ادْعُ إِلِى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ
بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ
بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُواْ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِ
وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِّلصَّابِرينَ (١٦:
١٢٥-١٢٦)
Call men to the path of your Lord
with wisdom and kindly exhortation and debate with them in the most befitting
manner. Indeed, your Lord best knows those who stray from His path and those who
are rightly guided. And if you avenge, let this be commensurate with the wrong
that has been inflicted upon you. And if you exercise patience, then this is the
best way for the patient. (16:125-126) Although these verses address the
Prophet (sws) and his Companions (rta), and as such primarily relate to the
indhar of the Messengers, it is obvious that the directive stated in them is
general and cannot be confined to them alone. Consequently, in all categories
and types of preaching, these verses provide guidance regarding the strategy
that needs to be adopted. If one deliberates on these verses, one can derive the
following points regarding the guidance they provide us: Firstly,
wisdom, kindly exhortation and sound discussion should permeate the tone of this
preaching. By wisdom (hikmah) is meant the arguments present in the verses and
kindly exhortation and sound discussion means urging the adressees through
sincere reminders. The implication is that whatever is presented should be
supported by arguments and presented in the light of knowledge and intellect and
one should not be aggressive and forceful in one’s presentation. One’s tone
should reflect sincerity and affection. If the stage reaches that of debate and
argument, then this should be done in a most befitting manner. If the opponent
becomes hostile and antagonistic, then instead of responding in an even more
belligerent manner, a true preacher should always remain polite and civilized. Secondly,
the responsibility of a preacher is that of preaching only: he should
communicate the truth and elucidate it, and in no way show any slackness in
urging and exhorting people towards it. If he discharges this responsibility in
a befitting manner, he fulfills an obligation. It is the Almighty Who decides to
give guidance to a person or to lead him astray. He knows full well those who
have erred and also those who are rightly guided. He shall thus deal with a
person in a manner he is worthy of. A preacher should not try to force the truth
on others nor should he give verdicts about the fate a person shall meet in the
Hereafter. This is the sole prerogative of the Almighty, and the only
responsibility of a preacher is to communicate the truth, and he must not exceed
this. In the
preaching of Muhammad (sws), this aspect is explained by the Qur’an in the
following manner: إِنَّكَ
لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَن يَشَاء وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ
بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ (٥٦:٢٨)
You cannot guide whomever you please:
it is God who guides [according to His Law] whom He pleases and He best knows
those who are guided. (28:56) إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ
اللّهَ لاَ يَهْدِي مَن يُضِلُّ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّاصِرِينَ (٣٧:١٦) If you are anxious about their guidance [it should remain
clear to you], God does not guide those whom He [according to His law] leads
astray, and God does not help such people. (16:37) اتَّبِعْ مَا
أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ
الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُواْ وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ
حَفِيظًا وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ (٦:
١٠٦-١٠٧) Therefore follow what has been revealed to you from your
Lord. There is no god but Him, and ignore these polytheists, and [remember that]
had God pleased, they would not have indulged in polytheism and [remember also
that] We have not made you their keeper, nor are you their guardian. (6:106-107) فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ
لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُسَيْطِرٍ (٨٨
:٢١-٢٢) [O Prophet!] keep reminding; you are only one who reminds;
you are not one to force [your message] upon others. (88:21-22) فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاَغُ
وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ (٤٠:١٣) So your responsibility is only to
communicate and it is Us who will take [their] account. (13:40) Thirdly, if the addressees of
preaching resort to oppression and inflict harm on the preacher, he is allowed
to avenge it in a proportion commensurate with the harm inflicted while
remaining within moral limits; however, in the eyes of God, it is better that a
person bears this oppression without avenging it; he should not take any measure
of revenge; neither should he change his stance after being overwhelmed with
hardships. Those who show patience at these instances are promised great
rewards. Not only will they face its good consequence in this world, they will
also encounter good consequences in the Hereafter. At another instance, the
Qur’an has urged the believers to refrain from avenging the harm inflicted on
them, and, on the contrary, to display a befitting attitude: وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا
السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ
عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا
وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ
الشَّيْطَانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (٤١:
٣٤-٣٦) And good and evil are not the same. Requite evil with
good, and you will see that he who is your enemy will become your dearest
friend. [And remember] none receives this wisdom except those who patiently
endure and none receive it except those who are truly fortunate. If [in this
matter] Satan tempts you, seek refuge in God. Indeed, He hears all and knows
all. (41:34-36) This endurance can only
sustain in a person when at the very outset, preachers of Islam are fully aware
of the fact that in this endeavour, there can be trials and tests in which a
person is robbed of his wealth, orchards are destroyed, hardships are inflicted,
limbs are severed and even life is lost. At times, evil tries to allure a
