In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

Yet another round of confrontation with the idolaters concerning the truth of the divine message and the nature of the Messenger gets underway in this passage. It seeks to rectify preconceived ideas among mankind generally about God’s messages and messengers. Such ideas had been further distorted during periods of ignorance among the Arabs and other communities, such that they had moved away from the truth of prophethood, revelation, and messengers. They had even added legends, superstitions, myths and the like to confuse the whole issue with sorcery, fortune- telling, the jinn and even with madness. Thus, a Prophet would be asked to predict the future, produce miracles and do what a medium or a sorcerer normally does.

The Islamic faith does away with all this nonsense, presenting its ideology in clear, simple and practical terms. It purges the concept of prophethood of all the myths and superstitions that had been attached to it in practically all jāhiliyyah communities, including those introduced by different Jewish and Christian sects. All these had badly distorted the image of prophets and prophethood.

The Qur’ān then presents the Islamic faith to people free of all temptations or adornments that are alien to it. The Messenger advocating it is an ordinary human being, who has no access to God’s treasures, no knowledge of what lies beyond the reach of human perception, and who makes no claim to be an angel. He receives his message only from his Lord, and follows nothing other than what is revealed to him.

Those who accept his message are the most honourable in God’s view. It is his duty to be with them, welcome them and convey to them the fact that God has committed Himself to bestow mercy and grace and to grant forgiveness. He must also warn those whose consciences are alert to the truth of the life to come, so that they may work hard and become God-fearing. So, these two aspects represent his full role, in the same way as the facts of his humanity and of his being the recipient of revelations represent the nature of his status as a messenger of God. When we bear this in mind, we have the correct concept of both his nature and role. What is more, the path followed by the evil-doers becomes very distinct. Truth and falsehood go their separate ways, all confusion and ambiguity are clarified, and believers and unbelievers are aware of what separates them.

Intertwined with these facts, the sūrah outlines certain aspects of Godhead and how they relate to God’s Messenger and to people generally. It adds certain points about following God’s guidance, and going astray. To be aware of the truth of Godhead is to have good sight and to be unaware of what it is to be blind. Moreover, God has committed Himself to mercy, which means that He forgives those of His servants who ignorantly slip into error but then repent and mend their ways. He wants the way of the evil-doers to be clearly marked, so that those who believe or choose to turn their backs on faith may do so after having received clear evidence of the truth. Everyone takes his stance once all confusion has been removed.

Say: I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me; nor do I know what is beyond the reach of human perception; nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me. Say: Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? Will you not reflect? (Verse 50)

Stubborn in their rejection of Islam, the people of the Quraysh demanded that the Prophet (peace be upon him) perform a miracle for them so as to win their acceptance. As we have already mentioned, they were certain that he was truthful.

Indeed, they had no doubt about that. Nevertheless, they demanded, on occasion, that he transform the two hills of al-Şafā and al-Marwah into gold! At times, they demanded that both hills be removed from Makkah altogether so as to have in their place a fertile area which could yield crops and fruits. At other times, they demanded that they be informed of what would happen in the future. Alternatively, they demanded that an angel be sent down to endorse the Prophet’s message, or that a written statement be sent down to him from on high.

All these demands were simply a cover-up for their stubborn rejection. They were born out of the myths, superstitions and legends which were associated with the status and role of a prophet, as conceived by jāhiliyyah societies. The closest of these to them were the myths and legends held by the Jews and Christians after they had deviated from the truth preached to them by God’s messengers.

A number of false prophecies were commonly held in jāhiliyyah societies, claimed by false prophets and believed by those deceived by them. These included prophecies with origins based in sorcery, fortune- telling, astrology and hallucination. Such false prophets claimed access to withheld information through contact with the jinn and other spirits. They further claimed an ability to influence natural phenomena through prayers, supplications, charms or other methods.

Falsehood is a common feature of all these, although they may differ in type, form, rites and methods.

Prophecies based on magic are largely concerned with the manipulation of evil spirits in order to gain knowledge of the world beyond or to manipulate events. On the other hand, prophecies by fortune-tellers are assumed to be the fruit of a relationship with the gods who do not obey the fortune-teller.

They answer his prayers and supplication by granting access to the world of the unknown, when he is either asleep or awake, or by giving him some guidance through special features or dreams. Nevertheless, not all prayer and supplication are answered. Both types of prophecy remain different from that associated with being possessed. Sorcerers and fortune-tellers are fully aware of what they request and they try to achieve it through supplication and insistent prayer. A possessed person or a madman has no control of himself.

