then called to the truth the king who had the reins of political authority and who thought that he had power over the life and death of his people...The Almighty had directed Moses (sws) to first of all address the Pharaoh.... Jesus (sws) first called upon the scholars of the Jews.
Similarly, the preaching endeavours of the prophets Noah (sws), Hud (sws) and Salih (sws) are all mentioned in the Qur'an. All these prophets began their preaching by calling upon the people who were in authority in their times. They tried to wake up the arrogant people of their times from their deep slumber and vehemently criticised their views. Finally, Muhammad (sws) was sent and asked to warn his immediate relatives. These relatives were religious and political leaders of the patriarchal polity of Arabia and with this reference morally and politically guided all the people of Arabia.
THE ALMIGHTY SAYS:
And in a similar manner have We revealed to you an Arabic Qur'an that you may warn the mother-city and those who dwell around it and warn them of the day which is sure to come: when one group will go to Paradise and another to Hell (42:7).
INDHAR AM (OPEN WARNING):
This is the second phase of the preaching of a rasul. There is no difference between this phase and the previous one except that in the first preaching is done individually and on a person-to-person basis or in certain select gatherings. However, in this second phase, the Almighty directs his rusul to deliver open warning through whatever means they can use, and whatever extent they can go to, they should in order to openly preach among people. In the preaching endeavours of the rusul, this phase is very tough.
The Qur'an has informed us that when this phase came during the preaching of Muhammad (sws), he was told to stand in prayer at night in order to prepare for the hardships of this phase. It was in this phase that Surah Muzzammil was revealed.
In this surah, he was directed by the Almighty to recite the Qur'an in a measured tone in the night prayer of tahajjud. He was asked to remember the Almighty in his heart while being fully aware of His attributes and to glorify and praise Him with his tongue as much as he could, and in the loneliness of night fully devote himself to God. The Almighty informed Him the reason for all these directives by saying: (because soon We shall lay on you the burden of a heavy word (73:6). Consequently, in the next surah, this burden was laid on him:
O ye enfolded in your shawl! Arise and give open warning and proclaim the greatness of your Lord only, and cleanse the apparel of your soul and keep away from [this] dirt [of polytheism] and [listen!] Do not discontinue your endeavour regarding it to be enough, and with perseverance wait for the decision of your Lord (74:1-7).
In this phase too, the rusul address the leaders and rulers of the society; however, since this is done at an intense pace, it also elicits a great reaction - something which is not evident in the first phase. Since those who took lead in professing faith in Muhammad (sws) were generally the youth, the reaction experienced was from their relatives and associates.
The leaders of the society reacted once they saw that Muhammad (sws) was becoming influential in the society. Then what they did, and what Muhammad (sws) was directed to do in response is mentioned in the surahs which were revealed in this phase. The following two passages from Surah Yunus give us some idea of this:
And when Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who have no hope of meeting Us say [to you]: "Give us a different Qur'an, or change it a little". Tell them: "It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow only what is revealed to me, for I fear the punishment of a fateful day if I disobey my Lord" (10:15).
Tell them: "You people! If you have any doubts about my religion, then listen that I do not worship those whom you worship beside God. In fact, I worship the God who gives you death and I have been commanded to be among the believers and I have been directed: "Devote yourself fully to the faith in all uprightness and do not be among these idolaters whatsoever" (10:104-105).
It is at this stage that the rusul are stopped from going after the arrogant among their people, and are directed to primarily concentrate on their followers.
For this reason, ignore them; now you shall incur no blame. Keep reminding them, for reminding is beneficial to the believers (51:54-55).
He frowned and turned away - [this rasul of Ours] - because there came to him that blind man [interrupting his meeting with the leadership of the Quraysh]. And what do you know [O Muhammad!] that he might have sought to reform [himself] or might have heard the admonition [when you delivered it] and might have gained from this admonition. And these who show indifference, you go after them even though you are not responsible if they are not reformed; and he who comes to you with zeal and also fears [Allah], you neglect him. Certainly not! [there is no need to go after them]. This is but a reminder so whoever wishes, can be reminded through it [and whoever wishes can turn a deaf ear towards it] - [It is set down] on honoured pages, exalted and untouched, in the custody of scribes, honourable and faithful (80: 1-16).
ITMAM AL-HUJJAH:
This is the third phase. By this phase, the truth has become so evident to the addressees that they do not have any excuse except stubbornness to deny it. In religious parlance, this is called itmam al-hujjah. Obviously, in it besides the style adopted and the arguments presented, the veryperson of the rasul plays a role in achieving this end.
