Tableegh Wa Tabyeen (Convey its message and teachings to others)

The words of the Holy Prophet (SAW) “Convey from me to the people though it be a single ayah” prove it beyond any shadow of doubt that no individual is exempt from this duty. If a person can only read the Arabic text of the Qur’an, he should teach others to do so; one who has memorized the whole Qur’an should help others in memorizing it; one who can translate the text, should do so for others; and one who can comprehend its meaning should explain and interpret it to others. If a person understands the meaning of a single Surah and explains the same to others, and if he knows only a single ayah and teaches it to others, he will be discharging the duty of communicating the Qur’an; but the collective duty of the Ummah in this connection will not be fulfilled unless the Qur’an, both its text and its message, is propagated everywhere, throughout the length and breadth of the world.

Unfortunately,   under the present   conditions, this universal proclamation of Allah’s Message, which is expected of the Muslim Ummah, seems to be a far cry or an unattainable ideal, because things have come to such a pass that the Ummah to whom this great and honorific duty was assigned has itself grown ignorant of the Qur’an. Today, the Muslim Ummah itself needs to be instructed in the Book of Allah (SWT) which it has practically forsaken. Hence what is urgently required under the present situation is that a movement for learning and teaching the Qur’an should be launched among the Muslims themselves so that they may develop a fresh attitude of devotion to, and interest in the study of the Qur’an. May Allah (SWT) grant us the strength to carry out this task. Ameen!

As it has been pointed out in the beginning of this discussion,  a higher form of tableegh  (communication)  is tabyeen (exposition). The message of the Qur’an is not only to be communicated but its meanings are also to be explained and interpreted to the people. In Qur’anic terminology, this has been called tabyeen, Hence tableegh and tabyeen appear together in the title of this section. It will be seen that the exposition of the Qur’an demands that one who undertakes this task should talk to his audience at their own level so that the truths of the Qur’an are brought home to them and, secondly, explain to them the implications and arguments of different ayahs and Surahs.

It will be noted that the Qur’an calls itself Bayan (a plain statement).

This  is a plain  statement to mankind,  a guidance and instruction  to those who are God-conscious….

(Aal  Imran 3:138)

The Qur’an frequently characterizes itself as mubeen (clear), and its ayaat as bayyinat and mubayyinat (clear signs or manifestations). It also points out that to explain and interpret the Divine Scriptures is the responsibility of the prophets and their followers to whom these are vouchsafed. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is addressed on this point in the following words:

…and We sent down unto you (O Muhammad!) the Reminder, that you may explain clearly to mankind what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.

(Al-Nahl 16:44)

It has been stated about the Jews and Christians that they were bound by a covenant to explain the Book of Allah (SWT) to mankind:

And (remember) when Allah took a covenant from the People of the Book to make it (the Revelation) known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it….

(Aal Imran 3:187)

When they did not fulfill this covenant and, on the contrary, tried to conceal the truth, they were accursed:

Verily, those who conceal the clear signs We have sent down, and the guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, on them shall be Allah’s Curse and the curse of those entitled to curse.

(Al-Baqarah 2:159)

It may be noted that tabyeen has different forms. Its simplest form consists in expressing the plain meaning of the Qur’an in an easy, straightforward manner in the common language of the people. Naturally, the medium to be used for explaining  the Qur’an to the people has to be their own language.

And We sent not a messenger except (to teach) in the language of his own people, in order to make things clear to them….

(Ibrahim 14:4)

Tabyeen in its highest form is rather a job with a challenge. One who resolves upon fulfilling his duty of explaining the Qur’an in this sense of the term will not merely translate its text, but he will try to unfold the knowledge and wisdom contained in this great Book and bring out the implied meanings and subtle significance of its ayaat and Surahs. He will explain the mode of inference and deduction adopted by the Qur’an and repudiate effectively,  with the help of Qur’anic arguments, the false notions and misleading views prevalent among the people. He will endeavor to establish the truth of the Qur’an and its teachings, reasoning convincingly at the highest plane of thought accessible to the people in a particular age according to its intellectual advancement.

Regarding the question as to how can we discharge our responsibility of explaining the Qur’an and bringing its message home to the people, we can say that for tabyeen in its simplest form we should publish translations and commentaries of the Holy Book in all the important languages of the world and circulate them widely. So far as our obligation for tabyeen in its highest form is concerned, it cannot be properly and adequately discharged, as we have already suggested, unless we set up all over the Muslim world a network of such universities  and academies as may concentrate on Qur’anic study and research, assigning it the central place in the scheme of their disciplines. Through standard institutions of this type we shall be able to explain the teachings of the Qur’an to the people of the modern world.

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

To Be Continued....

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

V

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....

Collective conduct of the community (Hukm Wa Iqamat 4/4)

To begin with, we have the fundamental principle that Allah’s authority of decision is supreme, and in ayah 10 we have, accordingly,  been  directed  to  recognize  and  uphold  it under all eventualities:

And whatever it be wherein you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah….

(Al-Shura 42:10)

Ayah 13 of the same Surah refers to the manifestation of Allah’s authority or decision in the form of Deen and Shari‘ah.15

The same Deen has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah, which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad!) and that which we enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus; namely, that you should establish Deen and make no divisions therein….

(Al-Shura 42:13)

Note-15:  The code of law based on the injunctions of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (SAW).

