Peremptory
Factor or Argument for Islam (Itmam Al-Hujjah)
Now, we can easily discuss and expound the last point of the first portion of the subject under discussion. We have observed that although the basic internal motivators of evil and good are already given to man in the form of latifa-e-nafs and latifa-e-ruh, the really decisive grounds for moral and virtuous conduct are the cognitive faculties of the nafs, the inherent moral sense, and the power of spiritual apprehension. On the other hand, with regard to the external and objective impelling factors for evil and good, there are respectively the Devil (including all Satanic agents) and the angels (including all the angelic forces). But here again the decisive and peremptory role is played by Divine revelations, God’s messengers, and His revealed Books. Together, they constitute a peremptory argument from Almighty Allah (SWT) for man’s accountability, and leave for him no ground for excuse or ignorance on the Day of Judgement. The affirmation of all these doctrines is known as the belief in Prophethood (Iman bil-Risalah). We read in the Qur’an:
(We sent
all) Prophets as heralds of glad tidings and as warners, so that men might have
no excuse before God after the coming of these Prophets; and God is indeed
Almighty, Wise.
(Al-Nisa
4:65)
O People
of the Book! Now (after a long time during which no messenger has come) there
has come unto you (this) messenger of ours to make the truth clear to you, lest
you say, “No bearer of glad tidings has come unto us, nor any warner,” for now
there has come unto you a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. And Allah has
the power to will anything.
(Al-Ma’ida
5:19)
From
these two Qur’anic verses it becomes clear that the real purpose and objective
of the advent of God’s messengers (or envoys) has been to establish
conclusively and finally man’s responsibility to act as God’s vicegerent on
earth and to follow His guidance in this life, and to leave no scope for
excuses on the Day of Judgement. All excuses offered by man for his misdemeanor
will be lame and of no avail.
The truth
may be recalled here once again that just as the external motivators and
instigators of good and evil have no real power or authority over a human being
— they only motivate and inspire or tempt and seduce — the institution of
Prophethood also works only as an agent of advice and exhortation. That is the
reason why at most places in the Qur’an the function of prophets and messengers
of God has been described as “heralds of glad tidings” and “warners” (Cf. e.g.,
Al-Kahf 18:56). And the oft-used expression employed for revelation and the
Holy Book are zikr, zikra, and tazkira, all derivatives of the root z-k-r,
meaning to recall or to remind (a forgotten truth). The following six
quotations from the Holy Qur’an bear this out:
Behold!
It is We who have revealed this Reminder, and, behold! It is We who shall truly
guard it (from all corruption).
(Al-Hijr
15:9)
Ta Ha; We
did not send down the Qur’an to you to make you unhappy (or unsuccessful), but
only as an Exhortation to all who stand in awe of God.
(Ta Ha
20:1-3)
Nay,
verily, these (revealed messages) are but a reminder
(Abas
80:11)
Thus
offering an Insight and a Reminder unto every human being who willingly turns
unto God
(Qaf
50:8)
In this,
indeed, there is a Reminder for anyone who has a (wide-awake) heart, or who
gives ear and listens with attention (i.e., who listens with a conscious mind).
(Qaf
50:37)
And so,
(O Prophet) exhort them; your task is only to exhort, you cannot compel them
(to believe).
(Al-Ghashia
88:21, 22)
Tazakkur
and its derivatives are very significant Qur’anic terms which mean recalling to
mind the fundamental truths intuitively recognized and apprehended by the
primordial human nature (fitrah). In essence, tazakkur pertains to the first
stage in the comprehension of Divine realities and meanings. It also alludes to
the fact that the Qur’anic teachings are not extraneous or alien to human
nature. They actually reflect the experiences of man’s true inner self and are
meant to awaken reminiscences of something already apprehended but forgotten,
rather than to import something altogether new. God, in His infinite mercy, has
sent His messengers and Books in order to reinvigorate the innate ethical
perception of mankind and to facilitate moral choice and motivation.
The Holy
Qur’an appeals to all thoughtful persons and men of discernment and
comprehension to think and ponder over the outer universe of matter as well as
the inner realm of the spirit, as both are replete with the unmistakable signs
of the Almighty Creator. Along with these, it invites them to deliberate over
the Divinely inspired verses or ayaat (literally meaning the “signs of God”,
because they too turn man’s mind to the Almighty). In effect, this means that
with the aid of the Qur’an, full and intense awareness of the Absolute Reality
springs up to man’s consciousness, just as a forgotten piece of memory rises up
from the depths of the psyche to the surface of conscious awareness. The upshot
of the ideas expressed in the above lines is that, through the advent of
prophets and revelation of Books, an external witness for or against man has
been established by Almighty God. On the Day of Judgement, prophets and messengers
— who were sent to guide various communities or nations — will be brought forth
as prosecution witnesses against their own people.
(O
Muhammad, warn them of) the Day when We shall raise up a witness from among
every community to testify against it, and We shall call you to testify against
these people….
(Al-Nahl 16:89)
We have
sent unto you a messenger to be a witness over you, just as We had sent a
messenger to the Pharaoh.
(Al-Muzzammil
73:15)
Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) is told by the Almighty that he is only a “warner” or a
“reminder”, and therefore “your task is only to preach”, and “you are not a
warden over them.” The vocation of Prophethood, according to the Qur’an, is
bearing witness to the Truth before men, in this world as well as in the world-to-come.
The following Qur’anic verse substantiates it fully:
He has
chosen you….so that the Messenger may be a witness (to Truth) before you and
you might bear witness (to it) before all mankind.
(Al-Hajj
22:78)
To sum
up, the real mission and purpose of Prophethood is that, through preaching,
admonition, advice, greeting and warning, God’s chosen messengers may establish
a peremptory hujjah (or argument) for man’s accountability. The cover term for
the entire prophetic activities is called shahada ala al-naas, i.e., bearing
witness to the Truth before mankind. And that was, therefore, the foremost and
the primary purpose of the advent of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who is addressed
thus in the Qur’an:
O
Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of good news and a warner, and
as one who summons (all men) to God by His leave, and as a luminous lamp.
(Al-Ahzab
33:45, 46)
This
means that, like all other prophets and messengers of God, Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) was also a preacher, a moral and spiritual mentor, a teacher, a warner, a
bearer of glad tidings and a witness of Truth. Even though each prophet of
Almighty Allah (SWT) had his own mark of distinction with regard to one or the
other of these numerous aspects of the prophetic call, the truth of the matter
is that the loftiest and most distinguished position among all the prophets is
occupied by Prophet Muhammad (SAW). However, with regard to his position as the
last and the final messenger of Almighty Allah (SWT), the splendour and
magnificence of the prophetic mission of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is particularly
distinct and unique, as will be made clear in the following section.
The most
distinctive characteristic of the mission of the Holy Prophet (SAW) has been
brought out by the Qur’an at three places thus:
He it is
Who has sent forth His messenger with the Guidance (Al-Huda) and the True way
of life (Deen al-Haq), to the end that he make it prevail over all aspects of
living…
(Al-Tawba
9:33; Al-Fath 48:28; Al-Saff 61:9)
The
important point of which notice should be taken here is that with respect to
Prophet Muhammad (SAW), these words have been repeated at three places in the
Qur’an without the slightest change or difference of construction, whereas
these have not been revealed even once for any other prophet or messenger.
To Be Continued ....
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