Motivation
The immediate reason for this thread is the search for answers of the following question, which has been raised in a discussion on the measures of ISIS against Yazidis:
How should we understand those verses in Quran, which are about the fate of the direct addressees of the da'wah of the Prophet (SAW) -- Mushrikeen of Arabia, and Ahl-al-Kitaab of Arabia. Is it correct to derive the shariah from those verses for the mushrikeen of today?
Source
Following is an article, which I have taken from the Chapter Shariah of Preaching from Ustaaz javed Ahmed Ghamidi's book Mizan, which is also available online from
http://www.al-mawrid.org/pages/download_books.php
Footnotes of the book are inlined sometimes in between the text. I appologize, if it makes it less readable.
Prologue
An important requirement of religion is that its followers should also continue
to urge others to adopt and adhere to it. It is this requirement of religion for
which the terms da‘wah (preaching) and tabligh (propagation) are used. We
Muslims have always been aware that the radiance of faith and good deeds that
we have been blessed with entails that we must also enlighten others about it. It is
because of this importance of preaching and propagation that the Almighty has
revealed a detailed shari‘ah about it just as He has done so in spheres such as
politics, economics and worship besides some others. A study of this shari‘ah
shows that the responsibility of preaching has been imposed in distinct categories
on the believers according to their various capacities.
For convenience of understanding, the shari‘ah of preaching can be categorized
as follows:
i. Preaching Obligation of Prophets
ii. Preaching Obligation of Abraham’s Progeny
iii. Preaching Obligation of the Scholars
iv. Preaching Obligation of the Rulers
v. Preaching Obligation of an Individual
vi. Strategy of Preaching
In the following pages, the shari‘ah of preaching described in the Qur’an is
detailed out below:
1. Preaching Obligation of Prophets
O Prophet! We have sent you forth as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, and
a warner and as one who shall call men to God by His leave and as a shining
lamp for the guidance [of mankind.] (33:45-46)
The above verses refer to the preaching responsibility of the Prophet
Muh_ammad (sws). It is evident from the Qur’an that all prophets of God were
sent to call people to God and to warn and to give glad tidings to them. The
Qur’anic words:1 also
mention this very fact. From among these anbiya’ (prophets), those who were
given the status of rusul (messengers), their indhar (warning) culminated in
shahadah. In the terminology of the Qur’an, shahadah means that the truth is
communicated to people in such a manner that no one is left with an excuse to
deny it. The Qur’anic words used are:
(so that mankind after the coming of these messengers is left with no excuse
against the Almighty, (4:165)). The way this shahadah is established is that the
Almighty selects these rusul and then, before the actual Day of reward and
punishment, rewards and punishes in this very world people to whom the rusul
are sent. People are told that if they honour their covenant with God, they will be
rewarded in this world and if they dishonour it, they will be punished here. The
result of this is that these rusul become signs of God, and it is as if people see
God walking along with the rusul who deliver His verdicts. Moreover, these
rusul are directed to propagate the truth and deliver to people the exact guidance
of God they have received. This is shahadah, and when it is established on this
earth, it becomes a basis for God to deliver His Judgement both in this world and
in that to come. Consequently, the Almighty grants dominance to these rusul and
punishes those who reject them. The word (shahidan_) used in the above
quoted verses of Surah Ah_zab delineates this very status of the Prophet
Muh_ammad (sws).
Delivering of warnings and glad tidings by anbiya’ (prophets) does not require
any explanation. However, when rusul2 (messengers) deliver these warnings and
glad tidings, then this requires some elaboration because these rusul must also
fulfil the responsibility of shahadah. As a result of this responsibility, there are
certain phases of their preaching endeavour. And there are certain consequences
of these phases which are peculiar to the rusul only. This preaching is not related
to any other person except the rusul.
In the following paragraphs, these phases are elaborated upon.
i. Indhar (Warning)
This is the first phase of preaching of the rusul. Indhar means to warn someone
of the evil consequences of something. It is evident from the Qur’an that the rusul
of God always warn their people of two punishments: the punishment which those
who reject these rusul will face in the Hereafter, and the punishment which they
will face in this very world for this very reason. These rusul inform their people
that they have been sent in this world to set up a miniature Day of Judgement.
