\4S Chapfer-3 ART AND TECHNIQUE OF PA‘WAH Commuiiicationai Perspeclive 1'he Language of a da‘i T h e foiemcsl thing in this respect is the language of a dai, because conveying Islam in our times and talking about it meaningfully is the crucial question.^*’’* The Arabic Rasul and Risalah have the root ‘rsV from which is derived the word ‘Tarsir—meaning, in English, Communication. Communication is derived from the Latin word ‘Communis’ meaning common. Thus communication means to communicate a common idea or common understanding."^’^ Khurram Murad in ‘^The bJamicMovemnt-Dynamics o f values, power and change ’ \/y Mawlana Mawdudi] MMI, DelhUOOO, P,15. Syed ShakU Ahmad Anwar ‘Zindc^Now’, Sep.2000 A.D.P.52. \4S
Transcript
\4S
Chapfer-3
ART AND TECHNIQUE OF P A ‘WAH
Commuiiicationai Perspeclive
1'he Language of a da‘i
T h e foiemcsl thing in this respect is the language o f a dai, because conveying
Islam in our times and talking about it meaningfully is the crucial question.^*’’*
The Arabic Rasul and Risalah have the root ‘rsV from which is derived the word
‘Tarsir—meaning, in English, Communication. Communication is derived from
the Latin word ‘Communis’ meaning common.
Thus communication means to communicate a common idea or common
understanding." ’
Khurram Murad in ‘ The bJamicMovemnt-Dynamics o f values, power and change ’ \/y Mawlana Mawdudi] MMI, DelhUOOO, P,15.Syed ShakU Ahmad Anwar ‘Zindc^Now’, Sep.2000 A.D.P.52.
\4S
1 iK’U'loro, of." da''i loi malcinji llic M essage o( AlUih ' ,i'hcaix l and
mulcislootl hy ihe people, imisl be of common iiiKlersUuiclin^v 'lhin[-,s will not
become clear to the peojiie unless the language of a cla‘1 be ol their common
understanding. Wo ht’ve u clear guidance of the Holy Qur’an in this rcspect.
A l l a h s a y s : ^
(M- Qur 'em, - IbruhJm 14. ‘I)
"fV( sent not a Messenger except (to teach) in the h /iguuge o j his (own) people in order to ntake things dea r to them. ” (14:4)
M6
Khurrani Murad writes:
“ We can make contemporary man hear and understand the message of God only through words that he knows, in a language he is familiar with. I'or it is diffioult for a man to grasp something which lies totally outside o f his world of meaning.
A da‘f needs to be soft, considerate and friendly even if he speaks to a most
wretched person. An example of this is Messenger Musa’s and his brother
Harun’s approach to Phir‘awn, Allah :5c says:
(Al-Our'cm, 10:44)
"But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning o f fear (God). ” (10:44)
Nyl.,Mawdiidl, 'kldniic M ovmenl \ I’. 15.
146
4/
lo conviiicc Ihc audience, a cIjVTshould be mindful of'liic cxpcrionccs u> be used
and >lick to the concept of (wise argument) as Allah i/; ordained in the Holy
Q ur’an:
(Al'Our'iln, 16 125)
"Jnvile (all) to the way oj Ihy Lord with wi.' clom and beautiful prcacliiiig; and argiH' with them in the hy/ias that arc best ” (16:125)
The speech o f a da‘T should be eloquent otherwise he may be accused of
falsehood.
Sincc ilanm K' Ei was eloquent in spccch, Musa sought help from Allah tk'.‘
Ibid (,AI-Qayis 34:35)
"Anv my brother Ilarun (Aaron) he is more elaquant in speech than I; so send him with me as a helper, to confirm my message; for I fear that they may accuse me of falsehood. ” (34:35)
And that nearly happened what Musa f-W was afraid o f When he invited
the tyrant, he (Mr^awn) tried to belittle him (Musa) M by saying that he (Musa)
was unable to express himself clearly:
147
148
Zukhru/ fj.
"Am 1 not better than tins (Mo.ses), who is a contemptible wrutch and can scarccly express hinisdj dearly ” (43.52)
A da'i should never touch the sensibilities o f people, Allah a says:
(Al Our 'an, Al-A)i 'Cun 6:108)“Revile not ya those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest they out o f spite revile Allah in their ignorance." (6:108)
A cla''T should also use parables (al-Amthal) in his spccdi. In da‘wah, there is a
great importance oi’ the use of parables, "riie Qur’an is replete with the Ayat
highlighting the importance of parables. Some o f these Ayat arc:
(/iL'ihif'dti, Ibrahim 14:25) ''
"So Allah sets forth parables fo r men, in order that they may receive admonition."
