The Prophet's Concept of Revolution

The Prophet's Concept of Revolution

What is the core concept of Prophet's revolution? If it were to be expressed in one word it would be "Oneness of God" as the pivotal point of religious belief about which Allama Iqbal has said: 

i.e., what was once a revolutionary concept has now been reduced to a topic of theological argument and dispute. Now let us look at the consequences and corollaries of this ideology based on the belief of the unity of God.

1. Man's Vicegerency rather than Man's Sovereignty

As I have said before, the very first distinctive feature of a revolutionary concept should be its capacity to fall like an axe on the foundations of prevailing system. The very basic principle embodied in the concept of "Tauheed" or "Oneness of Allah" is the Sovereignty of Allah (SWT). There is neither a human sovereign nor a nation on God's earth that can claim sovereignty. Allama Iqbal has expressed this forcefully thus: 

The concept of Tauheed negates the sovereignty of man in any and every form. Neither is human domination and sovereignty acceptable in the form of monarchy nor in the form of one nation ruling over another like the British when they ruled over us in the colonial days. And neither is the sovereignty of the masses in the shape of present day Democracy. 

The Sovereignty is exclusively for Allah The Almighty alone, and human beings can only act as His vicegerents on earth. All other forms of sovereignty are shirk and in the present age the concept of popular sovereignty is the worst form of shirk. The Legislator and Law-giver is only Allah (SWT) and the Prophet (SAW) is His Vicegerent. Now, tell me could there be a more revolutionary slogan than this?

2. Trusteeship instead of Ownership

The second logical consequence of Tauheed is the belief that Allah (SWT) is the Real Master of everything. This revolutionary slogan gives a fatal blow to the existing system of ideas and practices. No person owns anything, neither individually nor collectively or on a national level. Hence, both Communism and Capitalism are negated by this. Only Allah (SWT) is the True and Real Owner: whatever is in the heavens and in the earth is His. He is the only and Absolute Owner of everything. Human beings have only been made trustee of these things.

I do not even own my body; as a matter of truth it is Allah's. My hands and feet, my eyes, my brain has all been entrusted to me by Allah (SWT). If He has favoured me with a home, that too is Allah's. If He has given me offspring they too are His. Hence Absolute ownership is only for Him. We are not the owners or proprietors of anything so that we can go around doing anything that we wish to. The people of prophet Shoaib (AS) questioned him "O Shoaib (AS)! Does your prayer teach you that we should forsake all the Gods that our forefathers worshipped? And that we do not have any say as to how our wealth is spent?” The capitalist's point of view is that 'this is my wealth, I can spend it in any way I like, whether I run a gambling house or do interest-based trade with it or give it to someone on interest'. This is due to the fact that he considers himself to be the sole owner of the wealth. If you consider yourself merely a trustee, your viewpoint will be radically different. You will then use your hand as and where God has permitted you to use it. You will use your feet to tread on the path that God has marked and allowed for you. Similarly you will spend your wealth as God wants it to be spent and not in ways prohibited by Him.

3. Complete Social Equality

At the social level, belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) demands that by birth all human beings are equal; nobody is superior and no one is inferior. In this regard I have already mentioned the testimony of H.G. Wells that "Even though there have been a lot of sermons given on human fraternity, equality and freedom and we find a lot of such sermons by Jesus of Nazareth yet we have no option but to accept that it was only the Prophet (SAW) who for the first time in the entire history of mankind was able to create a society on the basis of the principles outlined in his sermons". If there is any superiority or inferiority in the Islamic society it is due to achievements and moral excellence that you have obtained on your own. If you acquire knowledge, you are superior and you will be respected. If you adopt the path of piety, you achieve a certain level of spirituality, now you will be respected. 

"The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah (SWT) is he who is the most righteous of you" 

(Al-Hujrat 49:13)
 

Essentially all human beings are equal. Be it Sudra or Brahmin, black or white, man or woman; there is no difference. The difference between man and woman is of an administrative role in the structure of family. Just as there is no difference, fundamentally on the human level, between the head of a department and the peon performing menial job. But due to the status and the associated responsibility the head of the department holds a superior position and the peon an inferior position. This is purely an administrative matter and does not make a subordinate less dignified as a human being than his boss. 

In our own country such human equality is generally seen amongst the Pakhtoons that everyone wears the same dress. Be it the wealthy and powerful landlord or his servant, both will be attired in the same dress and further they will sit together to dine. Arabs too believe in human equality. At lunch time a minister's guests, attendants and his drivers will eat with him at the same Dastar Khuan (a cloth spread on the ground and food served upon it). There is no difference between men and women at the human level; the difference is purely in terms of administrative roles. As stated in the Holy Quran :  

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women (Al-Nisa 4:34). 

That is to say, man has been accorded the position of the head of the family. But this does not mean that men are superior and women are inferior. It could be that a woman might, on the basis of her piety and morals, be superior to a billion men. There are innumerable men who would look at the preeminent spiritual status of Hazrat Maryam, Hazrat Asiya, Hazrat Khadija, Hazrat Aisha and Hazrat Fatima (RAA) as if they would look up at the sky. 

So these are the three consequences of the concept of Oneness or Tauheed at the political, economic and social level: Absolute Sovereignty of Allah, Absolute Ownership of Allah over all things and complete human equality. The Prophet (SAW) propagated the concept of Oneness of Allah (SWT) through the streets of Makkah, thus challenging radically the idolatry, social order and values of Makkan people. 

The Prophet (SAW) called out to the people: 'O ye people say, There is no God but Allah, you will attain prosperity'. In the initial phase of propagation and preaching he did not include the claim of his prophethood. He kept the entire emphasis on Oneness of God. For the propagation of this revolutionary concept the Prophet (SAW) utilized all the means available. He (SAW) went from door to door and called people towards the revolutionary message of the Oneness of Allah. Then twice he invited his clan members (of the Banu Hashim tribe) to feast and pleaded them to accept the Quranic teaching of Tauheed. Once the people simply did not listen to him and started making a commotion. 

The second time, they listened to him but remained quite as if they had been bitten by a snake. Out of the people present only Hazrat Ali (RAA) who had already accepted Islam stood up and gave consent to the Holy Prophet's mission. He said that 'even though my legs are lean, even though I am the youngest of all, even though my eyes ache yet I will support you'. And at this the entire congregation burst in a laughter saying that he [The Prophet (SAW)] is going to bring about a change with companions of this sort! Then the Prophet (SAW) was commanded:  

Declare openly what thou art commanded, and turn away from those who join false gods with Allah (Al-Hijr 15:94). 

Thereupon, the Prophet (SAW) stood on the Mount Safa and raised the customary chant of important announcement. Then he went to the fairs like that of Ukaz and others and invited people to worship one God. This means that, all available means of communication were used. There were no loud speakers or televisions at that time. There was no electronic or print media. There were no printing presses, no books, no magazines, no newspapers. But whatever means or resources were available the Prophet (SAW) resorted to them for spreading the new revolutionary message.

Source: The Prophet's Strategy for Islamic Revolution

To be continued ....