Once they have communicated the truth to their addressees in a manner that they
are left with no excuse to deny it, they will have to face punishment in this very
world. Surah Qamar, which belongs to the sixth group of Qur’anic surahs, is the
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
footnotes:
1. Mankind was once one community. [Then differences surfaced between them]. So
God sent forth prophets as bearers of glad tidings and as warners. (2:213)
2. Rusul are a higher cadre among the anbiya’. (Translator)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
best example of this indhar. Here, after indicating His practice about rusul of Allah
and their people, the Almighty has warned:
(Are your disbelievers better men than these? Or are you given immunity
in the Scriptures? (54:43)). It is evident from the coherence and arrangement of the
Qur’an that in the last group of the Qur’an, the six surahs from Surah Mulk (67) to
Surah Jinn (72) belong to this phase of preaching. A study of these surahs reveals
the tone, style and arguments messengers of God adopt in this phase. In Surah
Qalam, after mentioning the parable of the people of the orchard, while summing
up this indhar, the Qur’an says:
[People of Makkah! You are denying this rasul. So take heed] in such a way
shall the punishment come, and the punishment of the Hereafter shall be much
greater than this if they only knew. (68:33)
Since the consequences of this indhar have to materialize in this world, hence
its addressees are primarily people who wield influence in some form or another.
These are the people whose character and conduct the masses follow; their wellbeing
or health is instrumental in keeping others well or healthy; if their intellect
is convinced of a certain ideology, it becomes a source for convincing others of
this ideology; their material means and resources increase the power wielded by
the truth; their mental ability can inspire the intellect of the masses and stir their
souls in favour of the message they preach. Such is the influence they exercise
that unless the masses are able to see that these people have been intellectually
defeated, and their philosophies have been uprooted from their base through
sound reasoning and the edifice of their systems of morality and politics is
publicly brought down, the masses would not be fully devoted to and convinced
of the cause of the right message; they would not be able to get out of the
whirlpool of their previous views and relieve themselves of indecision; they
would also not be able to feel elevated while following the message of truth – the
elevation which is necessary to induce in them the courage and strength to break
the shackles and hold of the dominant elements of the society that have spun a
strong web of influence.
The way this characteristic of indhar becomes evident from the Qur’an is
explained thus by Imam Amin Ah_san Is_lah_i:
… Abraham (sws) at the very outset called to the truth his family and clan
who held the reins of religious leadership. He then called to the truth the king
who had the reins of political authority and who thought that he had power
over the life and death of his people … The Almighty had directed Moses
(sws) to first of all address the Pharaoh … Jesus (sws) first called upon the
scholars of the Jews. Similarly, the preaching endeavours of the Prophets
Noah (sws), Hud (sws) and S_alih# (sws) are all mentioned in the Qur’an. All
these prophets began their preaching by calling upon the people who were in
authority in their times. They tried to wake up those in authority and the
arrogant people of their times from their deep slumber and vehemently
criticized their views. Finally, Muh_ammad (sws) was sent and asked to warn
his immediate relatives. These relatives were the religious and political
leaders of the patriarchal polity of Arabia and with this reference morally and
politically guided all the people of Arabia.3
The Almighty says:
And in a similar manner have We revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an that you
may warn the central-city and those who dwell around it and warn them of the
day which is sure to come: when one group will go to Paradise and another to
Hell. (42:7)
ii. Indhar-i ‘Aam(Open Warning)
This is the second phase of the preaching of a rasul. There is no difference
between this phase and the previous one except that in the first preaching is done
individually and on a person-to-person basis or in certain select gatherings.
However, in this second phase, the Almighty directs His rusul to deliver open
warning through whatever means they can use, and whatever extent they can go
to, they should in order to openly preach among people. In the preaching
endeavours of the rusul, this phase is very tough. The Qur’an has informed us
that when this phase came during the preaching of Muh_ammad (sws), he was told
to stand in prayer at night in order to prepare for the hardships of this phase. It
was in this phase that Surah Muzzammil was revealed. In this surah, he was
directed by the Almighty to recite the Qur’an in a measured tone in the night
prayer of tahajjud. He was asked to remember the Almighty in his heart while
being fully aware of His attributes and to glorify and praise Him with his tongue
as much as he could, and in the loneliness of night fully devote himself to God.