2 .
(AUbir‘nnjAl~Zumar 14:25)
"We have put forth for men, in the Qur'an every kind o f parables, in order that they may rcceive admonilion. ” (!4:25)
(fibduAn l- 'Ankabut 29:43)
" And such are the parables We set forth fo r mankind but only those understand them who have knowledge. ” (29:43)
148
19
'I hii', pai bics ni;)Le Ihc (hiii^ clear lo the lisic'ncis and Ihosc having sound
iiUclk'cl and know lalgc conipivhcnd llicm easily.
I.ajjj'nage does no( mean only Iho words we speak but “it is a system of
signs, symbols, gestures, cte. used lor conveying information.”^"
'rhercforc, a da‘T should u;;c a symbolic language which is “the art of
speaking in images of meanings underneath their seeming
comprehension.”"’ '
Communication means carrying ideas from one place to another. Since
da‘wah is succcssCul only when there are good relations between a da‘T
and a mad‘0, the communication between them should be as good as
possible. Some important principles o f a good communication can be;
1. Whatever is to be communicated should first be well understood
by the communicator (da‘T) himself.
2. Language should be common and simple'.
3. During the process of communication the listeners should not
get bored.
Oxfoid Advanced Learners Diclioi.ary, Word;‘Language” Oxford University Press^xford^, London, 1989, ‘AlT SharT ‘alT, hkm and I s la m Ir from pcrsian by GInilrini Muhammad Fay / , no. 103, Masiihad Univcrsily,
Jahad, Mdshliad. Iran, I982.P 5.
149
h o
Ihc aUnospliorc .should be pcaccliil and a li;i(eiicr siiould liavo a
regard for the da‘i, Sincc actions speak ioudcr than words,
tlicrclbrc, (lie most important factors responsible (or a good and
a .suceessful comnuinication arc the qualities and behaviour of a
da‘l himself.
Qualities Of l)n*i
The Qur’an has explained the qualities a da‘T of Islam should
possess. I ’hcsc qualities can be classified into (wo categories as:
I- Im liv id iK iI Q u a lifies:
'I’he most important among these is Inian (i*ailh), livery Mulsim by virtue ofhis
Iman is a da‘T. Without Iman one cannot be a Muslim and hcnce not a da‘T. Then
Imim is not merely a proclamation of the faith but it is expressed by good
actions (al-A‘mnl al-Salihah) as the fruit o f Iman. Good actions are also called
Akhlaq. Allah eulogi/es the g'*catest da‘T thus:
(A l 'O iir ’an, A l-Q a la m 68:4)
“And surely thou hast sublime morals " (68:4)
150
Thus ‘Kluiki ‘A x iin ’ o f the Messenger ....o f Ailali ‘X is an excellent example
ibr a da‘T.
U lJ jlS >(Al-Ahzab 33:21) "
")V have indeed in flic Messengers of AUah an exccJlent exemplar. ” (33:2!)As the mcs'scn^'er ol’Allah tili; was a ckVl at every moment, so he with all
his qualities is the highest and the most perlcct model. T he Ibremost o f his
151
qualities was ikhlas (Sincerity).
(Al-An'Sm 6:162)
"Say, 0 Muhanmad: Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying arc all purely fo r Allah, Lord o f the worlds. ” (6:162)
(Yusuf 12:108)
‘'Say: This is my way I invite to AUah. ”
This Ayah indicates that da‘wah must be towards Allah; not towards any
indivdual, or any organisation. A da‘T must strive for seeking the pleasure o f
Allah lie “should call all to the Truth of Allah, showing that his thoughts are
not centred on himself.” Every Messenger addressed his own people thus:
in 'Abdullah YQsuf‘All, op.cil., lix,n.4503.
151
^ J L l ^ u L c - I ' ^ J f
(AI-Oiir\in, Ihh l II 29)
“Am! 0 my iw oph! I ask you for no wealth (/o'- ',/v H'hnonilion) : niy reward itt fioni iioih'hill All'ih ” ( I I ?9)
i^[^wh,\l~An\un 6 90)
"Say “No rcmird for lliis do I ask of you " (6:90)
A cla‘i should possess dear knowledge of what he invites to.
