Tableegh Wa Tabyeen (Propagation of the Qur’anic message and its exposition)

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Tableegh Wa Tabyeen

(Propagation of the Qur’anic message

and its exposition)

Besides the four duties that we owe to the Qur’an, i.e., believing it to be the Book of Allah (SWT), reading it, understanding it,  and acting upon its teachings, another duty which rests upon every Muslim and which he must discharge according to his strength   and ability, is that he must communicate its teachings to others.

For “communicating the message of the Qur’an to the people,” the appropriate and comprehensive terms is tableegh. Teaching the Qur’an to others is also a form of tableegh. Similarly, explaining the meanings of the Qur’an to the people is tableegh at a higher plane.

In order to understand the importance of this duty that we owe to the Qur’an, let us consider the purpose for which the Holy Book was revealed. It has been stated by the Qur’an itself in the following words:

This (Qur’an) is a message to the people, in order that they may be warned thereby….

(Ibrahim 14:52)

Again, it declares the basic objective of its being revealed to the Holy Prophet (SAW) in ayah 19 of Surah Al-An‘am:

Say (O Muhammad!): “…and this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may warn you therewith and whomsoever it may reach….”

(Al-An‘am 6:19)

The Qur’an also announces in clear-cut words that it was the foremost duty of the Holy Prophet (SAW) to communicate the message of the Qur’an to mankind with utmost faithfulness, and that the slightest negligence in the fulfillment of this duty would be a serious dereliction of his prophetic mission. Hence the peremptory command in Surah Al-Ma’idah:

O Messenger! Proclaim that which has been sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you have not conveyed his message….

(Al-Ma’idah 5:67)

In perfect obedience to this command, the Holy Prophet (SAW), right from the moment he received the first revelation to the last minute of his earthly life, for full 23 years, bore untold hardships   and waged a ceaseless struggle to fulfill the momentous duty entrusted to him. Although this long and heroic struggle passed through many phases and he had to play different roles for the fulfillment of his mission, still the Qur’an was, all along, the pivotal point of all his activities. He was constantly occupied with reciting the Qur’an, explaining its meanings and communicating its message to the people, thereby enlightening their minds and purifying their souls. The Qur’an describes the basic methodology of the Holy Prophet (SAW) by means of four highly significant terms, which are: recitation of Divine ayaat, purification of souls, instructions regarding the law, and inculcation of wisdom. These terms appear at four different places in the Qur’an:

…he (the Messenger) recites to them His ayaat (the Qur’anic verses), purifies them, and instructs them in kitab (the law) and wisdom….

(Aal Imran 3:164 & Al-Jumu‘ah 62:2)

Obviously, these words indicate the same technique as we have suggested in the foregoing pages while explaining the right method of bringing about the Islamic Revolution in our society. In short, pursuing this method with extraordinary courage and perseverance for 23 years, the Holy Prophet (SAW) acquitted himself admirably and communicated Allah’s Message to mankind. He also sought the cooperation of his devoted Companions (RAA) for the completion of his mission, exhorting them to:

Convey from me to the people even if it be a single ayah.

(Narrated by Bukhari)

Having accomplished his mission, the Holy Prophet (SAW) transferred the responsibility of propagating the message of the Qur’an in the future to his Ummah. Having obtained more than once  the testimony of the people to  the effect that he had, indeed, successfully conveyed Allah’s Message to them, the Prophet (SAW), in his historic address to a gathering of 125 thousand Companions (RAA) on the occasion of the last pilgrimage, issued the abiding instructions:

Those who are present should convey (Allah’s Message) to those who are not.

(Narrated by Bukhari)

Thus the duty of spreading the message of the Qur’an to every nook and corner of the world was devolved on the shoulders of the Ummah for all time to come, and the Ummah as a whole shall be answerable to the Almighty with regard to this arduous duty. As the Ummah consists of the individuals, every individual is responsible for the discharge of this duty: men of learning according to their knowledge and ability and common people according to their means and capability.

Source: The Obligations Muslims Owe to the Qur’an by Dr Israr Ahmad

To Be Continued....