38. ISLAMIC MISSION

God says

And thus We have willed you to be a community of the middle way,* so that [with your lives] you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you.** -- Q.2: 143 * I.e., a community that keeps an equitable balance between extremes and is realistic in its appreciation of man’s nature and possibilities, rejecting both licentiousness and exaggerated asceticism.** I.e., “that your way of life be an example (and attraction) to all mankind , just as the Apostle is an example to you.

There shall be no coercion* in matters of faith. …. Q2: 256 *On the strength of the above categorical prohibition of coercion (ikrah) in anything that pertains to faith or religion, all Islamic jurists (fuqaha’), without any exception, hold that forcible conversion is under all circumstances null and void, and that any attempt at coercing a non-believer to accept the faith of Islam is a grievous sin: a verdict which disposes of the widespread fallacy that Islam places before the unbelievers the alternative of “conversion or the sword”.

Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man’s] self-surrender unto Him;…Q.3: 19

You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for [the good of] mankind:* you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and you believe in God. -- Q.3: 110 *Being members of the world society our major obligation toward the fellow human beings is to enlighten them about the path shown by the Qur’an and followed by the Prophet. Our fall today from the elevated position, mentioned in the verse, is because we gave up doing good to the mankind. We need to re-examine and revive our faith in God!

He has willed to spread His light in all its fullness. -- Q9: 32

Those who believe and work righteousness, -- their Lord will guide them because of their Faith:… Q.10: 9

Prophet said

1. “Whoever calls towards guidance will get (similar reward as) of the one who follows it”– H: Muslim. N: Abu Hurairah

2. “Circulate from me though it be a sentence” – H: Bukhari .N: Abdullah-b-Amr

37. PREACHING AND ADMONITION (Concluded)

God said

And [so, O Prophet,] if they belie thee, say: “To me [shall be accounted] my doings, and to you your doings: You are not accountable for what I am doing, and I am not accountable for what you do.” -- Q.10: 42

Call thou [all mankind] unto thy Sustainer’s path with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the most kindly manner. Hence if you have to respond to an attack (in argument) respond only to the extent of attack leveled to you, but to bear yourself in patience is indeed far better * -- Q16:125,126
*The stress on kindness and tact and, hence, on the use of reason alone in all religious discussions with adherents of other creeds is fully in tune with the basic, categorical injunction mentioned in verse 2: 256 (last Friday) The believers are admonished to observe self-restraint while arguing with people of another persuasion, and never to offend against decency and intellectual integrity.

Endure, then, with patience [all that they who deny the truth may say] – always remembering that it is none but God who gives the strength to endure adversity* -- and do not grieve over them, and neither be distressed by the false arguments which they devise ** - Q.16: 127
* I.e., it must never be allowed to become a source of spiritual arrogance and false self-righteousness.
**Lit., “all that they are scheming”, i.e., by inventing false and irrelevant arguments against God’s messages.

And do not argue with the followers of earlier revelation otherwise than in a most kindly manner – unless it be such of them as are bent on evildoing …. Q.29: 46

O you who have attained to faith! Why do you say one thing and do another? Most loathsome is it in the sight of God that you say what you do not do! - Q.61:2,3.


Prophet said

1. “I saw during the Night of Accession some men whose lips were cut with the scissors of hell-fire. I inquired: Who are these O Gabriel? He replied: These are the preachers of your people who used to enjoin good to (other) men but forget for themselves”– H: Sharh-i-Sunnah N: Anas/ Baihaqi in Shu`bil Iman.

2. Ibn Masud narrated: The prophet used to take care of us in preaching by selecting a suitable time, so that we might not get bored. – H: Bukhari.

3. “Whoever amongst you sees anything objectionable let him change it with his hands; if he is not able to do so, then with his speech; and even if this he is unable to do, then condemn it at heart: this is the weakest form of faith.”-- H: Muslim. N: Abu Saeed al-Khodri.

37. PREACHING AND ADMONITION

God said

Whoever rallies to a good cause shall have a share in its blessings; and whoever rallies to an evil cause shall be answerable for his part in it: …. Q.4: 85

And whenever some people among them asked [those who tried to restrain the Sabbath-breakers], “Why do you preach to people whom God is about to destroy or [at least] to chastise with suffering severe?” – the pious ones would answer, “In order to be free from blame before your Sustainer, and that these [transgressors, too,] might become conscious of Him.” And thereupon, when those [sinners] had forgotten all that they had been told to take to heart, We saved those who had tried to prevent the doing of evil, and overwhelmed those who had been bent on evildoing with dreadful suffering for all their iniquity; -- Q.7: 164,165

Now, among those whom We have created there are people who guide [others] in the way of the truth and act justly in its light. *-- Q.7: 181
* It includes the righteous of all times and communities – that is, all those who are receptive to God’s messages and live up to them by virtue of their conviction that God is the Ultimate Reality.

Make due allowance for man’s nature,* and enjoin the doing of what is right; and leave alone all those who choose to remain ignorant. -- Q. 7:199
* Lit., “accept what is easily forthcoming [from man’s nature]”. According to Zamakhshari, khudh al-‘afw means: “Accept what comes easily to thee [or “what is willingly accorded to thee”] of the doings and the nature of men, and make things easy [for them], without causing them undue hardship (kulfah): and do not demand of them efforts that may be too difficult for them.