The stage is reached that the matter becomes as evident as the sun shining in the open sky. Consequently, at this instance, a rasul to a great extent communicates the fate of the addressees to them, and his preaching takes the form of a final warning. Both these aspects are evident in Surah Fil and Surah Quraysh, the two surahs which were revealed in this phase of itmam al-hujjah of the Prophet Muhammad's (sws) preaching endeavour:
Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephant? Did He not foil their scheme? And sent down against them swarms of birds? [Such that] you pelted them with stones of backed clay, and He rendered them as straw eaten away (105:1-4).
On account of the association the Quraysh - the association [in the peaceful atmosphere of the Baytullah] they have with the winter and summer travels, they should worship the Lord of this House who [in these barren mountains] fed them in hunger and rendered them secure from fear (106:1-4).
A little deliberation shows that the first surah warns the Quraysh to remain aware of the wrath of the Almighty who, not very long ago, had destroyed the enemies of the Baytullah in front of their very eyes. If the Quraysh become His enemies, they too will have to face the same fate. The second surah urges the Quraysh that it is the Lord of the Baytullah who has blessed them with the favours of peace and sustenance since they are its custodians. This magnanimity entails that they should now adopt a submissive attitude towards Him.
This then is the style adopted by the rusul in this phase.
HIJRAH AND BARA'AH (MIGRATION AND ACQUITTAL):
This is the fourth phase. When the rusul of God have done all what they can in preaching people and when they have communicated the truth to them to the extent that no one is left with an excuse to deny it, then their preaching enters this phase. In this phase, a charge sheet is handed out to the leaders of their nation with full clarity and they are intimated that their time is up. Hence, they will no be exterminated from the land.
Along with this, the rasul is given glad tidings of help and support of the Almighty. He and his followers will be saved, and in the very land in which they were helpless and weak, they will be dominant. So they should get ready to declare those who have denied as disbelievers and announce their acquittal from their views and ideologies.
The way all this ensured in the preaching of Prophet Muhammad (sws) is evident from the following surahs of the Qur'an: Have you seen the one who denies reward and punishment [O Prophet!]. He it is who shoves the orphan and urges not the feeding of the poor. So woe be to these [priests of the Baytullah] who pray being unmindful of the essence] of their prayers; who put up a pretentious display [of worship], and are not even prepared to lend ordinary items of common use to others (107:1-7).
Upon you [O Prophet!] have We bestowed this abundance of good [this House of Ours]. So pray only for your Almighty and offer sacrifice only for Him. Indeed, it is this enemy of yours who is rootless: none of his followers will remain (108:1-3).
Declare [O Prophet!]: "O Disbelievers! I shall worship not that which you worship. Nor will you ever worship [alone] that which I worship. Nor ever before this was I prepared to worship that which you worshipped. Nor were you ever prepared to worship that which I have been worshipping. [So now] for you your religion and for me, mine (109:1-6)."
When comes the help of God and that victory [which We have promised you O Prophet!] and you see men embrace the religion God in multitudes, extol His glory while being thankful to Him and seek His forgiveness. For, indeed, He is ever disposed to mercy (110-13).
After this, a rasul is directed to migrate. It is evident from the Qur'an that it is on the bidding of the Almighty that this migration takes place. No Messenger is allowed to exercise his own judgement in this regard. The reason is that it is not possible for a person to have knowledge of the fact that the truth has been completely communicated to their people and that now there is no possibility of any positive response from them. Only God can have this knowledge.
Consequently, when angels came to the celebrated Prophet Abraham (sws) to communicate this decision of the Almighty to him, he contended that they had come before time and argued with the Almighty as depicted in the Qur'an, (11:74-76) and when Jonah (sws) decided on his own to migrate from his people, the Almighty reprimanded him (37:139=148). Became evident from his nation's professing faith once he returned to them that only the Almighty knows when someone can profess faith.
The Qur'an refers to his example and cautions Prophet Muhammad (sws) to exercise patience and forbearance while waiting for God's decision in this regard. He cannot of his own form the opinion that he has fully discharged his duty and he can leave his people. It is essential that he must continue to discharge this duty until the Almighty communicates His decision to him that the truth has been unveiled to the people and that he can migrate from them.
(To be concluded.) Courtesy: Renaissance.
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