He simply hallucinates and repeats what he does not mean or may not even understand. When this type of prophecy is common in a particular community, it is often the case that such a possessed person is accompanied by an interpreter who claims to know what he means and explain his symbols. In ancient Greece, they called such a possessed person manti and his companion who spoke for him ‘prophet’. European languages have borrowed this term in all its connotations to refer to prophets and prophecies. Fortune- tellers and possessed people rarely agree, unless the fortune-teller is the one who interprets what the possessed person says and provides the key to his symbols. More often, however, they fall into dispute because they have two different social roles and widely different backgrounds. A possessed person is a rebel who does not conform to social values and traditions. A fortune- teller, on the other hand, is conservative by nature and often receives his knowledge from his parents and forefathers. Fortune- telling is normally seen in areas where there are temples and hermitages in nearby and remote areas.

Possession is not limited to this area, because it may occur in the wilderness as well as in urban areas. 12

Prophets were numerous among the Israelite tribes. It is understood that in their successive generations, they were similar to the Sufi shaikhs of modern times. In certain cases, they were numbered in their hundreds. They used similar methods to those used nowadays by Sufis who aspire to being possessed, through physical mortification or through listening to music. In Samuel, Book I: 19 we read that, “Saul sent messengers to take David. When they saw the company of the prophets in a frenzy, with Samuel standing in charge of them, the spirit of God came upon the messengers, and they also fell into a prophetic frenzy. When Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they also fell into a frenzy... He [i.e. Saul] too stripped off his clothes, and he too fell into a frenzy before Samuel. He lay naked all that day and all that night.” Also in Samuel we read this promise: “You shall meet a group of prophets descending from the hill, with a tambourine, a flute and a lute in front of them. They will be in a prophetic frenzy and the spirit of God will come upon them. You will be in a prophetic frenzy with them and will become a different man.” Prophecy was passed from father to son, as mentioned in the Second Book of Kings: “the prophet’s children said: Eliasha, ahead of you is the place where we are staying. It has become too small for us. Let us go to Jordan.” They also had a service attached to the army in certain places. It is mentioned in Chronicles I: “David and the army commanders assigned the tribe of Asaf for service together with other prophets and gave them lutes, rebabs and cymbals.” 13

Ignorant communities, including those that deviated from the proper concept elaborated by the divine messages, were rife with such false ideas about the nature of prophethood and prophet. People expected anyone who claimed to be a prophet to come up with such miracles. They required him at times to make prophecies and at other times to influence natural phenomena, either through fortune-telling or sorcery. Indeed, it was in this vein that the pagan Arabs in Makkah made their demands of the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him). To rectify such misconceptions, the Qur’ān makes repeated statements on the nature of the divine message and the Messenger conveying it. One of these statements is the one we are currently discussing: “Say: ‘I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me; nor do I know what is beyond the reach of human perception; nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me’. Say: ‘Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? Will you not reflect?’” (Verse 50)

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is commanded by his Lord to introduce himself as an ordinary human being who entertains nothing of the misconceptions that prevailed in jāhiliyyah communities about the nature of prophets and prophethood.

He is further commanded to present his faith free of any temptation: no wealth is promised and no wild claims are made. It is simply a faith conveyed by a Messenger who is granted divine guidance. He follows nothing but divine revelations informing him of things that he has not known. He does not possess God’s treasures in order to make rich gifts to those who follow him. Nor does he know what has been hidden in order to inform his followers of what may happen in the future. Nor is he an angel, nor can he meet their demands that God sends them an angel. He is simply a human Messenger preaching a faith that is clear, pure and simple.

This faith is the one to which human nature responds. It is the foundation of this life and the guide to happiness in the life to come and to earning God’s pleasure. It requires neither decoration nor adornment. Whoever wants it for itself may have it, and it will be to him the most supreme of all values. On the other hand, a person who wants quick material gain out of it does not understand it or appreciate its value.

Hence, it gives him nothing.

The Prophet is, therefore, ordered to present it to people as it is, without adornment or temptation. It requires none of these. Those who adopt it should know that they are not going to gain any material wealth or position by it. They shall have no distinction over other people except through their good actions. They are only opting for divine guidance which is much more valuable than wealth, position or distinction. “Say: ‘I do not say to you that God’s treasures are with me; nor do I know what is beyond the reach of human perception; nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.’” (Verse 50)

When they accept and adopt this, they should know that they bring themselves out of darkness and blindness into light and enlightenment: “Say: Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? Will you not reflect?” (Verse 50) Besides, following divine revelations is, in itself, following proper guidance. A person who is left without such guidance remains blind. This is stated plainly in this verse. What role, then, is left to the human mind?

