The
Prophet’s Manner of Inviting People to the Way of Allâh
By Sheikh Muhammad Sadiq
|
|
*
Taken from the Author’s book, “The
Way of Prophet Muhammad
|
“Say
(O Muhammad) : ‘This my way; I invite unto Allâh ...” (Yusuf
12:108)
The
Prophet (
, sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam, meaning: may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him)
first
himself followed the Qur’ânic guidance and then, as part of the call of
this guidance, invited everyone to follow it. By practising it first, he set
the example and urged people to follow the same. He asked them to observe
his way. In this sense he is in Islam the first monotheist, the first
believer and the first Muslim, a point recognised by Allâh:
“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Verily,
my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh alone, the
Lord of all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been
commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.’” (Al-An’am,
6:162,163)
The
above verse clarifies that the Prophet
is the first Muslim, the first
to pledge obedience to Allâh. Given this, he is the first to follow the
Qur’ân. His practice preceded his call. As the guide, he called others to
the right way. He is undoubtedly the only leader, guide and Imam of his Ummah.
In line with Divine guidance, he alone set the way to the Hereafter. All
Companions, Successors, their followers, Hadith scholars,
jurisprudents, saints and pious persons attained proximity to Allâh by
following only the Prophet’s way. Obedience to him is a condition for one
seeking to get salvation. His way ensures success and prosperity for his Ummah.
What
is the Prophet’s way?
The
Prophet’s way stands for his sayings, actions, Sunnah, Hadith, life,
conduct, morals and manners .His sayings and his practice embody his way.
The guidance provided by his Sunnah,
Hadith, life, conduct, morals and
manners point the way to Paradise. These indicate his right way and ensure
one’s entry into Paradise.
Fruits
of accepting the Prophet’s call
Narrated Jabir (
, RadhiAllahu
anhu, meaning: May Allah be pleased with him) Angels visited the Prophet (
) while he was asleep. They told one another: “There is a saying for
this person (Muhammad,
) and they related the same (so that it may reach
the Prophet’s followers).” Some angels said: “Since he is asleep, it
is pointless to relate the same”. To this some said: “While he is
asleep, his heart remains awake (so it should be related)”. Then they
elaborated: “His similitude is that of one who built a house, managed for
a feast there and sent a person to invite the people to the same. Then the
one who accepted the invitation, would enter the house and have food. But
the one who rejects his invitation would not enter the house and get no
food”. Some angels asked its further clarification — so that he may follow it. Someone observed: ‘He is asleep’. To this
others replied: ‘He is asleep while his heart remains awake’. Then the
angels said: (In the above similitude) the house represents Paradise, the
caller is Muhammad
.
One who accepts his call stands for
the one who obeys Muhammad and thus obeys Allâh; and the one who
rejects his call disobeys Muhammad and thus disobeys Allâh. Muhammad thus
distinguishes between people in respect of truth and falsehood’.
(Bukhâri)
Explanation:
What the above-quoted Hadith means is that Allâh built a house i.e., Paradise, and
arranged for provision therein. Then He sent down Muhammad
as
Messenger among people, asking him to invite people to the provisions in
Paradise. According he invited people to the same. Those who greeted his
call, affirming sincerely that there is no God but Allâh and Muhammad
is His Messenger, and led their life in obedience to him would enter
the house, i.e., Paradise and enjoy Divine bounties by partaking provisions
in Paradise. And those rejecting his call would not enter the house. Nor
would they get any of the provisions of the house i.e., Paradise.
Allâh’s
feast
As already observed, the angels
pointed out that those greeting the Prophet’s call represent those
obedient to him and to Allâh. In contrast, those not responding to his call
are rebels to him and to Allâh. Moreover, those greeting his call are those
who believe in his Messengership, follow his word and deed, hold him in
utmost love and obey him at all cost. They are the ones who follow his way
in response to his sayings.
It is worth noting that Allâh
deputed angels to inform people through the Prophet
that he invites
them to Allâh. He urges fellow human beings to turn to Allâh. Those
responding positively to him, believing in his Messengership, professing
Monotheism and following him throughout their life would enjoy Allâh’s
provisions in His house. In other words, those accepting the Prophet’s
call in his life would be blessed with Allâh’s feast in the Hereafter.
Angels made it plain as well that those not responding to the Prophet’s
call rebel against him and against Allâh.
While it is obligatory on
adherents of all other religions to accept the Prophet’s call, it is
imperative for the believers to accept all of the Prophet’s
Ahadith and Sunnah,
without rejecting any. They must not neglect any of his commands, statements
and calls. Moreover, they must realise that the Prophet
alone is to be
followed in matters of religion. They should not turn to anyone other than
him. One reminding them of the Prophet’s call, however, deserves to be
followed. For the Prophet
alone was blessed with revelation and with
the Book and therefore he alone is the spokesperson for religion.