The Almighty informed Him the reason for all these directives by saying:
(because soon We shall lay on you the burden of a heavy
word, (73:5)).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
3. Amin Ah_san Is_lah_i, Da‘wat-i din awr us ka t_ariqah-i kar, 2nd ed. (Lahore: Faran
Foundation, 1989), 50.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The immediate reason for this thread is the search for answers of the following question, which has been raised in a discussion on the measures of ISIS against Yazidis:
How should we understand those verses in Quran, which are about the fate of the direct addressees of the da'wah of the Prophet (SAW) -- Mushrikeen of Arabia, and Ahl-al-Kitaab of Arabia. Is it correct to derive the shariah from those verses for the mushrikeen of today?
Source
Following is an article, which I have taken from the Chapter Shariah of Preaching from Ustaaz javed Ahmed Ghamidi's book Mizan, which is also available online from
http://www.al-mawrid.org/pages/download_books.php
Footnotes of the book are inlined sometimes in between the text. I appologize, if it makes it less readable.
Prologue
An important requirement of religion is that its followers should also continue
to urge others to adopt and adhere to it. It is this requirement of religion for
which the terms da‘wah (preaching) and tabligh (propagation) are used. We
Muslims have always been aware that the radiance of faith and good deeds that
we have been blessed with entails that we must also enlighten others about it. It is
because of this importance of preaching and propagation that the Almighty has
revealed a detailed shari‘ah about it just as He has done so in spheres such as
politics, economics and worship besides some others. A study of this shari‘ah
shows that the responsibility of preaching has been imposed in distinct categories
on the believers according to their various capacities.
For convenience of understanding, the shari‘ah of preaching can be categorized
as follows:
i. Preaching Obligation of Prophets
ii. Preaching Obligation of Abraham’s Progeny
iii. Preaching Obligation of the Scholars
iv. Preaching Obligation of the Rulers
v. Preaching Obligation of an Individual
vi. Strategy of Preaching
In the following pages, the shari‘ah of preaching described in the Qur’an is
detailed out below:
1. Preaching Obligation of Prophets
O Prophet! We have sent you forth as a witness, a bearer of good tidings, and
a warner and as one who shall call men to God by His leave and as a shining
lamp for the guidance [of mankind.] (33:45-46)
The above verses refer to the preaching responsibility of the Prophet
Muh_ammad (sws). It is evident from the Qur’an that all prophets of God were
sent to call people to God and to warn and to give glad tidings to them. The
Qur’anic words:1 also
mention this very fact. From among these anbiya’ (prophets), those who were
given the status of rusul (messengers), their indhar (warning) culminated in
shahadah. In the terminology of the Qur’an, shahadah means that the truth is
communicated to people in such a manner that no one is left with an excuse to
deny it. The Qur’anic words used are:
(so that mankind after the coming of these messengers is left with no excuse
against the Almighty, (4:165)). The way this shahadah is established is that the
Almighty selects these rusul and then, before the actual Day of reward and
punishment, rewards and punishes in this very world people to whom the rusul
are sent. People are told that if they honour their covenant with God, they will be
rewarded in this world and if they dishonour it, they will be punished here. The
result of this is that these rusul become signs of God, and it is as if people see
God walking along with the rusul who deliver His verdicts. Moreover, these
rusul are directed to propagate the truth and deliver to people the exact guidance
of God they have received. This is shahadah, and when it is established on this
earth, it becomes a basis for God to deliver His Judgement both in this world and
in that to come. Consequently, the Almighty grants dominance to these rusul and
punishes those who reject them. The word (shahidan_) used in the above
quoted verses of Surah Ah_zab delineates this very status of the Prophet
Muh_ammad (sws).
Delivering of warnings and glad tidings by anbiya’ (prophets) does not require
any explanation. However, when rusul2 (messengers) deliver these warnings and
glad tidings, then this requires some elaboration because these rusul must also
fulfil the responsibility of shahadah. As a result of this responsibility, there are
certain phases of their preaching endeavour. And there are certain consequences
of these phases which are peculiar to the rusul only. This preaching is not related
to any other person except the rusul.
In the following paragraphs, these phases are elaborated upon.
i. Indhar (Warning)
This is the first phase of preaching of the rusul. Indhar means to warn someone
of the evil consequences of something. It is evident from the Qur’an that the rusul
of God always warn their people of two punishments: the punishment which those
who reject these rusul will face in the Hereafter, and the punishment which they
will face in this very world for this very reason. These rusul inform their people
that they have been sent in this world to set up a miniature Day of Judgement.
