The Revival of Islam

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

There are many people in this world who would like to see the revival of
Islam reduced to a program, rather than have it develop into a full-fledged
movement springing naturally from a vital and personal sense of mission. 
But human life is just too vast - and complex - to be confined within such
narrow limits.  It is indeed unfortunate that they feel they cannot
understand what has to be done unless they have a definite plan outlined for
them by someone else, for this, ultimately, means substituting the bare bones
of a program for a real flesh-and-blood movement.  It also means underestimating
the potential magnitude of any such movement.  The truth is that if individuals
must have a program, they themselves must actively become its makers, as opposed to
being passive recipients.. They themselves must breathe life into it.          

This is the true function of Islamic d'awah: to arouse the minds of individuals,
and to inspire them to become the program-makers.  We must remember that all
that the Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, did was to call the people of
Mecca to worship on God.  He did not give the people a "program" as it is
understood in modern times.  Yet, whoever was influenced by that D'awah call,
was able to fabricate the whole "program" for himself.  After imbibing the
concept of monotheism from the Prophet, he would himself discover all
the forms of practical action required.  It is especially noteworthy that
although those Muslim who left Mecca for Abyssinia were given no actual
"program", they were so successful in representing Islam in Abyssinia that,
from there, the Islamic call became international in its scope.  Those Muslims
who left Mecca for Medina before the Prophet's emigration were likewise
able to launch the Islamic d'awah movement so effectively - with
nothing other than the verses of the Quran to support them - that Medina
eventually became the greatest focal point for Islam.          

Religion as a conscious option, as opposed to an inherited tradition.

The spreading of religion is the greatest revolutionary undertaking.  It brings
into existence such people as are in themselves a complete program.  Such a
mission makes its impact on a man's whole existence.  It stimulates his nature
in such a way that a whole fountain of divine wisdom springs up within him. 
Once the Prophet had awakened this divine wisdom in his companions, they had
no need of anything else in this world. Its effect is such as to make
people hold God by the hand, walk with God's feet, hear with God's ears, see
with God's eyes.  In the words of the Hadith, they became limitless, profound
human beings, unsurpassed in wisdom.          

Such men become substitute for everything else.  No matter how difficult
a problem they can always be relied upon to produce the best solution. 
Whatever the occasion, they can decide upon the most propitious course of
action.  One should rightly tremble before the insight of a believer, for it is
through God's eyes that he sees.          

God has indeed imbued human nature with everything that man needs in life. 
But it is only when man responds to the call of Islam that God's bounties stand
revealed.  Before that, they remain concealed behind an impenetrable veil,
causing man to be a prey to mental and moral stagnation, prejudice and
thoughtlessness.  But once Islam removes these imperfections from
man's psyche, human nature is at once illumined by that divine light which
radiates upon the heavens and the earth.  After that man sees everything as it
actually is.  And for one who can see things as they are, the problem of
having no "program" is as easily solved as taking an elevator - and not a
staircase - to the top of a very tall building.          

The following incident is an apt illustration of this point.

An Indian woman living in Tripoli with her husband once found herself in a
terrible predicament.  One night her husband told her that he had a severe
pain in the stomach and obviously needed a doctor.  Now, in Tripoli, there
is no arrangement for a house telephone by means of which a doctor can be
directly summoned from the house or the hospital.  Even if there had been,
the wife knew no Arabic, and being a simple housewife, had no contact
with anyone outside her own home.  But the sight of her own dear husband
writhing in agony was enough to make her overcome all her drawbacks.  Out she
went into the night, ignorant of the streets, and with no idea even of the
names or addresses of any of the local doctors.  Her determination to save her
husband drove her on and despite her unfamiliarity with the local language and
topography, she eventually found herself on the doorstep of a
Pakistani doctor to whom she could speak in Urdu.  To her great relief,
he promptly agreed to come and see her husband.  On examining him, he found
that it was a case of appendicitis which required an immediate operation. 
The doctor thereupon took him in his car to the hospital where he was operated
on without delay.  The patient took only a few days to make a full recovery.           

Most people find themselves in similar straits at some time or the other in
their lives.  Every individual is sooner or later confronted with situations
for which he has made no advance preparations.  But he pulls himself together,
faces up to whatever crisis it is and ultimately forges through.  Such
situations, however, tend to be handled well only when they are of direct
material interest to the person concerned, or to the members of  his family. 
If we were to develop the same personal interest in religion, it would be a
simple matter to become familiar with the demands of religion and to make
sacrifices for its cause. Problems relating to religion would in fact begin
to solve themselves, just as non-religious problems are solved every day by
the interested parties.  Then people would have no difficulty in finding their
"program" or religion, just as the above-mentioned lady was able to find a
doctor for her husband in the face of considerable odds.          

I am often questioned about our Islamic Center's program.  Ah! How does one
tell our questioners that we need people - devoted workers not a program! 
Be the issue Islamic, or non-Islamic, it is, in any event, men who are needed,
rather than a program, or a plan of action.  Revolution in congregational life
is invariably brought about by those who are in themselves program-makers
rather than by those who need to be given a set program to follow.          

On one occasion, when Aurangzeb (1618-1707), the last great Mughal emperor of
India had just completed his prayers he again raised his hands in supplication,
his eyes filling with tears.  In this state he continued to pray in silence for
a very long time.  All the while, his minister stood by his side.  When the
emperor's supplications finally came to an end, the minister, Sadullah addressed
him thus:  "Your Majesty, the flag of your empire can be seen flying everywhere,
right from Kashmir to the Deccan.  Is there still some wish in your heart
which has been left unfulfilled and because of which you are so grief-stricken?"
Aurangzeb remained silent for a while, then, his voice changed with emotion,
he replied, Sadullah, marde khwaham."  (Sadullah, I need a man.)          

Aurangzeb's plan of action lacked nothing, and he had all the resources
necessary for good government.  Yet he failed to consolidate the Mughal rule,
because he had no worthy successors to shoulder this responsibility.  If
Aurangzeb had a team of true, sincere people, the course of history after his
reign would have been very different from what it was, and what we see it as
today.          

The mission of Islam means searching among the crowd - among the multitudes
who are loquacious in the name of God, for a man whom fear of God has left
speechless.  Amongst those who are in pursuit of the world, it is looking for
one who has stopped dead in his tracks for the sake of the Hereafter; amongst
those who revel in the name of God, it seeks those who are fighting for God's
cause, it seeks those who have desisted from fighting and quarreling for the
sake of His religion; amongst those who are bent on settling accounts with
others, it awaits those souls who know how to reckon with themselves.  Such
are the people of whom Islam has the greatest need.  It is through such
people, and such people alone, that Islam will once again be able to resume
its position of intellectual ascendancy.          

Today, Islam needs such people as can purify themselves, demolishing appearances
in order to penetrate to the reality, who have the foresight to steer clear of
irrelevant problems; who have the patience to give their full attention to
the real goal, who consider this world of paltry insignificance when compared
to the Hereafter, so much so, that no sacrifice of worldly things appears too
great for them; who are such great realists as can see greater virtues in others
than in themselves and who can in consequence, step down in their favor; who see
the truth so clearly that nothing can make them waver in its pursuit; who are
so free of negative feelings that no personal grievances can make them deviate
from the right path;  who cannot be made to feel jealous of others; who are in
love with reality and not with appearances, having their eyes on the future
rather than on the present.  To sum up, Islam is in need of those who live in
the Hereafter rather than in this world; who have lost themselves, not in their
own greatness, but in God's.  If it was people such as these who made Islam the
dominant theology in its earliest stages, it will be people of like bent who
will raise it to the highest position of honor in our time.          

The question of having a program, is in actual fact, the question of how man
should be prepared for a specific way of life.  Individuals of the right mold
cannot be formed only by training, and certainly not by exposure to the hue
and cry of processions, speeches from platforms, and so on.  There is only one
way to prepare individuals, and that is by launching an unadulterated movement
based on pure established religion in such a manner as to influence human nature
and arouse the dormant, inner spiritual personality of man, striking some chord
deep within him.  It should so color human thought that  man's being should
become dyed in the hue of the Almighty.          

Such a movement cannot be launched in the negative spirit of reaction, for,
in essence it should sing the eternal, divine melody to the rhythm of nature. 
It should be a model of the beauty of divine creation, emanating the fragrance
of the flowers and the splendor of the sun.  Such a movement, in giving
temporal expression to the prophetic message, should - in the idiom of our times
- reveal the wisdom of the Book of God, thus presenting a medium of contact
between God and man.          

The advent of such a movement in a society is the greatest guarantee that such
divine souls will emerge as are able to `program' themselves.  For them, there
will be no difficulty in discovering what their role ought to be.  The history
of the prophets shows, however, that even after such a d'awah movement has been
set in motion, it is only those whose soil is fertile who can receive its seeds.
In other words, only those will benefit who have the innate capacity to receive
its message.  It is common knowledge that barren land will remain barren, even
after it has been lashed by the rain.          

If Islam is to launch itself on a new phase of its history, its first
prerequisite will be people so vital and responsive that when the call of Islam
is addressed to them, they will feel the awakening of a vast potential.  When
the seed of Islam is sown it must bring forth a blessed verdure - a great and
wonderful crop: for that to happen the soil on which it falls must be sufficien-
tly fertile.  The call of Islam simply awaits the right people to receive it.          

If people of high spiritual vitality emerge from the Muslim community itself,
that will be a matter of the greatest good fortune.  But if no such individuals
make their appearance, we shall have to come to terms with the fact that God
will eventually give His blessing to some other community.  It will then be for
the members of that community to come forward, not only to bathe in the light
of Islam, but also to devote themselves wholeheartedly to enabling the rest of
the world to benefit from that enlightenment which only Islam can bring.

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Two Kinds of Movements

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

In any period of great religious or intellectual transformation, there are always two distinct 
kinds of movements.  One is launched positively, on the basis of some discovery which is
held to be of great benefit of mankind, whereas the other is a negative process, set in motion
out of a sense of deprivation, or in order to recover something which has been lost.  The
Islamic movement, for its part, was certainly launched with a prior sense of having found
something of inestimable value, but we have to ask ourselves in this day and age whether, as
a movement, it has been gaining or losing momentum.          

