Lesson from the Seerah : Complete Certainty (2)

The politician continued, "The Prophet (ﷺ), like other prophets before him was trained directly by Allah and his faith was strengthened through the most powerful way there is; inviting others to his faith. Allah ordered,

"And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred." - [QS.26:214]

The first challenge came when Allah ordered the Prophet (ﷺ) to call his relatives to the faith and warn them of the result of continuing in their current lifestyle of polytheism and social corruption. I have already mentioned the incident when the Prophet (ﷺ) went out and stood on Safa and called out ‘Wa Subahaa’.
This is the way of the Anbiya who Allah ordered to convey the message plainly, without any doubt and confusion. So the Anbiya did not use diplomacy, sweet talk or any other way. The Prophet (ﷺ) spoke clearly and directly. The people were surprised. For a materialistic society, material is supremely important. They believe what they can see and hold, buy or sell. But talk to them about death and the Hereafter and their eyes glaze over and they look askance at the speaker as if he were mad. In their eyes to talk of something in Al Ghaib (the Unseen) is to show that you are not intelligent, modern or scientific. Materialistic societies live as if they will never die and as if there is no resurrection and reckoning. And anyone who reminds them of the reality of death and the Hereafter is not welcome and they oppose them. Same rules today, 15 centuries later.

The Prophet’s (ﷺ) life in Makkah was a series of increasing difficulties and escalating opposition. But resistance builds strength as long as you don’t succumb to it. The greater the resistance the more it will build your strength as long as you stand firm against it. As in body building, it is the lifting of weights that builds strength in your muscles. So also in Da’awa, calling people to the truth and being firm and patient against opposition builds Imaan. This was the practice that the Muslims were getting in Makkah. There are many stories of all kinds of persecution that the Prophet (ﷺ) was a victim of. Those who dared to follow him were also subjected to cruel persecution, even torture and some of them were murdered. All this was done with complete impunity by the rich and powerful chiefs of Quraysh. However all that this served to do was to make them even more firm in their belief in Allah.
The Quraysh of Makkah of which the Prophet (ﷺ) was himself a member and belonged to the pre-eminent among them – Banu Hashim – were the foremost in persecuting him. They tried every means at their disposal. They threatened him, spread propaganda against him, maligned his good name and character and even attacked him physically. When none of these things served to either intimidate him or stop him from preaching his religion of Islam, they decided to tempt him with kingship and wealth.

Ibn Abbas, radhiyallahu 'anhu, said, “The leaders of Quraysh sent someone to call the Prophet ﷺ) who came eagerly thinking that they may have changed their stance and softened. Utbah said, ‘We have called you to reconcile with you. We have never seen anyone who has brought so much evil on his people. You have reviled our ancestors, criticized our religion, cursed our gods and done everything to bring about a rift between us. If you are doing this because you need money, we will collect money and give it to you until you are the wealthiest among us. If you want power, we will elect you our king. If you want women, we will choose the 10 most beautiful women and give them to you. If you are obsessed with devils, we will spend all our money until you are cured.
The prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘What you have said does not apply to me. I have not brought this message seeking wealth or honor from you. Neither am I interested in sovereignty over you. Allah has sent me as a Messenger. He has revealed a message to me and has ordered me to give you good news and to warn you. I have brought you a message from my Rabb and have given you counsel. If you accept my message it will be good for you in this world and the next. If not I will wait for Allah’s decision when He will decide between you and me.’

They said, ‘So you are rejecting our offers. You know how narrow our land is and how poor we are and how difficult our lives are. So why don’t you tell your Rabb to move these mountains and give us some rivers like there are in Syria and Iraq. And tell him to bring back to life our forefathers (Kusai bin Kilaab) and if they tell us that you are speaking the truth, we will follow you.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘This is not why I have been sent. I have only brought from Allah what I have been sent with and I have conveyed it to you. If you accept it, that is good for you on the earth and the Hereafter. If you reject it then I must wait patiently for Allah to judge between us.”
Then they said, ‘Why don’t you ask your Rabb to send an angel to testify that you are speaking the truth? And why don’t you ask him to give us some castles and gardens and gold and silver. And also why don’t you ask him to give you livelihood without working. We see that you are doing business like us. Tell your Rabb to give you wealth so that you will be prestigious among us. You are like all of us.’ He refused.

Then they said, ‘Okay ask your Rabb to bring down the punishment that you have been promising us. Tell your Rabb to bring down the sky on our heads if you are truthful. Doesn’t your Rabb know these questions that we are going to ask you? How is it he is not helping you to answer them? We know who is teaching you all these things. It is a man in Yamama called Ar-Rahman. We will not believe in him or in you.’
The Prophet (ﷺ) returned with sadness at this rejection. Aqeel bin Abi Talib, radhiyallahu 'anhu, narrated that the Quraysh complained to Abu Talib that the Prophet (ﷺ) was disrupting their meetings. Abu Talib gently requested the Prophet (ﷺ) to stop Da’awa. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘My uncle do you see the sun? I am no more capable of stopping the sun and you are no more capable of getting a flame from it than I am of stopping this message.’ Abu Talib said, ‘I believe you. Go ahead and do what you must do.’

This last incident was the seal which demonstrates best his complete certainty in his belief, in the message that he had been charged with and his commitment to his responsibility. Nothing could deter him or slow him down or persuade him to dilute his message. Nothing could make him be politically correct or frighten him or to force him to give up preaching or compromise the message in any way to please anyone. He was only concerned with the pleasure of His Creator and worked only to achieve that, whatever be the cost that he had to pay.
The Prophet’s (ﷺ) character was such that even his enemies had to acknowledge his truthfulness and sincerity. One of the most famous stories that illustrates this is about Abu Sufyan’s meeting with Heracles, the Byzantine Emperor. This was before Abu Sufyan became Muslim and was the leader of the opposition against the Prophet (ﷺ) and his most powerful enemy in Makkah.
In the period following the Treaty of Hudaibiya between the Quraysh of Makkah and the Prophet (ﷺ), he sent letters to the kings of neighboring countries inviting them to Islam.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to the Sahaba, ‘I want to send some of you to foreign kings. Don’t dispute among yourselves about me as the Bani Israel disputed about Eesa son of Mary.’ They said, ‘O Allah's Messenger! We will never disagree about you over anything. Order us to go forth.’ To go to foreign kings, who for the most part were hostile, was no easy task. It was a journey fraught with danger but the spirit of the Sahaba was such that each one vied with the other for the honor of being selected as the Ambassador of the Prophet (ﷺ).
The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Dihyah Wahi al-Kalbi, radhiyallahu 'anhu, to take his letter to the Heraclius the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium Empire). This was the name they used to refer to themselves and the Muslims used to call them Rum. Byzantium was a word coined less than a century ago and was not used at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ). The capital of the Empire was Istanbul (Constantinople). The Roman Empire was split into the Western (with its capital in Rome) and the Eastern (with its capital in Istanbul). Heraclius was a military commander from Carthage (Tunis) who rose from the ranks to become Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire in 610 AD.

The Roman Empire was going through a very difficult time and was being pounded by the Persians and they were losing to them in battle after battle. In 613 AD Damascus fell and then in 614, Jerusalem fell and the Persians carried away the so-called ‘True Cross’. This was a wooden cross that Christians believe that Jesus was crucified on. However since Eesa was not crucified at all, it is not an authentic thing but Christians believe it is the most important relic of Christendom. Heraclius was a strong leader and a good military commander but his army was losing to the Persians. In 621 Heraclius himself led a campaign against the Persians and took over one city after another and retrieved what was taken from them including the True Cross. He eventually entered Persia itself and defeated the Persians in their own country. Allah prophesied this in Sura Rum (1-2). In 630 Heraclius marched into Jerusalem barefoot as a pious Christian pilgrim to fulfill his vow and he restored the Great Cross to its place in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. He was given a tremendous welcome, with carpets and flowers and was received with great honor. It was at this time, when he was at the height of his power and glory that he received the letter from the Prophet (ﷺ).

Heraclius listened to the Da’awa of the Prophet (ﷺ) but in the end he rejected it. Allah reversed the victories of the Romans and he lost city after city, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon and in the end, in the time of Muhammad al-Fateh, the Eastern Roman Empire ceased to exist when Constantinople fell to the Muslims.
Dihyah al-Kalbi, who was a very handsome man. When Jibreel would come to the Prophet (ﷺ) in human form, he would sometimes come in the form of Dihyah al-Kalbi. Heraclius read the letter and said, ‘Turn Ash-Shaam upside down and bring me some people from the people of this man.’ His soldiers found Abu Sufyan and his companions in Gaza and brought him to Heraclius. Heraclius ordered the men of Abu Sufyan to stand behind him and said to them, ‘If he lies, make a sign to me.’ Abu Sufyan says, ‘I have never met a man more astute and intelligent than this man. I knew my men would not betray me before him but I was a man of honor and dignity and didn’t want to lie before them. Also I feared that they would tell others and I would be known as a liar.’

Heraclius asked, ‘Who is Muhammad (ﷺ) ?’ Abu Sufyan said, ‘Huwa Saahirul Kazzab’ – He is a magician and a liar.’ Heraclius said, ‘I am not interested in hearing cursing. I want you to tell me about him.’ Heraclius: ‘What sort of family lineage does he have among you?' Abu Sufyan, ‘His ancestry is a distinguished one.’ Heraclius, ‘Were any of his forefathers kings?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘No.’ Heraclius, ‘Has anyone among you come out with a similar claim before him?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘No.’ Heraclius, ‘Do the majority of his followers belong to the aristocracy or are they poor people?’ Abu Sufyan, 'They are poor.' Heraclius, ‘Are they on the increase or decrease?' Abu Sufyan, ‘They are on the increase.’ Heraclius, ‘Does anyone of them turn away from his religion after accepting it?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘No.’ Heraclius, ‘Have you ever known him to lie before he started to make this claim?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘No.’ Heraclius, ‘Is he given to treachery?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘No. We however have an armistice agreement with him but we don’t know what he will do in this period.’ (Abu Sufyan said, ‘That was the only negative thing that I was able to sneak in.’) Heraclius, ‘Have you ever fought him?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘Yes.’ Heraclius, ‘How did the fighting go?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘Sometimes he wins and sometimes we win.’
Heraclius, ‘What sort of commandments does he give you?’ Abu Sufyan, ‘He tells us to worship Allah alone without ascribing divinity to anyone else. He tells us not to follow our fathers. He commands us to pray, to be truthful and chaste and to be kind to our fellow human beings. Then Heraclius said, 'You said he enjoys distinguished ancestry. This is the case with all Prophets and Messengers. You said nobody made such a claim among you before him. So I can’t say that he is imitating anyone. You also denied that any of his forefathers was a king, so he is not the claimant of a kingdom. You also said that he was not known to tell a lie before he came out with this message. Well, I know that he would not start by lying about Allah. You stated that the poor are his followers. This is the case with all Messengers from Allah. The fact that his followers are on the increase is always associated with true faith until it is complete. You have also mentioned that no one turns away from his religion after having embraced it. This is a characteristic of true faith when its light shines in people’s hearts. You also denied that he was treacherous and no Messenger of Allah was a treacherous person. You also told me that he calls upon you to believe in the Oneness of Allah, to pray, to be truthful and chaste. If what you have told me is true then he will have the supremacy right here where I stand. I knew his time was due but I did not think that he would belong to your people. Had it been in my power I would certainly have taken the trouble to meet him and to wash his feet.

The letter to Heraclius, delivered by Dihyah al-Kalbi:

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Beneficent
From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
To Heraclius, the Great One of the Romans….
Peace be on those who follow the right guidance. I call you to believe in Islam. Accept Islam and you will be safe and Allah will give you double the reward. If you decline you shall bear the responsibility for the farmers (your people) disbelief.

After the letter was read, Abu Sufyan said, ‘When he said what he said and he finished reading the letter, the noise became loud so we were driven out. I said to my people, ‘This (Ibn Abu Kabsha) affair has gone to the point where he even scares the kings of the pale skins. Thereafter I was convinced that he would prevail and thereafter Allah drew me into Islam.’
Heraclius tried to tell his Patriarchs that they should accept Islam but they got very angry so he told them that he was only testing them in their faith. He was afraid for his kingdom. Abu Sufyan said that sweat was falling from the forehead of Heraclius when the letter was being read to him. He knew what the truth was but did not have the courage to accept it. He told someone, if I could reach Muhammad (ﷺ), I would have done so but he feared for his kingdom and did not accept Islam.

There is a great lesson in this whole matter of Heraclius where clearly it was love for his kingdom which overcame his acceptance of faith and he rejected Islam and chose his kingdom in this world. How many times do we fall into the same trap, not with respect to entering Islam but with respect to following its rules? Rules which are for our own benefit in this world and the next, but we fall into the trap of Shaytaan or bow to the pressure of our misguided friends and companions as Heraclius did and break the rules of Allah. We forget that this life is a test and the result of that test is what we will see when we meet Allah.
The second lesson we learn is that if the character of the leader is pure and he is sincere in his mission, then even his enemies will be forced to speak in his favor. This is very clearly visible in the life of the Prophet (ﷺ). Even those who try to malign him are reduced to making false allegations and slander because they can find nothing in his character which can be criticized. Their slander is clearly visible for what it is; frustrated anger that will not allow them to accept the truth.
On the other hand the vast majority in any situation which is primarily neutral watch and listen and gradually their hearts are drawn to the one who is noble and truthful. And gradually a following is created. However in the work of Islam we must never lose sight of the fact that in the end it is only the pleasure of Allah that matters; not the number of followers or the extent of popularity. This is what happened in the case of the Prophet (ﷺ) where in a period of 23 years he went from being the most hated to becoming the most beloved of people. But it took 23 years. Patience is not easy. But patience always pays.

The politician then said, "O young man, for any leader this complete certainty is the single most critical requirement on which hinges his very credibility. One can only give what one has. So if the leader wishes to transfer his own passion into the hearts of his followers, his own belief can’t be shaky. The leader will be tested in his faith and must stand firm and demonstrate his total commitment until it becomes clear to all concerned. Then he will see the tide turn and people will be won over to his side, as happened in the case of the Prophet (ﷺ) as well. People listen with their eyes. They don’t care what you say until they see what you do. When they see the leader walking his own talk then they realize that he means business and will start to consider his message seriously. Then as they see the benefits that accrue, more and more start to follow him. And Allah know best."

"Nun. By the pen and what they inscribe, You are not, [O Muhammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman. And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted. And indeed, you are of a great moral character. So you will see and they will see. Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil]." - [QS.68:1-6]

[Part 1]

Bahasa

References :
- Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Fiqh-us-Seerah, IIFSO
- Mirza Yawar Baig, Leadership Lesson from the Life of Rasoolullah (ﷺ), Standard Bearer Academy.

Lesson from the Seerah : Complete Certainty (1)

The politician continued, "O young man, we have discussed some aspects of the Prophet's (ﷺ) blessed life, and we will see another apects from his life to see what lessons of leadership could be learnt." He paused, and continued, " Principled leadership with a sense of accountability, high integrity and a commitment to social justice is the single biggest and most visible deficiency leading to our present day crisis. We seriously lack principled leadership globally. The world that we live in today and even more the one in the future as we can envisage it, is a world of high complexity. Where information is ever easier to access; power is concentrated in the hands of an elite; the balance of factors that dictate the very survival of our planet is in great danger of being upset – perhaps irretrievably. The society we live in is one that is stratified on lines of economic, racial, national, religious and power divisions. And this divide is growing.
Materially, in terms of gadgets, tools, resources and money, we have more than we have probably ever had before. What we don’t have are criteria for decision making that are based on ethical and moral values, criteria that are inclusive and take into account those who have little and that little is in danger of being eliminated. Criteria that place greater importance on integrity than on accumulating material wealth. Criteria that focus on the long term impact of short term strategies. Criteria where we hold ourselves accountable for our actions, even if nobody else does. Criteria where we stand by our word, live by our creed and act according to our values; concerned about leaving a legacy of honor for those who will come after us.

When we read the biography of the Prophet (ﷺ), we realize that the world that he lived in was uncannily similar to the one we live in today in terms of its trends, focus of attention and problems. This gives us great hope when we look at learning leadership lessons from his life because if the problems were very like our own and they were solved using his methods, then we have reason to believe that those methods will transcend the centuries and come to our aid today when we are reeling under the negative impact of the forces we face. A tried and tested method which works is preferable to a theory that is new and at best experimental. Especially when that method was Divinely inspired and the one implementing it was Divinely guided. Such a method can never fail.

The history of the mankind is sorrowful. Ever since Adam, alayhissalam, and his children descended on earth, as time went by and civilizations flourished and generations rose on the remains of others, humans have been a motley mixture. If one day they are on the right track, they are lost for days soon after, and if they see the light of truth once, then the darkness of falsehood engulfs them many times thereafter. If we were to scrutinize the history of the mankind in the light of belief in Allah and preparation for the Hereafter, we should find the world closely resembling a drunkard whose periods of drunkenness exceed his sobriety, or a sick man who is delirious and does not know what he says. Although in experiences with themselves and their world, there are men’s many deterrents from committing evil and many incentives to do good, but overwhelming passion cannot be subdued by knowledge alone.

Look at the fate of the civilizations of Egypt and Greece, India and China, Persia and Rome. We do not mean their fate from the political point of view, but from the aspect of feelings and reason. Contemptible paganism destroyed them and made them fall into this miserable pit. And the human being, whom Allah appointed as His superior vicegerent in the heavens and on the earth, became a slave subservient to the lowliest thing in these places. What else could there be after cows and calves are hallowed, wood and stones are worshipped? Entire nations became polluted with such perversions. Paganism conies from within the self and not from the environment. Just as sad people apply their feelings to their surroundings and frightened people imagine objects to be ghosts, similarly deformed personalities will apply their stupidity and sterility to their surroundings, and deify the stones and the animals. Material wealth was the primary and only consideration. Its trappings were status symbols. How people dressed, what perfume they wore, how many slaves and servants they had, what kind of transportation they used, were all matters that were discussed and served to fuel the imagination and ambition of those who aspired to be like them. The phrase, ‘If you got it, flaunt it,’ may not have been known then but lifestyles certainly reflected this philosophy. Arrogance was the right of the powerful and their ability to oppress unopposed was a status symbol. Anyone who challenged them tasted their wrath. Selfindulgence was the right of those who had wealth and no law regulated what they could or couldn’t do. Money was the only consideration and once you had it, then the focus was to enjoy it in any way you could think of, with only your ability to get away with whatever you were doing, being the boundary of what you could do. Those who were poor or weak were mercilessly oppressed by the wealthy. Slaves and women were commodities to be used and discarded and this was done without thought or comment.

Slavery was rampant. Women were property to be bought, sold and inherited and disposed of at will. The society, the only criterion of success in which was the accumulation of wealth and power. Moral values were prominent by their absence. Prostitution was rampant and accepted. Women had no rights and were treated as chattels, lived to grow up to become the playthings of men at best or property to be used at will, at worst. Money was power and those who had little, who were weak, were the object of raw oppression and lived at the mercy of the ruling elite.
If we look at the social and economic factors described you can easily see how closely that society mirrored our modern capitalistic society. We may not have slaves in the same sense at that time, but our slavery is even more powerful because it is ideological in nature, has global reach, is enforced by an education system which promotes its values, an economic system which locks people into it and an executive which ensures that it is not threatened by misplaced ideals of freedom and equality.

The greatest catastrophe which befell the religions on account of the pagan attack on them was the terrible changes affecting the religion of Isa, son of Maryam. They turned its day into darkness and its peace into distress; they turned unity into idolatry, degraded the human race and hung its upliftment on a sacrifice. The myth of the Trinity and redemption was revived after early paganism succeeded in thrusting it upon the new Christianity, In this way it gained two victories: it strengthened itself and it led others astray. Thus when the sixth century of the Christian era arrived, the Eights of guidance throughout the world had gone out and Satan was traversing the vast expanses of land, admiring the thorns he had planted and seeing how sturdy they had grown.
Magianism in Persia was stubborn vanguard of the widespread idolatry in China, India, the Arab countries and all parts of the ignorant globe. Christianity, which vehemently opposed it, borrowed most prominent characteristics feature the myths of the ancient Indians and Egyptians. It ascribed a wife and a child to Allah and seduced its followers in Rome, Egypt and Constantinople with a kind of polytheism more advanced than that of the fire-worshippers and the idolworshippers: a polytheism mixed with monotheism and fighting pure polytheism..

Internationally, the two super powers of the day were the Byzantine (Roman) Empire and the Persian Empire which were engaged in ongoing wars in which sometimes one side had the upper hand and sometimes the other. Neither of them cared to rule Arabia which was mostly dry, uncultivable and inhospitable desert populated by nomadic tribes with occasional oasis towns and the two trade centers of Makkah and Ta’aif. Not the best environment to levy taxes or get soldiers and supplies from or to conduct campaigns to subdue the tribes if need be. The Romans and Persians looked down on and ignored the Arabs of this area who were consequently left alone and were not subjugated by either empire.
The Arabs lived by their own tribal laws, were ruled by their own clan chiefs and jealously guarded their independence. An important point to note is that they were a people who had never been subjugated and so did not have the common characteristics of people who understand being enslaved. In all their apparent unruliness and internal strife, their fierce independence was a factor that stood out clearly. They had never bowed to anyone and were very proud of this. Eventually when they bowed their heads to Allah they did it with the same sense of high self-worth that ensured that they never bowed before anyone else and preserved the essence of Tawheed in every sense of the term. It was only when Islam came to the lands of kings and empires that Muslims started taking to the ways of others and started to imbibe cultural trappings and philosophical arguments which had nothing to do with the pure, clean and simple doctrine that Muhammad brought which was as clean and pure as the desert air in which it was revealed to him by the Creator of the Universe.
It is very important to keep this characteristic in mind to understand both the nature of Arabian tribal society as well as the nature of opposition to the message of Islam which was seen as something that sought to take away this independence from them and rearrange their hierarchy and power base.

From this brief sketch of the nature of the world society at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), it must be clear how closely it matches the nature of the dominant global culture today. The focus on money power, objectification of women (although it is sold today in the name of freedom) for pleasure and profit, widespread promiscuity and license, breakdown of moral and social values, race for material wealth, society stratified on economic and race/caste lines and any attempt to bring in justice, moral responsibility and accountability – which is what religion seeks to do – is seen as unnecessary and undesirable and so is opposed vehemently. Once again the poor and the weak have no voice, power or even identity and the rich are focused on getting richer with little or no concern for what happens to the rest of the world as a consequence of their shortsighted pursuit of personal power. The world is groaning under the yoke of oppression with no solution in sight.
It was in this world society that the Prophet (ﷺ) was born and grew up and in which he preached his message – a message that sought to create a revolutionary change aimed at ensuring justice for all irrespective of race, caste, gender or economic status. A message of dignity for the individual, respect for human rights and compassion for the weak. Freedom from slavery to men and bowing to the rule of the Creator of men, with rules of life that ensure peace, harmony and safety for all concerned. What else do we need today more than this message?

A message that we desperately need today because it has in it, the solutions that the world is desperately seeking. So, The first thing that stands out about the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is the total certainty that he had in the truth of his message; his faith in Allah and in the fact that he himself was Allah’s Messenger and had been sent to convey that message to all of mankind.
Picture the scene for yourself. The prophet (ﷺ) climbed on the hill of As-Safa and called out, ‘Wa Subaha!’ People came rushing to him from the Haram and the market surrounding it, not only because this was the alarm call demanding that people leave everything else and attend to the emergency but also because it was Muhammad (ﷺ), AsSadiq-ul-Ameen (The Truthful and Trustworthy – the title that the Quraysh gave to their favorite son) who was calling them. So if he called out, ‘Wa Subaha!’ it must be important. So they gathered around him at the base of AsSafa. Today when we go for Umrah and after completing Tawâf when we go to As-Safa for Sayii we need to stop and reflect on what this hill has seen. That this was the place where the Prophet (ﷺ) stood and announced to the world for the first time since Prophet Ibrahim, عليه السلام, the message of Tawheed.
The prophet (ﷺ) said to them, “O people, if I told you that there is an army behind this hill would you believe me?” They said, “You have never lied to us and we will believe you.” He (ﷺ) said, “I have come to warn you of a severe punishment (in the Hereafter, if you don’t leave polytheism and worship Allah).”

Abu Lahab the closest relative of the Prophet (ﷺ), his father’s brother, spoke for many of them when he said, “May evil befall you for the rest of this day; is this why you gathered us here?" According to Abu Lahab talking about the Aakhira was a waste of time and he considered being called out of his shop a loss. Such people don’t mind spending time to talk about anything in the Duniya but not about salvation or the Aakhira. To this day, if you say that you are going to speak about how to make a million dollars, people will take time out and even pay money to listen to you. But if you say that you want to tell them how to escape the Fire and enter Paradise, they will accuse you of wasting their time.
Abu Lahab considered talking about the Akhirah a waste of time and he considered being called out of his shop a loss so he cursed his nephew. But his nephew was the Messenger of Allah and Allah doesn’t like those who curse His Messengers. So Allah said,

"May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained. He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame." - [QS.111:1-3]

This Sura is one of the many proofs of the Divine origin of the Qur’an, for those who need proof, because it predicted that Abu Lahab would die without Islam.
All that Abu Lahab had to do to ‘prove’ the Qur’an wrong was to simply even pretend to accept Islam and thereby the prediction would have been proved wrong. But he didn’t and many years later he died without Islam of a horrible disease where his corpse was left rotting because people didn’t want to touch it to bury him. Eventually after three days, his sons using long poles, pushed his corpse into a pit and threw stones to fill the pit. So Abu Lahab was stoned by his own sons and will be in the Fire of Jahannam as Allah promised.

The first leadership lesson we learn is that it is essential for the leader to have complete faith in himself; in his own vision, his strategy, his method and in the belief that anyone following him would certainly benefit from doing so. If the leader demonstrates the slightest doubt in his message, the power of his leadership will be seriously compromised. People follow leaders for many reasons – Some because they believe in the message, others because the leader is powerful, still others because of various affiliations with the leader.
If the leader remains firm on his path, then gradually his followership increases and the trickle becomes a flood. Remaining firm and unwavering is the single most important condition for this.

In his entire life of Prophethood of 23 years, there is not a single instance even in the worst of hardship that it could be said that the faith and certainty of the Prophet (ﷺ) in his message and responsibility wavered in the slightest. That in itself is a miracle and a proof of the Divine mission that he had been entrusted with. This faith, combined with the fact that the Prophet (ﷺ) was a man with noble qualities, widely known to be completely truthful and trustworthy, having beautiful manners, a flawless character, great wisdom, excellent judgment and great kindness made him highly credible. Many believed to begin with, not because they believed in the message but because they believed the Prophet (ﷺ) and believed that if he said it, then it must be the truth. The importance of the personal character of the Messenger is clear from this and cannot be overemphasized and can seriously support or compromise his message.
In today’s world where Islamic Da’awa organizations use all sorts of methodologies, some good, some bad in the name of inviting to Islam, it is good to remind ourselves of the Da’awa of the Anbiya and its special characteristics; that they did it for the pleasure of Allah alone and didn’t seek any reward from the people, directly or indirectly.
Allah said about His Anbiya,

"Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so from their guidance take an example. Say, "I ask of you for this message no payment. It is not but a reminder for the worlds." - [QS.6:90]

The Anbiya came to be followed and their way is the only way which is certified by Allah and which Allah taught them. The Da’awa of the Anbiya is characterized by, first, direct and clear, no compromise; second, no convoluted complex philosophies; third, conscious of the power of Allah; fourth, reliance only on Allah; fifth, seeking no reward from the people; sixth, working only for Allah’s pleasure."

The young wayfarer asked, "So, what was the message?" The politician said, "More than 1400 years ago, a window opened in the heavens and Allah spoke to man. Jibreel, alayhissalam, came to Muhammad (ﷺ) hugged him and commanded, ‘Iqra’ (read). The Prohet (ﷺ) replied, ‘I can’t read.’ This happened 3 times. Then Jibreel delivered the message that he had been sent with and recited the first Ayaat of Sura Al-Alaq; the very first set of Ayat of the Qur’an to be revealed.

"Recite in the name of your Lord who created - Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous - Who taught by the pen - Taught man that which he knew not." - [QS.96:1-5]

This was the first communication between the Creator of the Universe and His Messenger (ﷺ); sent with His other Messenger Jibreel. It was a meeting of two different forms of creation from different dimensions. It was the first time that the Prophet (ﷺ) had experienced such a meeting and so naturally he was terrified.

The Prophet (ﷺ) went home to his wife Khadija, radhiyallahu 'anha, in a high state of fear, shivering and said, ‘Zammilooni, Zammilooni’. (cover me with something). He was afraid that the one who he saw may have been a Jinn because he hated anything to do with Jinn or sorcerers. He explained to her what had happened to him and his fear that it would destroy him, but she said, ‘Allah will not forsake you because you support the needy, you help the poor and you are generous towards guests.'
It is interesting that all the qualities she named were to do with treatment of people, with manners and kindness. This is something that we seem to have relegated to the back burner in our lives and that is the reason for our sad situation globally. We were sent to give to the world. The world loves those who give, those who are considerate and generous and hates those who are grasping, scheming and seeking to take from others. Need I go further for us to be able to look in the mirror to see what fits our image today? The Prophet (ﷺ) and the Sahaba set an example which is conspicuous by the fact that those who claim to follow them don’t practice their ways. So what is the meaning of ‘following’? We need to ask ourselves and correct our lives before it is too late and we are left standing alone before our Rabb with the Sahaba as witness against us.

When we look at great leaders in all times and especially at the Prophet (ﷺ), we see that the basic qualities of goodness, kindness, compassion, willingness to forgive transgressions against themselves, concern for others and the willingness to help, truthfulness, trustworthiness, generosity and the willingness to stand up for the weak and helpless; were all in the leader from the very beginning; long before he started to preach his message. It was these qualities that endeared him to people, inspired their respect and love and enhanced his credibility with them. From this it would be safe to say that these qualities are the basis of inspiring leadership.
These are the qualities which make the leader worthy of respect and of being followed. It is logical to say that people are not likely to follow someone they neither like nor respect. Anyone aspiring to lead must seriously examine his own character and assess where he or she stands with respect to these qualities and make every effort to bridge any gap because these qualities will decide his success or failure as a leader.
The Prophet (ﷺ) not only had these qualities at a level of excellence but he was iconic and seen as a role model in them. People gave him the title of As Sadiq-ul-Ameen (The Truthful and the Trustworthy). This was a very big honor for a young man in a tribal society where being trusted was a measure of his eminence. The Prophet (ﷺ) was trusted in full measure which gave him access to the councils of his elders and people looked up to him for advice.

We have become used to living in impersonal urban societies where our personal qualities at best affect our personal circle of friends and relatives. But in tribal societies a man’s success or failure was dependent on his reputation for being trustworthy. A man’s word was his honor and to be dishonored was a sentence of death. That is why to be called a liar was a killing matter because people dealt with you only if they saw you as being trustworthy. Business transactions often involving large sums of money were sealed between parties by word of mouth, only on each other’s promise to honor the deal.
There was no question of anyone reneging on the deal except the lowest of the low who would break a promise. Lying, cheating and breaking a promise were all serious crimes. Even before Islam the Arabs of Al-Hijaz lived by these noble rules even though as we have mentioned, their lives were immoral and cruel. It may sound strange to say that a man would not lie but wouldn’t hesitate to kill another man or to behave immorally but such dichotomy existed among the Native Americans and the people who first opened the American West for example, for the same reasons.
The Prophet (ﷺ) had all the noble qualities of his people without their weaknesses which enhanced his honorable status in their eyes. It is human nature to recognize your own weakness and to respect someone who does not have it. That is why the people of Makkah looked up to and loved the Prophet (ﷺ) very much and that is what his wife Khadija, radhiyallahu 'anhu, referred to in order to comfort him.

Khadija took him to her cousin, a Christian scholar and monk called Waraqa bin Naufal and he asked the Prophet (ﷺ) to explain what had happened. When he heard the story of the encounter – an encounter between two different beings in creation,between two different worlds across boundaries of time and space, he responded and said, “That was Al-Namoos-al-Akbar – Greatest Angel – who descended on Musa. I wish I was young (so that I could help you) when your people drive you out of your land.”
The Prophet (ﷺ) was astonished and questioned the statement of Al-Waraqa bin Naufal and asked, “Will they drive me out of my land?” He was surprised because he was the most beloved of people and from the most noble family and lived in a culture where it was impossible to drive anyone out of their tribe especially not someone like him with his lineage and ancestry. Yet here was Waraqa who was predicting that the same people who loved him more than anyone else would not only oppose him but would actually do the unimaginable in tribal Arab society, drive him out of his motherland. Waraqa said, ‘Anyone who presented the people with something similar to this was always driven from his land.’ This was the advantage of knowledge of history and the study of the scholar that he had perspective and could see the results of the action.

This is because the conflict of Da’awa is the conflict between truth and falsehood, between good and evil, between the Anbiya and Shaytaan. It is the original primordial conflict which will remain until the Last Day when Allah will establish the Judgment and all debts will be paid. But in this life this struggle continues.
To this day we see the truth of these words, for nobody opposes the Muslim if he simply wants to practice his religion quietly. But the moment he brings it into the public space, either in the form of his dress (clothes, beard, turban, hijab) or in the form of Da’awa, opposition is swift and severe. Strange to see if one realizes that all that a person who is presenting Islam is doing, is to speak about an alternate way of being; one which will save the practitioner from the Hellfire and give him entry to Jannah.

The Muslim only wants the best for those he presents Islam to, not just best in this world but the best that is everlasting. If someone gives a hungry person a single meal he is considered a good person. But if someone wants to save him from everlasting suffering, he is opposed, maligned and attacked. All this happened to every prophet before the Prophet (ﷺ) and all this happened to the Prophet (ﷺ) at the hands of his own people. And in some measure or the other, this is what anyone who wants to present Islam to the world must be prepared to face. Shaytaan fights tooth and nail those who seek to protect others from Hellfire and does everything in his power to oppose them.
Public space today is filled with people advertising and promoting all sorts of alternate ways of doing things, be they alternative medicine, architecture, diets, education or therapy. All of these are accepted and welcomed and the right of their proponents to propagate their ways, no matter how bizarre, is fiercely defended. But the minute you talk about an alternate way of being called Islam, this defense flips sides and the person propagating it is attacked. This attack is actually the most reliable indicator that the propagating of Islam is a fight against the Shaytaan. These words of Waraqa were an early warning for the Prophet (ﷺ) that his work would not be easy.

[Part 2]

Bahasa

A Massage and a Leader (2)

The politician continued, "The Prophet (ﷺ), with absolute certainty, believed in his message; the truth of it, the importance of it and the criticality of it for the wellbeing of all mankind. This is the extraordinary goal. In the early days of Islam in Makkah where it had no support and the Prophet (ﷺ) was preaching his message almost alone.
It was the height of summer and the middle of the day, very hot and dry. A man going from tent to tent, inviting people to the worship of Allah alone and warning them not to indulge in idolatry. Some would listen to him but turn away. Others would rebuff him. Still others would physically push him away. No one accepting his message. In the heat of the day, the man stop by a rock near his own tent to rest. His daughter came out of the tent with some water and washed her father’s face and gave him some water to drink. She was very sad to see his state and said, ‘O father, what have they done to you?" The man replied, ‘Don’t be sad my daughter. A day will come when this message will reach every temporary or permanent dwelling on the face of the earth.’ If there were no other proof of the Divine Mission of the Prophet (ﷺ), this story would be enough proof in itself. Who but a Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) could have the courage, fortitude and perseverance to continue on a mission when there was no material proof to show that it would ever succeed? Who but someone with total certainty in the worth of his mission and faith that in the end it would be successful could find the energy to continue onwards in the face of disappointment after disappointment? Who but a Nabi could have a heart big enough to take rejection after rejection, yet not falter in the least about taking his message to people who showed no sign of appreciating or wanting it? It may be surrprising for some to reflect on the nature of this goal as expressed by the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) to his daughter when he said, ‘Don’t be sad my daughter. A day will come when this message will reach every temporary or permanent dwelling on the face of the earth.’ Here was a man talking about his message reaching every temporary and permanent dwelling on earth when he couldn’t even get it to reach the dwellings which he could personally call at. Here was a man speaking about freeing the world when he couldn’t even guarantee his own freedom. Here was a man who was concerned about the eternal wellbeing of uncaring strangers. But then, it is in the very nature of the extraordinary goal to inspire extraordinary effort. People don’t rise to low expectations. They rise to high expectations. A climber standing at the base camp of Mount Everest doesn’t need a motivational lecture. The mountain motivates him. The thought of the joy that he will feel when he finally breasts the last ridge and stands on the peak motivates him while he is still standing at the base and continues to motivate him as he goes through hour after hour of grueling effort. It is the difficulty of the climb itself that is the motivation. After all, ask yourself, how motivated would you be to walk 11 km down the road from your home? To climb Everest is, no doubt, to walk on the earth but it is the incline which adds value. The satisfaction at the achievement of a goal is directly proportional to its difficulty.

What could be more difficult than to talk about revolutionary change, not simply incremental change but much more seminal and intrinsic – a change of belief. It is very important to understand the huge challenge that this poses because all action is a result of belief. People act in accordance with their beliefs, consciously or unconsciously. For example, people may act in accordance with religious beliefs, consciously and practice certain things and they act according to their belief that a particular course of action is profitable and invest in it. On the other hand, a person gets up and goes to work because of his unconscious belief that he will live that day and beyond it and that the world is not coming to an end. So beliefs form the very foundation of all our thought and action. To have that system challenged and to be told that it is completely false and that it would lead to eternal punishment was not easy. Yet the Prophet’s own belief in the truth of his message was such that nothing deterred him from taking it to the people. It is reported that he went to the house of Abu Jahl, one of his worst enemies, more than 100 times in the hope that he would accept the message of Islam. Who but a Nabi would work to save the one who did his best to cause him as much harm as possible?
Another thing about working towards an extraordinary goal is that the work itself is training. As the Arabs say, ‘If it doesn’t break your back, it only strengthens you.’ So also in working towards an extraordinary goal, one is only strengthened. This was also the case of the Prophet (ﷺ) and the early Muslims. All the opposition, torture and punishment only made them and their connection with Allah stronger, and made them more resilient. The extraordinary goal makes the effort feel worthwhile. If it is worth doing, then it is worth the effort. And what could be more worthy of effort and sacrifice than the effort to save all of mankind from the Hellfire and enter them into Jannah? The Prophet (ﷺ) and the Sahaba saw what we call sacrifice as their investment in earning the pleasure of Allah and so it was possible for them to make it without hesitation.

The politician paused, the said, "We have already mentioned two characteristics of a Leader. First, the extraordinary in Faith, and second, the extraordinary Goal. So, next is the extraordinary Commitment. It is only when people realise the return that they get from something that they are able to commit to it. For the Prohet (ﷺ), this was never a matter of the slightest doubt. But his major achievement was in building a generation which shared his commitment and proved it to the final extent by giving their lives for the cause. He was able to do this by setting a personal example which left no doubt in anyone’s mind about the extent of his own commitment to the message of Islam; living it and propagating it. Not only did the prophet (ﷺ) demonstrate this commitment but so did his Sahaba who learnt this lesson very well from him. There are many instances in the Seerah which show the level of this commitment.
During the Battle of Badr, as they were proceeding to the wells of Badr where the battle was to take place, the Sahaba were very ill equipped. They were not prepared for a full battle and were only going to take over the caravan of Abu Sufyan which was returning from Ash-Shaam with goods purchased from the confiscated wealth of the Muhajiroon. There were only 2 horses and 70 camels in the group. Three people would take turns to ride one camel. The Prophet (ﷺ) had Ali ibn Abi Talib and Ulubaba, radhiyallahu 'anhum, with him as his partners. They offered the camel to him and he said, ‘You are not stronger than I am and I need the reward as much as you do.’ His leadership was from the front and he always demonstrated an equal if not higher level of commitment that he demanded from his people.

During the Battle of the Trench (Ghazwatul Khandaq), the Prophet (ﷺ) held a Shura to brainstorm the battle strategy. Salman Al Farisi, radhiyallahu 'anhu, who was from Persia said, ‘In my land if we fear cavalry we dig a trench. So why don’t we did a trench here?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) agreed and they decided to dig the trench to the North of Madina which was vulnerable. In the east and west Madina was protected by Al Harra (a volcanic tract) and in the south were the date farms which were impenetrable. Every 10 men were given 40 feet of trench to dig. The Muslims were poor and hungry and weak. Anas ibn Maalik, radhiyallahu 'anhu, says that on one cold night Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to them and when he saw their state he made dua and said, ‘O Allah, indeed these are for the Aakhira. O Allah, forgive the Muhajiroon and the Ansaar.’ It was not lost on the Sahaba that while they were sleeping in the open and were bitterly cold, their leader was not sleeping warmly in his tent or his home, but was walking among them, checking their situation and making dua for them. People are loyal to other people, not to titles or ranks.

Al Bara’a, radhiyallahu 'anhu, says, ‘On the day of Khandaq I saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) carrying earth until there was so much mud on him that I could not see his skin anymore.’ This is an example of the commitment of the Prophet (ﷺ). There was no job that he considered beneath his dignity to do. There was nothing that he ordered others to do that he didn’t do himself. Leadership after all is always from the front. People follow leaders because the leader is walking ahead of them. Sometimes we forget this.
At this time, the Prophet (ﷺ) himself was so hungry that he would tie two stones to his belly. Jaber ibn Abdalla, radhiyallahu 'anhu, saw the condition of the Prophet (ﷺ) while they were digging the trench; people had one stone tied on their bellies while the Prophet (ﷺ) had two. He went to his wife and said, ‘I have seen Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in an unbearable condition. Do you have any food for him?’ She said, ‘All I have is some barley and a small goat.’ So Jaber bin Abdullah slaughtered the goat and told his wife to make some dough for bread. While the meat was cooking and his wife was baking the bread, he went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, ‘Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I have some food for you so please come with one or two of your companions.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) asked him how much food he had and Jaber told him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘O that’s plenty. Tell your wife, not to move the soup from its place until I come.’

Then the Prophet (ﷺ) stood up and called out, ‘O Muhajiroon, O Ansaar; Jaber has invited you to his house for a meal.’ Jaber was shocked because he expected the Prophet (ﷺ) to come with one or two companions while the Prophet (ﷺ) had now invited the whole camp. He ran back home, very embarrassed and told his wife what had happened. She asked him, ‘Did he ask you how much food we have?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ She asked, ‘Did you tell him?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ So she said, ‘Then don’t worry, Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) know best.’ He said, ‘Those words comforted me.
The Prophet (ﷺ) entered the house of Jaber and took charge of distributing the food. He would crush the bread and dish out the meat and soup and told the Sahaba to come in groups of 10. The Prophet (ﷺ) would prepare the meal and dish it out and they would eat their fill and leave and another 10 would come in and eat. In total 800 Sahaba ate. When teh Prophet (ﷺ) went back to the pot the pot was full and the bread was still baking. So he told the wife of Jaber to feed her neighbors. It is hardly a surprise that the morale of his people was so high. What else would you expect with a leader who shared all your hardship?

A boulder stood in the path of the trench diggers and would not break despite their best efforts. So they came to the Prophet (ﷺ). He went with them and took the pickaxe and struck the boulder once. Lighting flashed and he said, ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Then he struck it a second time and lightning flashed again and he said, ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Then he struck it a third time and the boulder disintegrated to dust. Salman Al Farisi asked him, ‘O Allah's Messenger, what was the lightning and why did you say Allahu Akbar?’ He replied, ‘The first time I struck it I was given the good news of the conquest of the Roman Empire and I could see the red palace of Ash-Shaam from here. The second time I was given the god news of the conquest of Persia and I could see the white palace of Al Kisra. The third time I was given the good news of the conquest of Yemen and I could see the gates of Sana’a. That is why I said, ‘Allahu Akbar.'
Speaking of the commitment of the Sahaba one story which illustrates this very well is when the Prophet (ﷺ) appointed Ammar bin Yasir and Abbad bin Bishr, radhiyallahu 'anhum, as guards during one expedition. Between themselves they decided that one of them would sleep half the night while the other stayed awake and then when half the night was over, he would awaken his brother. It was Abbad bin Bishr’s turn to be awake and he decided to pray while guarding the camp. One of the enemy scouts sneaked up behind Abbad and shot an arrow which hit him in the side. Abbad continued to stand and pray . The enemy soldier shot another arrow which also hit Abbad. But he remained standing and continued his prayer without interruption. The enemy shot a third arrow upon which Abbad woke up Ammar. When the enemy soldier saw that Abbad had a companion, he ran away. When Ammar bin Yasir saw him in the state where he was dying from loss of blood he said to him, ‘Subhan’Allah why didn’t you wake me up?’ Abbad said, ‘If it wasn’t for the fact that this man kept shooting arrow after arrow and I was afraid that I may die and thereby fail my responsibility to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), I would not have woken you up until I finished my entire recitation.
The Sahaba were living examples of Islam. This incident shows us the level of Imaan of the Sahaba where Abbad bin Bishr could actually continue to pray and retain his Khushoo despite taking 3 arrows in his body. This also shows the importance of our responsibility to Islam. Abbad used a phrase which means, ‘Guarding my gate’ i.e. preventing the enemy from entering from the gate that I am guarding. This is the responsibility of every Muslim. The enemy is Shaytaan or anyone who wishes ill for Islam or the Muslims. It is the duty of every Muslim to use whatever means Allah has given to prevent any harm from happening to Islam or the Muslims and to help Islam and the Muslims in any way. We will not be asked, ‘What happened?’ We will be asked, ‘What did you do?’

The politician stopped, took a cup of tea at the table, drank it, put it back, then said, "Another characteristic of a Leader, is extraordinary Team. Allah created a generation of people around His Nabi who were benchmarks in themselves. As I mentioned earlier it was the Will of Allah that the Prophet (ﷺ) was to be the last of the Messengers and so it was necessary to create successors who would take the message onward. They were the Sahaba, who he called the Best Generation.
The Prophet (ﷺ) had a task very different from any Nabi and much more complex. The task of all the Anbiya before him was to get people to accept their message. So they had followers. The task of our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), who was to be the last of the Messengers of Allah and the Seal of Prophethood, was not only to convey his message but to create a generation of people who would take his message onwards across the lands and down through the centuries until the end of time. It is the Baraka of the Seal of Prophethood that the work of Da’awa was given to the Ummah.

So in short, other Anbiya created followers while our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) created leaders. The first among them was his Khalifa – Khalifatur Rasoolillah – Abu Bakr Siddique, radhiyallahu 'anhu. How well he learned the lesson of leadership from his teacher, our Prophet (ﷺ), can be seen in his first action when the Prophet (ﷺ) passed away. We need to remind ourselves about repeatedly, because it becomes clear that the Prophet (ﷺ) clearly indicated to the Sahaba who was to be his successor. He did it in terms that they understood clearly without any doubt and so they chose him. Those who like to cast doubts and aspersions today on this matter indicate either their own ignorance of the life and times of the Prophet (ﷺ) or their ulterior motives which are obviously highly questionable.
For the Prohet (ﷺ) and his Sahaba, the Salah was the meter to measure everything. Salah was the definer of their lives. Salah was what they turned to for all their needs. Salah was their quiet time, their time with their Rabb, the recharging of their energy. Salah was their way of relaxation, distressing tool and their strength. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to call to Bilal bin Rabah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, and tell him to call the Adhaan for Salah, saying, ‘Give us happiness through it, O Bilal!"
It was Salah through which the Prophet (ﷺ) gave his final message about his successor and it was the Salah of the Sahaba which made him so happy, which was the last sight that he saw of the outside world before he met his Rabb. So, it is only natural that the Prophet (ﷺ) described quality also in terms of Salah. In the famous Hadith Jibreel, the Prophet is reported to have answered the question of Jibreel, alayhissalam, with respect to Al-Ihsan.

It is narrated on the authority of Yahya bin Ya'mur that he came across Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab, rahiyallahu anhum, while he was entering the mosque. … He (Abdullah ibn Umar) said, My father, Umar ibn al-Khattab, told me: One day we were sitting in the company of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when there appeared before us a man dressed in pure white clothes, his hair extraordinarily black. There were no signs of travel on him. None amongst us recognized him. At last he sat with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).
He knelt before him, placed his palms on his thighs, and said, 'Muhammad, inform me about al-Islam.' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Al-Islam is that you testify that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and you establish prayer, pay Zakat, observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform Hajj if you are able (to bear the expense of) the journey. He (the inquirer) said: You have spoken the truth. He (Umar ibn al-Khattab, radhiyallahu 'anhu) said, 'It amazed us that he would put the question and then he would himself verify the truth. He (the
inquirer) said: Inform me about Iman. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), 'That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in Qadr about good and evil of it. He (the inquirer) said, 'You have told the truth.' He (the inquirer) again said, 'Inform me about Al-Ihsan. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'That you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, for though you don't see Him, He, verily, sees you.' He (the inquirer) again said, 'Inform me about the hour (of the Resurrection). Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) remarked, 'The one who is asked knows no more than the one who is inquiring (about it).' He (the inquirer) said, 'Tell me some of its indications.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress; that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings.'
He (the narrator, Umar ibn al-Khattab) said, 'Then he (the inquirer) went on his way but I stayed with him Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for a long while. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then, said to me, 'Umar, do you know who this inquirer was?' I replied: Allah and His Messenger know best.' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, ‘He was Jibreel. He came to you in order to instruct you in matters of religion.’ [Sahih Muslim]

The highlighted lines about Al-Ihsan are in my view the best illustration about the concept of excellence in the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) which he practiced and which he left as a benchmark for us to judge ourselves by. As I mentioned, in Islam and in the teachings of the Prophet (ﷺ), all important things were mentioned in terms of religion but their implication was not restricted to prayer but was extended to every aspect of life. That is why Allah declared the entire life of His Messenger (ﷺ), not only his worship, to be an example for all of mankind to follow. In the famous Ayat of the Qur’an, Allah said,

"There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often." [QS.33:21]

Islam is a complete way of life that extends from the Creed (Aqeeda) to Worship (Ibadah), to Manners (Akhlaq), Dealings (Muamalat) and Society (Mu’ashirah). So, though principles and standards may be mentioned in terms of worship, they also extend to all other aspects of life.
Excellence as expressed by the Prophet (ﷺ) in this Hadith simply means to live our entire lives with the certain knowledge of the presence of Allah in our lives. That He is watching, will help, will forgive our transgressions, will support our efforts and will be pleased with us. To live with this constant awareness in every aspect of our lives; in everything we say or do. In every transaction we make, in every conversation we have, in every relationship we enter into. Imagine what sort of society that would create where everyone was aware of and concerned about the fact that he is accountable to the One from Whom nothing can be hidden and that one day he will be called to account and will be rewarded or punished based on how he lived his life? It would be a society where people would compete with each other, not for material resources but to be good to each other, to fulfill each other’s rights and more. The Prophet (ﷺ) created such a society in his own lifetime.

It was the life of the Prophet (ﷺ) which distinguishes him from other teachers where it was a living example of what he preached. In his life there was no gap between talk and walk. He did what he told others to do and was a living, walking, talking Standard Bearer of Islam. In his life, Islam was not a theory or an ideology or a philosophy but an actual living practical methodology of action. He followed that in every aspect of his life; private, religious, temporal and collective. He lived with a sense of who he was and what he represented and his Sahaba followed suit.
Just to quote one example from the life of his student Abu Bakr, radhiyallahu 'anhu. When Khalifatur Rasoolillah, Abu Bakr Siddee, passed away he had two pieces of cloth and one mule. He gave instructions that he was to be shrouded in one of the pieces of cloth and that the other cloth and mule were to be handed over to Sayyidina Omar Ibn Al-Khattab who was to be the Khalifa after him. When this was done Sayyidina Omar wept and said, ‘Abu Bakr has set a very high standard and made it very difficult for the Khulafa who come after him.’

Another illustration: Every morning before Fajr, Abu Bakr Siddeeq, radhiyallahu 'anhu, used to go to the outskirts of Madina to a small camp. He would enter the tent and spend some time there and then would return. After he passed away Omar, radhiyallahu 'anhu, decided to find out who lived there. He went to the camp and found an old woman who was almost blind with age. He asked her about herself and she replied, ‘I am an old woman who has nobody in the world and I live alone here with my sheep. Every morning there is a man from Madina who comes here, sweeps my tent, cooks my food milks my sheep and takes care of them and leaves. Without him and his care I would have been unable to survive.’ Omar asked, ‘Do you know who that is?’ She said that she had no idea who the man was. He had never told her. Omar told her, ‘That was Khalifatur Rasoolillah Abu Bakr Siddeeq, radhiyallahu 'anhu.’
Imagine living in a society where the ruler serves the weak and destitute himself. A society where the rulers are not afraid of the people but afraid of answering to Allah about those under their rule. About Ameerul Mu’mineen Omar ibn Al-Khattab, it is reported that one day when he was the Khalifa he came to a place with some Sahaba and said, ‘All praise to Allah who is Glorious and He gives whoever he wants whatever he wants. There was a time when I used to be a shepherd for my father for his camels. I would come here with those camels. My father would exhaust me with work and if I did not work, he would beat me. And I used to wear some very harsh and rough clothes. But look at me today, where Allah has raised me up so that there is nobody between me and Allah.’

Abdur Rahman ibn Awf, radhiyallahu 'anhu, narrated that one day Omar called the people to the masjid and when they assembled, he stood on the Minbar and said, ‘I used to be a shepherd for some of my aunts and when I returned home in the evening, they would give me a handful of dates or raisins and I would have a miserable day.’ He then descended from the Minbar. Abdur Rahman ibn Awf said to him, ‘What was the point of this Khutba? All you did was to belittle yourself in front of everyone. So what is the benefit of that?’ Omar said, ‘Woe to you Ibn Awf, my Nafs was telling me, ‘You are Ameerul Mu’mineen. So who is better than you?’ I wanted to teach my Nafs who it really is.’ Omar ibn Al Khattab could not be fooled by anyone including himself.

Abdullah bin Mas’ood, radhiyallahu 'anhu, described the Sahaba and said, ‘By Allah they were the best of this Ummah. And they had the most pious hearts (most taqwa). And they had the deepest knowledge. And they were the least superficial (least formality).’ He did not say ‘most knowledge’ but ‘deepest knowledge’. This is because they learnt directly from the Prophet (ﷺ). So even though individual Sahaba did not know as many Ahadith as Imam Bukhari or Muslim, they lived those Ahadith and were witness to the circumstances of the particular Hadith. They were the only generation who actually heard the prophet (ﷺ) saying what he said and knew why he said that. They were there when the Qur’an was revealed and saw the revelation being received. They saw Jibreel, alayhissalam, and heard his voice when he came in the form of a man. The Sahaba were clean and their lives were simple and pure. They were a nation which had not been affected by the philosophy of the Greeks or the civilizations of the Persians and Romans and so when Islam came, they accepted it and practiced it in its pure and pristine form and did not add anything to it.
Even before Islam, in the period of Jahiliyya they were simple people of the desert. Their language was free from affectation and flowery speech. Their poetry was simple and descriptive, not allegorical and symbolic. They had no mythology like the Hindus or Greeks with lots of convoluted philosophy, symbolism and argument. Even when they worshipped idols, they simply bowed to the idol and sacrificed to it and that was it. There were no complicated stories and philosophical justifications. There was no mythology associated with them.

When they accepted Islam they brought this directness and simplicity to the Deen. They did not engage in philosophy and argument. They took the Qur’an and Sunnah at face value and practiced it in sincerity and with dedication in their lives. They didn’t seek hidden meanings behind Ayaat. They heard and they obeyed. Allah said about them,

"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination." [QS.2:285]

And Allah said about those who seek hidden meanings and create convoluted philosophies,

"It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah . But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding." [QS. 3:7]

The Sahaba learnt the Qur’an directly from the one who it was revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ). They were the only generation who were witness to the circumstances of each revelation, each Ayah. They understood not only the literal meanings of the words, but the reason for those words to be revealed. That is the reason the understanding of the Sahaba has always been considered the Gold Standard by the scholars of Islam in all matters dealing with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ). Even in matters of linguistics, it is the Sahaba’s understanding of certain words that is taken as the final argument in favor of what that word means with respect to the Qur’an and Sunnah.
That is why they are considered the best generation as mentioned by the Prophet (ﷺ) in his famous Hadith where he said, ‘The best generation is my generation and then those that come after them and those that come after them.’ The scholars of Hadith state that this refers to them chronologically as well as ideologically – meaning that the best Muslims are those who are closest to the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Sahaba in terms of their belief and actions.

Bida’at in Islam did not start in Makkah and Madina. All the philosophy and complex theories that are current today and on which many books have been written, came to be long after the period of the Sahaba when Islam spread and came into contact with Coptic Christianity and Hinduism. That is when philosophy entered Islam. The Sahaba were action oriented, connected to Allah and concerned about meeting Him. They had neither the time nor the inclination to indulge in conjecture and guesswork that has no value and can only lead to confusion and weakening of faith.
With the Sahaba simplicity and clarity were signs of learning. Not complexity, convoluted argument and philosophy. They were not diplomatic. They were direct. They feared the anger of Allah more than the opinion of people. They feared becoming unpopular with Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) more than becoming unpopular with people. So they said what needed to be said, no matter what anyone thought. It is essential in Islam to develop the character of the Sahaba and not simply to listen to their stories, because they are the standard by which we will be judged.

This is what the Sahaba understood by excellence; AlIhsan; and they practiced it in their lives. There are too many stories from the lives of the Sahaba which I don’t need to repeat here. It would be most interesting and instructive for anyone in today’s time to read them and try to visualize what it must have been like to live during the lifetime of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his generation.
It is absolutely essential for anyone interested in the wellbeing of his fellowmen to read about the life and times of the Prophet (ﷺ) and to do his best to recreate those times in today’s world. We would then have a world characterized by justice, compassion, truthfulness and concern for one another. These are the major deficiencies in modern society as a result of which we have a world characterized by cruelty, indifference and inequity. It is our choice what we want to live with."

The young wayfarer asked, "So, what is the call?" The politician said, "When Allah sent the Prophet (ﷺ) to guide the world, He ensured that the message contained the principles which would open doors for intelligent people to understand what was and what would be. The Qur’an which He sent down on the Prophet’s (ﷺ) heart is a Book from the Rabb of the worlds to all living people, to guide them to goodness and inspire them with uprightness. The Prophet (ﷺ) was not a leader of tribes, people who were good because he was good, and when he died they faded away. He was a force of goodness which played a role in the moral world similar to the role played in the material world by the discovery of steam and electricity. His appointment as Prophet (ﷺ) represented a stage in the evolution of the mankind. Before that, people under the guardianship of their keepers were like confined children. Then they grew up and became capable of bearing responsibility themselves. So Allah’s message came to them, through the agency of Prophet (ﷺ) and explained how they should live on earth and return to heaven. Thus whether Prophet (ﷺ) remained or went away, it would not take anything away from his real Message which opened eyes and ears and sharpened perceptions and minds, and it was all contained in his huge legacy of the Qur’an and Sunnah. The Prophet (ﷺ) was not sent to collect a set of people around him but to forge a link between creation and the truth by which their existence would be meaningful; between them and the light by which they would see their goal.
The Surahs of the Qur’an which were revealed at Makkah explain the beliefs and actions which Allah charged His servants to uphold, and he commissioned the Prophet (ﷺ) to establish and nurture them. The most important are, first, Absolute Unity. Humans are not servants to any being on earth or in heaven because all in the heavens and the earth are servants to Allah, they submit to His Majesty and obey His Command. There are no partners with Him, nor intercessors, nor intermediaries. It is every person’s right to approach Allah directly without going through any other creation, whether big or small. It is every person’s duty to denounce those who establish themselves or others as intermediaries and bring them down to their rightful position, whether they happen to be human or stone or anything else. All individual and collective links ought to be built on the basis that Allah is Supreme in His Kingdom with this Perfect Oneness.
The consequences of this belief were that the stones which the Arabs worshipped became no better than the stones with which they used to build their houses or pave the roads, and that the human beings who were deified in other religions were given their rightful status. ft was made plain that they were servants to the One who created and fed them, that they would progress or regress only if they obeyed or disobeyed Him, and that they had no say in creation or the provision of sustenance.

Second, the Hereafter, the day will inevitably come when people will have to face their Rabb and be questioned on every minute detail of their previous life. Thereafter will be either eternal bliss for the good people to enjoy or dreadful punishment in which the evil-doers will remain miserable. Allah says,

"So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." - [QS.99:7-8]

Considering the Hereafter in every action that one performs or avoids is an established principle of behaviour in Islam. Just as passengers on a train know that they will get off at the next stop, likew ise Muslims know that time will inevitably take them back to their Creator where they shall harvest the fruits of w hat they have planted in this life.

Third, purification of the self, this is done by adhering to the prescribed acts of worship and keeping away from other actions in order to avoid their evil consequences. What the Prophet (ﷺ) brought, it was not only a full fledged of religion, but also a good moral teachings for the people. Allah says,

"Say, "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason. And do not approach the orphan's property except in a way that is best until he reaches maturity. And give full measure and weight in justice. We do not charge any soul except [with that within] its capacity. And when you testify, be just, even if [it concerns] a near relative. And the covenant of Allah fulfill. This has He instructed you that you may remember." - [QS.6:151-152]

Fourth, the Muslim community must be considered to be a solid unit based on brotherhood and co-operation. This demands that the wronged should be championed, the deprived should be assisted and the weak should be strengthened. In Surah Al-Muddaththir [74], which is the first Surah in which the Prophet was ordered to preach openly, we read these verses,

"Every soul, for what it has earned, will be retained, except the companions of the right, [who will be] in gardens, questioning each other about the criminals, [and asking them], 'What put you into Saqar?' They will say, 'We were not of those who prayed, nor did we used to feed the poor. And we used to enter into vain discourse with those who engaged [in it], and we used to deny the Day of Recompense, until there came to us the certainty.' So there will not benefit them the intercession of [any] intercessors." - [QS.74:38-48]

Then the politician concluded with saying, "O young man, Islam does not create follower, but Islam creates a leader. The most difficult task for the leader is not to get people to follow his commands, but to get them to dream his dream. To get them motivated to commit fully to a vision that only he can truly see. It is only when people fully commit to the vision, that they will do what it takes to make it come true. For any leader in any field, this is the most difficult task. And Allah know best."

"And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah; and they were worshippers of Us." - [QS.21:73]

[Part 1]

Bahasa

References :
- Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Fiqh-us-Seerah, IIFSO
- Mirza Yawar Baig, Leadership Lesson from the Life of Rasoolullah (ﷺ), Standard Bearer Academy.

A Massage and a Leader (1)

"O young man, Allah does not grant sovereignty and wealth to any one so that he may use it for his own comfort and benefit, but granted it to man that he may use these things in the service of the creation," the politician said to the young wayfarer. He continued, "There has always been this major difference between a just government and an unjust government that the aim of the just government is always to serve the subjects. For this reason, the treasury of such a leader is used for the good and welfare of the subjects and for promoting their prosperity and will only use from there for his own needs that which is necessary and such a ruler will not harass them with an over burden of taxes. On the other hand, the unjust tyrant aims at benefiting the rule of the government, their own comforts and pleasures and strengthening these things. Thus such a ruler is oblivious of their pains and does not care about their comforts and even if any comforts do come to the subjects, it is merely by the way. In such a government the subjects always have the burden of taxes and in such a country the majority of people are in poverty.
If you listen and ponder about the story of Dhul-Qarnayn, you will find that it is a documented historical fact that in the history of humanity, almost every single person of power and every single nation of power desired more power and every super power desired even more power than it had. Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala never allowed any nation or any person of power to flourish in this world, because every single nation that tried to gain more and more power, Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala brought about their own demise at their own hands. On the contrary, a ruler who is blessed by Allah, is a ruler who uses his power to call and enforce a message, the message is the words of Tawheed, "Laa ilaaha illallaah." Therefore, a true ruler, is a Muwahhid as well as a Mujahid.

If we talk about power, it will always concern with Leadership. The concept of leadership is still as significant, still as ambiguous and still as pertinent today as it was in bygone times. Despite the growing industry and popularity of such publications, they are nevertheless tailored to craft leaders in a limited scope or sphere of life. So, that is why the Leadership in Islam is not an ordinary thing, but it is an extraordinary thing. The Muslims already have an impeccable example of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) whose diverse and unconstrained leadership qualities transformed a marginalized community into the best of people to walk on the face of this earth after the Prophets, alayhimussalam. Not only was he (ﷺ) himself a leader, par excellence, but he created leaders. He was able to nurture the likes of demoralized and oppressed slaves, enabling them to become leaders of the highest calibre.
The Prophet (ﷺ) set the standard of extraordinary leadership so convincingly and clearly that even his worst enemies were forced to speak in his favor. To be extraordinary is to be abnormal in the best of ways. To listen to a message in the mind that others can only wonder at. To march to a beat that others are unable to hear – yet to be able to inspire them to fall in step. It is only those who are extraordinary who are inspiring. To live is not simply to draw breath. So if one aspires to lead one must do more than merely exist. The key is to do more than what others think is wise, reasonable or logical. One must do what nobody else does, not because he wants to impress them but so that they will be able to see that it is possible for them also to do the same. There is nothing sublime in pretending to be less than you are. What is required of the leader is that he constantly pits himself against his own assumptions and self-imposed boundaries because the only real barrier to surmount is in one’s own mind.

The leader must have the courage to go where nobody dared to venture before in the world of the minds and spirits of men. He must question what was always assumed to be correct. He must challenge beliefs handed down from generation to generation and accepted as being real. He must stand for the truth no matter what the cost. He must support the oppressed, the weak and the deprived and stand up to the raw power of the oppressors, no matter who they may be. All these things help the leader to inspire trust, the very foundation of leadership. A leader must not only be trusted personally but people must have faith that to follow him will benefit them. Leading, by definition, is from the front. And so leading is The leader must simultaneously have great clarity of vision and strategy. It is not sufficient to merely dream of great things if one has no clue about how to achieve them. The leader must be able to dream and then to lead his people on a path that actually leads to the fulfillment of that dream. To be extraordinary is to be able to do both the ephemeral task of dreaming and the concrete task of translating the dream into an actual roadmap with milestones. Then it consists of finding people to fulfill the many roles that are bound to emerge because no leader can do everything himself. Without a team of highly competent and dedicated people to implement the strategy, the greatest of dreams must remain relegated to the realm of desires. Recruiting a team, inspiring them to give their best, training and directing them and finally watching them from the sidelines as they fulfill the tasks that they have been trained to do are all roles that the extraordinary leader must perform.
Finally the extraordinary leader must create a system that can take his legacy onwards, long after he has gone the way of all life. For personal charisma that remains untranslated into processes is destined to die with the leader – remembered with nostalgia perhaps, but of no benefit to those who come after. For any great enterprise to succeed, its leader must lead its transformation from being person-led to becoming process-driven. Failure to do this successfully invariably leads to the legacy of the leader not transcending the generation change.
To be extraordinary is not a choice for a leader. It is an essential part of being for anyone who aspires to lead. To be extraordinary in ways that people find inspiring, invigorating, energizing and empowering. Only the courageous can encourage and there was nobody in the history of mankind who exemplified the extraordinary leader in every aspect of his life as did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). That is why his companions displayed a level of loyalty to him that is an example in itself. They loved him and he loved them.

To look at the first of the extraordinary qualities that the Prophet (ﷺ) displayed in his character is Faith. Faith is essential because without it, the monumental task of changing people’s hearts is impossible. It is a small word with big meaning. It means different things to different people. Faith is a dynamic process that is based on the interaction of three factors: Patience in the face of hardship and thankfulness for Allah’s bounties; repentance for our transgressions and mistakes and seeking Allah’s pleasure and closeness to Him by His worship because we love Him. Faith is not blind as the materialistic world likes to believe. Faith is to be able to see beyond material to that which can’t be described or seen with the eyes of the head but which is clearly perceptible to the eyes of the heart.
It was reported that after a very intense engagement with the Germans, a soldier asked permission from his officer to go into no-man’s land to bring back the body of his partner who had fallen during the battle. The officer tried to reason with the man and said, ‘Look he is dead. What is the good of risking your life to bring back a dead body?’ But the soldier was adamant and persistent and so in the end the officer gave in and ordered the company to lay down covering fire while the soldier went out to the body of his friend. A few minutes later, he returned unharmed, with the body of his friend. The officer asked him, ‘So was that worth risking your life? To get back a dead man? The soldier replied, ‘Yes Sir. It was worth it because when I reached him, he was still alive and said to me, ‘I knew you would come for me.’ He was waiting for me and he died in my arms. Yes Sir, it was worth it.'
Faith is not blind. It sees what those without faith cannotsee. It sees through the lens of love, of devotion, of gratitude for favors done – without reason. Faith is the yearning to be with the beloved. Faith lights the dark road of disappointment at the end of backbreaking effort because it knows that success and failure in this path is not measured in miles but by the willingness to stand up and make that effort to please the One who knows what is in your heart. Faith is the smile on the face of the one who walks on when all others have turned their backs because he is listening to a voice that they cannot hear. As he walks, others stop to look and wonder; then slowly they turn around and join him until there is a caravan. They follow him because that gives them meaning and they find their own fulfillment. Faith, in the language of Islam, manifested as Tawakkul. Tawakkul is the result of Tawba, Sabr and Shukr, and love of Allah.

The most powerful story about Tawakkul from the Seerah is at the very beginning of Prophethood where Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood on the top of the hill of Safa and called out, ‘Wa Subaha!’ Narrated Ibn `Abbas, radhiyallahu 'anhu, "When the Ayah, 'And warn your tribe of near-kindred – was revealed, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ascended the Safa and started calling, "O! Bani Fihr! O Bani `Adi!" addressing various tribes of Quraish till they were assembled. Those who could not come sent their agents to see what was happening. Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) uncles and other people from Quraysh came. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "Suppose I told you that there is an cavalry in the valley intending to attack you, would you believe me?" They said, "Yes, for we have not found you speaking anything other than the truth." He then said, "I am a warner to you about a terrible punishment in the Hereafter if you don’t leave the worship of idols and worship Allah without ascribing any partners." Abu Lahab said to the Prophet (ﷺ), "May your hands perish on this day. Is it for this that you gathered us?" Then it was revealed the Surah al-Lahab.
Allah orders us to make sincere repentance for our sins. Tawba is the first condition of guidance because Tawba indicates an attitude of wanting to change. No change or correction can happen unless a person is conscious of the need for it. So when we make Tawba we are showing that we have become conscious of the need to change our attitudes and ways. The first lesson that Allah taught Adam and Hawwa, was Tawba. Both Adam & Hawwa and Iblîs disobeyed Allah. But the difference was in their attitude when they became conscious of their mistake. Adam & Hawwa were immediately contrite and repentant and said,

"Our Rabb! We have wronged ourselves. If You don’t forgive us and don’t grant us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers."

Allah forgave them and guided them and made them a source of guidance for others. Iblîs, on the other hand was not repentant and asked for time and said,

"Allow me respite till the Day they are raised up.”

Today when we are told to leave our evil ways, we ask for time. Let us reflect and see whose attitude we are reflecting; the attitude of Adam & Hawwa or the attitude of Iblîs? To insist on sin is a reason for a bad ending (Soo al-Khaatima). There is no major sin with Tawba and there is no minor sin with insistence. Insisting on sin eventually results in the doors of Hidaya being shut and invites the wrath of Allah on our heads. In Surah Al-An'aam[6]:44, Allah said about those who refuse to correct themselves and insist on sinning,

"So when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We opened to them the doors of every [good] thing until, when they rejoiced in that which they were given, We seized them suddenly, and they were [then] in despair."

After giving multiple opportunities to correct ourselves, when we insist on rebelliousness, Allah shuts the doors of Hidaya. Instead He opens the doors of all that the rebellious person wants until he is immersed in his rebellion and then suddenly death comes upon him and he does not have the opportunity to make Tawba. We ask Allah to save us from such a fate.
Allah warned us against all forms of disobedience and sin. One must not consider sins as being ‘small or minor’ because any sin is a sign of disobedience of Allah and such an attitude is a very serious matter. So it is not the specific action that one needs to look at, but the whole matter of our attitude which leads to the Fire. Out of all sins, the worst sin is shirk and it is the only sin that Allah will never forgive, if one dies on it. It is essential therefore that we make Istighfaar and Tawba immediately and instantly leave everything that is disobedience of Allah and against the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ)." The young wayfarer asked, "How long do we have before we need to do this?" The politician said, "As long as we expect to live!"

He then continued, "The second step is thankfulness for the bounties of Allah. It is only when a person is thankful to Allah for His bounties that he can be content and have peace of mind. In Surah Ibrahim [14]:7, Allah said about thankfulness,

"And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' "

The biggest bounty to thank Allah for, is the opportunity and Tawfeeq to make Tawba. What would we have done if the door of Tawba had not been opened by Allah? The more a person thanks Allah for His bounties, the more he becomes aware of them and the more he loves Allah. Thankfulness increases the person’s awareness of the magnificence and glory of Allah and of the fact that this Creator and Owner of the Heavens and Earth has taken the trouble of being kind to him. The biggest blessing of thankfulness is greater enjoyment of what a person blessed with and the first punishment of thanklessness is that the enjoyment of the blessing is taken away and a person doesn’t enjoy what he has and lives a life of selfinflicted pain.
About Shukr, Allah has said clearly that to be grateful to Him is His right on us and He will reward it by increasing His bounty. The very first ayah of the Qur’an after Bismillah is an ayah of Shukr: Al Hamdulillahi Rabbil A’alameen (all praise and thanks be to Allah, the Rabb of the Worlds). Not only has Allah mentioned the benefits of expressing gratitude, Allah has also mentioned the problem of not doing so and of actually being ungrateful for which He used the word Kufr (Denying). And for such as those He warned of His punishment.

An interesting point to note is that Allah promised those who do Sabr, His help and rewards for which the natural reaction would be Shukr. Sabr and Shukr are therefore inter-related. In Surah al-Baqarah[2]:153, Allah said,

"O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient."

And also, in Surah Al-Anfal[8]:46, Allah said,

"And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient."

Hand in hand with thankfulness is Sabr (patience). The concept of Sabr is unique in Islam because it is not what is commonly understood by patience, i.e. bearing difficulty in silence. It is important to remember that in Islam patience or Sabr is not merely a fatalistic acceptance of whatever happens. It is to strive in the cause of Allah with all one’s might and wealth and then to leave the result to Him. Allah used the word ‘sabiroon’ to mean ‘mujahidoon’ in several places. A mujahid does not simply sit and wait for the help of Allah to come. He strives in the path of Allah with all that he has and then he prays for help. Obviously someone fighting in battle is not sitting silently bearing the difficulty. He is fully alive, engaged, thinking, planning and making the utmost effort that he can make to win the battle. But at the end of his effort, he stands before his Rabb and asks for His help because he knows that without that help he can achieve nothing.
Sabr is action; to make the ultimate effort and then to rely on Allah. The embodiment of this concept of Sabr is the action of the Prophet (ﷺ) at the Battle of Badr where after making all preparations that he could do, using his meager resources to the best of his ability, then stood before his Rabb and made his famous dua. The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed ceaselessly for help from Allah and said,

“O Allâh! The conceited and haughty Quraysh are already here defying You and belying Your Messenger. O Allâh! I am waiting for Your victory which You have promised me. I beseech You Allâh to defeat them. O Allâh! Should this group (of Muslims) be defeated today, there will be nobody left to worship you on the earth.”

He continued to call out to his Rabb, stretching forth his hands and facing the Qiblah, until his cloak fell off his shoulders. Then Abu Bakr, radhiyallahu 'anhu, came, picked up the cloak, and put it back on his shoulders and said, “O Allah's Messenger, you have cried out enough to your Rabb. He will surely fulfill what He has promised you.”
Immediate was the response from Allâh, Who sent down angels from the heavens to help His Messenger (ﷺ) and his companions. Allah revealed,

"I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip." [QS.8:12].

"Indeed, I will reinforce you with a thousand from the angels, following one another." [QS.8:9]

The Prophet (ﷺ) was in the lean-to that had been made for him and he dozed off a little and then raised his head joyfully crying, “O Abu Bakr, glad tidings for you, Allah’s victory has approached. By Allah, I can see Jibreel on his mare in the thick of a sandstorm.” He then came out reciting,

"[Their] assembly will be defeated, and they will turn their backs [in retreat]." [QS.54:45]

On the instruction of Jibreel, alayhissalam, the Prophet (ﷺ) took a handful of sand and gravel, cast it at the enemy and said, “Confusion seize their faces!” As he flung the dust, a violent sandstorm blew like a furnace blast into the eyes of the enemies. With respect to this, Allah said,

"...And you threw not, [O Muhammad], when you threw, but it was Allah who threw..." [QS.8:17]

The records of Hadith speak eloquently of the fact that the angels did appear on that day and fought on the side of the Muslims. Ibn ‘Abbas said, “While on that day, a Muslim was chasing a disbeliever and he heard over him the crack of a whip and the voice of the rider saying: ‘Charge! Haizum’. He saw that the enemy soldier had fallen on his back, beheaded. An Ansaari came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and related that event to him. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, ‘You have spoken the truth. This was the help from the third heaven.” In Badr, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) demonstrated the epitome of the Qur’anic injunction to take the help of Sabr and Salah when faced with difficulty. He made all preparations and then asked His Rabb.

When one makes Tawba and Istighfaar, and thanks Allah constantly for His Mercy, it is only natural that one begins to love Allah. However the love of Allah is not to be confused with any other kind of love that we may feel. The love of the Creator is worship and comes with its own rules. It is not something to be expressed or professed in any way we like. People who love Allah are always totally obedient to Him and never use what He has given against Him in his disobedience. To use what Allah gave us – our life, time, strength, wealth, education, power and influence – in His disobedience is the greatest of all ways to express thanklessness. That is why the way to get close to Allah is increase in prostration. The Sajda is the iconic symbol of the Muslim where he submits himself completely, without any reservations and conditions, to Allah. That is the reason the Sajda is Haraam to anyone other than Allah - because the Muslim is not permitted to submit himself and present himself in such a helpless way to anyone other than his Creator. To do so is against human dignity and a denial of the truth – that only Allah is worthy of such obedience. All worship is only for Allah except whom there is nobody and nothing which is worthy of worship."
The young wayfarer asked, "how to get Allah to love us?" The politician said, "Allah gave the answer directly when He said to the Prophet (ﷺ),

"Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."[QS.3:31]

The way to express our love for the Creator is by becoming obedient to Him and following the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ. And when we do this, then Allah will love us. That is the key. To get Allah to love us. The path to the love of Allah and connection with Him is through obedience to Him and through following the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ). There must not be any doubt in our minds about this. If anyone believes that he can disobey Allah or ignore the Sunnah of His Messenger (ﷺ) or go against the Sunnah of teh Prophet (ﷺ) and still be able to have connection with Allah, he is only fooling himself. Allah mentioned love for Him which supersedes everything else as being a sign of the Believer. The believers love Allah more than anyone and anything else and that is expressed by their complete obedience to Him. He said,

"And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment." [QS.2:165]

Allah mentioned the position of the Believers when they hear a command of Allah. He said,

"...And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination"." [QS.2:285]

And Allah also mentioned those who give precedence totheir own desires and fancies over His commands and said,

"Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? Then would you be responsible for him? Or do you think that most of them hear or reason? They are not except like livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray in [their] way." [QS.25:43-44]
The lines are drawn clearly. We need to make our choice. Allah said about His slaves who He is close to, "Indeed, Allah is with those who fear Him and those who are doers of good." [QS.16:128]

And He said to those who claim to love Him and want to connect with Him,

"Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." [QS.3:31]

Allah created a connected world where our actions have two kinds of consequences: benefit or harm in this life and reward or punishment in the hereafter. Every action produces these two kinds of consequences. One in this life and an attendant one in the hereafter. Note that only when Allah loves a slave, is love for him established in the world and all of creation. And when Allah hates a slave, hatred for him is established on earth and all of creation. People love, honor and respect us or hate, malign and disrespect us based on whether Allah likes us or not.
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, radhiyallahu 'anhu, who reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If Allah loves a slave [of His], He calls Jibreel and says, 'I love So-and-so, therefore love him.'" He (ﷺ) said, "So Jibreel loves him. Then Jibreel calls out in heavens, saying: 'Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him.' And the inhabitants of heaven love him." He (ﷺ) said: "Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah hates a slave [of His], He calls Jibreel and says: 'I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him.' So Jibreel abhors him. Then Jibreel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: 'Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him.'" He (ﷺ) said, "So they abhor him, and hatred is established for him on earth." [Imam Muslim, Al-Bukhari, Malik, and at-Tirmidhi]
On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My slave draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My slave continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory (Nawaafil) works so that I shall love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate about anything as much as I hesitate about [seizing] the soul of My faithful slave: he hates death and I hate hurting him." [Hadith Qudsi reported by Imam Al-Bukhari]

If you reflect, the Prophet (ﷺ) had several choices in the way to introduce Islam to his polytheistic community. He could have claimed the right of tribal superiority and nobility. He belonged to the most noble of the noble – Banu Hashim from Quraysh. So he could have attempted to establish himself as the primary tribal leader and then introduced Islam. Alternatively, he could have gone the social reformer route. Makkah was a place that was characterized by social evils of excess, oppression and sin. Our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) could have spoken out against those first, got a lot of people on his side and then introduced Islam as the doctrine on which his social reformist movement was based. Finally he could have introduced Islam as an alternate religion, a new way of looking at things, a new theory - equal to everything else that exists, an alternate way at arriving at the truth, another road to Rome. Not as the only road that leads to Jannah, the only way to salvation, the only religion of truth other than which nothing will be acceptable to Allah on the Day of Judgment. He could have presented Islam as one of the many new age theories and fads that do the rounds today, which in a polytheistic society have, wide acceptance.
Yet he did nothing of the sort. He didn’t use any of the alternatives that were available to him but stood out clear from everything and announced to his people, ‘Leave the worship of idols and worship Allah alone without ascribing any partners to Him or be prepared to be punished when you meet Allah. By this method of calling, at one stroke he managed to antagonize everyone in Makkah because ideologically he attacked their religion and showed up its imaginary nature. Its mythology stood out for what it was; a myth. And he introduced the concept of accountability to Allah from whom nothing is hidden. Not a comfortable thought for those who had become used to doing whatever they liked on the basis of their own personal wealth and power. The rich and powerful of all times never take kindly to the thought that they will be called to account one day and will have to pay for their deeds. All these things were so foreign and alien to the people of Makkah in general and the Quraysh in particular that they instantly rebelled. The Quraysh were particularly affected because they were the priestly class, the custodians of the Ka’aba in which they had housed their idols – 350 of them; the worship of which, especially during the annual pilgrimage was a major source of income for them.
The Prophet's message threatened not only their beliefs but much more importantly in their eyes, their economy and that they couldn’t bear. So they fought him, tooth and nail. The only way to understand why the Prophet (ﷺ) chose this particular way to preach Islam is to go the Qur’an and see what all the Anbiya of Allah did. They all did the same thing. They announced their message clearly and directly without beating about the bush or disguising it in any way. They didn’t ask for any reward from the people, either monetary or social or political. They performed their actions fearing nobody other than Allah and looking for reward from nobody other than Allah. This directness in preaching and teaching without material reward was the hallmark of the Anbiya of all times. The Prophet (ﷺ) was merely repeating what the brotherhood of Anbiya had always done through the ages, as long as mankind needed guidance. To this day the inheritors of the Anbiya – the people of knowledge who take the word of Allah to the rest of mankind – also follow the same method. They speak clearly and directly and they work without expecting or accepting any reward from the people. Anyone who changes this methodology has cut himself off from the glorious continuous tradition of the Anbiya and from the help of Allah that comes with it.

In the very beginning of the preaching of Islam, whenever you think of the powerful, deep, enduring and unshakable faith of the Prophet (ﷺ), it illustrates his complete reliance on Allah for success whereby he simply did what he had been ordered to do without allowing anything, including his own judgment, to interfere in the way that he had been ordered to follow. Allah ordered him to warn his people. And that is what he did. It is not that there is anything bad or incorrect about using your own reasoning but for the one receiving Revelation there is no option but to follow what he receives without question. The same logic applies to those who bear that Revelation today – the Muslims – who believe in what was revealed, in its truth, its address to all people, its Divine origin and in its unchanging applicability until the end of time. We do what we have been ordered to do without question, without changing or altering the message in any way. That demonstrates our own integrity. This is what distinguishes the Muslims from those who also received the Revelation before them – for they changed and interpreted and altered until the Revelation lost its Divine qualities and the Word of God became the Word of Man. Muslims through the ages have never been guilty of this.
The whole period of Prophethood in Makkah of 13 years is a period of disappointment after disappointment, failure after failure. If one were to look for material signs of potential success, there are none. How then did the Prophet (ﷺ) still continue with his mission, his energy and commitment undiminished, standing in the night and connecting to His Rabb and working through the day to take his message to anyone who would stop to listen – whether or not they accepted what he had to say. No matter how they reacted or what they did, he never lost patience, never got angry, never reacted to them and their bad behavior and he never gave up his mission or even slacked in the slightest in propagating it. For him and his mission there were no weekends, no holidays, no intervals – he worked constantly day and night without respite. What, other than complete and total faith can sustain such effort? And who other than the Messengers of Allah (ﷺ) can have that to a level of excellence? In our lives one of the many critical lessons to learn is this capacity to sustain effort in the face of disappointment and apparent failure. It is not the fastest but the most resilient who wins the race. We give up too easily, are too easily discouraged and are too focused on getting visible results. We forget that Islam enters the heart and that entry is for the most part, invisible."

[Part 2]

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