preacher and at times intimidate him. Avarice and fear are used to divert him
from the right path. At other times, he is put behind bars and subjected to
cruel punishments which dislocates his joints; he is suspended in a muddy well;
he is stoned to death right between the altar and the holy of holies, and his
head is cut and presented to dancing girls. Preachers should have faith
that the Almighty Who has blessed them with guidance and imposed the
responsibility of preaching upon them, will definitely help them in hardships
and difficulties: وَمَا لَنَا
أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانَا سُبُلَنَا وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى
مَا آذَيْتُمُونَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ (١٢:١٤) And why should we not trust in God, when He has already
guided us to our paths? We will endure your persecution patiently and [we know
that] in God should all the trusting put their trust. (14:12) It is these three points which
form the basis of the strategy in preaching religion. The last of these two do
not require much explanation; however, while presenting one’s message with
wisdom and with kindly exhortation certain aspects – the source of which is the
example set by the prophets – should be kept in consideration. In the following
pages, these shall be discussed in detail. Consideration of Intellectual
Ability The first thing is that every
preacher should present his message according to the intellectual ability of his
addressees. People who are unaware of the fundamentals of Islam must not be
preached principle directives which are based on these fundamentals. Similarly,
people who are in the process of understanding the principle directives must not
be presented their fine details and corollaries. If the topics of philosophy of
religion cannot be presented before the masses, then without dealing with them,
the details of the shari‘ah will also not become attractive to the intellectual
class. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes: People who do not understand this
system of religion and the benefits of this way of preaching of the prophets end
up urging their addressees to not only adopt the obligatory prayers but also
optional prayers like those of tahajjud and ishraq before they make an effort to
create the true cognizance of God in a person. Instead of first making people
aware of the need of a prophet and need to follow and obey him they start asking
them to keep beards, trim moustaches and to keep their legware above the ankles.
They want to see a person overwhelmed with humility and fear of God before he
has any lasting and strong faith in the Hereafter. Because of their efforts, the
size of the beards may increase, legware may be restrained above the ankles,
artificial humility and modesty may pervade the countenance and mannerisms of
people, strict observance of the Sunnah in eating, drinking, coughing and
sneezing may become a punctual habit, yet since all this has been engendered in
an irrational and unnatural manner, all the piety such people boast is
tantamount to “straining out gnats but swallowing camels”.1 This aspect must also be kept in
consideration for the instruction and training of those who profess faith in the
message preached. A study of the biography of the Prophet (sws) shows that the
way he dealt with senior Companions like Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, Mu‘adh
Ibn Jabal, Sa‘d Ibn Mu‘adh, Zayd Ibn Thabit, Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah, ‘Abdullah Ibn
Mas‘ud would be very different from the way he dealt with the common Companions.
He would require them to be at a certain level and would hold them accountable
to a greater degree. The way he would teach Islam to a common Bedouin would be
very different from the way he would teach the Companions of high stature. By
merely studying the difference in his dealings with Mu‘adh Ibn Jabal and Abu
Dharr Ghaffari, the things which he kept in consideration in this regard become
evident. One aspect of this is that
whatever he taught to people, he taught it gradually and piecemeal so that it
could become deeply rooted in their hearts and minds and become part of their
deeds. It is only after they had fully digested one directive that the next was
given. The next directive was given in a manner that it would neither become a
burden on the weak nor would it discourage and demotivate those who could digest
more. While explaining this aspect, Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes: The preaching of a true preacher
can be compared to that of a farmer. Just as a farmer cannot achieve his
objective by merely sowing seeds in a land similarly, a true preacher cannot
accomplish his objective by merely counseling people; it is essential that he
should have the same concern for his endeavour as a dutiful farmer has for the
seeds he has sown. Just as a farmer is watchful that the seeds are firmly
planted in the ground, they receive water at the right time, they are protected
from inclement weather, weeds do not obstruct their development, they are
protected from birds and animals – and it is after a long period of hard work
and care in which he forgoes rest and sleep that he is able to reap the fruit of
his labour – in a similar way, a true preacher is only able to reap the harvest
of his labour when he has the strength and capacity not only to present his
message to people but also to bear the burden of training and instructing them.
Otherwise, just as the seeds sown by an unconcerned farmer become a target of
foul climatic conditions and become fodder for animal and birds, in a similar
manner, the preaching of a true preacher ends up in vain.2 The Almighty has affirmed that
the reason for gradually revealing the Qur’an is to instruct and train people: وَقُرْآناً
فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلاً
(١٠٦:١٧) And We have revealed the Qur’an piecemeal so that you may
gradually recite it to people and We have painstakingly revealed it. (17:106)
Similarly, it is stated: وَقَالَ
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً
كَذَلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلًا (٣٢:٢٥) And the disbelievers ask: “Why was the Qur’an not revealed
to him in a single revelation? We have revealed it thus so that We may
strengthen your heart and We have imparted it to you in a gradual manner.”