The wonderful sense of discovery with which the companions of the Prophet were imbued
was that of having become aware of the oneness of God, in contradiction to polytheism.  The
realization had come to them that the life hereafter - man's entry into paradise - was the only
goal worthy of man's endeavors.  They learned too that a life devoid of principle was one of
utter degradation and that the highest human objective should be to become a man of
principle.  They had been stirred to the very core of their beings by this thought.  Their very
souls had been moved by it, their minds enlightened, and new doors to reality opened before
them.  Their lives were so truly transformed by this idea, that it was kind of re-birth for them. 
Although whatever they had gained in the process was apparently non-material - a thing of
the mind - it was so great a thing for them that it took precedence over all else.  This
discovery gave them the strength to remain content, even when bereft of all their worldly
possessions.  No sacrifice was then too great for them to make.          

Another benefit of their discovery was that it conferred upon them the position of da'is,
conveyors of the divine message to the entire world.  Let me stress that it is important at this
point to understand the essential difference between a da'i and a national leader.  The latter
is one who, at the apex of the ruling party, expects to be able to command others and to
make demands upon them, whereas the da'i is always the giver.  He never takes anything
from other.          

What the companions of the Prophet had was greater than anything else in this world.  What
they had discovered was a guarantee that they might stand before the world as givers, not
takers.  It was this characteristic which endowed them with such irresistible power, and it
was not long before the greater part of the inhabited world came under their sway, for their
moral superiority was undeniable.          

But this, regrettably, cannot be said of present-day Muslims, who parrot the names of the
Prophet's companions without their religion being in any sense a great discovery for them. 
Hence this desire of theirs is to appear before the world in the garb of national leader, and
not as da'is.  The Muslim image in the world today is that of the taker, not of the giver.  And
that being so, the man behind the image is utterly without value.  It is his sense of loss which
motivates him, and not his sense of gain.  Propelled by such people, the Islamic movement is
doomed to lose momentum, and it will not be long before it comes to a complete standstill
unless we take measures to re-energize it.  We must surely undertake individual and mass
reforms, returning to the basic tenets of Islam, if we are not to be swamped by total moral
inertia.

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The Present Day Islamic Movements

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Over the last century, countless Islamic movements have sprung up in various parts of the
Islamic world.  The large majority of these movements have represented a reaction against
colonialism and western (economic) domination.  They have been political in nature.  The
fundamental message of Islam, which should provide the basis of any true Islamic movement
has been obscured beneath superficial and mundane issues.          

These movements have won extraordinary support amongst Muslim populations of the
world.  They have captured the Muslim imagination and spurred the masses to expend all
their energies in opposing what they saw as tyranny and oppression.  Yet despite the wide
popular support they enjoyed, the achievements of these movements have been negligible. 
This is in sharp contrast to the mission of the holy Prophet, on whom be peace and God's
blessings.  In 2 A.H. when the Battle of Badr was fought, he had under his command 313
dedicated and committed companions.  Within twenty years of his death Islam had spread
throughout the whole of North Africa and had made considerable inroads into Persia.  Not
only were these lands conquered, but the language, attitudes and intellectual framework of
their inhabitants were also radically altered.  Why is it that the Prophet's Islamic movement
was so immensely successful, while those that present-day Muslims initiate fail to establish
the theoretical and practical ascendancy of Islam in even a small portion of the globe?  There
is no doubt that the reason for this is that modern Islamic movements have been denied the
divine succor which is essential for success. There is also no doubt that God has withheld
His assistance because these movements have failed to accord to God's design which He has
made manifest on earth by means of multiple signs.          

God desires that the emphasis of any Islamic movement be laid on the importance of
preparation for the hereafter.  He has spread countless signs throughout the universe which
attest to the insignificance of this world in relation to eternity; He has sent prophets who had
constantly urged man to use his time on earth in cultivating his eternal crop and made this
the basis of their mission.  Yet modern Islamic movements have focused their attention on
worldly issues and have distracted people's attention from the very issue which Islam is
supposed to emphasize: that of eternity, an issue of fundamental and crucial importance to
all mankind.          

God desires that truth should be conveyed to man on an intellectual plane.  The Quran stated
emphatically that proofs of monotheism would soon be displayed to man in the cosmos  and
in his own being.  Islam opened the way for scientific progress which has established
emphatically man's limitations, and the existence in the cosmos of one all-pervading order
according to which all things function.  These conclusions are direct evidence in support of
the two basic tenets of Islam: the need for prophetic revelation and the oneness and
omnipotence of god.  There is no need for us to force the issue now; the weaponry of
knowledge is fully at our command.  Yet modern Islamic movements have not made use of
this weapon.  They have not operated on an intellectual level.  They have insisted on
pressing their demands in the infertile arena of political confrontation.          

God has decreed that His religion shall spread by virtue of compassion and forgiveness
towards one's fellow-man.  He sent a Prophet whose actions were an epitome of the divinely-
endowed title, "Mercy for the world"; who spared his most dire enemies when he had them
at mercy.  Yet modern Islamic movements have forsaken this prophetic pattern and dealt
brutally and inhumanely with their opponents.          

All this shows that Muslims' are concentrating their efforts on the wrong objective.  They
have failed to enact their fundamental responsibility: communication of the prophetic
message in a way that will leave no doubt in the minds of those they are addressing as to its
validity.  Their relationship with non-Muslims has been founded on the rocks of political,
social and nationalistic confrontation and has never been established on solid, fertile,
spiritual ground.  It is God's will that His religion should be supreme on earth.  He has
created the conditions necessary for this to be achieved, and has assigned to the followers of
the final Prophet the task of spreading the Faith.  But Faith can only reign supreme when
those who seek to propagate its work in accordance with God's design.          

The three hundred and thirteen companions who took the field at Badr had aligned
themselves with God's scheme.  That is why the Holy Prophet prayed for their survival in
such passionate terms.  "If", he cried out to God, "they perish, then You will be worshipped
no more on earth."  They survived and by virtue of their efforts the world saw a revolution
the like of which has not been seen on earth.  Not only did they conquer people's territories;
they won people's minds with the Quran and their hearts with their own actions.  They
established the intellectual dominance of monotheism, thus paving the way for scientific
research into natural phenomena which had until then been considered as inviolable objects
of worship.          

If a group of people emerge in this day and age who are as attuned to the divine will as they
were, and work in compliance with the conditions which God has prepared for the
establishment of His religion on earth, then there is no doubt that results can be achieved as
they were in the early days of Islam.

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Islamic D'awah in a Changing World

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

The world we live in is changing from day to day.  The Soviet empire has crumbled. The US
is seeking to reduce the scope of its military dominance of various regions of the world.  The
Berlin wall has been demolished by the very people who built it.  The Cold War has come to
an end.  The superpowers have put their guns down, admitting that warfare is no solution to
human problems.          

Western thinkers have coined a new term -- `endism', which means that all `isms', all
ideologies, all systems, have exhausted their credibility as modern man's ideal.          

Muslims generally see these changes as going against them, as danger, in fact, to Islam.  This
kind of thinking, as I see it, is quite wrong and is no doubt against the teachings of Islam. 
The Quran say: with every difficulty there is relief (94:6).  This means that difficulty and
relief inevitably coexist.  They have been ordained inseparable.          

Granted that modern changes have brought problem in their wake for Muslims, but these
changes have also created new opportunities.  And fortunately the opportunities far exceed
the problems.          

When we look at that matter from this angle we find many positive and hopeful aspects in
the situation, for although the modern world is witnessing great changes, those changes are
going mostly in favor of Islam.  This is the most important aspect of our new world.          

There are many examples which clearly indicate that the present changes greatly favor
Islam.  Here, we shall give just two examples, the one, theoretical, and the other practical,
which should suffice to make the point.          

At the beginning of the present century, a British scientist once gave a public lecture on
astronomy.  He described how the earth orbits around the sun and the sun, in turn, orbits
around center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy.  At the end of the lecture, a little
old lady at the back of the room got up and said: What you have told is rubbish.  The world
is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.  The scientist gave a superior
smile before countering with "What is the tortoise standing on?"  " You're very clever,
young man, very clever," said the old lady, "but it's turtles all the way down."          

This picture of our world as an infinite tower of tortoises was seen by the scientists as
ridiculous.  But the alternatives presented by them were also a kind of infinite tower with the
difference that the tortoises were replaced by causes.  The scientists' assumption was that
there was always a cause behind every event, and so on.  Thus the chain of causes is infinite
in length.            

Then came the theory of the big bang.  With this, the theory of an "infinite tower of causes"
lost its validity, as this theory suggested that a sudden explosion had marked the beginning
of the universe rather than an infinitely continuing process of causes and effects.          

Stephen W. Hawking, a well-known scientist of modern times, has calculated the rate of the
expansion of the universe after the big bang.  Providing details of this calculation, he writes:          

"The rate of expansion would have had to be chosen very precisely for the rate of
expansion still to be so close to the critical rate needed to avoid recollapse.  This means
that the initial state of the universe must have been very carefully chosen indeed if the hot
big bang model was correct right back to the beginning of time.  It would be very difficult
to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God
who intended to create beings like us" (p.134).          

This means that the scientific study of the universe has strengthened religious belief rather
than weaken it.  Such discoveries have opened up opportunities for performing Islamic
d'awah with far greater effectiveness.          

Now take the practical aspect of the changes.  Here also we find clear indications that the
present changes are only paving the way for Islamic d'awah on an unprecedented scale.          

Let us see for instance, what is happening in the socialist world.  In one of his writings, Karl
Marx had said that religion was the opiate of the masses.  But today, the socialist Russians
are themselves saying that Marxism itself was the worst kind of opiate for the mind created
by Karl Marx.          

Just a few years ago, it was well-nigh unthinkable to carry a copy of the Quran inside the
Soviet Union.  But, today, Aeroflot has been engaged to airlift one million copies of the
Quran from Jeddah to Moscow.          