!5
4 }
(Al-Qur'an, YmufI2.I0tt)
“Say: This is my way; I do invite into Allah,— with a certain knowledge I and whoever/allows we. " (12:108)
I
7’his is the Qur’iinic injunction. A da‘T should invite with Basirah. Da‘wah
means to give and spread the knowledge of the Truth. One who has got no
knowledge, can never be a true
A daT should be wise, gentle, patient and sober minded. He should not be harsh.
He should not make haste in his da'wah. Following verses o f the Qur’an provide
the clear guidance;
Yusuf al-Ov^lawT, ‘Thiqiilah al-Da‘iyyah’, (Ui, Ir.) — Muhammad Facll al-Rniinian Nadwf, D5i al-Ma‘litil', Delhi, 1V93, P.I4.
15?
IV,
(Al-Oi/r’dn, Alu-'liiinhi 3 159)
"II is /kirl oj the Mcrcv o f Allah that thou dost deal Cently wilh /Item. Wert thou severe or harsh hearted, they would have broke)! away frow about thee. "
(Al-Our'an, Al-A.ujaf 46..-i‘>)
"1 hercjore, patiently persevere, fAv did (al iMessef^ers of firm residution; and he in no ha.ste about the (imhcHevers). " (46:35)
jjj £si’}
(AI-Qur'cui,AI-Nahl 16:125)'
"Invite (all) thou to the way o f thy lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching. ”A da 1 should practise whatever he preaches. Allah hates those who do not act upon what they say to others. " (16:125)
(AI-Qm-'Sn,A/-SaJ/6t'2-3)
“ O ye who believe Why say ye that which ye do not? Grievously hateful is in the sight o f Allah thatyc say that which ye do not. ” (61:2-3)
(Al-Qiir ‘an, Al-Baqarah 2:44)
"Do ye enjoin right conduct on the people, and forget (to practise it) yourselves, and yet ye study the Scripture? Will ye not understand? ” (2:44) '*
27.1 I iowi.'vci> a da‘f, even iflic does not piactiso what lie preaehcs, is still obliged to perform duSvali. Hadiat Huda'llah -iu sayi, “ Wc have to Impoit the knowledge (of Islitni) to others even if we may not be acting upon it” (ijee liiyatj cil-Sdliljm chap. ‘'I ablTgh al-Islam wa in lam yu'mal biliT’ cited in IJa)'ctl alSahaluih by MawlflnS Miiliauimad YOsuf, V.3. Delhi, P.377,
153
A dii'T should be Icarlcss and bold. He should not fear anyone other than Allah.
Nor should he he a flalterer.’’^
(Al~Oiirau, Al^Ahzah 33:37)
*' Thou didst /car the people, but it Is more fitting that thou should,st fear Allah. ” (33:37)
'rhcn there arc such pre-requisites which are very important for a da‘T to possess
lest he and his efforts should seem to be as hollow as anything.
'I’hese may include;
(a) Communication with Allah‘X (b) Striving against transgressions of nafs
(Mujahada-Nafs) and, (c) deep thought of Akhlrah (Filer-Akliirah), (d) Love
of Allah’s Messenger
A da‘T strives only and only for seeking the pleasure o f Allah He is, at every
step o f his da'wah, in need o f Allah’s favours. The Messenger o f Allah
used to supplicate thus:
“0 Allah! I bowed before You; and I believed in You; and I submitted before You; and my ears, my eyes, my marrow, my bones and my veins all prostrated before You in humility
‘An AbTal-WalTd ‘Ubadah Ibn al-Samit 4» Q3l: “Baya'na Rasula AIIahTp ,‘ ... wa ‘alaan naqula bi al- Haqqi aynama KunnS 13 nakhafu fi-Allahi lawmata lal m” - Muttafaqqun ‘allalhi - Ya'anT(la nudahum fi dhaiika ahadan wa la nakhsha ilia Allaha wahdah.—See Riyad al-Salihm, ch. Al- ‘amr bi al-Ma‘rQf wa al-nahyu ‘an al-Munkar,’ P.85.