(25:32) ‘A’ishah (rta), mother of the believers, explains: إنما نزل أول ما نزل منه سورة من
المفصل فيها ذكر الجنة والنار حتى إذا ثاب الناس إلى الإسلام نزل الحلال والحرام
ولو نزل أول شيء لا تشربوا الخمر لقالوا لا ندع الخمر أبدا ولو نزل لا تزنوا لقالوا
لا ندع الزنا أبدا (بخاري رقم
٤٧٠٧) The first thing to be revealed in the Qur’an was a surah
from among the mufassal which mentions Paradise and Hell until when people
entered the folds of Islam, then directives regarding prohibition and allowance
were revealed and [in reality] if the directive: “Refrain from drinking alcohol”
had been revealed earlier on, people would have said: “We will never refrain
from alcohol”, and if the directive: “Do not commit fornication” had been
revealed, people would have said: “We will never refrain from fornication.” (Bukhari,
No: 4707) Psychological Considerations Secondly, the psyche of the addressees must also be kept
in consideration. Just as rain at the wrong time has no effect on the land and
may at times be detrimental to it, in a similar manner, preaching done without
giving due consideration to the mental state and psyche of the addressees will
find little response. Thus sole reliance should not be made on the fact that
since truth has its own strength it will be accepted whenever delivered; it is
essential that a preacher must assess if his addressees are in the right
psychological state to listen and to understand his message. In this regard, the situations which a preacher may have
to face may not be comprehensively stated here, however, the principle guidance
provided by the Qur’an and Hadith are explained below: 1. Whatever aspect of religion be
presented before people should be presented in a manner that instead of feeling
an abhorrence and loathing for it, people have a feeling of ease and fondness
for it. The same thing can pose difficulty when presented from one angle and it
can provide ease when presented from another. If, at the beginning of preaching,
only those aspects of the message are presented which have an attraction for
people who are at a distance from religion, then it can be expected that later
on they will even gradually accept things which are averse to their nature. The
Prophet is reported to have said: بشروا ولا تنفروا
(Give glad tidings to people and do not spread hatred
among them)3.
Consequently, while stating a principle, he has also said: فإنما بعثتم
ميسرين ولم تبعثوا معسرين (بخاري رقم
٤٧٠٤) You have been sent to create ease
and you have not been sent to create difficulty. (Bukhari, No: 217.) 2. A preacher should not
criticize the beliefs and cherished personalities of his addressees in a style
which induces in them the feelings of adhering to their views even if these
views have no moral basis. He should specially refrain from regarding his own
cherished personalities to be superior to those of his addressees, and should
focus all his efforts in explaining his point of view and in achieving his
objective. While becoming overwhelmed for the cause of truth and the urge to
subdue evil, he should not say something which annoys the addressees and makes
them so desperate that they retaliate recklessly. The Qur’an says: وَلاَ تَسُبُّواْ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ
مِن دُونِ اللّهِ فَيَسُبُّواْ اللّهَ عَدْوًا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ (١٠٨:٦) And do not revile those which they invoke besides God,
lest in their ignorance they revile God with rancour. (6:108) 3. A preacher should specially take into consideration the
fact that since the leaders and chiefs among the addressees of a preacher always
want themselves to be respected, he should not adopt a style that hurts their
ego in this regard lest this may become a hindrance for them in accepting the
truth. The Almighty directed two of His great prophets: Moses (sws) and Aaron (sws)
to keep this aspect in consideration: اذْهَبَا إِلَى
فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ
أَوْ يَخْشَى (٢٠:
٤٣-٤٤) Go both of you to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed all
bounds. Speak to him with gentle words that he may yet take heed or fear [his
Lord]. (20:43-44) Thus if a stage arises that criticizing the base
characters of their elders becomes a requirement of preaching, indirect styles
of address should be adopted. The best example of this style is the Almighty’s
comment on the leadership of the Quraysh in Surah Qalam: وَلَا
تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَهِينٍ هَمَّازٍ مَشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ مَنَّاعٍ لِلْخَيْرِ
مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ زَنِيمٍ أَنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ وَبَنِينَ
إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِ آيَاتُنَا قَالَ أَسَاطِيرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى
الْخُرْطُومِ (٦٨:
١٠-
١٥) And heed not [among them every person who is a] swearer of
false oaths, despicable, maker of evil gestures, who goes about sowing seeds of
dissension, forbidder of good, transgressor, usurper of rights, cruel and
moreover is rootless. This is so because he has wealth and children. When Our
revelations are recited to him he cries out: “These are but tales of the
ancients.” (68:10-15) 4. If at times, the addressees are in a mood of raising
objections or have taken to jeering and ridiculing, then in this state not only
should a preacher refrain from presenting his message before them but also if at
times a similar situation arises after he has presented his message he should
discontinue his effort and wait for some other opportune moment. The Almighty
says: وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَخُوضُونَ
فِي آيَاتِنَا فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ
وَإِمَّا يُنسِيَنَّكَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلاَ تَقْعُدْ بَعْدَ الذِّكْرَى مَعَ
الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ (٦٨:٦) And when you see those that scoff at Our revelations,
withdraw from them till they engage in other talk and should Satan cause you to
forget this, do not sit with the wrongdoers as soon as you remember. (6:68) 5. It is essential for a preacher to abstain from
presenting his message in an unconcerned and mechanical manner as well as from
elaborating it too much and from being anxious to impart it at inappropriate
times. He should also avoid repetition and monotony in this regard. Moreover, he
should not present his message when his addressees are busy and it would be hard
for them to listen to him at that time: عن
أبي وائل قال كان عبد الله يذكر الناس في كل خميس فقال له رجل يا أبا عبد الرحمن
لوددت أنك ذكرتنا كل يوم قال أما إنه يمنعني من ذلك أني أكره أن أملكم وإني أتخولكم
بالموعظة كما كان النبي e
يتخولنا بها مخافة السآمة علينا)
بخاري رقم 70)
It is narrated by Abu Wa’il that
Ibn Mas‘ud would instruct and remind people [about religion] every Thursday. A
person from among them said: “O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, I want you to remind us
every day.” He replied: “I don’t do this lest it may be burdensome on you. I
remind you at intervals the way the Prophet (sws) used to remind us at intervals
lest we may become fed-up.” (Bukhari, No: 40)
إن طول صلاة الرجل وقصر خطبته مئنة من فقهه فأطيلوا الصلاة
واقصروا الخطبة وإن من البيان سحرا (مسلم رقم
٨٦٩) Prolonging the prayer and
shortening the sermon is the sign of wisdom of a person, so prolong the prayer
and shorten the sermon and be informed that some sermons caste a magical spell
[on the addressees]. (Muslim, No: 869) Ibn ‘Abbas (rta), one of the
Prophet’s most celebrated Companions is reported to have said:
حدث الناس كل جمعة مرة فإن أبيت فمرتين فإن أكثرت فثلاث مرار
ولا تمل الناس هذا القرآن ولا ألفينك تأتي القوم وهم في حديث من حديثهم فتقص عليهم
فتقطع عليهم حديثهم فتملهم ولكن أنصت فإذا أمروك فحدثهم وهم يشتهونه (بخاري رقم
٥٩٧٨) Counsel and remind people every
Friday. If it is to be more than this, then do it twice and if you want to do
this even more frequently, then do it thrice. Do not make people fed-up with
this Qur’an and I should not see you going to a group of people while they are
busy conversing among themselves and you start counselling and reminding them
and in this manner you make them repulsive to it. This is not right; do not
speak. When people wish to, then speak to them such that they are desirous of
listening. (Bukhari, No: 5978) 6. Just as a true preacher should
refrain from presenting his message at inopportune moments, in a similar manner,
he should also be very eager to cash upon opportune moments. He should be very
anxious to present his message at the right time in much the same manner as the
prophet Joseph (sws) did, even when he got a chance while being imprisoned: وَدَخَلَ
مَعَهُ السِّجْنَ فَتَيَانَ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا
وَقَالَ الآخَرُ إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي خُبْزًا تَأْكُلُ
الطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
قَالَ لاَ يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌ تُرْزَقَانِهِ إِلاَّ نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ
قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتِيكُمَا ذَلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِي رَبِّي إِنِّي تَرَكْتُ
مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ وَهُم بِالآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ
وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ آبَآئِـي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ مَا كَانَ
لَنَا أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِاللّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ذَلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ اللّهِ عَلَيْنَا
وَعَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَشْكُرُونَ يَا صَاحِبَيِ
السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ
مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلاَّ أَسْمَاء سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَآؤُكُم
مَّا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ لِلّهِ أَمَرَ
أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـكِنَّ
أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَمَّا أَحَدُكُمَا
فَيَسْقِي رَبَّهُ خَمْرًا وَأَمَّا الآخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِن
رَّأْسِهِ قُضِيَ الأَمْرُ الَّذِي فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ (١٢:
٣٦-٤١)
And with him two young men also entered the prison. One
said: “I dreamt that I was squeezing grapes.” And the other: “I dreamt that I
was carrying a loaf upon my head from which birds are eating.” Interpret these
[dreams] for us; we see that you are a pious man. Joseph replied: “I will
interpret them for you before you are provided with food that you are fed with
here. This is part of the knowledge my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have left
the faith of those who do not believe in God and they are the ones who deny the
Hereafter, and I have adopted the way of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. We have no right to associate others with God. This is the grace which
God has bestowed on us and on all mankind, yet most men are not grateful. Fellow
prisoners! Are many gods better than God, the One who prevails on all? Those you
worship besides Him are nothing but names which you and your fathers have
devised. God has revealed no sanction for them. Sovereignty rests only with God.
He has directed you to worship none but Him. This is the true faith: yet most
men do not know it. Fellow prisoners, one of you will serve his Lord with wine.