From the Islamic point of view, the answer to this question is very simple. The mind with which God has endowed man is able to receive His revelation and comprehend it. This is its role. Moreover, it is the opportunity available to man to follow God’s guidance and to be equipped with the proper, infallible criterion.

When the human mind is left to its own devices, isolated from divine guidance, it is exposed to deviation, blurred vision, miscalculation and error. This is due to its very nature, which tends to look at the universe as small, separate parts, and not as a complete whole. It limits its outlook to individual events, experiences and situations.

As such, it cannot acquire a comprehensive view of the universe from which to derive conclusions and establish a comprehensive and balanced system. Isolated from divine guidance, the human mind continues to experiment, change views and systems, vacillate between action and reaction, wavering between one extreme and another. In doing so it tramples over some honoured human beings and destroys noble human faculties. If it would only follow divine revelations, it would spare humanity all this evil. Experiments and changes would then be limited to things, materials, appliances and machines, which constitute the natural field where the human mind can have its full play. Any losses incurred in this field are material losses, not human beings.

There is another factor which exposes the human mind to all this. That is the desires and whims that have been made part of the human constitution. These require a discipline that guarantees that they play their part in the continuity and development of human life. They must not be allowed to go beyond that level, because they would then contribute to the erosion and destruction of human life. The discipline cannot come from our human mind alone, because it wavers under the pressures of desires and whims. A discipline to control the human mind and to protect it from error is needed. Only this can serve as a point of reference before any new experience for the purposes of evaluating such experience.

Some people claim that the human mind is essentially right, just like divine revelations. They maintain that since both the mind and revelation have been made by God, they must be in agreement. Such arguments are advanced by human philosophers, but they have no divine foundations.

Other people claim that the human mind can play the role of revelation. But even if they claim this for the most intelligent person to have ever walked the earth, they contradict what God has said. God has made His own revelation and His message the basis for accountability. He has not defined that basis as the human mind or as human nature, despite the fact that human nature tends to seek its Lord and believe in Him. God knows that when left to its devices, the human mind may err, and human nature may deviate. The only way to prevent such error and deviation is to follow the guidance provided by God’s revelations, because with this guidance we have both light and enlightenment.

Likewise, some people claim that philosophy can put the human mind in a position where it has no need for religion, or that humanity will not need divine guidance if it opts for science, which is, after all, a product of the human mind. Such claims rely on no true evidence and no practical example in the real world. Practical life testifies to the fact that human systems, based either on philosophical doctrines or scientific progress, have led man to endure a most miserable life, even in the most affluent of societies where production and income are at their maximum and where the means of comfort are plentiful. The alternative to this is not a life based on ignorance and spontaneity. Anyone who claims this must have vested interests.

Islam offers a way of life that provides the human mind with safeguards against its own defects and against the pressures of desires and whims. It also establishes for man foundations and rules to ensure a direct and honest approach to wider knowledge and progressive scientific achievements. It also ensures a straightforward and clean, practical life based on divine law. As such, man becomes free from any pressure that leads to the adoption of deviant concepts or methods.

Equipped with divine revelation and guidance, the human mind can see things clearly. Deprived of them, it is blind. We note that in the Qur’ānic verse, the statement that the Prophet follows only what is revealed to him from on high is immediately followed by a reference to blindness and clear sight. It concludes with an exhortation to think and reflect: “I only follow what is revealed to me. Say: Can the blind and the seeing be deemed equal? Will you not reflect?” (Verse 50) Such a sequence is particularly significant. Reflection is certainly needed, and the Qur’ān calls on people to reflect. However, reflection must be guided by divine revelation so that it remains enlightened. There is no virtue in reflection that is blind, groping in the dark, without guidance.

When the human mind uses its faculties within the framework provided by divine revelation, it has a very wide field in which to play its role. It has the whole universe to reflect upon, which includes both the realms of the perceptible and the imperceptible, as well as the whole human soul and all aspects of life. Divine revelation does not restrain the movement of the human mind except to prevent it from following a deviant method or from succumbing to evil desires. Indeed, divine revelation provides continuous motivations for the working of the human mind.

When God has endowed man with his great gift, the mind, He has required him to use it actively and provided him with guidance so that he can steer himself away from deviation and error.