L-54
154
H i
'Ihe Mc',scii|>(‘r . ' of Allfih ‘U, has said that a true M u j d h i d is one who
?77sliiil'glcf. with iii>s Ndf,s in the obedience ofAlirih
It is neecbsar) lo Miive against the transgressor resting inside man
{naf,s inwmirah) heJbic shiving against a fansgressor living in the outer
worki/''’'
According to tiie Qiir'an the real success is the succcss attained in the world
herealler. Hvery effort of a da‘T should be that-worki oriented. 'Fhe real cause
behind all good efforts should be the concej)tion that one has lo meet his Lord.
/ \W r\ i l l ' l l \(Al-Quf’Tm, Al~Baqarah 2:46)
“And prayer: It /,y intlead hard cxcept those who are humble. Who bear in nimd the certainty that they are to meet their L ord , and that they are to return to Him". (2:46)
Sincc a da‘T should, first o f all, be a Af iXmin, deep love and revercnce for
Allah’s Messenger mudl be his prominent quality.
Jmiim Muslim has quoted a hadTth that a man cannot be a il/ limin until he loves
the Messenger more than his family, wealth and all the peoplc.^’''
"\'ial}Th Miisltm inSywl lalfiluddin ‘UmiT, "IMiii KTDci'wai"'Delllu, MMl, 1979,IM52.Quoted by MawianO MaudfldI in ntkinali TahlJf; , compiled by Sycd As'ad GTI.M,Delhi, MMl, I992,P.360.
155
A cLVl’s (‘Atciiiiil view '.hould al.so be according lo the Siian'uh. lie should he a
living model o f the sunnah ol’ the M e s s e n g e r ; ,s o that wiien a person sees
him, he would remember God. ’'"
Mawl.ina MauUndi says;
“In reality the true ‘'lablTgh’ is not performed with oral or writlcn
argumentation; these are bii( inferior ways of working, But tlic real 'lablTj; is
that a da‘i shoul<‘ be a living testimony of his da'wali. Wherever would he pass
by the peolpie, they would say; ‘this is the treader of Allah’s Path.’ "
Omninsational Qualities Of a Ua‘T:
Then there are some qualities which must be in a da‘T as a mcjiibcr of a da'wah
movement. Tiicse may be called as the organisaLional qualities.
A da‘r should have love and sympathy with his fellow da'T’s. Mutual love and
compassion was a distinguishing quality o f the Sahabah The QurTm testifies
thus:
(Al Qur'an, Al-Fatji48:29)
156
Idem.SaliTli Muslim, V.I, P <}7., Qiiolcd by Fadl IliiliT in NahlKarim Sc Mututbbai a w IkkT'Altimalayu , Delhi,
M iilhiJiiiiiin l /.s !fu‘ of Allah: ciin l iIuksc who arc wifh him arc siron}\a(>a!/i.\l tiiihi'Ik'vcrs, (hut) I'tmijHissioiiale anum^sl each ol/wr. " (AS’ P9)Buis.h;iri‘ aixl Mu.sliui have nanated Ihc hacllth o( llie M essenger Ihal in
iDiiUial love, compassion aiitl sympathy, the believers are like a body when any
ol i(s ])ai(s i'. ill, the whole body le(;Ls ill and re.stlcss.
'I he holy Qur’an says;
(Al~Qiir ’em, Al-IJujurat49:10)
" The believers a c bul a single Ivotherhvod ” (49:10)
A da‘T should be dedicated, lie should always take care o f his companions. He
should prefer iheni and iheh' needs over his own. During the time of the
Messenger the Madman Society v/as well organised. The Sahabah v/cre
like tlie members of a.i organisation.
"i’he holy Qur’an speaks about them:
(Al-Qur ’an, A J-Hashr59:9)
" (They) give them( the other believers) preference over themselves even though poverty was their ( own lot). ” (59:9)
Quoted by Mawlilna Muhammad Abdullali Tfii iq in 'Maslak Ka Farq tmr Milli fuihacl’, Delhi,In.slitule of Objective Studios nOSj I989,i\4.
157
Uijjcipiine in jn Iskiitiic or ’anisalion is one ol the most important factors
responsible for its strength and solidarity. I or maintaining discipline, the
tuetubcrs o f an hlaniic organisation should alw.'iys rcspcct and praclisc the
principles of their organisation. They should respect each other but should not
hesitate in making constructive criticism. Similarly they should always tolerate
criticism sohermindediy.^‘''’
The following divine injunctions provide evident guidelines:
Mishkah narrates that a M’umin is like a mirror for another M’umin; a M’min is
brother o f another M’umin, lie saves him from ruin, protects him and lavours
1 • 284him.