Muslims
enjoined to respond to the Prophet’s call
On the authority of Abu Sa‘îd
bin Al-Mu‘alla it is reported in Sahih (Bukhâri) that while he was
praying in mosque, the Prophet
called him. He did not, however,
instantly respond. When he finished the prayer, he approached him, pleading
that he was praying. The Prophet
told him: Do you not know that Allâh
has directed:
“Answer Allâh and (His)
Messenger when he calls you.” (Al-Anfâl, 8:24)
According to another Hadith,
a similar incident happened to Ubai bin Ka‘ab
. The Prophet
told
him the same Divine command: “Answer Allâh and His Messenger when he
calls you” (Al-Anfal, 8:24). To this Ubai replied: “O Messenger
of Allâh! Although I was aware of this command, I committed a mistake. I
would not, Allâh willing, do the same again”.
Hanzalah bin Safwân
had
made love to his wife while there was issued the Prophet’s proclamation
for joining the battle of Uhud. He did not take the ritual bath lest he
might be late in answering the Prophet’s call. In the same state he joined
the Jihâd and attained martyrdom. Angels bathed him. The Prophet
asked why it was so that angels bathed him. The matter was referred to
the martyr’s wife who related the whole story.
The above reports about two
Companions that the Prophet
directed them to discontinue the prayer
for answering his call, and about Hanzalah who joined his call for Jihâd
without any delay, prove that the Prophet (SAW) is to be obeyed
unconditionally. It is clear from the above-quoted Qur’ânic verse and Hadith
reports that the Prophet’s call should be answered instantly. Since he is
no longer in our midst, his Sunnah
deserves the same treatment in that his Sunnah
and Hadith embody his call.
Penalty
for not accepting his call
Abu Hurairah
narrated that the
Prophet
said:
“All my community would enter
Paradise, except those who did not answer my call.” Companions asked:
“Who is he who did not answer your call?” He clarified: “One who
follows and obeys me would enter Paradise whereas one who disobeys me does
not answer my call.” (Bukhâri)
Explanation:
Obedience to the Prophet
consists in responding to his call.
Disobedience to him lies in the rejection of his call. Another important
point in this context is that in a choice between the Prophet’s word and
the word of a scholar of his nation, if one deliberately prefers the latter,
he belongs to the category of those who disobey and reject the Prophet’s
call.
Shah
Abdul-Haq Muhaddith Dehlavi’s explanation
On the above-quoted Hadith
narrated by Abu Hurairah, Shah Abdul-Haq Muhaddith Dehlavi observes:
“Following the Prophet
represents holding fast to the Qur’ân and Sunnah.
The same point is made in another Hadith:
“I leave behind in your midst two things. You would never fall into error
as long as you strictly adhere to these — the Qur’ân and Sunnah”.
Regarding the disobedient ones
the Shah holds: “Whoever disobeys, practises heresy, follows his desires
and whims is guilty of rebellion.” Rebellion consists in disobedience and
practising heresies. Muslims are well-advised to shun disobedience to the
Prophet (SAW). They should observe with heart and mind his Sunnah
and Ahadith and avoid heresies.
The
Prophet
pulls
us out of fire
Abu Huraira
narrated that
the Prophet
said:
“My similitude is of the one
who lit up a fire and when the fire lighted the surroundings, moths started
falling into it. He then began to prevent these from falling into the fire,
but instead of his efforts they kept on dropping in the fire. I (Prophet
Muhammad) am like the one who prevents you from fire while you persist on
entering into it’. (Bukhâri)
The Prophet
publicly
invited people to his way to his call, asking them to follow him. He
preached as much as possible. He related
to them Divine commands and warned them of Hell-fire. Yet the unfortunate
ones ran away from him and jumped headlong into the Hell; without paying any
heed to his repeated calls they turned to Hell.
Muslims who recite the Kalimah
of Islam should listen to only one call, that of the Prophet
. They
should turn deaf to all other calls which vie with his. The believers should
ask their religious leaders to recite to them only the Prophet’s call.
Identification
of the way to Paradise
Narrated Abdullah bin Mas‘ud
:
Allah’s Messenger
saw a
straight line (for our comprehension) saying that it is the way to Allâh.
Then he drew oblique lines on both the left and right of the straight line,
saying that Satan prompts you to follow these. He recited part of the Qur’ânic
verse: “This is My way, the straight one. So follow it..” (Ahmad,
Nasa’i and Dârimi)
The
Straight Path
The Prophet
was a sincere
well-wisher of his Ummah. He invited people by all means to goodness
and showed them the straight path. For example, he drew a straight line and
couple of oblique lines on its sides:
According
to another Hadith, Jâbir
narrated:
We were sitting in the company of
the Prophet
. He drew a straight line and two others on its each side.