Warn with this [Qur’ān] those who fear that they will be gathered to their Lord, when they shall have none to protect them from Him or to intercede with Him, so that they may be God-fearing. Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure. You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers. It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: ‘Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?” Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful? When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy: if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and mends his ways, He will be much forgiving, merciful.

(Verses 51-4)

It is a mark of the Islamic faith that it pays little regard to worldly values and petty human considerations. God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) has been commanded to present it to human beings as it is, without decoration, adornment or tempting promises. He was also commanded to pay particular attention to those who are likely to respond positively to his call and to ally himself with those who receive it well, willing to make a sincere effort to win God’s pleasure. He was not to attach any weight to the values of a jāhiliyyah society. His task was to warn those who fear what may happen to them when they are gathered to their Lord, on the Day of Resurrection, when they shall have none to support or intercede for them. The fact remains that no one can intercede with God unless he is given permission to do so.

Even with this permission, he can only intercede on behalf of those for whose benefit God allows intercession. Those who genuinely fear what will happen on that day have a strong claim to know the warning with which God’s Messenger has been sent.

They are more likely to benefit by it and respond to it.

If the Prophet explains it to them, they may be able to avoid in this life what may expose them to God’s punishment in the life to come. The warning with which the Prophet has been sent outlines to them what they must avoid and gives them the motivation to do so: “Warn with this [Qur’ān] those who fear that they will be gathered to their Lord, when they shall have none to protect them from Him or to intercede with Him, so that they may be God-fearing.” (Verse 51)

“Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (Verse 52) The Prophet is also ordered not to drive away those who pray to God and who call on Him with sincerity, every morning and every evening, seeking only to please Him. This is an example of dedication, love and good manners. A person does not address his worship and supplication to God alone unless he is truly dedicated. He does not seek only God’s pleasure unless he profoundly loves Him. When he combines the two qualities of worshipping God alone and seeking only His pleasure, he will have adopted the sort of manners worthy of a true believer.

It is reported that some of the Arabian ‘notables’ felt it unbecoming of them to respond to the Islamic call because the Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him)

kept his door open to poor and unsupported people such as Şuhayb, Bilāl, `Ammār, Khabbāb, Salmān, Ibn Mas`ūd and others. These were poor people who could not change their sweat-stained clothes when they visited him. Their social position did not qualify them to be in the same meeting place as the Quraysh chiefs. Therefore, the chiefs asked the Prophet to drive them away, but he refused. They suggested to him that he should meet the two groups separately in order to give the chiefs their privileges, just as they enjoyed them in pre-Islamic society. Keen as he was to persuade them to accept Islam, the Prophet considered the possibility of granting their request. His Lord made His command clear to him: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (Verse 52)

Sa`d ibn Abī Waqqāş, a prominent Companion of the Prophet, reports: “Six of us were with the Prophet (peace be upon him) when the unbelievers said to him: drive away these so that they are not encouraged to go above their standing with us. With me were `Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd, a man from the Hudhayl, Bilāl and two others.” The Prophet felt whatever God might have let him feel. He was deep in thought when God revealed to him the verse stating: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure”. [Related by Muslim.] Those Quraysh chiefs spoke ill of the poor whom the Prophet received well. They pointed to their poverty and weakness and claimed that their presence with God’s Messenger was the reason behind the negative attitude adopted by the upper classes towards Islam. God gave his final ruling on this question, totally refuting their claims: “You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers.” (Verse 52)

Each is accountable for himself. If those individuals were of straitened means, then that is what God gave them. You, Prophet, have nothing to do with it. Similarly, whether you are rich or poor is not of anyone else’s concern. Wealth or poverty have nothing to do with faith and its criterion for determining people’s positions. The Prophet is told that if such people were driven away from his company on account of their financial status, he would not be attaching to such considerations their value as determined by God’s measure. Hence, he would be a wrongdoer. Far be it from the Prophet to be so.

The result of this was to let those who were rich in character, although financially poor, remain with the Prophet, occupying their rightful positions which they had earned by virtue of their faith and their pursuit of God’s pleasure. They did so through calling on Him and by appealing to Him. Islamic values were thus given supremacy.

The arrogant Quraysh chiefs were not impressed. They wondered: how could God choose the poor and the weak to grant them guidance in preference to us? Had it been true that the message Muĥammad preached was a message of goodness, they would not have been ahead of us in embracing it. God would have certainly guided us to it before them. They wondered: is it possible that God would grant them His favours in preference to us, when we are the people exercising power and enjoying wealth and high position in this city. This was, indeed, a test God set for those proud people. They were hardened on account of their wealth and distinguished family backgrounds. Yet they fared very badly because they could not appreciate the true nature of this faith and the type of social order it wanted people to establish.