As for the other, he will be crucified, and the birds will tear apart his head
and eat it. This is the judgement about which you two were asking. (12:36-41)
While commenting on the Prophet Joseph’s preaching
initiative, Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, writes: Let us caste a glance at the whole incident: Two people
are inducted into jail together with Joseph (sws). Both have dreams and are
eager to have them interpreted. Among the inmates of prison, they think that
Joseph (sws) could help them in this matter. They thus describe their dreams to
him with great respect and reverence. In response, Joseph (sws), does not merely
interpret their dreams for them or earn some personal benefit by taking
advantage of the respect they have for him; on the contrary, taking this to be
an opportune moment, he presents before them the basic message of Islam and the
style he adopts is such that it seems that what he has to say naturally springs
forth and not something intentionally and artificially raised. This conversation
points to an important principle: Just as a farmer vigilantly waits for rain so
that he is able to sow seeds in his land, similarly, a true preacher should be
vigilant about his surroundings; he should be ready to grasp the opportunity of
presenting his message whenever he sees that someone is willing to listen to him
and the situation becomes conducive for sowing seeds of his message in the heart
of his addressee. The second principle which becomes evident from this incident
is that when with the grace of God such an opportunity arises it is not right to
waste it or to use it to one’s personal advantage. When selfish people get such
opportunities they try to use them for their own personal interests instead of
making the best out of them for the cause of preaching. In current times, most
of our scholars and saints are generally involved in this despicable practice.
When they find someone directing his attention towards them they become very
happy, but their happiness is not the happiness of the Prophet Joseph (sws) upon
seeing the attention of his companions; it is rather like the happiness of a
spider who spins a web around itself to catch flies and when it sees a fly
approaching its web, it swells with glee on the prospects of catching a precious
prey.4 7. Preaching should begin with what is agreed upon and
acknowledged. Differences should only gradually be discussed. A preacher should
start by presenting facts his addressee does not dispute, which are not alien to
him and are in fact the call of his own heart. Only once this is done should he
proceed to present the corollaries of unanimously acknowledged facts in a
gradual manner that the addressees are unconsciously attracted towards things
they are not used to of and which a preacher wants them to admit. The Prophet (sws)
has been directed by the Almighty to follow this principle in the following
words: قُلْ يَا
أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْاْ إِلَى كَلَمَةٍ سَوَاء بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ
أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ
بَعْضُنَا بَعْضاً أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللّهِ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُولُواْ
اشْهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِي
إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمَا أُنزِلَتِ التَّورَاةُ وَالإنجِيلُ إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِهِ
أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ هَاأَنتُمْ هَؤُلاء حَاجَجْتُمْ فِيمَا لَكُم بِهِ عِلمٌ
فَلِمَ تُحَآجُّونَ فِيمَا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَاللّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ
لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن
كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (٣:
٦٤-٦٧)
Tell them: “People of the Book, come to what is agreed
upon among us: that we will worship none but God, that we will associate none
with Him, and that none of us shall regard any one other than God as our Lord.”
If they turn away, tell them: “Bear witness, then, that we are Muslims.” O
People of the Book! why do you argue about Abraham when both the Torah and the
Gospel were not revealed till after him? Have you no sense? It is you who have
argued about things of which you have some knowledge. Why do you now argue about
that of which you have no knowledge at all? [In reality] God knows, and you know
not. Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. He was an upright man, one who
submitted to God and he was not a polytheist. (3:64-67) 8. If one’s addressee instead of responding to the
arguments of a preacher through arguments resorts to foul play, then instead of
pressing his arguments, a preacher should present his message from another angle
so that if his addressee does not accept it then at least he has no way to
counter it. The best example of this form of form of exchange is the encounter
of Abraham (sws) with the Pharaoh in which the following dialogue took place: أَلَمْ تَرَ
إِلَى الَّذِي حَآجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رِبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ
قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِـي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِـي
وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ
فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي
الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ (
٢:
٢٥٨) Have you not seen the person who argued with Abraham about
his Lord merely because God had bestowed sovereignty upon him when Abraham said
[to him]: “My Lord is the One who gives life and death.” He replied: “I too have
this power.” Abraham at once remarked: “God brings out the sun from the east;
you bring it out from the west.” The unbeliever was confounded [at this remark].
And [in reality] God does not guide such evil-doers. (2:258) Style of Preaching Thirdly, since the objective of true preaching is not
merely to explain the truth, but to explain it in a manner and style that the
common man as well as the learned among men have no difficulty in understanding
it, a true preacher should always try to present his message in such an
effective and natural way that people who have the slightest of potential to
understand it, are able to grasp it and it also becomes evident about those who
evade it that they cannot be expected to benefit from it. For this very reason,
when Moses (sws) was assigned Prophethood, he prayed thus: رَبِّ اشْرَحْ
لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا
قَوْلِي وَاجْعَل لِّي وَزِيرًا مِّنْ أَهْلِي هَارُونَ أَخِي اشْدُدْ بِهِ أَزْرِي
وَأَشْرِكْهُ فِي أَمْرِي كَيْ نُسَبِّحَكَ كَثِيرًا وَنَذْكُرَكَ كَثِيرًا إِنَّكَ
كُنتَ بِنَا بَصِيرًا (٢٠:
٢٥-٣٥) “Lord”, said Moses, “open my heart for me, and make my
task easy and liberate my tongue from its impediment, that men may understand my
speech and appoint for me a helper from among my kinsmen, Aaron my brother.