In its March 1990 issue, Time magazine gave detailed report on the religious position in the
Soviet  Union.  It said: "Some 55 million Soviet Muslims enjoy the fruits of new religious
tolerance."  The strange but meaningful title of this report was "Karl Marx makes room for
Mohammad."          

I do not feel the need to go into further details.  I should only like to say that the present
changes taking place in the world today have opened up for us great new scope for Islamic
d'awah.  But we must remain very alert in order not to miss these opportunities.          

The foregoing arguments suffice to show that the changes taking place in the present world
have opened up new vistas to Islamic d'awah.  These changes have made it possible for
Islam to be presented more forcefully and effectively to the world.  The most important task
ahead of us is to have a thorough understanding of these changes and then to avail of them in
an organized and disciplined way.          

I would propose for this the formation of a committee of scholars who would be entrusted
with going into the matter in depth, and then carving out a well-planned scheme.  All
possible resources should be utilized towards this end.          

This is undoubtedly a historic task.  History awaits the advance of certain dedicated
individuals towards this goal so that it can give them resounding credit for having spread the
message of Islam to mankind in this modern age.  Those who can prove themselves worthy
of such historic credit will be the most fortunate of men.

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Clearing the Path for Islam

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Patrick Ryan writes that extraordinary success in the propagation of Islam was achieved "by
learning to live lives of submission to God and to His messenger in a pluralistic, sometimes
even unsympathetic environment.  What eventually contributed to that environment
changing into a `realm of Islam' (Dar al-Islam) was not the militancy of the Muslim
minority but the religious interest of the non-Muslim majority in what they came to
recognize as a peaceful and attractive form of faith." 1          

It has been generally accepted that the dissemination of Islam on an international scale in
later centuries was achieved mainly through traders and sufis.  This does not, however, mean
that these Muslim traders or sufis were engaged in d'awah work in an organized fashion. 
There is no record, in fact, in the history of Islam, or there having been any regular,
organized activity on their part which could be interpreted as a missionary struggle.          

It being a historical fact, however, that Islam did spread through the traders and sufis, the
question then arises as to the reason for the vastness of scale on which this dissemination
took place.  The reason is not far to seek.  In those days the widespread phenomenon we now
recognize as the `politics of protest' had not yet come into being.  Today, this policy, adopted
by Muslims in one way or another in almost every corner of the world, is -- if we could but
realize it -- the greatest obstacle to the spread of Islam.          

The reason is that this brand of `protest politics' causes tension and strife between da'i and
mad'u.  And Islam simply cannot be communicated in such an atmosphere of tension and
antagonism.          

The revolution that marked the first era of Islam, bringing a great history into being, grew in
size until Islam itself became a veritable flood:  now Islam had been invested with
tremendous power to spread on its own.  The meaningless politics of hatred of our present-
day Muslim leaders have, on the contrary, acted as a deterrent to the flood of Islam.  Remove
this obstacle and Islam will go on spreading on its own.          

We need, in this day and age, to understand and appreciate what exactly was achieved by the
traders and sufis of old, and how exactly they accomplished this.  In effect, they did nothing
more difficult or complicated than lead simple, quiet lives and refrain from causing friction
in any other community.  It was this frictionless coexistence which removed the barriers from
the sweep of Islam's great flood-waters.  Given such ideal conditions, Islam spread
unceasingly on its own.  Our present-day Muslim leaders are the first group in Islamic
history who, by their meaningless activities in the name of Islam, have brought its
dissemination to a compete standstill by placing the obstacles of hatred and prejudice in its
path.          

The same spirit, with which the traders and sufis of old were imbued, needs to be reborn
among the Muslims of today. That is, they must follow the path of adjustment and not
confrontation, a policy which, as Patrick Ryan has rightly observed, made possible the wide
dissemination of Islam in the past.          

Confrontations between Muslims and other nations take place mostly on issues of a political,
economic and social nature. If, on such occasions, Muslims adopt an attitude of
intransigence, this can only result in da'i and  mad'u being constantly at loggerheads, with
the ultimate cessation of any spread of Islamic influence among other nations.a

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Our Failure to Perform D'awah

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

When Islam came to the world, the greatest empire of the time was the Christian empire,
which was divided into two major parts, the western and the eastern.  The western wing,
Europe, was called the Roman empire, its capital being Rome in Italy, while the eastern
wing, Asia and Africa, was known as the Byzantine empire, its capital being Constantipole
(Istanbul) in Turkey.          

During the last days of the Prophet of Islam, the Muslims had military encounters with the
Romans at the border of Syria, from which the Muslims emerged victorious.  Within the
span of a century, they managed to conquer almost the whole of the eastern wing of the
Christian empire, including their religious places like Syria and Palestine.  Later the
Islamic Empire expanded all the way to Turkey and reached Vienna in Austria.  In this
way, they captured almost the whole of the eastern wing of the Christian, or Roman
empire, and even took possession of a part of the western wing.            

The crusades were in reaction to this defeat inflicted on the western Christians at the hands
of the Muslims.  The Christian world could not bear such a defeat and humiliation at the
hands of a foreign nation.  All the Christian countries of Europe, therefore, united to attack
the Muslim world.          

The crusades continued at intervals for about two hundred years (1095 - 1271).  During this
period the Christians had partial and temporary successes, but finally, under the leadership
of Sultan Salahuddin, the Muslims emerged victorious, inflicting a crushing defeat on the
Christians.  The Pears Cyclopedia meaningfully comments: "Millions of lives and an
enormous amount of treasure were sacrificed in these enterprises, and when all was done,
Jerusalem remained in the possession of the `infidels'."          

This event, which had such a devastating outcome for the Christians, took place eight
hundred years ago.  Exactly the same thing has taken place in modern times, with the only
difference that now it is the Muslims who are suffering.  In present times, once again, inspite
of 200 years of sacrifice on the part of the Muslims, Jerusalem remains in the possession of
those whom Muslims consider the least deserving of  it.          

The Christian nations might not have been able to win the crusades, but they did fully
succeed in their latter-day colonial wars.  Over the centuries, they subjected all the Muslim
empires and then, directly or indirectly, they managed to gain political and cultural
domination all over the world.          

As a reaction to this, Muslims all over the world waged war against these western nations. 
However, after a period of two hundred years of (thirteenth and fourteenth century hijrah)
war and confrontation, the domination of the Christian nations is still a reality .  "Jerusalem"
still remains in the possession of the "infidels".          

The reason for this failure, despite enormous efforts, is that the task of communicating God's
word - the real mission of the Muslims as a community (Ummah) - has been abandoned. 
Muslims should never lose sight of the fact that it is the performance of this very duty which
will entitle them to receive the succor of God.  Unless Muslims rise up to this task of
communicating the divine message, all their efforts will continue to be wasted.  As the
Quran says about them: "Vain are their works."  (16:105).  Their state will be like that of
the Israelites as recorded in the Bible:          

"Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye
are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth
wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.  Thus saith the Lord of hosts;
consider your ways."  (Haggai, 1:6-7). 

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Islam: the Only Choice

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

We are living in an age of crisis - economic crisis, political crisis, military crisis.  But, today,
the most crucial of all is man's crisis of the intellect.  This is the result of modern man
having been deprived of a sound intellectual base on which to stand - on which to lay the
very foundation of his life.          

It was a very different matter for people living in ancient times, for the age of antiquity was,
by common consent, the age of superstition.  In those days it was both possible and
acceptable to live by superstition and supposition.  Today man wants to live by reason.  But
when man actually tries to do so, he soon discovers that there is no truly rational basis on
which he may live.          

There are two things, however, which are thought to provide such a basis for human living -
religion and science, that is to say, revealed knowledge and scientific knowledge.  But
modern man is already in the process of losing both of these foundations.  From time
immemorial, religion had formed man's intellectual base, but in modern times, when certain
religions have been scrutinized in the full light of reason, they have been found to be lacking
in cogency.          

Take, for instance, the case of the Bible.  On the one hand, the Bible presents the concept of
monotheism, when it says: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord". (Deutronomy,
6:4)          

On the other hand, the same Bible says: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Mathew, 28:19) - an
injunction which clearly implies the existence of what the Christians call the Trinity.          

Such inconsistencies surely make these beliefs untenable.  When God is One, He cannot be
Three.  And if he is Three, then He cannot be One.          

Similarly, at one place in the New Testament, Jesus Christ is Called the son of God(Mark
1:1) while at another place, he is called the son of David (Matthew 1:1).  The Bible abounds
in such contradictions.  As we see it, this problem of contradictions has occurred because of
human additions to the word of God.  For modern man, such additions have rendered the
Bible incomprehensible, and, in consequence, unacceptable.          

If, in the age of superstition, man could adhere to a religion based on irrational beliefs, it was
because, religion being sacred to him, he could not think rationally about it.  But the age of
today is the age of reason.  Today man analyzes everything in the light of reason.  That is
why he is no longer prepared to believe in an irrational religion.          

Let us now take this matter from the standpoint of science.  With the emergence of modern
science, man was led into thinking that this new discipline would be able to provide an
intellectual base upon which he could firmly plant himself.  Science had helped man to
discover the natural world - a world which was extremely meaningful in that it had perfect
order and planning.  Science, as opposed to the existing religions, was thus free from internal
contradictions.          

Yet, once again, man was balked of the perfect system of thought that he so desired.  And
this was because of a serious shortcoming in science itself.  That is, science could only
answer the question `what?'  It could not tell man anything about the `why' of things.  It was
as if science had given man a good machine in perfect working order, but had told him
nothing about its maker.          

Man seeks an explanation for everything, being an explanation-seeking animal.  So when
science introduces man to a universe which has design and planning without introducing him
to the designer and planner, man, instead of being satisfied, is baffled.  He is at his wits' end
to understand how design could come into existence in the absence of a designer.  How could
a plan exist without there being a planner?          

It is this shortcoming of the scientific world which leads all thinking people, right from
Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking to feel strongly that "there are aspects in the universe
which are extremely difficult to understand."  This intellectual difficulty has been expressed
by Schrodinger in these words: "The most incomprehensible thing about nature is that it is
comprehensible."           