Needless to say, the social order that Islam establishes takes humanity by the hand to elevate it to heights it cannot attain through any other means. When Islam was allowed to have its full play in the life of Arabia, the Arabs rose to heights they could not have imagined possible at the time. Indeed, even today, they cannot be imagined possible even by the most advanced of democratic systems.

“It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’“ (Verse 53) This is a rhetorical question asked by the arrogant Arab chiefs. The Qur’ān provides the perfect answer: “Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful?” (Verse 53) It is an answer loaded with pointed connotations. It clearly suggests that following right guidance is a reward given by God to those whom He knows to be truly grateful. In this way, they are favoured with this particular aspect of divine grace. No amount of gratitude is sufficient in return for this act of grace. God, however, accepts the best that His servants can do and rewards them for it. His reward is always exceedingly generous.

The answer also suggests that accepting faith is a blessing that has nothing to do with the values that may prevail in any society following man-made systems. God bestows it on those whom He knows to be grateful for it, even though they may be poor and have no influence. Human values have no weight on God’s scales.

It is clear from God’s answer to that arrogant question that it is those people’s sheer ignorance that gives rise to their objection to the selection of people on whom God bestows His grace. Those who raise the question do not realise that God bestows this favour on the basis of His perfect knowledge. It is He who knows those who deserve such a favour from among His servants. Such ignorant objections also betray the objectors’ bad manners.

God commands His Messenger to be the one who starts by greeting those on whom God has bestowed the grace of being among the early Muslims; the very ones whom the Quraysh chiefs ridiculed. The Prophet is further commanded to give them the happy news that God has committed Himself to grant them His mercy, as He will forgive those among them who mend their ways after having committed any bad deed out of ignorance. “When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say:

Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy: if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and mends his ways, He will be much forgiving, merciful.” (Verse 54)

Having given them the blessing of adopting the faith, and promised them easy reckoning on the Day of Judgement, God now honours them with His mercy. Indeed, He commits Himself to showing mercy to those who believe in Him. He also commands His Messenger (peace be upon him) to convey to them this commitment.

God’s grace is so plentiful that it ensures forgiveness of all bad deeds, once those who commit them repent and mend their ways. The qualification mentioned here, which describes a bad deed as being committed `out of ignorance’, is interpreted by scholars as intrinsic to committing sins. All human sins are committed `out of ignorance’. According to this interpretation, this statement includes every bad deed:

once the person who has done it repents and mends his ways, he will be forgiven.

Other statements support this interpretation as they describe forgiveness as surely forthcoming upon repentance and doing well. This is the practical exercise of grace, which God has committed Himself to bestow.

It is useful to mention here some of the reports about the circumstances which led to the revelation of these verses. Together with the Qur’ānic statements, these reports indicate the great departure Islam brought about in human life. It enables human beings to attain a summit far higher than any they would otherwise be able to reach.

Al-Ţabarī relates on the authority of Ibn Mas`ūd: “A group of Quraysh notables passed by the Prophet when he was with a group of Muslims who were of low status in Makkan society, including Şuhayb, `Ammār, Bilāl and Khabbāb. The notables said to the Prophet: `Muĥammad, are you happy to be with these from among your people? Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us? Are we to follow these? Drive them away, for if you do so, we may follow you’.

God then revealed the Qur’ānic verses which states: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure.” (Verse 52) “It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’ Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful?”“ 14 (Verse 53)

Al-Ţabarī also attributes to Khabbāb, one of the Prophet’s Companions, the following report of the incident which led to the revelation of Verse 52:

Al-Aqra ibn Ĥābis of the tribe of Tamīm and `Uyaynah ibn Ĥişn of the Fazār once found the Prophet sitting with Bilāl, Şuhayb, `Ammār, Khabbāb and others who commanded no influence in Arabian society. They looked on them with contempt. They said to the Prophet: “We would like you to establish a special time for us so that the Arabs will recognize our high position. Delegations come to you from all parts of Arabia and we feel ashamed to be seen with such people. When we come to see you, tell them to leave. When we depart, you may sit with them if you wish.” The Prophet agreed. They said: “Could you put this in writing for us.” The Prophet asked for a sheet of writing material and called `Alī to write the same down. We were sitting a little further away. Then Gabriel, the angel, was sent down with these verses: “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure. You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers. It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’ Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful? When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: ‘Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy.’“ (Verses 52-4) The Prophet dropped the sheet and called us. We went to him and he said: “Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy”.