This is a clear evidence in favour of making a tolerating criticism.
Tirmidhi narrates that Allah’s Hand is with the Jama‘ah; one who detaches from
the Jama'ah is in turn dctached for hell Hre. * Everybody in an Islamic
organisation should consider himself most responsible for spreading the
Message of bis Lord. He should not consider anybody else more responsible
than himself. Every member o f an organisation should obey his leader (Amir) in
lawful matters:
158
Tahfik aur Kaikun, Pp.187-190, also see Islam KIDa'wat, Pp 203-204. Quoted in Jalil Ahsan, op.cit., P.99,no.I42.Hisliam al-Talib, lilamX Katkunm Ke liye TarbiyatJ Guide, P.201.
158
15 )
{ A!~Our 'an, Al-Nisa '4:59)
“ C) yc vhi) helieve! Obey Allah ami the Messenger, and those charged with authority iummgyou. " (4:59)
Similarly Islam has defined Imarah (leadership) on the basis o f service. The
Messenger , - says that leader of the conimunily is their servant. The AmTr
should always take care ul'his companions. “ ’
IktkharT narrates that everybody from among you is responsible about his
subordinates and he will be asked about them. The Messenger has said that
if an AniTr is not as sincere and well wisher with his companion’s alfairs as he is
in his own, he will be thrown into hell,”"'
I'hc AmTr should always consult his companions however small a matter be. I'he
Qur’anic injunction reads:
(Al-Our'dn, AlShiira 42:38)
"And they conduct their affairs by mutual consultation ” { 42:38)
It clearly indicates that the Messenger would always like to consult his
companions. The Messenger o f Allah has said that one who takes consultation
Mishkah, "Kitab al-Imarah”, where it is quoted from Muslim. See Sajinah Najat, P. 170.See Aba yosuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, cited in Safinah Najat,
159
hcioie doin^ !Uiy ac(ion will never have lo Icel s o r r y . d a ‘f strives for the
good t)fmankind. He is a heiicfactor o f hiiinaniLy. Da'wah wilhout love for Ihe
"Thou woiilcLst only, pcrchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief. If they believe not in this Message. ” (18:6)
160
‘‘These feelings j f utmost love and generosily arc for those were after iiis life and such Muslnna who elaini tc he his followers can never shirk Ironi his responsibility towards others.
'fhere/bre, a dO‘T’s proniincnl quality is his deep love for humanity, and at the
first hand, for his companions in an organisation. There arc various addilional
qualities of a da‘T which depend upon the nature and qualities of the people he
has to work with. The people a da‘T’s has to work with are called McicVimwun
Sadnidtllii IslahT, Muxlims & Dci'wah of Ixtiim op.cit., P.22.
160
QUALITIES OF A iMAIvU
I his section ol the prcsetit chaptcr is intended, not to include in it as to what
should be the qualities of a listener, but to bring into light the ditTerent groups of
people, whom a da‘i has to face during his da‘wah efforts, and their rcspcctive
characteristics. F'or identifying such groups and their respective characteristics,
the best approach is to know about them in terms o f those groups whom the
Messenger himself did face during his da‘wah and who have already been
mentioned in clear-cut terms by the holu Qur’an, Besides, it seems very difficult
to find out any other category o f people, even in the modern times, beyond those
that have rilready been specilied by the holy Qur’an and dealt with by the
Messenger in the practical field ol' da^wah. The Islamic scholars have
categorised these mad'uwwin variously. Mawlana Amin Ahsan IslahTgives three
different groups and their respective qualities as:
!. Mu^anidin— those who oppose the da‘wah outrightly from its very outset. Three basic factors for their strong opposition are (i) Hnmiyyah Jahilyyah
(emotions o f ignorance), (ii) egotism and bias and (iii) selfishness.^^" The
Mu‘anidin are sincere to their nation. They look to the new da‘wah as
destructive for their own old system. So they oppose it out o f their sincerity for
their beliefs. But since they are ignorant o f the reality o f the da‘wah, there is
always alwa isalways a chance for their accepting
1 ?
Da ‘wati Din aur h ta i Tarlqah Kar, Pp. 158-59.