True, the universe, as discovered by science, is unmarred by anything of a contradictory
nature.  Yet scientists have not been able to build up a convincing body of scientific
knowledge without making reference to God.  This is because a universe which is free of
contradictions cannot be explained without God.  It is this state of impasse which I have
called modern man's intellectual crisis.  The man of today finds himself beset on all sides by
it.  To rid himself of this problem, he looks to religion.  But most religions - due to human
interpolations do not face up to to the standards of reason.  Likewise, when he looks to
science, it fails to provide him with the mental satisfaction he so desires.          

The only solution to this crisis of the intellect is Islam - a pure and unadulterated religion,
which exists still in its original, revealed state, without human interpolation.  As such, it is
the only religion which is in any position to provide a complete system of  thought to modern
man.  Islam is in perfect consonance with his nature.  At the same time it holds out to him the
pure concept of monotheism, by which he may explain the universe.  The greatest service to
mankind today would be to introduce it to Islam.  It is the only system which can resolve the
intellectual crisis of mankind.            

At this point, I should like to mention two incidents which make it clear how Islam can lead
man out of his present intellectual dilemma and into the state described in the Quran in these
Words: " Surely in the remembrance of God, all hearts are comforted." (Quran, 13:28)          

The first of these incidents relates to Dr. Nishi Kant Chattopadhyaya, a highly educated
Hindu, who accepted Islam in 1904.  He has given an account of his mental journey in a
book entitled, Why Have I Accepted Islam.          

He writes that when he grew up, he felt discontented with his ancestral religion.  He then
began to study other religions.  But he found that none of them were historical, in the sense
that their scriptures and their religious personalities did not conform to the highest standards
of historical accuracy.  Finally, however, when he came to the study of Islam, he found that
both the religion and the personality of its Prophet could stand up to the most rigorous
historical investigation.  He thus came to accept Islam.  This, the most thrilling event in his
life, caused him to write: "Oh! what a relief to find, after all, a truly historical Prophet to
believe in!"  (Dr. N. K.Cajttopadhyaya, Why have I accepted Islam?)          

The second incident concerns a Frenchman, a Dr. Roger Graudy.  He, too, was an individual
who felt an urge to seek the truth.  To this end, he studied various philosophies and religions
until finally he came to the study of Islam.  This, he found, gave him complete satisfaction,
and he accepted the faith in 1982.  When asked why he had accepted Islam, he replied, "So
that I could give meaning to my life." (Al-Riadh, March12, 1986)          

Both these incidents are a pointer to the greatest of man's needs today.  What man is most in
need of is what Dr. Bradley has called the `new religion', or, to be more precise, Islam. 
Bradley's new religion, or as others have termed it, scientific religion, is, in fact, Islam
because there is no other religion, besides Islam that is preserved today in its original form. 
This is the greatest thing that Muslims of the present day can give to mankind.          

Here I should like to emphasize that giving the message of Islam to the world is not just a
matter of making a simple announcement.  This is something which requires a great deal of
patience.  Unfortunately, Muslims, having been hurt in various ways by the mad'u nations,
have reacted by developing a psychology of anger and complaint against them.  While such
a psychology persists, no d'awah work can ever be carried out.  If Muslims are to shoulder
the responsibilities of d'awah that are obligatory upon them, they shall certainly have to rise
above this tendency towards reaction.  They shall have to bear - unilaterally - any injury they
are subjected to by their mad'u nations.          

Only after making this sacrifice can they become the da'i of Islam in the world of  today.  It
is this truth which has been expressed in the Quran in the words of the Prophet: "We will
endure your persecution patiently." (Quran, 14:12))          

In conclusion, I would say that the Muslims, being in sole possession of the solution to the
intellectual crisis which besets man at the present time, should be aware of the opportunity
this gives them to become the intellectual leaders of the world.  However, such intellectual
leadership can be gained only through patience.  This is the reality which is thus expressed in
the Quran:  "And we appointed from among them leaders, giving guidance under our
command, when they persevered with patience. (Quran, 32:24)

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Religious Harmony

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

What the world needs today—perhaps more than anything else—is an acceptable formula for the attainment of religious harmony. This being currently one of the most important topics under discussion, I shall attempt to present here, in brief, the Islamic viewpoint.

Let us begin with a verse of the Qur’an which reads:

He that chooses a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and in the world to come he will be one of the lost (3:85).

In the opinion of certain interpreters, this verse implies that salvation according to Islam is destined exclusively for Muslims. Islam thus appears to uphold the superiority of the Muslim community. But this is an out-of-context interpretation and is certainly not correct.

Let us take another verse of the Qur’an which serves as an explanation of the above-quoted verse. It states that:

Believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabeans—whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does what is right—shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear or to regret (2:62).

This verse rules out the concept of community superiority for any given group: even Muslims have been bracketed here along with other religious groups. The content of this verse makes it very clear that salvation, by Islamic standards, depends upon the individual’s own actions, and that it is not the prerogative of any group. No man or woman can earn his or her salvation by the mere fact of associating with a particular group. Salvation will be achievable only by a person who truly believes in God and the world hereafter, and who has given genuine proof in this life of having lived a life of right action.

Another important aspect of Islam is that it does not advocate belief in the manyness of reality; on the contrary, it stresses reality’s oneness. That is, according to Islam, reality is one, not many. That is why, in describing monotheism, the Qur’an states:

Such is God, your rightful Lord. That which is not true must need be false. How then can you turn away from Him? (10:32)

This verse makes it clear that monotheism (i.e. one Lord being the Creator, Sustainer and object of worship) is the only truth. All other paths lead one away from, rather than towards the truth. The fact that certain religious thinkers believe in the manyness of reality is of no concern to Islam. With oneness as its ideal, it cannot accept manyness even as a hypothesis.

Both of the above points—(a) the oneness of Absolute Reality, and (b) Salvation as the prerogative of the true believer in this oneness—form a major part of Islamic ideal. Just being born into a certain group or community, or associating oneself with others of similar persuasions, does not entitle one to salvation, be one a Muslim or a non-Muslim.

Now let us deal with the fact that; in practice, different kinds of religious groups do exist. Then, given the various kinds of differences separating them, let us consider, how to bring about harmony between them.

One solution commonly advocated is to spread the conviction that all religions are essentially one: that they are simply diverse paths leading to a common destination. Islam, however, does not accept this view and, in any case, experience has shown that repeated attempts to bring about harmony on this basis have been a failure. The Emperor Akbar attempted to achieve harmony by state enforcement of his newly formed religion, ‘Din-e-Ilahi;’ Dr Bhagwan Das spent the best part of his life producing a one-thousand page book titled Essential Unity of All Religions; Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) attempted to spread this ideal at the national level by a countrywide movement whose slogan was ‘Ram Rahim ek hai,’ meaning Ram and Rahim were one and the same. But events have shown us that all failed in their attempts to achieve the goal of religious harmony.

Islam’s approach to the entire problem is much more realistic in that it accepts ideological differences. Once having accepted these differences, it then advocates the policy of tolerance and respect for one another in everyday dealings. This is on a parallel with the principle expressed in the English saying. ‘Let’s agree to disagree.’

In this connection, one of the commands of the Qur’an is that, in principle, ‘there shall be no compulsion in religion’ (2:256). At another place it declares that ‘you have your religion and I have mine’ (109:6). It was as a result of this commandment that, when the Prophet Muhammad migrated to Medina, he issued a declaration reaffirming his acceptance of the religion of Muslims for the Muslims and the religion of Jews for the Jews.’ In order to perpetuate the atmosphere of mutual harmony, the Qur’an commands the Muslims in their dealings with unbelievers not to ‘revile (the idols) which they invoke besides Allah, lest in their ignorance they should spitefully revile Allah.’

This principle formulated by Islam is best described not as religious harmony, but as harmony among religious people. This is a principle whose utility is a matter of historical record. It is evident that in the past as well as in the present, wherever religious harmony has existed, it has been based on unity despite differences, rather than on unity without differences. It is not based on agreeing to agree, but on agreeing to disagree.

One extremely revolutionary example of this principle is to be found in the life of the Prophet Muhammad. It concerns the conference of three religions which was held in the Prophet’s own mosque in Medina. This conference is described by Muhammad Husain Haykal in his book, The Life of Muhammad:The three scriptural religions thus confronted one another in Madinah. The delegation entered with the Prophet into public debate and these were soon joined by the Jews, thus resulting in a tripartite dialogue between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This was a truly great congress which the city of Yathrib had witnessed. In it, the three religions which today dominate the world and determine its destiny had met, and they did so for the greatest idea and the noblest purpose. Although Islam believes, in the oneness of reality it lays equal stress on the practice of tolerance in everyday dealings, even if it means going to the extent of permitting non-Muslims to come to an Islamic place of worship for religious discussion, and if it is time for their prayers letting them feel free to perform their worship according to their own ways in the mosque itself.

Tolerance has been the rule throughout the history of Islam. It has, in fact, been one of the main underlying causes of its successful dissemination. Here I quote from the Encyclopaedia Britannica:

Islam achieved astonishing success in its first phase. Within a century after the Prophet’s death in 632 a.d.(the early generations of Muslims) it had brought a large part of the globe—from Spain across central Asia to India—under a new Arab Muslim empire.

And this is the part which I wish particularly to stress:

Despite these astonishing achievements other religious groups enjoyed full religious autonomy (9/912).

Now the complicating factor is that when any religion having reached this stage of antiquity has secured a sacred place in the hearts of its believers, it becomes impossible to bring about any changes in it. Efforts to bring about a change can produce a new religion, but they can never succeed in changing the old religion. There are many examples of such failures in the past.

A very important point from the practical point of view is that although the necessity to bring about harmony among the different religions is not a newly-felt imperative, endeavors towards that end are still only in the formative stages. If progress towards that goal has been slow of attainment, it is because of the established positions which ancient religions have secured in the hearts of their followers, simply by virtue of their antiquity. Trying to bring about changes in these religions per se has never brought about harmony, because instead of old religions being brought closer together by this process, they have developed rather into new religions, a process which has either left the problem of disharmony unsolved or has further aggravated it. There are many examples of such abortive efforts in the past.