Thereafter, we used to sit with him. When he wished to leave, he would stand up and go. But then God revealed to him the verse: “Contain yourself in patience with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His countenance. Let not your eyes pass beyond them in quest of the beauties of the life of this world.” (18: 28) After that God’s Messenger would sit with us. When it was his usual time to leave, we would leave first so that he could leave, if he so wished.15

I may add that Ibn Kathīr's objection is perhaps more valid, because when the Prophet was still in Makkah he went to meet pilgrims from other tribes. He did not receive Arab delegations referred to in this report until late in his Madinan period. — Editor's note.

Subsequent to the revelation of these verses, the Prophet would always be the first to greet them, every time he saw them. He would say: “Praise be to God who has made among my followers some people whom I am ordered to be the first to greet”.

An authentic report related by Muslim mentions that Abū Sufyān passed by Salmān, Şuhayb, Bilāl and others. They said: “The swords of God’s soldiers have not taken their dues from this enemy of God.” Abū Bakr said: “Do you say this about the leader of the Quraysh?” He then mentioned this to the Prophet who said: “Abū Bakr, you may have offended them. If you have, then you have offended your Lord.” Abū Bakr then went to them and said, “Brothers! Have I offended you?” They said, “No.

May God forgive you, brother.”

We need to cast another long look at this whole passage, as it is of exceeding importance to humanity as a whole. Its verses have a much greater significance than the listing of values and theoretical principles on human rights. They represent something great that has been achieved in human life when this faith took humanity by the hand to bridge a very wide gulf. In just one stage of history, humanity attained the brightest summit. Despite its long retreat from that summit, the greatness and reality of that achievement cannot be taken lightly. Since humanity has reached that summit once, it can certainly repeat its performance. The summit remains there. Human beings and the religion of Islam remain the same. What is needed is the determined resolution to try again and the confidence that the summit is once again attainable.

These verses draw for humanity the rising curve, marking each stage in order to show the low level of ignorance at which the Arabs were situated before Islam took them to the highest summit. When they attained it, they took the rest of mankind with them.

The depths in which the Arabs, and the whole of humanity, lived in their days of ignorance is brought before our eyes as the Quraysh chiefs say to the Prophet, with an overtone of reproach: “Muĥammad, are these the ones you have chosen for company from among your people? Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us? Are we to be the followers of these? Drive them away for, then, we may consider following you.” We see it again in the way al- Aqra` and `Uyaynah looked contemptuously on the early Companions of the Prophet such as Bilāl, Şuhayb, `Ammār, Khabbāb and other seemingly unsuitable people. The two chiefs said to the Prophet: “We would like you to establish a special time for us so that the Arabs will recognize our high position. Delegations come to you from all parts of Arabia and we feel ashamed to be seen with such people. When we come to see you, tell them to leave. When we depart, you may sit with them if you wish.” This is the uglier face of ignorance and its petty values, which attach importance to social standing and considerations of wealth and class. Those individuals despised by the Arabian chiefs were either non-Arabs, or they lacked wealth and social standing. The same values prevail in all jāhiliyyah societies, even modern ones.

Islam attaches no value whatsoever to all these considerations. For Islam has come from on high, and did not spring from the earth. Indeed, the earth represents that low level which could not have supported such a new and noble plant. Islam gives a specific order to the first person to carry out Islamic orders, Muĥammad (peace be upon him), the recipient of divine revelations who belonged to the leading family of the top clan, Hāshim, of the leading Arabian tribe, the Quraysh, and to Abū Bakr, the Prophet’s Companion and successor, concerning those people of very low status. For these individuals abandoned allegiance to anyone and dedicated themselves to the service of God alone. That enabled them to attain all those spectacular achievements.

If the low depth of ignorance is represented by the suggestions of the Quraysh chiefs and the feelings of al-Aqra` and `Uyaynah, the great height of Islam is delineated by God’s order to His Messenger (peace be upon him): “Do not drive away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking only to win His pleasure. You are in no way accountable for them, just as they are in no way accountable for you. Should you drive them away, you would be among the wrongdoers. It is in this way that We try some of them by means of others, so that they may say: Are these the ones upon whom God has bestowed His favour from among us?’ Does not God know best as to who is truly grateful?

When those who believe in God’s revelations come to you, say: ‘Peace be upon you. Your Lord has committed Himself to bestow grace and mercy: if any of you does a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and mends his ways, He will be much forgiving, merciful.’“ (Verses 52-4) It is also highlighted by the Prophet’s attitude towards those weaker individuals whom God has ordered him to be the first to greet and to stay with until they leave. This order is given to none other than Muĥammad ibn `Abdullāh, God’s Messenger, the best and most noble creature that ever lived.