16l
iiu' Mt'A.ii'f' Xnolhi’r kind of the mii‘anidTn is of ll\c egotists and
biasod. 1 lie> consider themselves al>ove anything else and tliink that the
I ruth is always with them. There are least chances lor them to acccpt the
da‘u;ih;''’
'I’hen then* is another kind of those who alwa\s follow tlieir interests. 7'hc
('entie ('!'their eveiy activity, moral and spiritual ideology is their own
self'. They iire the meanest opponents of the 'frulh. ' *
2. Mutantbbisin- -those who neither oppose the truth nor support it openly.
'I he} instead, leave the matter to the i'uturc and wait to see which way the
wind blous."^^
'I'hey don’t luxept the 'fruth on the basis o f their reason but accept it only
when it gets dtuiiinance and its truthfulness gets manifested. The Qur’an
reminds and addresses such type of people in these words:1
16:
Al Qur an, Al-Baqarah 2:55)
“And remember ye said: “0 Moses! We shall never believe in thee until we see Allah manifestly. ” thereupon thunder bolt seized you.... ” meaning
/)« 'w'lUi Dili tiiir hku lanqah Kar, Pp. 158-59.lbid,Pp. 159-60. The best example o f this kind is that o f ‘Umar^.. and A bil Jalil wliile both were sincere to
their old rcligin, Abil Jahl could not comprehend the da’vvah o f the M essenger Another exam ple is that oi Abij Sufyaii^ , who at first was a dreaded enemy o f Islam but at last attained a prominent position in Islam .
Ibid. Pp. 163-64.Ibid, P. 168.Ibid,Pp. 168-69.
162
tli,i[ ilK-it iH'ii^cnst' <.k*man<is were I'ivon no Ihoughl.'^^’ M«*lhfilin AVlawIaiia Ainin Ahsan 'jves die third kind o f the
i\Kid'uA\nIn as Mn^hfilm and includes in this category those cominon
masses who are coiieerncd only w'ith their own daily needs o f life. They
have nothing' to do with whatever system they live in. However, there arc
always so?iie iiitellifient and courarenus people in this class o f the socicly
who, with the ])assage of time, support the da‘wah."' ^
Another ‘alim and spiritual guide of the present time, divides people into
h ' e kinds:
{;j)(faiil, (b) Sa’il, (c) Ma’i l , (d) Jahil, and(ej Mujadil. According to
him the first four kinds are benelltted through da‘wah wliiie the last kind
i.e., Mujadil is not guided.'^’’’
The Qur'anic Ayah
i'ives (Inve \va>s of da‘wah vi/; iiikniiih, roawMyah hasaiuih and
inujadalah. This clearly indicates that ihtie ^ e only three kinds of
Sluili A bui al-l.Ut-iq. jU(//a//v compiled by M^n^lana Uaklm Muhpininad Akhlai, Zani Zum BookD'jpol, Ikobaiid , n.d.
163
Mdihiww’ui eacli o l'w h om is [o be approached in a specilic vva> o f
da‘v\.ih."''' 'Ihcvsc arc:
( a ) ( i n t e l l i g e n t peopio): They arc purc-heartcd and k n ou led ge-
lovinu people. 'I'hey are convinced willi hikmah i.e., clear proofs;
(b) Siilahd' (.simple and pious people): 'I'liey arc not as knowledgeable as
the adhkiya’ but are sincere. Ihey can he easily motivalecl with kind
advicc (niaii'i/ah ha;>anah) and touching parables; and
(c) A f ih h iy i l \ who ai\va>s inake arguments;have no such quality o f ihe
above two kinds. 'lhe> aie so hard core that neither :<ny sound and
clear p io o f nor an> kind o f beautiful prcaching can convince tliem.^""
Only a silencing argument can raal'C them keep mum and save
da‘wah from their mischief.
'1 hen there arc those who in one v\ay or the other accepted the da‘wah o f Islam
and proclaimed the faith during the M essenger’s time. They can he divided into
three categories:
(a) Al-Sclhk/fiii al-Awwalun. (b) Al-MuttabiTina hi al-Ihsan and fc)
p i i \ t / a ’ and MwiaJiqfin.^^^^Main characteristics o f these groups are
evaluated as under.