In view of this historical reality, it is clear that the suggestions made by Islam as to how to produce harmony among the different religions is the only viable solution. Any alternative suggestion, however attractive it might appear, would be either impracticable or counter-productive.

Once, when discussing this point with me, a religious scholar said, ‘We have been attempting to bring about inter-religious harmony for the last one hundred years, but the results have been quite dismal. It would seem that there are insurmountable obstacles in the way.’

I replied that the goal we want to attain is certainly a proper one; it is simply that the strategy we employ is impracticable. Religious harmony is without doubt a desirable objective. But it cannot be achieved by attempting to alter people’s beliefs—a policy advocated by more than one scholar in this field. The only way to tackle the problem is to encourage people to show respect for others’ beliefs and to be humanitarian at all times in their dealings with adherents of other religions. It is vital to realize that it is quite possible to inculcate this attitude without in any way tampering with long-cherished credos. It should never be conceded that the goal of religious harmony is unattainable simply because people’s beliefs differ from each other. It is certainly a possibility provided that it is seen as a matter of practical strategy and not as a pretext for making ideological changes.

‘Practical strategy’ is something which people regularly resort to in matters of their daily existence. As such, it is a known and acceptable method of solving the problem. Since no new ground has to be broken, either for the religious scholar or for the common man, it should be a very simple matter for people to extend their everyday activity, within their own sphere of existence, to include an honest and sincere effort towards global religious harmony. It is simply a question of having the will and the foresight to do so.

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The Superiority of the Truth

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Once an ‘alim (religious scholar) criticized his Shaikh (spiritual guide) and had difference of opinion with him. Someone pointed out to the ‘alim that it was not proper for him to differ with his mentor. The ‘alim replied ‘The Shaikh is dear to me, but the truth is dearer to me than the Shaikh.’

This incident tells us what the proper attitude should be in matters of differences and criticism. That is, each person must be accorded the respect and honor due to him. The human and ethical rights of everyone should be duly honored. But when it is a matter of the truth, the truth will be held superior to everything. That is to say, if the issue is man versus man, personalities will be considered more important, but when the issue is man versus truth, the truth is important, in the absolute sense, while man’s importance is relative.

Human behavior is subordinate to ethics. But when it comes to Truth, ethics itself will become subordinate to truth. It is because there is nothing greater in this world than truth. Morality is important because truth is God’s representative on earth. The appearance of truth is like the appearance of God. When God appears before one what else will be more important in comparison?

This does not mean that one who claims to be the champion of truth will wield unlimited power over others. In this matter, the truth will be considered supreme, and not the person who claims to be the upholder of truth. In actual fact, the claimant of truth will be judged by the same standard as he employs for judging others. Anyone who does not come up to the standard of truth is to be condemned. The best way is for the deceitful person willingly to accept the decree of truth against himself. Truth represents God in this world. That individual is blessed before whom truth reveals itself, on recognizing it, he bows before it.

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The System of Nature

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Human history pre-dates the advent of Islam by about twenty five thousand years. During this long period man made little progress in knowledge and science. True scientific progress was made only when Islam broke with the ancient system of royal absolutism, thus heralding the age of intellectual freedom.

It is a well-known fact that while intellectual progress is best made through the exchange of views, the system of determinism stalls this process altogether. This has been very well expressed by an American writer: ‘When all think alike, no one thinks very much.’

The fact is that the world of realities is unbounded in scope. But the mind of a single individual—particularly in isolation—has its limitations. It is only in a situation where there can be a frank exchange of views and free interaction without any official repression, that people can learn from one another and there can be a widespread increase in knowledge. Conversely, in an environment where people’s thinking is confined to a single constricted sphere, general knowledge will remain limited.

When people have full freedom to think and speak, differences of opinion will inevitably result. Each will criticize the other’s viewpoint. This process of criticism is an essential part of intellectual development. In this world the choice for us is not between uncritical acceptance. It is rather between criticism and mental stagnation. If curbs are placed on criticism, what results in reality is mental stagnation rather than a state of uncomplaining acceptance.

Where intellectual freedom contributes to the system of nature, intellectual constraints are an impediment.

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The Essence of Religion

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Human history pre-dates the advent of Islam by about twenty five thousand years. During this long period man made little progress in knowledge and science. True scientific progress was made only when Islam broke with the ancient system of royal absolutism, thus heralding the age of intellectual freedom.

It is a well-known fact that while intellectual progress is best made through the exchange of views, the system of determinism stalls this process altogether. This has been very well expressed by an American writer: ‘When all think alike, no one thinks very much.’

The fact is that the world of realities is unbounded in scope. But the mind of a single individual—particularly in isolation—has its limitations. It is only in a situation where there can be a frank exchange of views and free interaction without any official repression, that people can learn from one another and there can be a widespread increase in knowledge. Conversely, in an environment where people’s thinking is confined to a single constricted sphere, general knowledge will remain limited.

When people have full freedom to think and speak, differences of opinion will inevitably result. Each will criticize the other’s viewpoint. This process of criticism is an essential part of intellectual development. In this world the choice for us is not between uncritical acceptance. It is rather between criticism and mental stagnation. If curbs are placed on criticism, what results in reality is mental stagnation rather than a state of uncomplaining acceptance.

Where intellectual freedom contributes to the system of nature, intellectual constraints are an impediment.

WORSHIP

What God most earnestly desires from human beings is worship. The Qur’an says:

“I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me” (51:56).

There are numerous such verses in the Qur’an, which elaborate on how the Prophets were sent for this very purpose, that is, to warn or to remind man of this responsibility (16:36). This is so important a matter that if a man cannot find opportunities or worship in his own country, he is enjoined to leave it for some other place (4:97).

The dictionary defines worship as bowing before someone and humbling oneself. “The essence of worship is fearfulness and humility,” says Lisan al Arab (a book of Arabic Language). The dictionary meaning of the word is also its canonical meaning. Abu Hayyan says: “Prayer means humility: this is the consensus of religious scholars” (Al Bahr al Muhit, Vol. 1, p. 23). That is why the Qur’an uses the word “arrogance” as the antonym of worship. It says, "Those who are too arrogant to worship Me will verily enter Hell.” (40:60).

Although worship’s real connotations are humility and fearfulness, when the word is used in relation to God, it also includes the concept of love. Ibn Kathir writes: “According to the dictionary, worship stands for lowliness... In the Islamic Shari‘ah it is used to express a condition of extreme love coupled with extreme humbleness and apprehension.” (Tafsir al Qur’an, Vol. 1, p. 25) Iman Ibn Taimiyah says: “The word ‘Ubudiyah (adoring enslavement) expresses a mixture of extreme humility and extreme love.” (The Pamphlet on Ubudiyah, p.28) Hafiz Ibn Qayyem also writes. “There are two components of worship: extreme love and extreme humility” (Tafsir ibn Qayyem, p. 65).

The essence of worship then is to adopt an attitude of lowliness and humility before God. In the Qur’an, this is expressed by different words, such as Khashiyyah, Tadhurru, Ikhbat, Inabt, Khushu, Khudu and Qunut, etc. To worship God means utter prostration of oneself before Him. The Being before whom the act of worship is performed is no tyrant or tormentor but an extremely kind Being, to whom we owe limitless blessings. So this expression of lowliness before Him is tinged with love.

The relation of man to God is the relation of the humblest creature to an extremely beloved Being. At the very moment when man is shivering in awe of God, when his eyes fill with tears at the thought of Him, his best feelings are even then reserved for His Lord, and he draws closer to God in great expectation. Man, then, finds himself rapt in a love which is utterly agonizing. Though his humility in the presence of God is undoubtedly the result of fear, this fear is not of the kind produced by the sight of a fearful object. It is a feeling that no single word can properly convey. It is a mixed feeling of extreme hope and extreme apprehension, and man is never able to decide which of the two is to be preferred — hope or apprehension. It is a situation of love and fear in which man runs towards the very Being he fears, hoping to receive from Him His divine blessings. It is a state of agony, yet and at the same time a state of solace.

Thus we learn that prayer is basically a psychological experience rather than an external event. Man, in the last analysis, is a psychological being: so in its definitive form, prayer in relation to man, is the expression of an inner state rather than of an external happening. The Prophet has clearly stated, “righteousness is a thing of the heart” (Bukhari). According to the Qur’an, the essence of worship is to be God-fearing.

‘O men, serve your Lord who has created you and those who have gone before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil’ (2:21).

Worship, in terms of external expression, means bowing before the Sustainer, while in its inner aspect it stands for that deep realization of and strong attachment to God in which man is so involved that he can experience the presence of God. The Prophet has been reported as saying, “Pray to God as if you are seeing Him.” (Mishkat, The Chapter on Faith). According to this saying, the most sublime form of worship is that which the worshipper is so lost in thoughts of God that he finds himself very close to Him. His apprehension of the divine presence should be as keen as if God were actually visible. This state of psychological proximity is the most sublime achievement of prayer. All rites of worship are aimed at arriving at that state. The postures to be adopted in the performance of these rites are ordained by God Himself. Any who asserts that it is possible to pray to God independently of these God-ordained rites, is making a false claim. Without these rites, no one can become a worshipper, in the real sense of the word. Although man has a soul, which is not visible to us, it is also a fact that man cannot be conceived of in this world without a human body. Similarly, worship may be a psychological reality, but it cannot be conceived of without external, God-ordained religious rites.

Although the word ‘worship’ covers the entire Shari’ah, in the sense that it embraces whatever man does to follow God’s commandments and to seek His pleasure, it is his sentiment of adoring slavishness, which provides the stimulus for all of his actions. Yet basically and primarily, worship (Ibadah) denotes that particular act which takes place between man and God. While interaction between man and man is the demand of worship, interaction between man and God is worship in itself. When a man is saying in Salah he is directly engaged in the worship of God, he bows before the Almighty who has no equal. Whereas, when he obeys God’s commandments relating to moral and social dealings with his fellow men, he fulfills his human duties in relation to others. From the point of view of performance, these requirements are as obligatory as special acts of worship. But the difference in nature between the two must be kept in view, for otherwise the true concept of religion cannot be properly understood. While human duties are always contingent upon circumstances, religious duties are absolute.