The height of Islam is also represented by the way those individuals looked at their position with God. They considered their swords as God’s swords and they were not impressed by Abū Sufyān, the elder and chief of the Quraysh. His rank among Muslims was a low one, since he was among those pardoned by the Prophet as they accepted Islam when Makkah surrendered to him. Their high position was earned by their early acceptance of Islam, when that acceptance exposed them to a great deal of suffering. When Abū Bakr took issue with them concerning Abū Sufyān, the Prophet warned him that he might have angered them and by so doing he might have incurred God’s displeasure. How splendid. No comment is adequate here. We can only reflect on this totally new outlook on social status. Abū Bakr goes to those very individuals to make sure that he has not angered them. He says to them: “Brothers! Have I offended you?” They said, “No. May God forgive you, brother.” What a great achievement for humanity! What a great divide separates the new situation, with all its new values, concepts and feelings from what prevailed in the days of ignorance! The earth remained the same, with the same environment, the same people, and the same economy. The only difference is that something has been sent down from on high to human beings. The revelations combined power and authority. They addressed human nature in its purity. It signalled those lurking at the bottom to start their march up to the great heights, the scaling of which was made possible with Islam.

Yet humanity has now retreated from that summit and has tumbled back to its lower depths. We see in New York, Washington, Chicago, Johannesburg and other centres of `civilisation’ a later-day prevalence of the same stinking bigotry based on ties of race, colour, nationhood and class.

At the same time, Islam remains at the summit telling mankind that, by God’s grace, it can lift itself out of the mud and aspire to a bright, glorious future. To do this, it has to listen to the divine guidance and to implement the code embodied in this religion of Islam. For it is this that ensures for mankind a place up there at the summit.

Within the approach I have set myself in this work, I cannot elaborate much further. Nevertheless, I repeat my call on people to reflect in depth on these Qur’ānic statements in order to visualize the great expanse which opens up for human beings as they start to climb up from the depths of ignorance to the great heights, guided by Islam. They should then reflect on the great difference between that and how low they can sink when they respond to the beckoning of materialistic civilisation, which is totally devoid of faith and its spiritual dimensions. Such reflection should be enough to make people understand where the implementation of Islam will lead them today, after they have experienced the multiple failure of a great many doctrines, creeds, systems, concepts and situations. All these have been invented by men in isolation from divine guidance. Hence, they have failed to guide mankind again to the summit or to ensure a proper standard of human rights. In contrast, we see Islam giving people a sense of reassurance as it accomplishes that great departure without strife, persecution, conflict or extraordinary measures that deny people their basic rights. It employs no special measures of terror, torture, hunger, poverty or any element of suffering which people experience as they try to move from one man- made system to another. Nevertheless, under all these systems, people subjugate one another and endure much misery.

We have to satisfy ourselves with these comments and try to appreciate the powerful effect of the Qur’ānic statement and its strong implications.

Now we come to the conclusion of this passage which has outlined very clearly the nature of the last message revealed by God and the task assigned to His last Messenger. It has further outlined the essentials of faith as they are, unadorned, giving us an insight into the values and principles Islam wants to establish in human life and those it wants to abolish. At the conclusion of this passage we are reminded that this detailed outline is given on purpose in order to lay down everything very clearly and to leave no room for confusion. Thus, the truth will be known to everyone, without any need for miraculous proofs. Such clarity is provided by the Qur’ānic approach, of which this passage is an example.

The final verse in this passage is expressed in two short clauses: the first refers to all signs of guidance, pointers to faith and statements of the truth that have been given so far in this sūrah: “Thus do We make plain Our revelations”. The second clause in this short verse fills us with wonder: “So that the path of the evildoers may be clearly distinct.” (Verse 55)

This statement tells us that the Qur’ānic approach endeavours to clarify the truth and states it very plainly, but its purpose is not merely to make the path of the believers clearly distinct. It also endeavours to clearly and plainly portray falsehood so that the path of the evildoers is also clearly distinct. Clarity of the one necessitates clarity of the other.