Placing his hand on the straight one he remarked: “This is Allâh’s way;
all others are not His.” (Ibn
Mâjah)
Both
the narrations make the same point: the middle straight line, according to
the Prophet
, represents Allâh’s way in that it leads a person to
Him. It is the way of those who attain salvation — Messengers, the truthful
ones, martyrs, and the pious ones. What sets it apart is that it is the way
of Prophet Muhammad
, the leader of Messengers and Seal of Prophets. He
followed this way, which is described at some length in the following Hadith:
Abdullah bin ‘Amr
narrated that Allah’s Messenger
said:
“My Ummah (nation) would
find itself in the times completely similar to that of the Israelites.(6)
If someone from among those people would have openly approached his mother
for unlawful acts, there would also be someone of my Ummah who would
commit exactly the same crime. (The Israelites were afflicted with divisions
and dissensions as a result of the mischief of their rabbis.) They were
divided into seventy-two sects. My nation would be divided into
seventy-three sects (owing to the mischief of misguided Ulama).
Listen! All the sects would enter Hell, except one.’ All the sects would
enter hell, except one.’ The Companions enquired into the identity of this
sect. He (SAW) replied: ‘The
way of myself and my Companions.” (Mishkât)
Those following the way of the
Prophet
and his Companions would attain salvation as their beliefs and
deeds would be similar to those of the Prophet
and his Companions.
The
Saved Group
The following narration of Muâwiyah
is reported in the Hadith
collections of Ahmad and Abu Dâwud that Allah’s Messenger
said:
“Seventy-two sects would be in Hell while one in Paradise. This one
would be ‘Al-Jamâ‘ah’.(7) There would emerge many
groups from my Ummah and they would be overwhelmed with desires (i.e.
their beliefs and actions tainted with heresy) as rabies overtakes one’s
body affecting its each muscle and joint.”
(Abu Dâwud)
Way
of the Prophet
and his
Companions
The Prophet
identified the Saved Group as the one that would follow his way and
of his Companions. As already noted, the straight line drawn by him and
branded as Allâh’s way is the one pursued by him throughout his life.
Same was the practice of his more than one hundred and twenty-five thousand
Companions. In terms of the way of life, rituals, beliefs and actions one
should obey the Prophet
and his Companions. Success lies in the
following only this way. The Saved Group would follow in the footsteps of
the Prophet
and his Companions in all matters — rituals, beliefs and
actions.
The
Straight Path is the Path of the Messenger
One should better ask oneself at this juncture: Does Sunnah
not stand for the practice of the Prophet
? Does Hadith
not signify his sayings and commands? Since his way, beliefs and actions
constitute Sunnah and Hadith,
should every Muslim not follow the same? Moreover, we know that the
Companions followed only the same. As it is the case, should we not follow
their practice which signifies obedience to the Prophet
?
It must be remembered that the
Prophet’s way i.e., his Sunnah and Hadith stand for the
straight line, as referred to in the above Hadith.
Furthermore, it being Allâh’s way ensures our salvation and the means for
entering Paradise. All the Companions, Successors and their followers
pursued the Prophet’s way in observing Hadith
and Sunnah. Let us pledge that we
would follow only Hadith and Sunnah,
nothing else. And we would dismiss the sayings of others which run counter
to Ahadith and we would not accept any belief or action or practice
which is not endorsed by Hadith.
Command
to revive Sunnah
Religion is based on the sayings
and actions of Allâh’s true Messenger, Muhammad
. If any of his
sayings and actions is neglected or abandoned, it would impair Faith in the
same measure. The Prophet
has, therefore, commanded that his neglected
and abandoned Sunnah be revived;
and he promised a great reward for those who circulate and propagate his Sunnah. Bilâl bin Hârith narrated that the Prophet
said:
“Whoever revives a Sunnah of mine which was neglected after me is entitled to the same
reward which is due to those who practise it. And it would not render any
loss to their reward.” (Tirmidhi
and Ibn Mâjah)
O Muslim brethren! Revive the Prophet’s Sunnah. Circulate and propagate these. Whoever follows these and gets reward, and equivalent reward would accrue to you. Revive the Sunnah which are part of Salât and have been abandoned. Its revival would make you eligible for the Prophet’s glad tidings. Likewise, you should revive other Sunnah which are part of other forms of worship. It would help you achieve the status of one who revives Sunnah. In all walks of life draw on guidance from Hadith and Sunnah.