Let us take an example to clarify the above statement. If, according to God’s law, it is the duty of a Muslim to distribute to certain entitled people whatever he receives in inheritance, this does not mean that everyone must strive to acquire property so that this religious obligation may be fulfilled. It means rather that if a Muslim should receive an inheritance — some property or wealth — his faith demands that he deal with it according to the commandment regarding inheritance. It is a duty that is obligatory only on having inherited something, far from it being incumbent on every individual in an absolute sense, as worship is.

This explanation of worship makes it clear that interconnection of love and fear of God is not just an “incentive” in practical life, but the actual goal that we must strive to achieve in this world. All our acts have one aim — to become the means to the psychological discovery that is known as ‘entering into a relationship with God’ and ‘reaching God.’ That is to say that the relation between God and man is not just an external intellectual supposition (e.g. if we repeat certain words and actions, God in heaven will be pleased with us) far and beyond this there is a direct link between God and man. This attitude of adorning slavishness, in its external form, is obedience to God’s commandments, but its inner reality means carrying man to the point where he can meet God, where he may whisper to his Lord, where he may cry and break down in His presence, where he may impatiently embrace Him, where he may feel that he is in prostration at the feet of his Creator. To find God thus in this life is the highest and most sublime reality of religion. The aim of all rites and commandments of religion is to raise man to this level. One who finds God thus in this world, will surely find Him in the next world; one who has failed to find Him on earth should not expect to find Him in the world hereafter.

What are the signs of having found this spiritual wealth? One of the signs is that man begins to receive God’s worldly benefits (20:131). In complying with God’s commandments, whatever you do is apparently a matter of your own choice: you may or may not obey them. But during the performance of these acts, or rites of worship, one experiences particular inner feelings, which are not a matter of one’s own choice.

One cannot produce them on one’s own. Then where do these inner feelings come from? These actually come from God. This is ‘food’ for the believer without which His spiritual personality could not survive. It is like the actual food, which Mary received directly from God when living in the care of the Prophet Zakariya (The Qur’an 3:37). When you observe a religious practice, you become aware of a special kind of feeling within you. This feeling is a reward from God for your good deeds. God does not give His best reward on credit! He gives it on cash payment. The believer receives it the very moment he makes himself worthy of it. When our Lord accepts any of our deeds, we surprisingly experience spiritual, may angelic, feelings within ourselves. This is the introduction to Paradise that God has promised to righteous believers. It is the fragrance of the Garden of Paradise, which believers find in this world. Although these inner feelings take the form of a spiritual anguish, they are more piquant by far than anything in this world. They cannot be savored as worldly delights are. Intuition tells us that these inner feelings are reflections of that superior, divine reward which is called Heaven. It is said, therefore, in the Qur’an that the Heaven to which the believers will enter in the Hereafter will be a “known food” (37:41) to them. It will not be a thing unknown, but a thing with which they were already acquainted in the life of the world:

“He will admit them to Paradise He has made known to them” (47:6)

According to Abu Sa‘eed Khudri, the Prophet once said: “The man who goes to Heaven will recognize his home even better than he recognized his house on earth” (Bukhari).

When men give charity “with their hearts filled with awe...” (Qur’an 23:61); when they are able to recite the Qur’an in such a way that their eyes are “filled with tears” (S: 86); when, while remembering God, they “forsake their beds to pray to their Lord in fear and hope” (Qur’an 32:16); when they experience such painful moments as realizing the truth of what is stated in the Qur’an in these words: “...and the love of God is stronger in the faithful” (2:165); when have the most sublime spiritual experiences; when some hidden truths are unveiled before them; when, with restless hearts and quivering lips, they call their Lord with such inspired words as had never before come to their lips, then they are actually receiving food from their Lord. They are tasting one of the many fruits that their Lord has reserved for them. In this world there fruits take the form of spiritual experiences; in the next world they will take the form of heavenly rewards. Then the faithful will feel that these are the very things of which they had been given a foretaste on earth: “Whenever they are given fruit to eat they will say: ‘This is what we were given before,’ for they shall be given the Like” (Qur’an 2:25).

What the blessed are going to receive in the life hereafter has already been introduced to them in the life they left behind. How foolish it would be if they were under the impression that in the next life they would be introduced to tastes, with which they had been previously unacquainted. Similarly, if in this life you have not previously passed through such phases of feeling yourself nearer to God than to all others, how can you expect proximity with God in the Hereafter? Surely, prayer deserves such a great reward as will bring a sense of relief to the worshippers. But this reward will be shared only by those who had known in the world such prayers as had been alluded to by the Prophet in these words: “I found the balm of my eyes in worship” (Nasai)

The Implication of Worship

What God desires of man, first and foremost, is that he displays humility in His presence. It is this attitude, which is called worship. But man has not been created in a vacuum; he has rather been placed in a world full of diverse circumstances. It is necessary that this spirit of worship should be evinced no matter what circumstances he faces in this world.

1. The first aspect of this relates to his own person. In the course of normal living, whenever he is faced with two options, one path leading to God and the other leading to self and false gods. His spirit of worship compels him at that point to renounce the latter path and take the one which is pointed out to him by God. This happens when he has surrendered his being in all respects, in the physical as well as the spiritual, before the God to whom he has already bowed psychologically. This manifestation of worship is relative to one’s own self, another name for which is submission. Occasions for such submission will occur at home, in the office, in the market, in parliament and in all other such places where the faithful may be faced with making a choice between godly and ungodly ways.

2. The second aspect of worship relates to the external world, that is, to non-Muslims. The precarious conditions of all those inhabitants of this world who have not yet established contact with their Lord, and, as a result, are drifting to a dangerous end in the hereafter, forces the believer to bring them to that path of worship which he has chosen for himself. It is this aspect of worship which manifests itself in relation to the common man. Another name for this duty of the believer is bearing witness to the truth or conveying the message of the Lord. The faithful are expected to obey the commandments of God so far as their own selves are concerned. And in relation to non-Muslims they are responsible for conveying the God’s message to them.

Now let us take the first manifestation of worship, i.e. submission. It can be divided into two major categories: the individual and collective (or social). Individual obedience means obeying God in those matters, which are related to the personal life of the faithful. It covers all those commandments which pertain to morals and dealings with men, like speaking the truth, keeping one’s promise, being honest and trustworthy, upholding justice and equality, being hospitable, giving full measure, paying everyone their due, being a well-wisher of all, in short, all those virtues which are related to man’s personal life and all those situations in which man must make his own ethical decisions. In all such cases, compliance with divine injunctions means submitting individually, surrendering to the will of God in his own personal affairs. A Muslim is not allowed to disobey God once he knows God’s commandments in relation to his personal life, and once he is in position to obey them.

“It is not for true believes — men or women — to take their choice in their affairs if Allah and this apostle decree otherwise. He that disobeys Allah and His Apostle strays for indeed” (33:36).

This individual obedience to God is an obligation on every believer. No man can ever be regarded as a worshipper in the eyes of God unless in his practical life he obeys the commandments of God, which have been imposed upon him in relation to all earthly matters. If “worship” in its spiritual connotation means submission of the inner self then in external respects man is required to make a complete surrender to God of his outward self (as opposed to his soul). In other words, man should mould his external life entirely on the pattern indicated by God. It is the duty of all believing men and all believing women to reject other inducements and to submit totally to God in all matters that they face in this life:

“O believers, submit all of you wholeheartedly, and do not walk in Satan’s footsteps; he is your sworn enemy“ (2:208).

The second category of commandments, for which we have chosen the title ‘Ita‘ah’ (submission), may be termed social commandments. These are commandments the obeying of which does not depend upon the will of an individual believers. These can be carried out only when the whole of society is willing to obey them. That is why God has always sent such commandments only when the believers had already established a political organization among themselves, and when they were in a position to enforce such social laws. Thus the social laws of the Shari’ah are addressed to any Muslim society, which is invested with authority, rather than to individuals who have no political power. We find in the history of the Israelites that so long as they were under the rule of the Copts of Egypt, they were not given the legal commandments, which appear in the Old Testament.

Only when they had left Egypt for the Sinai desert and acquired the status of an independent, authority-invested group, did God sent His laws to them (Exodus 15:25). Exactly the same course was adopted in Arabia. During the Meccan period, when the faithful a minority with no authority, only the basic part of the Shari’ah was revealed, for the establishment of which no political power was required. Every Muslim could adopt those laws in his life by his own personal decision. The rest of the Shari’ah continued to be revealed according to the circumstances. That is to say, detailed commandments regarding social life were given in Medina once the faithful had acquired temporal authority there.

The order in which these laws arrived shows that in ordinary circumstances the faithful are bound to follow only those Islamic laws which were revealed before the acquisition of social authority. The carrying out of the rest of the laws becomes obligatory only when the faithful can form the seat of government, and enforce these laws with authority. The revelation of the Shari’ah laws, in accordance with the gradual expansion of the Islamic field of activity, itself shows that these laws are not required in the absolute sense, but only in relation to circumstances. These are always determined in relation to the actual circumstances of the individual or group addressed. The truth is that social and political commandments are directed only at those groups of believers who are in a position to carry them out. Believers with a limited sphere of power are not required to enforce religious laws on a social or national level. The carrying out of orders meets a practical demand, and a demand can be made only of those who have already accepted its validity. This demand, moreover, will be in proportion to their practical ability to carry it out. One clear principle of the Shari‘ah is that “God does not charge a soul with more than it can bear” (2:286). That is to say, no one is entrusted with a responsibility, which is beyond his capacity to fulfill. To entrust responsibility to one who does not have the means to discharge it is not God’s way. Then how can believers be asked to obey laws, which they are not in a position to comply with.’ If, taking into account after all the details of religious laws, the claim is made that it is obligatory for believers to carry out and enforce these laws in all earthly circumstances, it will amount to saying, for example, that it is the responsibility of each and every Muslim to try to acquire all those financial assets on which Zakah has been fixed, so that he may carry out the duties in relation to Zakah.