Grant me strength through him and make him share my task so that we may give
glory to You always and remember You always. You are surely watching over us.”
(20:25-35) Thus the preaching of a true preacher should have the
following characteristics: 1. His preaching should be free from any ambiguity. About
the Qur’an, which is the greatest manual of preaching, the Almighty says: وَإِنَّهُ
لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ
لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُّبِينٍ (٢٦:
١٩٢-١٩٥) And surely this is revealed by the Lord of the Universe
with diligence and meticulousness. The faithful spirit has brought it down into
your heart that you may give warning in an eloquent Arabic tongue. (26:192-195) While explaining the style of preaching of the Prophets
and other righteous people, Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi, writes: The style adopted by them is so clear and lucid that their
preaching penetrates every section of the society. It is neither too brief and
ambiguous nor too lengthy. Similes and metaphors also do not abound in it. It
also does not contain very many vague references. The words used are also not
uncommon and difficult. The style adopted has nothing ungainly and despicable
about it. The language is pure and articulate, the metaphors used are very apt
and the similes very effective. Moreover, instead of anger, the style resounds
with sincerity and instead of harshness it has softness; the words used are
simple and clear; they are not pompous and ostentatious. Dignity and efficacy
are the hallmark of their style which is well suited to the objective they
intend to accomplish. Furthermore, the nobility of their soul, the earnestness
and vigour of their preaching, the faith and confidence their knowledge produces
in their addressees and most of all the intense desire to make others understand
their message – all this enhances the style of preaching, so much so that it
develops into a new style which itself becomes an example and standard for
others. The real feature of this style is its attractiveness and its ability to
be easily understood. However, besides this, its simplicity and fluency bestows
on it such a literary splendor that the works of the literati appear lifeless
before it. Every word of their preaching is pleasing for the ears and every
sentence nurtures the soul. So profound is its influence that it changes the
destinies of nations what to speak of a few individuals. Such is the power it
wields for a preacher that armies equipped with weapons are helpless before it.5 2. A preacher should not think that he has discharged his
duty after merely presenting his message in just one style and manner; he should
in fact try to present his message in various styles and ways to the extent that
his enemies as well as his followers vouch for the fact that he has done the
utmost in this regard: وَكَذَلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ
الآيَاتِ وَلِيَقُولُواْ دَرَسْتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ (١٠٥:٦) And in this way, We present Our arguments in various ways
so that they are left with no excuse to deny them and that they may say: “You
have thoroughly recited it out to us” and that We may explain this for those who
want to know. (6:105) 3. The discourse of a true preacher should not merely be
exemplary in the arguments and reasoning it furnishes, it should also be vibrant
with fervor and enthusiasm. Such should be this enthusiasm that his addressees
should feel as if he is speaking his heart out to them. The Makkan Surahs of the
last two groups of the Qur’an are a very good example of this aspect. If one
reads them, one can feel the fire and fury which pervades them. It is as if one
can hear roars of thunder and the resounding of waves as they strike the shore.
This feature emanates in a true preacher out of the strength of his ideology,
his conviction and his sympathy and compassion for his addressees. It makes him
a person possessed with the mission of communicating as far as he can the fact
that people must make themselves ready for the Day of Judgement. It is narrated
about the Prophet (sws): كان رسول الله إذا خطب احمرت عيناه
وعلا صوته واشتد غضبه حتى كأنه منذر جيش يقول صبحكم ومساكم (مسلم رقم:
٨٦٧) When the Messenger of God would deliver a speech, his eyes
would become red, his voice would increase in pitch, his emotions would be
stirred so much so that it would seem as if he is trying to inform [people] of
the [danger of] an army onslaught. He would say: “It might come upon you in the
morning or in the evening.” (Muslim, No: 867) 4. Besides this enthusiasm and vivacity and this vigour in
presenting arguments, a preacher should never resort to polemical debate which
aims to belittle the views of his addressees. If his addressees adopt this
attitude, he should ignore them and not worry about the fact that this evasion
on his part would be counted as his defeat. He should know that there is a great
difference and contradiction between true preaching and such disparaging debates
that they cannot co-exist: فَلَا
يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ وَادْعُ إِلَى رَبِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدًى
مُّسْتَقِيمٍ وَإِن جَادَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ اللَّهُ
يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ (٢٢:
٦٧-٦٩) So let them not dispute with you concerning this and you
should keep calling them in this way to your Lord. Indeed, you are on the
straight path, and if they argue with you, say: “God knows best all that you do.
God will decide the matter in which you are differing from one another on the
Day of Judgement.” (22:67-69) 5. The discourse of a preacher should always strictly
adhere to his objective and should be in line with the purpose he wants to
achieve. His words should be such in harmony with each other and his discourse
should be so cohesive and uniform that wherever he is heard it seems that the
message that emanates from him is the same everywhere and the objective he
eagerly wants to achieve is also the same everywhere. The Qur’an is the best
example of such a discourse right from its beginning to its end. Preachers
should keep consulting it from this particular angle. Style of Reasoning The fourth thing is that besides their style of
conversation, true preachers should also try as best as they can to create in
their style of reasoning the same characteristics as the Prophets of Allah. The
Almighty has revealed the Qur’an as a masterpiece of literature imbuing it with
these characteristics. A simple reading of the Qur’an shows that these
characteristics are very apparent throughout its corpus. Following are these
characteristics: Firstly, the Prophets never adopt those artificial styles
of reasoning which result from the formation of a formal discipline from simple
facts of knowledge, and which interest only a few intellectuals who want to play
and juggle with words. On the contrary, these prophets base their reasoning on
data which is simple, natural and pure, and present them with reference to
established facts of common sense in such a vibrant and living manner that it
awakens the intellect and mind and rejuvenates dead hearts. It is because of
this very natural style of reasoning that every upright person sees that it is
the call of his own heart. Secondly, embedded in the message of the Prophets is not
mere reasoning but also cues and prompts which are able to create within their
addressees the power of reasoning. Thus unlike the syllogism of the logicians
they try to focus the attention of their addressees on the sources of their
arguments. They would state certain corollaries of these arguments and just give
a small hint of the others. In other cases, they would fully explain all the
corollaries and leave their obvious consequences to the intellect of their
addressees. Such would be the effect of this approach that their addressees
would reach these consequences themselves through deliberation and observe the
very facts in broad day light which the preacher wanted to take them to. In this
manner, they teach and instruct their addressees to discover details themselves
from compact expressions, grasp the corollaries and off-shoots of foundational
statements, understand part from whole and the implicit from the explicit and
the hidden from the apparent. Such is the extent of this training that the
addressees finds the objective these preachers want to achieve to be already
etched in their hearts. They find such radiance from the wisdom and insight
imbued by this style of reasoning that every thing within the soul and in the
external world becomes absolutely clear to him. Thirdly, they neither base their arguments on some wrong
views of their addressees nor on their irrational notions. On the contrary, the
basis of their message rests on such sound arguments that changes in situations
and circumstances and in views and ideologies do not effect these arguments.
Their arguments are founded on premises about whose veracity they can fully
vouch for, and because of this feature this premise is able to validate another
truth. It is thus because of this characteristic that their discourse in every
period of time and in spite of the changed circumstances is able to influence
hearts and successfully conquer minds with the same potency. Fourthly, they never retaliate with similar objections on
the ideology of their addressees which these addressees had raised on them.
Since this style of reasoning is totally incorrect and instead of validating the
truth is instrumental in making it dubious, it is never adopted by the Prophets
of Allah. They try to convince their addressees of their message on the merit of
its own arguments, and adhere to this approach even if their addressees raise a
thousand objections against them. Fifthly, their reasoning initiates from commonly accepted
realities and slowly progresses to what is different between the two. They first
try to convince their addressees of what is accepted in this world as
established facts in the world around man and that within him, historical
realities, certain facts of knowledge and established norms of human nature and
common sense about which no upright person has any grounds to reject. Thus, they
begin their arguments on these foundations and bring out their own message as
corollaries to these foundational and fundamental statements, and in this way
gradually familiarize their addressees to the most unknown of things that they
imperceptibly accept them and then after accepting them they are induced to
accept their corollaries also. Methods of Preaching The fifth thing is that a preacher should not insist on
using just one method of preaching; on the contrary, he should adopt all methods
of his times which are useful and effective for presenting views before people
with wisdom and sympathy. A history of the Prophets shows that they always took
into consideration the circumstances in this regard. When people were not
conversant with reading and writing, the prophets of Allah adopted the method of
verbally presenting their message, and this message was transferred as oral
traditions to their people generation after generation. In those times,
preaching was confined to personal contacts, oral presentation and adopting
various means so that the message is etched in the minds of the addressees.
However, once writing became a formal discipline, the Prophets of God used the
written word also for this purpose. The Torah, The Psalms, the Bible and the
Qur’an were revealed in those times. Similarly, the prophets of God fully used to their
advantage all means of interaction and discussion as well those which were
needed to solve collective issues if these means were morally and religiously
correct. Muhammad (sws) called his family members to a dinner and presented his
message before them. He also presented his message from the hillock of Safa, as
per the tradition of his people. He went himself to meet the chiefs of Makkah
and Ta’if. In the time of hajj, he presented his message to the chiefs of
various tribes. He also sent his envoys to certain important people and created
opportunities to present his message in the various markets and souks of the
Arabs. He also wrote letters to various people for this purpose. In short, he
adopted all the ways that were available to him in those times in Arabia to
present his message. Imam Amin Ahsan Islahi writes: In certain religious circles, God knows from where this
notion has emerged that the prophetic and standard way of preaching is that a
preacher should get hold of a staff and some nuts and embark upon preaching;
neither should he cover his head nor wear shoes; he should roam about in various
villages and wherever he finds someone he should start preaching to him whether
or not he is interested to hear him; if he sees a couple of people standing in
some place he should stop and commence his speech; if he sees people in a group
whether in a train or in a market place or on roadsides his sermon should begin;
he should barge into every gathering and forum; his addressees may get tired of
hearing him but he would not get tired of talking to them; people might get
weary of his zeal in pursuing them but he, on the other hand, would continue to
be at their heals like a divinely appointed sentinel. People might start hiding
from him for fear of his discussion, and at times because of distress may become
insolent and rude but he continues with his ways with the same devotion and
commitment. When he is requested for a sermon, he delivers it, when he is asked
to read the milad, he readily obliges and when he is faced with people of
adverse views, he plunges into debate with them. This then is the true picture
of a preacher and his preaching as imagined by most religious people. It is
possible that these people would not outright reject the fact that the developed
and scientific means of education and preaching currently available have some
advantages, however the real way of preaching which would earn the blessings of
God is the one we have referred to above and which according to them was adopted
by the prophets of God. In my opinion, regarding this way of preaching to be that
of the prophets is partly owing to a scarce understanding of the way they
actually preached and partly because of the desire of the religious people that
the way they have adopted themselves – apart from which they have no ability to
adopt any other – should be regarded as sacred. As far as I have studied the
methodology of preaching of the prophets, I have come to the conclusion that the
ways which they have adopted in their preaching were the most developed ones of
their times, and with the change of circumstances and evolution in civilization
and society these ways also changed which is a proof of the fact that insisting
on a particular way of preaching is not correct; true preachers should in fact
make full use of the ways that their circumstances and times afford them and
adopting which they can better make use of their abilities and skills.6 In this regard, certain things should be kept in
consideration: Firstly, immoral and unethical methods should not be
adopted whatsoever in preaching. If this immorality exists in some method or
means, then these methods should only be resorted to once the immorality is
cleansed from it. Consequently, when the Prophet (sws) called upon his people
from the top of the Safa hillock, he did adopt the very method of nadhir ‘uryan
(naked warner) that was in currency yet he never took off his clothes the way
warners in those times did. Secondly, methods which damage the honour of preaching or
that of the preacher should also not be adopted. When at one instance such a
situation arose in the preaching endeavour of the Prophet (sws), the Almighty
said: أَمَّا مَنْ
اسْتَغْنَى فَأَنْتَ لَهُ تَصَدَّى وَمَا عَلَيْكَ أَلَّا يَزَّكَّى وَأَمَّا مَنْ
جَاءَكَ يَسْعَى وَهُوَ يَخْشَى فَأَنْتَ عَنْهُ تَلَهَّى كَلَّا إِنَّهَا
تَذْكِرَةٌ فَمَنْ شَاءَ ذَكَرَهُ فِي صُحُفٍ مُكَرَّمَةٍ مَرْفُوعَةٍ مُطَهَّرَة
ٍبِأَيْدِي سَفَرَةٍ كِرَامٍ بَرَرَةٍ (٨٠ :
٥-١٦) He who shows indifference, you go after him even though
you are not responsible if he is not reformed; and he who comes to you with zeal
and also fears [Allah], you neglect him. Certainly not! this is but a reminder
so whoever wishes, can be reminded through it [set down] in honoured pages,
exalted and untouched, in the custody of scribes, honourable and faithful.
(80:5-16) Thirdly, those methods of preaching should not be adopted
which damage the objective of preaching and instead of being conducive for
people make them even more averse to it. One prominent example of this are the
polemical speeches and debates which are arranged by our religious circles in
the same way as duels are arranged between wrestlers even though the Qur’an has
directed us in the following words about this issue: وَلَا
تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ
ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ
إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَهُنَا وَإِلَهُكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ (٤٦:٢٩) And do not argue with the People of the Book but in a
befitting manner except with those among them who do evil, and say: “We profess
belief in that which has been revealed to us and which was revealed to you and
Our God and your God is one and to Him we submit.” (29:46) (Translated from Ghamidi’s Mizan by Shehzad Saleem)
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1. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Da‘wat-i Din awr us ka Tariqah kar, 1st ed. (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1989), 80.
2. Ibid., 152.
3. Bukhari, No. 69.
4. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Da‘wat-i Din awr us ka Tariqah-i Kar, 1st ed. (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1989), 145.
5. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Da‘wat-i Din awr us ka Tariqah kar, 1st ed. (Lahore, Faran Foundation, 1989), 108.
6. Amin Ahsan Islahi, Da‘wat-i Din awr us ka Tariqah kar, 1st ed. (Lahore: Faran Foundation, 1989), 85.