Then in ayah 15, the Holy Prophet (SAW) has been instructed to declare his belief in the Book and to strive for the creation of a just society by practically dispensing justice to the people:

Now then, for that (reason) call (them to the same Deen) and stand steadfast as you are commanded, and follow not their desires but say: “I believe in the Book which Allah has sent down; and I am commanded to do justice among you….”

(Al- Shura 42:15)

This whole discussion is summed up in ayah 17:

It is Allah Who has sent down the Book in truth and the balance (i.e., Shari‘ah, by which to weigh conduct). And what will make you know that perhaps the Hour is close at hand?

(Al-Shura 42:17)

Here again, as in the ayah from Surah Al-Hadeed quoted above, we  have  the  word  meezan  (or  balance)  which  is  a  very significant term used at different places in the Qur’an. Maulana Sahbbir Ahmad Usmani (RA) has offered a comprehensive explanation of the term in the following words:

Allah has guided man to devise the material balance by which material objects are weighed. He has also granted man the intellectual balance, which is another name for sense of justice and fair play. But most important, the balance granted to us is the Religion of Truth which settles the basic issue of the respective right of the Creator and His creatures and by which all issues can be justly decided.

According to the Qur’an, the real cause of people’s deviation from the true religion, and of the chaos and anarchy in the world, is their wicked tendency to dominate over others and keep them under subjugation. In ayah 14 of this very Surah where the Muslims are exhorted to curb schismatic trends, the cause of people’s breaking away from the Religion of Allah (SWT) and forming sects has been pointed out:

And they became divided only after knowledge had reached them, through inequity and oppression among themselves….

(Al-Shura 42:14)

We  are  now  led  to  consider  the  final  fruit  of  molding  our thought  and  action  according  to  the  teachings  of  Qur’an.  It should be, as we have discussed above, the establishment of Allah’s Sovereignty and the rule of justice in the world. When such an order is set up, the world becomes free from all sorts of inequity and oppression. Then the priests and divines cannot install themselves as godheads; the wealthy can no longer keep the circulation of wealth confined among themselves, and there is no possibility of any kind of coercion and exploitation. All become servants of Allah (SWT) and begin to behave towards one another like brothers. Their rulers consider it their foremost duty to safeguard the rights of the weak at all cost, and not to allow the powerful to tyrannize over them in any way.

The establishment of such a just and equitable order in accordance with the teachings of the Qur’an is the bounden duty of its followers. Its fulfillment is the believers’ collective responsibility   for   which   they   will   be   answerable   to   the Almighty. It is, therefore, time they should clearly understand this responsibility and strive hard to discharge it. Perhaps that is why at the end of the discussion in Surah Al-Shura which we have reproduced briefly above, there is a mention of the Day of Judgment in the words: “perhaps the Hour is close at hand.” It implies the warning that we should not be guilty of any negligence and delay in this important matter lest we should be suddenly overtaken by the final Doom. This duty that we owe to the Book of Allah (SWT) will be fulfilled if we actually set up a system of social equity so that “mankind may stand by justice” and their rulers “may do justice among them.” It will be seen that we have the foundation and structure of this system in the fundamental principles of our Deen and its code of life that have been enunciated by the Qur’an.

It  may  well  be  asked  as  to  what  practical  measures should be adopted for the fulfillment of this duty. Although a complete answer to this question is beyond the scope of this booklet, still a few remarks on this topic will not be out of place here. In the first place, let it be understood that the enforcement of the fundamental principles of Deen in the society and the establishment of a just and equitable order as envisaged by the Qur’an   should   not   be   conceived   on   the   pattern   of   any secularized social, economic, or political movement, nor should we strive for the achievement of this splendid ideal as we do for the success of these movements. To do so would be fraught with grave danger and may even be suicidal.

We must know that just as there is only one method of bringing about the transformation of an individual as required by Islam, similarly there is only one method of effecting an Islamic Revolution in the society. So far as the individual is concerned, we should first make the Qur’an dominate his heart and mind so that his feeling, thinking, and reasoning may function in consonance with the Qur’anic spirit and his actions may, consequently, accord with Qur’anic teachings; and likewise for the change in society demanded by Islam, we have first to illumine the minds and hearts of its intelligentsia with the light of the Qur’an so that they are intellectually and spiritually transformed. After the edification of the intelligentsia who are the brain of the community, the light of the Qur’an could easily spread to other people who are, so to speak, the limbs of the community and generally follow its brain. Thus the heart of the whole community will beat in unison with the teachings of the Qur’an and the fundamental principles of Allah’s Deen will come to operate and prevail in the form of a perfect system of collective justice.

There is no other way of bringing about this revolution, and the plea that this goal could be achieved by launching a political movement by exploiting the emotional attachment of a Muslim people to their hereditary religion is absolutely vain, and making such an attempt would be like building sand castles.

Hoping to be excused for this digression, I must repeat that the duty of acting upon the teachings of the Qur’an — which assumes two forms, hukm bima anzalallah16  and Iqamah ma unzila minallah17 — is an absolute imperative upon the Muslims, both individually and collectively; and, therefore, each one of us according to his means and capacity and the whole Ummah according to its strength and resources should earnestly endeavor to discharge this great responsibility.

Note-16: Literally “judging or deciding (every issue) in the light of what Allah (SWT) has sent down,” the term has been explained in the foregoing discussion.

Note-17:  Literally “establishment of what has been sent from Allah,” the true significance of the term, which has been explained in the preceding discussion, is the actual enforcement of the fundamental principles of Islam and its code of life at the socio-political level.

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

To Be Continued....