All religious orders are equal in form, but their applicability is determined by circumstances. For instance, one order of the Qur’an is to “pray regularly”, another order is to ‘pay Zakah.’ Apparently both these orders are equal in importance just as both are in the imperative tense. But their relevance to different individuals is not always the same. The order to pray regularly is an absolute order which is obligatory on each and every believer, while the order regarding Zakah is conditional, that is, it is obligatory only when one possess enough wealth to come under the law of Zakah. That is, if a person possesses items taxable under Zakah law, this obligation to pay Zakah will be applicable to him in the absolute sense, just as the order to pray is obligatory for all. But a person who is not in possession of items taxable under Zakah is neither required to pay Zakah nor is he ordered to acquire taxable items so that he may be able to obey the law on Zakah. What is desirable is that the believer should be active in carrying out duties, which are of current relevance rather than engaging in such activities as well brings into existence a duty, which is not at that moment applicable to him. For instance, struggling to form an independent state (as in Kashmir) so that all state laws are enforced there.

We learn, therefore, that there are a number of religious duties that are not to be enforced in the absolute sense being applicable only in relation to circumstances. As the circle of believers goes on expanding, so also do the demands of religion. If there were only one single believer, only that part of religion would be obligatory upon him, which relates to his person. In this instance the sole object of divine commandments would be his own person. When the believers increase in numbers to one or several families, then this whole group will be the addressee of the divine commandments. And when a group of believers attain the status of an independent, autonomous society, then it becomes the duty of the whole society to fully carry out the commandments of God regarding social matters. Since such orders cannot be carried out without authority at the social level, whenever a society of believers is asked to carry out divine laws, it becomes incumbent upon the believers to select a political leader in order to carry out the divine laws governing social life under his leadership.

All Islamic commandments are the expression of some psychological truth. When faith is rooted in the heart, it reflects throughout the human psychology. Yet its external expression is in proportion to the opportunities made available by external circumstances. Interrelationships between believers are also of a similar nature. Though it is not possible to structure them in a hierarchical way, they may still be broadly divided into three main stages.

The first stage is that of religious instructions and exhortation. The crux of it is that every Muslim should have in his heart sincerity and well wishing for every other Muslim (Bukhari, Muslim). In the words of the Bible, he should become his brother’s keeper. (Genesis 4:9).

Jarir came to the Prophet. The latter said, “O, Jarir, extend your hand.” Jarir asked him why? The prophet said: “So that you may turn your face to God and be a well-wisher to every Muslim” (Kanzul Ummar, Vol. 1, p. 82).

That is, your attitude in social intercourse should be beneficial to your brother in both the present world and hereafter. And you should avoid any such act as could possibly lead to division and dissension and dissension among Muslims.

It is this act, which has been described in Qur’an in the Chapter 103, (revealed in Mecca) in these words: ‘Exhort one another to truth and patience.’ The spirit of worship, which manifests itself in one Muslim’s dealings with another, is described in the Qur’an as exhorting one another to truth and patience. Thus God has highlighted two important aspects of this demand made by faith. One aspect of this demand is our Lord! Do not condemn that we induce believers in Islam to opt for the courses of action, which God finds desirable. The other aspect is that we take recourse to unification so that we may have the strength to face any worldly hurdles, which come in the way of remaining firm in this material world on the will of God, and to remain steadfast in the way of God regardless of the difficulties.

The second stage is that of organization. That is, Muslims should not remain in scattered groups, but, to whatever degree it is possible, should establish discipline among themselves, and regulate social matters along the lines laid down by Moses, who, on reaching the Sinai desert, divided the Israelites into twelve tribes with a leader (Naqueeb) to every group. During the early Meccan days, this social organization existed around the person of the Prophet Dar-e-Arqam (the house of Arqam) being its center. The same system was adopted for the Ansar of Medina before the Emigration. At the time of the second oath of allegiance (623 A.D.), when 75 people of Medina (73 men and 2 women) came to the Prophet and accepted Islam, they were told by the Prophet to appoint twelve leaders over them (Al-Bidayah wa al Nihayah, Vol. 3, page 160). So they chose twelve responsible persons from among themselves, three belonged to the Aus tribe and nine to the Khazraj tribe. Then the prophet addressed them this: “You are the guardians of the believers of Medina” (Zarqani, Vol 1, p. 382). The leadership of Jafar, who was appointed leader of the emigrants to Abyssinia, was also of this nature (Seerat ibn Hisham). Similarly, whenever Muslims spread out from the cradle of Islam — Arabia — into the world, they tried to establish their social structures. In addition to leading an Islamic life and calling others to Islam, they gave basic importance to organization. This kind of systemization can be expected only where social control is already in existence and Muslims are able to perform their religious duties under one leader.

The last stage of Islamic organization is the formation of political set-up, which, in religious terminology, is called Nasb-e-Imamah, the appointment of Islamic Imam. The establishment of a political and social leader of Muslims is obligatory according to all schools of religious thought. This matter is so important that there is not a single book on religious law and creeds, which has not dealt with this issue.

It is specially stated in Sharh Al-Mawaqib and Aqaide Al-Nasaf that it is compulsory for Muslims to have an Imam.

With one minor exception, no group disagrees over this issue. Ibn Hazm writes:

All Sunnis, Murjea, Shia, and Khawarij (except nor extinct Najdat sect) agree on the obligatory nature of the Imamah” (Al Melal Wa Al Nehal).

The only difference of opinion lies on this matter is that the people of the Ahl-Al Sunnah Wa Al Jama’a group take this to be a canonical order, while some other groups such as Zaidiya and Mutazela, consider it necessary as a rational measure.

But, as mentioned above, the matter of appointing a political leader is relevant only in a Muslim society which has acquired an independent status as a social group and, as such, is in a positon to set up its own separate political organization. The question just does not arise of appointing a political leader over a diversity of believers. That is to say, this commandment is not absolute. It means simply that when a group of Muslims enjoying its own social organization, comes into existence, it is incumbent upon it to organize its social life on the foundations of religion and to appoint a political leader in order to lead an organized life under his leadership. Political leadership is a manifestation of the social authority of a definable group. Where no social authority exists, on what basis can one be ordained to carry out the commandment or Imamah?

The above statement has been made from the point of view of the feasibility of enforcing commandments. But there is an equally important requirement of Islam: the principle of gradualness to be observed when enforcing the commandments.

Viewed from this angle, a small Muslim minority, however religiously aware, is not required to launch a campaign for the enforcement of Islamic laws, whether a non-Muslim majority surround it, or faced by a preponderance of the kind of Muslims who are lacking in any proper Islamic awareness. In a Muslim society, which has degenerated into religious apathy, if not apostasy, such a campaign as a first step would be tantamount to a deviation from the Islamic method of gradualness.

The correct way to reform a Muslim society is to spread the basic teachings and initial commandments of religion far and wide as possible that Islam’s legal and social laws become generally acceptable. Only after this stage will the time be ripe for starting a movement for the enforcement of God’s commandments.

The importance of gradualness in enforcing commandments is stressed in a famous tradition of the Prophet’s wife ‘Aishah, according to which it was so essential in the eyes of God that, in many instances, He did not send the believers His commandments in their full and final form. On the contrary, most of the commandments were sent in installments. Where systemization was subsequently required, the principle of Naskh (abrogation) came into operation, (Qur’an 2:106 and 16:101) “by which certain verses of the Qur’an abrogate or modify others, which are then called mansukh (revoked). What is generally at issue is the modification of a universal meaning by a more specific one, a modification caused by an historic change of circumstances.... In this way, by naskh, the Qur’an accommodates itself to the relativities of the human situation” (Cyril Glassé, The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, p. 298). According to Hudhaifah, it is not impermissible for anyone who is not conversant with this principle of Naskh to preach or to explain the verses of the Qur’an.

Witness to Truth

Our responsibility towards non-Muslims is to bring the truth to them in the form of the message of Islam. God’s message must reach all His creatures, so that no one may say that he was left in a state unawareness of the truth.

Spiritually, man has been put on his mettle in this world. The Qur’an says: “He created life and death that He might put you to the test and find out which of you acquired himself best. He is the Mighty, the Forgiving one” (67:2).

This is a very serious situation, for it means that man’s end in the hereafter will depend on his attitude in his worldly life, his end being either Heaven or eternal Hell. Owing to the seriousness of the situation, God made two special arrangements to warn mankind. First, He gave everyone the ability to discriminate between right and wrong. “And inspired it (man’s soul) with knowledge of sin and piety” (91:8).

This consciousness of Truth was instilled into man’s nature on the very first day of creation:

When your lord brought forth descendants from the loins of Adam’s children, and made them testify against themselves, (He said): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They replied: ‘We bear witness that you are.’ This he did best you should say at the Day of Resurrection: ‘We had no knowledge of that? (7:172).

Then after this precautionary measure, He sent to mankind in a series of prophets, so that knowledge of Reality might be conveyed to every man by direct human action. These prophets were “messengers who brought good news to mankind and admonished them, so that they might have no plea against God after their coming” (4:165).

This chain of prophets started with the beginning of life. Adam was not only the first man but also the first prophet. In the seventh century A.D, God willed that the chain of Prophethood be terminated. Muhammad, on him be peace, was the last of God’s messengers. But so far as the delivering of God’s message is concerned, it is still as essential to do so as before. For this task now the followers of Muhammad (PBUH) have been chosen, as the Qur’an says, “He has chosen you... He has given you the name of Muslimah so that His Apostle may testify against you, and that you yourselves may testify against your fellow-men” (22:77). The final prophet has borne full in the footsteps of the Prophet, witness to the Truth, and now it is our responsibility to follow in testifying to the Truth to the nations of the world, until the Day of Judgment.