This approach of the Qur’ān has been chosen by God as it is most effective with the human mind. God knows that believing in the truth requires knowledge of falsehood and adding total certainty to faith requires a clear-cut distinction between falsehood and evil on the one hand and truth and goodness on the other. The momentum a believer requires in his advocacy of the truth is not merely generated by his feeling that he follows the truth. The extra power is given by realizing that opposition to his efforts comes from falsehood, advocated by the evildoers, who have always been the ones to oppose prophets. As God states in another verse: “Thus, against every prophet We have set up an enemy from among the evildoers.” (25: 31) Thus, the Prophet Muĥammad and the believers know for certain that those opposing them are none other than evildoers.

It is an important objective of the Qur’ānic approach that evil and falsehood be very clearly identified, so that the truth and goodness become clear and distinct.

Confusion about the first may lead to confusion about the second because the two move along paths that cannot meet. Therefore, every Islamic movement should begin with a clear identification of the methods and features of the believers, as well as those of the evildoers. This identification should be based on what we see in the real world, not confined to theories and an abstract world. The advocates of Islam should be able to know who are the believers in their community and who are the evildoers.

Such total clarity and complete distinction was witnessed when Islam confronted the unbelievers in Arabia. The path of Muslims was that marked out by God’s Messenger and those supporting him. Those who did not join them followed the path of the unbelievers and evildoers. Even with this clear demarcation, the Qur’ān was being revealed, in absolute clarity, to make the path of the evildoers readily apparent and clearly distinct. Moreover, whenever Islam confronted polytheism, atheism or other creeds that have deviated from earlier religions distorted by human beings, each of the two paths was clearly marked out. No confusion was possible.

The greatest difficulty that confronts the Islamic movements of today is represented by what we see in the lands that used to belong to Islam, where the Islamic faith was supreme. We find all over this area people of Islamic descent, but both the land and its people have abandoned Islam in reality, although they continue to claim to be Muslims. They disown the basic Islamic principles in faith and practice, although they may think that they still believe in Islam as a faith. We know that Islam is essentially the belief outlined by the declaration that there is no deity other than God. This declaration entails an unshakeable belief that God alone is the Creator of the whole universe who manages all its affairs, and that to Him alone all acts of worship, and indeed all human activities, should be addressed. From Him alone should people receive their laws and according to His wishes they should conduct all their affairs. Anyone who does not declare his belief that there is no deity other than God, realizing the full significance of this declaration does not actually bear witness to this fact and has not yet become a Muslim, although he may have a Muslim name. Any land that does not implement the declaration that, “There is no deity other than God”, in its full significance is not a land which submits to Islam.

The real difficulty encountered by the Islamic movements of today is represented by the ambiguity and lack of clarity associated nowadays with the concept of God’s oneness as the basic principle of Islam. This has led to a corresponding ambiguity of what constitutes this belief. Thus, the path of the true believers is not as clearly distinct from the path of the evildoers as it should be. Titles and features have been muddled up. No clear demarcation of ways and methods is made.

The forces hostile to Islam are aware of this and they are busy adding to the confusion and deepening it. Thus, when Muslims nowadays raise their voices advocating clear distinction, a grave accusation is levelled at them, namely, that they consider fellow Muslims as unbelievers! They face severe punishments for their `crime’, as social tradition is given the final say on who is a Muslim and who is not.

Needless to say, the ultimate arbiter in all this is God and His Messenger.

The greatest difficulty facing the advocates of Islam in every new generation is represented by this first stumbling block. Advocacy of a faith must begin by making the path of the believers clearly distinct from that of the evildoers. The advocates of Islam must raise their voices loud with the word of the truth. They must fear no blame or reproach. They must pay no attention to anyone who claims that they classify Muslims as unbelievers.

Islam is not as wet as some people think. It has its clearly distinctive features. It is represented by the declaration that there is no deity other than God, bearing fully the significance we have just outlined. Anyone who does not believe in it fully, and does not implement it in human life as it should be, runs the risk of being judged by God and His Messenger as unbeliever, evildoer and transgressor: “Thus do We make plain Our revelations; so that the path of the evildoers may be clearly distinct.” (Verse 55)

The advocates of Islam must pass this hurdle and must have a clear view of the basic issues. This enables them to pool all their efforts and use all their potential in the service of the call they advocate, unimpeded by any confusion or ambiguity.

They cannot achieve this unless they believe with full certainty that they themselves are the Muslims and those who oppose them and turn people away from God’s path are evildoers. The point is that they will not be able to endure the difficulties along their way unless they are clear in their minds that they are fighting the battle of faith against unfaith. They must realize to the full that they follow one religion while the rest of their people follow another: “Thus do We make plain Our revelations; so that the path of the evildoers may be clearly distinct.” (Verse 55) God always tells the truth.