Once they have communicated the truth to their addressees in a manner that they
are left with no excuse to deny it, they will have to face punishment in this very
world. Surah Qamar, which belongs to the sixth group of Qur’anic surahs, is the
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
footnotes:
1. Mankind was once one community. [Then differences surfaced between them]. So
God sent forth prophets as bearers of glad tidings and as warners. (2:213)
2. Rusul are a higher cadre among the anbiya’. (Translator)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
best example of this indhar. Here, after indicating His practice about rusul of Allah
and their people, the Almighty has warned:
(Are your disbelievers better men than these? Or are you given immunity
in the Scriptures? (54:43)). It is evident from the coherence and arrangement of the
Qur’an that in the last group of the Qur’an, the six surahs from Surah Mulk (67) to
Surah Jinn (72) belong to this phase of preaching. A study of these surahs reveals
the tone, style and arguments messengers of God adopt in this phase. In Surah
Qalam, after mentioning the parable of the people of the orchard, while summing
up this indhar, the Qur’an says:
[People of Makkah! You are denying this rasul. So take heed] in such a way
shall the punishment come, and the punishment of the Hereafter shall be much
greater than this if they only knew. (68:33)
Since the consequences of this indhar have to materialize in this world, hence
its addressees are primarily people who wield influence in some form or another.
These are the people whose character and conduct the masses follow; their wellbeing
or health is instrumental in keeping others well or healthy; if their intellect
is convinced of a certain ideology, it becomes a source for convincing others of
this ideology; their material means and resources increase the power wielded by
the truth; their mental ability can inspire the intellect of the masses and stir their
souls in favour of the message they preach. Such is the influence they exercise
that unless the masses are able to see that these people have been intellectually
defeated, and their philosophies have been uprooted from their base through
sound reasoning and the edifice of their systems of morality and politics is
publicly brought down, the masses would not be fully devoted to and convinced
of the cause of the right message; they would not be able to get out of the
whirlpool of their previous views and relieve themselves of indecision; they
would also not be able to feel elevated while following the message of truth – the
elevation which is necessary to induce in them the courage and strength to break
the shackles and hold of the dominant elements of the society that have spun a
strong web of influence.
The way this characteristic of indhar becomes evident from the Qur’an is
explained thus by Imam Amin Ah_san Is_lah_i:
… Abraham (sws) at the very outset called to the truth his family and clan
who held the reins of religious leadership. He then called to the truth the king
who had the reins of political authority and who thought that he had power
over the life and death of his people … The Almighty had directed Moses
(sws) to first of all address the Pharaoh … Jesus (sws) first called upon the
scholars of the Jews. Similarly, the preaching endeavours of the Prophets
Noah (sws), Hud (sws) and S_alih# (sws) are all mentioned in the Qur’an. All
these prophets began their preaching by calling upon the people who were in
authority in their times. They tried to wake up those in authority and the
arrogant people of their times from their deep slumber and vehemently
criticized their views. Finally, Muh_ammad (sws) was sent and asked to warn
his immediate relatives. These relatives were the religious and political
leaders of the patriarchal polity of Arabia and with this reference morally and
politically guided all the people of Arabia.3
The Almighty says:
And in a similar manner have We revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an that you
may warn the central-city and those who dwell around it and warn them of the
day which is sure to come: when one group will go to Paradise and another to
Hell. (42:7)
ii. Indhar-i ‘Aam(Open Warning)
This is the second phase of the preaching of a rasul. There is no difference
between this phase and the previous one except that in the first preaching is done
individually and on a person-to-person basis or in certain select gatherings.
However, in this second phase, the Almighty directs His rusul to deliver open
warning through whatever means they can use, and whatever extent they can go
to, they should in order to openly preach among people. In the preaching
endeavours of the rusul, this phase is very tough. The Qur’an has informed us
that when this phase came during the preaching of Muh_ammad (sws), he was told
to stand in prayer at night in order to prepare for the hardships of this phase. It
was in this phase that Surah Muzzammil was revealed. In this surah, he was
directed by the Almighty to recite the Qur’an in a measured tone in the night
prayer of tahajjud. He was asked to remember the Almighty in his heart while
being fully aware of His attributes and to glorify and praise Him with his tongue
as much as he could, and in the loneliness of night fully devote himself to God.
The Almighty informed Him the reason for all these directives by saying:
(because soon We shall lay on you the burden of a heavy
word, (73:5)).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
3. Amin Ah_san Is_lah_i, Da‘wat-i din awr us ka t_ariqah-i kar, 2nd ed. (Lahore: Faran
Foundation, 1989), 50.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------