This is not a subsidiary task but the very raison d’être (of the Muslim Ummah). According to the Qur’an, the establishment of the Muhammad’s Prophethood rested in the eyes of God, on the fact that he scrupulously fulfilled his duty, i.e., he conveyed the message of God to his hearers. Had the prophet failed to perform this task, the duty of Prophethood would in essence have been left incomplete.

“Apostle, proclaim what is revealed to you from your Lord; if you do not, you will not have conveyed His message” (5:67).

This responsibility, which the Prophet bore, is also the responsibility of his followers (12:108).

Just as the establishment of Muhammad’s Prophethood rested on his conveying God’s guidance to the people, similarly the followers of Muhammad are entitled to be called Muslim Ummah (i.e. the Prophet’s party) only if they continue to pass on God’s message to posterity. So we shall deserve the title of being the Prophet’s Ummah only if we continue to perform his task, i.e. carry his message from generation to generation till the last Day. The fact that our end in the fold any religion other than Islam means risking hellfire and brimstone not only compels one to follow the true religion oneself, but also gives one the zeal to struggle to save other human beings from this danger. Ibn Abd Al-Bar relates that, according to Muawiyah Ibn Hida Qushairi, when the Prophet invited the latter to Islam, he also said:

“Why should I have held you by the waist to save you from the fire if not that my God will call me and will surely ask me, ‘Didst thou convey my message to my servants? Then I shall be able to say, ‘Yes, my God, I conveyed it to them.’ Listen, those of you who are present must convey this message to those who are absent.” (Al-Istiab)

The most important of the responsibility of the followers of Muhammad (on whom be peace), is to end all kinds of differences. Tabarani relates that according to Miswar bin Makhrama.

“The Prophet came to his companions and said, ‘God has sent me as blessing to all mankind. So you people — may God have mercy on you — fulfill this obligation on my behalf and do not have differences as did the followers of Jesus (on him be peace).”

Just as the Prophet was ordained by God for this purpose, likewise the Muslim Ummah (Community) has been ordained till doomsday to perform this duty. During the Caliphate of Umar Faruq () when Rabi ibn ‘Amir was sent as the representative of Islam to the court of the Iranian rulers, as follows: ‘the latter asked him why they (he and other Muslims) had come to their country? Rabi ibn ‘Amir replied: “God has sent us so that he may take away those whom He likes, from the worship of His creatures to the worship of the Creator; from the narrowness of the world to His vastness; from the tyranny of other religions to the justice of Islam. Thus God has sent us with His religion to His creatures, so that we may invite people to come to Him.” (Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah)

That this responsibility is a universal one, which does not stop at any geographical boundaries is illustrated by the author of Al-Bidayah, who quotes the answer No‘man bin Muqrin gave in the Court of Caesar to one of the latter’s questions:

“When Islam had spread in Arabia, our Prophet commanded us to go to the neighboring nations and invite them to justice, so we invite you to Islam. What is good has been described by this religion as good, and what is bad has been described by this religion as bad” (Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah).

This responsibility was quite clear to the companions of the Prophet. During the Caliphate of Umar Faruq, when ‘Amr ibn al-‘As invited the religious leaders of Egypt to enter the fold of Islam, he said: God has sent our Prophet with a message for mankind. He has fully carried out his responsibility, and has left behind an unambiguous example, according to which we have to convey the divine message to mankind” (Inb Jarir, Vol. 4, p. 227).

The first and foremost aim of sending Prophets into the world is to inform people of the message of Truth in public and in private (71:9).

It is a task of warning and conveying God’s message which has to be performed so that man may learn the scheme of creation of the Universe and its ultimate end; so that what is unseen may be known by the people before the arrival of that time, when the present world will come to an end, when the unseen will become the seen. In this regard it is our responsibility make people aware of the life hereafter in which human beings are the servants of one God and to warn them that all of them are bound to appear before Him to give an account of their deeds.

Political considerations may at certain times and in certain circumstances that Islam to non-Muslims as a better world system. But this would be inconsistent with theological considerations. If these were held to be the true approach to calling people to Islam, its success would be devoid of spiritual meaning. For if Islam were presented fundamentally in the form of a better world system, acceptance of Islam would appear to the addressee as simply a way of solving the problems of this world. That is to say, the aim of Islam would appear in their eyes to be something, which could save people from political and financial sufferings, whereas what the prophets actually came to do was deliver people from punishment in the next world. “He lets the spirit descend at His behest on those of His servants whom He chooses, that He may warn (them) of the day of Meeting” (40:15).

The final stage of this Da‘wah task, from the point of view of the Mad‘u (congregation) is his acceptance of the invitation and his molding of his life accordingly. But from the point of view of the Da‘i, the final stage of his task is his delivering the totality of his message to the people; his making the truth so plain to his listeners that there is no scope left anyone to demur. Thus the standard criterion for the fulfillment of Da‘wah work for the prophets was only this. They were not held responsible for anything further. All those nations who are mentioned in the Qur’an as having rejected the message of the prophets and as having incurred the punishment of God for their disobedience were those very nations to whom the prophet had particularly addressed himself.

Beyond carrying the message to them nothing further was attempted. That is why all the words used in the Qur’an for the order, to convey God’s message fully, are synonymous with information and warning. (Qur’an 15:94, 16:44, 21:109, 7:79, 7:35, 17:101, 29:51, 34:28, 3:193, 61:7, 5:67, 14:5).

Baihaqi relates that according to Mughira ibn Shuba, one day when the Prophet was explaining Islam to Abu Jahal, the latter said: “Muhammad, won’t you stop criticizing our Idols? What you want is that we testify to the fact that you have conveyed the message, so we do bear witness that you have conveyed it!”

The Prophet repeatedly asked his companions to bear witness to the fact that he had fully conveyed God’s message to them. Imam Ahmad relates that; according to Thalaba bin Ibad Al-Abdari, once when the Prophet stood up to give a speech he said, after praising God:

“O, people, I ask you on God’s oath to point out to me if I have fallen short, to any degree, in conveying God’s message to you.’ People stood up and said, ‘We testify that you have delivered God’s message to us. You have done full justice to the task as a well-wisher of your Ummah, and you have fulfilled your responsibility.”

The da‘i starts his Da‘wah work in this very spirit, keeping in view all the requirements of wisdom and well-wishing. He wants to convey his message to the people to the maximum possible extent. Afterwards, the outcome of this mission is not directly related to the work of Tabligh, but rather to the congregation for whose benefit this task of bearing witness (Shahadah), or Tabligh, has been performed. This is why we cannot determine what sets of circumstances will prevail after the da’wah work has been done. Neither can we hold any particular example to be the absolute model for bearing witness. The da‘i may breathe his last, having invited people to accept the Truth all his life, without achieving any positive result. There may also be a confrontation between the da‘i and Mad‘u (congregation), and the latter may, individually, or with the aid of some authority, contrive to destroy the da‘i’s movement. Another possibility is that God may create such circumstances as may help either the da‘i or his successors to acquire authority in the land. Then acquisition of authority may take various forms. It may be just political control; or the movement may receive such extensive support from the congregation that an organized society may come into existence on the basis of Islam. All the above results are probable, and instances of all of them are recorded in the long history of the Da’wah struggle of the Prophets. But they have not necessarily ensued on the application of a formula for bearing witness. The only valid form of bearing witness is communication of God’s message to the people in total honesty and sincerity (7:68) and in which will touch the heart (4:63). This conveying of the message has to be continued and, whatever the hurdles, which arise, they have to be faced. Whatever follows after then, will be the worldly results of the da‘wah struggle or, to put it another way, is the outcome of the history of Da’wah, which assumes different forms in different circumstances. Thus, all that is required of the preacher is that he should convey God’s message to the fullest possible extent and that he should continue to perform this duty all his life. Any further developments depend upon the invitee. It is obvious that such happenings cannot individually be foretold, nor does nature of the different responses those determine the completeness or incompleteness of the work of the da‘i.

The next important consideration is that, in the carrying out of da‘wah work, there is no need to present all aspects of the religion on a simple occasion to non-Muslims. The proper way is to start with the basic teachings of Islam. God, Prophethood, the Life Hereafter are the concepts which are first put to non-Muslim addressees. And these are matters, which have to be regularly explained to them from various angles. Effective logical explanation is resorted to solve any problems they may face in understanding these points and, when they have come to accept these concepts, they are taught the remainder of God’s ordinances for the faithful. In the tenth year of Hijrah, when the Prophet sent Mu‘adh ibn Jabal to Yemen to call people to Islam, he told Mu‘adh that he would meet a number of people of the Book, and that he should first explain to them the article of faith i.e., the concept of the oneness of God, and when they had accepted this, then he should gradually teach them how to say prayers and observe other canonical rites.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas relates that the Prophet said to Mu’adh ibn Jabal, before sending him on a da‘wah mission to Yemen: ‘You are going to a nation who is people of the Book. When you reach there, first ask them to testify to the oneness of God and to Muhammad being His messenger. When they have accepted this, tell them further that God has ordained that they worship five times a day. After they have accepted this also, explain to them that God has made alms-giving obligatory on them and this Zakah will be taken from their rich and distributed among their poor. When they agree to that also, you should refrain from showing any interest in their most valued possessions.” That is why the prophets were inspired to give only basic teachings at the initial stage, so that they used to dwell on these teachings for long periods. Thereafter, such detailed instructions were revealed as were consistent with the prevailing circumstances. It has never happened that a prophet has introduced in the first stages of da‘wah work the whole social and cultural system to any community, and demanded that they establish an Islamic state immediately or enforce all Islamic laws in all spheres of life.

Although all of the commandments, in the above-mentioned Hadith, had already been revealed, the Prophet advised the da‘i not to impart all of them to the mad‘u at the same time, but rather to put them to the people gradually, according to their circumstances. This reveals the fact that just as the commandments were originally sent by God gradually in installments, even now it is desirable that they be presented with gradualness. The order of their revelation tells us that they are meant to be presented to people step by step at all times. It would not be true to say that although they were originally revealed gradually, after the completion of their revelation, the policy of gradualness had been canceled, and that they should now be presented all at one time in their entirety.

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