And the believers, both men and women – they are close unto one another: they [all] enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, …. Q.9: 71
This is an exemplary moral education system in Islam, which is neglected today. It is often observed that if asked to wipe the spot on the face we do it with thanks. But if asked to cleanup the conduct we don’t like it. So much concern for the body that will be left here to rot and decay. Yet, no concern for the spots in our conduct for which we will have to heavily pay in the Hereafter! There is great need to rectify our this lopsided attitude, which has been a barrier to the sin-checking system stressed by God.
Next time, if luckily, someone, man or woman corrects our conduct let us say “thank you”.


Prophet said

1. “By Him in whose hand is my life, you must enjoin good and forbid evil*, otherwise it is near that God will send chastisement upon you from Himself. You will then call Him but you will not be responded to!” – H: Tirmizi. N: Huzaifa.

2. “…Let the fear of men never prevent any of you to speak the truth when he knows it….” – H: Tirmizi. N: Abu Sayeed-al-Khodri.

3. “Facilitate things to people (concerning religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them good tidings, and do not make them run away (from Islam).” – H: Bukhari. N: Anas-b-Malik.

36. FORGIVENESS-SEEKING AND REPENTENCE (concluded)

God says

Say: “[Thus speaks God:] ‘O you servants of Mine who have transgressed against your own selves! Despair not of God’s mercy : behold, God forgives all sins*-- for, verily, He alone is much-forgiving, a most gracious!’” -- Q.39: 53 *
“whenever the sinner repents and turns to Him”

They who bear the throne of [God’s] almightiness, as well as all who are near it, extol their Sustainer’s limitless glory and praise, and have faith in Him, and ask forgiveness for all [others] who have attained to faith: “O our Sustainer! Thou embracest all things within [Thy] grace and knowledge: forgive, then, their sins unto those who repent and follow Thy path, and preserve them from the blazing fire! And O our Sustainer, bring them into the garden of perpetual bliss, then, which Thou hast promised them, together with their spouses and their offspring – for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise – and preserve Thou wilt have preserved from [the taint of] evil deeds, him wilt Thou have graced with Thy mercy: and that, that will be the triumph supreme!” -- Q.40: 7-9

O you have attained to faith! Turn unto God in sincere repentance. …. Q.66: 8


Prophet said

1. “Whoever sticks to seeking forgiveness, God creates for him a way out of every difficulty and a relief from every anxiety, and supplies provision from where he cannot think of…” – H: Ahmed, Abu Daud and Ibn Majah. N: Ibn Abbas.

2. “Verily the gift of the living to the dead is seeking forgiveness for them” --H: Baihaqi. N: Abdullah-b-Abbas.

Following are a few supplications:
1. Rabbana faghfir lana zunubana wa kaffir unna saiy-ye aatina wa tawaffana ma al abraar. (3: 193) (…. O our Sustainer! Forgive us, then, our sins, and efface our bad deeds; and let us die the death of the truly virtuous!)

2. Rabbana zalamna unfusana wa inlam taghfir lana wa tarhamna lanakoo-nanna minal khaasireen (7: 23). (O our Sustainer! We have sinned against ourselves – and unless Thou grant us forgiveness and bestow Thy mercy upon us, we shall most certainly be lost!)Prayer of Adam and Eve: repentance for a sin that is realized and can recur.

3. Rabbanagh-firlee waliwalidayya walilmumineena yawma yaqoomul-hisaab (14: 41)(Grant Thy forgiveness unto me, and my parents, and all the believers, on the Day on which the [last] reckoning will come to pass.)
4. Rabigh-fir warham wa anta khairur-raahemeen (23: 118) (O my Sustainer! Grant [me] forgiveness and bestow Thy mercy [upon me]: for Thou art the truest bestower of mercy!)

36. FORGIVENESS-SEEKING AND REPENTENCE (continued)

God says

Verily, God’s acceptance of repentance relates only to those who do evil out of ignorance and then repent before their time runs out: and it is they unto whom God will turn again in His mercy – for God is all-knowing, wise; whereas repentance will not be accepted of those who do evil deeds until their dying hour and then say, “Behold, I now repent”; nor of those who die as deniers of the truth: ….. Q.4: 17,18

And when those who believe in Our messages come unto thee [O Muhammad], say: “Peace* be upon you. Your Sustainer has willed upon Himself the law of grace and mercy – so that if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and thereafter repents and lives righteously, He shall be [found] much forgiving, a most gracious.” -- Q.6: 54
* The word salam, which has been translated here as “peace”, which occurs many times in the Quran and has become the standard form of Muslim greeting – has a spiritual connotation comprising the concepts of ethical soundness, security from all that is evil and, therefore, freedom from all moral conflict and disquiet.

….And [always], O you believers – all of you – turn unto God in repentance, so that you might attain to a happy state!* -- Q.24: 31
* The implication of this general call for repentance is that since “man has been created weak” (4: 28), no one is ever free of faults and temptations.

…your God is the One God: go, then, straight towards Him and seek His forgiveness! - Q.41: 6



Prophet said

1. “God accepts the repentance of a man so long as he is not at a point of death” --H: Tirmizi and Ibn Omar.

2. “Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are those who repent constantly”– H: Tirmizi and Ibn Majah. N: Anas.

3. “When a servant (of God) recognizes his sin and then repents, God accepts his repentance.” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Bibi Ayesha.

Whether it is forgiveness-seeking for the past sins, or repenting for the sin that can recur, mere verbal statement without emotion does not work. Pleading with a sorrowful heart makes it worthy of His acceptance.