U)l
M m lhm Q.iu Muhammad riiyylh,DhiJ D a‘\uit Ke Our’uni Usiii, P.S4. ™Ibid,Pp84<85
Mawlana Amm A(isan Isl.lItT, op.cit., P. 174.
164
165
Al-Salmfm n!-Awwulun vveiv ihnsc God-fcaring and pious people
who always acccptcd ihe da‘\vah at the very first invitation. There nature
o f thinking was already compatible with the Message o f Allah They
were veiy high with regard to their moral status and their actions. The
moment they discovered the 'I'rulh or it came to them, they showed not a
least reluctance in nccepting it. ’'’“However, ULspite o f these commendable
qualiiies they were in need o f da'wah for;
i/ they didn’t know how to solve the problems o f their society,
ii/ since llie Truth was not evident to them, they, inspite o f being pious
tliemsclves, were not able to know the ultnnate 'rriith. But, since these
good-natured people had a natural inclination tov^'ards the Truth, that is
why they accepted it at the ilrst opportunity whenever it came to th em /’ ’
Many o f the Sahabah o f Allah's M essenger were o f this category.
The QKir’an speaks about them:
Al~Ow'an (Alu 'Imnm 3: J93)
[They say:] “Our Lord! We have heard the call one calling (us) to faith, 'Believeye in the Lord, and ti’e have believed". (3:93)
f;’-lhid.Pp-174-176.t'Vir cMiJiDplcs of 'Ubiiidullah IbviJiihash, ‘Uthinaii Ibii al-Huv/tifrath. Ibn ‘Amr and wctrqah tbn
Na»fal can be iiuoiccl. For details Sinih al-SubJ(if Ibii Mishani, (Ur. 'fV) bv M;»viana GJCMahar & Mawlanri ‘Abdul JaJil SiddiqT, Deilii, 1982,Pp.247-83.
165
K,6
Al-Oio m (Al-Mci’klah 5: H3)
"And n'hcn they ILslen to the ruwlatiofi receivuci by the Messenger, thou )vih see their eyes overjlowinf^ with tears, for they reco^^nise the truth: 1 hey pray our Lord! JVe bchevc, n hi us tlown among the witnesses. " p:<Vi
(h) MiiUabiUnt hi IhsiitL the '.ccond gr(;up oj’ ihe supptuters o f the laiih
\scrc those people who didn’l take any iniliative on ihcir own bill always
U)lloual Uie example o f the 'Sabiqin'. liovvever, alter accepting the
Me>sai>\ they dichrt show uiiy signs o f weakness, cowardice or
!iyp;)cii:>y. Nu di'ub-t. tiiey \ero tiot iniellectualiy and morally so strong
that they could accept the TrutJi vvillioiil any hijidiance siiJl, Jjowevci, they
*• 01are always the yecond to the \Sabiqin'/
{c‘) DuUifii* and Mmiilfuffm i.e., the weak and the hypocrites,
I'Xiernallv they are similar in their beliaviour, hut internallv, thev have
Iheir owji sep;iratc qualitcs. I h c du'ujc: are weak in their laith. 'liiey m ix
their good and bad deeds together. Every time after haA'ing failed to fulfil
the demands o f Faith, tliey recover and repent. But their determination is
Amin Ahsnn IslaliT, op.cit.,l*p. 184-85.
166
'() weak lliat llu'y al\Vii)s ticcci lofoiinutioii and insUuctioii. Ihc Qur an
"Othen (f'u'iv arc vl]o) luivp cickm)\vlcclgcJ fhrir \mjn}^~(/()ini^s;TI)ey li(t\v iiii\(.\l an cicl llial was ^oocl with anolhcr that was evil. Pcrlmixs' Allah Will turn wi‘o them (in mcrcv) For Allah is Ofl Forgiving, Mon! Meidfid" (9 {02}
liducation and iiLstruclioii is very fruilful in their case. It is specially about
them the Qur’an says;
1()7
^ ^
i -'"m '
Al~Qur’un, (Al-Tauhali 9:103)
"Of their wealth lake alms that so thou mlghtests purify and sanctify them, and jway on their behalf. Vetily thy prayers are a source o f securit)> for them. And Allah is One who heareth and knoweth ”. (9-103)
Tlic Munaliqln arc the most problematic group o f the mad'us whom a d a‘T
has to deal with very cautiously. They pose themselves to be among the
Muslims while in reality they are not so. The Qur’an says:
