Calling and Enjoining
First of all,
let us discuss the first two objectives and goals of the real and hard-core
Muslim Ummah’s struggle. The Islamic summons have, by and large, been
understood by Muslims to be in general call to Iman and A’mal Saleh (righteous
action) in conformity with the guidance of Revelation, summoning people to God
and inviting them to follow His and His Messenger’s dictates. But the crucial
question that must be asked here is:
Do the Qur’anic injunctions “calling and inviting people to all that is good” and “enjoining the doing of all that is right” mean one and the same action? We, however, cannot think for a minute that Almighty Allah (SWT) has used synonymous expressions in the same ayah for pointless repetition. They certainly mean and imply different performances or levels and intensity of operations. da’wah ilal-khair and amr bil-ma’roof are obviously semantically distinct expressions and thus connote different types of activities. Most probably, da’wah ilal-khair means calling and inviting people to the Qur’an, as according to the Holy Qur’an the highest khair (i.e., good) is the Qur’an itself. To substantiate this the following ayaat of Surah Yunus can be cited:
O mankind! There has come unto you an Admonition (or an Exhortation) from your Lord, and a Healing for the diseases in your hearts, and for those who believe a Guidance and a Mercy. Say: In this bounty of Allah and in His Mercy, therein let them rejoice; it is better than all (the worldly wealth) that they may amass! (Yunus 10: 57,58)
These two ayaat clearly tell us how majestically Qur’an describes its own magnificence. Those who do wrong have a disease in their hearts, which causes their spirits to suffocate. Allah (SWT) in His Mercy declares His Will (i.e., the Qur’an) to them which should direct their lives and provide a healing for their spiritual malaise. If they accept faith, the remedy acts; they find themselves in right guidance and receive Allah’s forgiveness and mercy. Surely this guidance — the Qur’an — is far better a gift than material gains, wealth, or possessions. Therefore, according to this ayah, the referent of khair is Qur’an itself, something far superior to what worldly people hoard. To be sure, worldly possessions and wealth have also been termed as khair by the Qur’an. For example, an ayah of Surah Al-Aadiyaat reads:
… for, verily, to the love of wealth (khair) is he most ardently devoted. (A1-Aadiyaat 100:8)
This, of
course, refers to a natural inclination and disposition of man. Yet, we are
told in very dear and categorical terms that the Divine gift bestowed upon us
in the form of the Qur’an is in reality far better than material riches and
belongings. So da’wah ilal-khair (that is to say, inviting and calling people
to goodness) is, in fact, exhorting men to study and act upon the teachings of
the Qur’an.
to be continued....
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