This is the concluding passage of the sūrah. Its discourse is closely related to what was said in the opening passage and to the historical accounts the sūrah provides.

The first comment (Verses 100-102) directly relates to the historical accounts, and is followed by one which utilizes the punishment meted out to those early communities as a means of inspiring awe of punishment in the hereafter. This is given in a very awesome scene of the Day of Judgement, which is held out before our eyes. (Verses 103-108)

The following comment takes the fate of those earlier communities and the scene of the Day of Resurrection as its basis. It clarifies that those idolaters who opposed the Prophet Muĥammad put themselves in the same position as those communities with regard to their punishment in this world and the next. It is true that these would not be annihilated in toto, but this is due to a decree already made by God Almighty.

Hence the punishment of the people of Moses has been deferred although they have disputed endlessly over their Scriptures. Yet both the people of Moses and the Arab idolaters will certainly be given their full reward. Hence, the Prophet and his followers are advised to remain steadfast, persevering with the implementation of what has been revealed to him. They must not incline towards the unbelievers who associate partners with God. They are to attend to their prayers and persevere, knowing that God will never allow the reward of the righteous to be wasted. (Verses 109-115)

The sūrah then refers once more to the earlier communities in which those who stood out against corruption were few in number. The large majority continued with their erring ways, thus earning their full punishment. God would never unjustly destroy the people of any community if they did good. (Verses 116-117)

The passage also explains why God has made people with different types of thought and action. He could certainly have made them all of one type, but His will has chosen to give human beings free choice. (Verses 118-119)

The sūrah concludes by stating that one reason for providing such historical accounts in the Qur’ān is to strengthen the Prophet’s own attitude. The Prophet is instructed to say his final word to the unbelievers, leaving them to the fate they are certain to meet. In turn, he should place his trust in God, worshipping Him alone and let God’s judgement be passed on all mankind. (Verses 120-123)

These are some of the accounts of past communities which We relate to you. Some still remain while others are extinct, like a field mown-down. No wrong did We do to them, but it was they who wronged themselves. Those deities of theirs which they were keen to invoke instead of God availed them nothing when your Lord’s judgement came to pass; they only added to their ruin. Such is your Lord’s punishment whenever He takes to task any community which is bent on evil-doing; His punishment is indeed grievous, severe. (Verses 100-102)

So far, the sūrah has portrayed the suffering which overwhelmed various ancient nations: some were drowned in floods, some perished in a devastating storm, some by an awful cry, and some found the earth under their feet subside, opening up to swallow them and their dwellings. Then when all these scenes of destruction in this world are visible before our eyes, and when our hearts are deeply touched by what has been related of events and punishments, we have the final comment: “These are some of the accounts of past communities which We relate to you.” (Verse 100) You, Prophet, had no knowledge of any of this. You came to know of them only through divine revelation. This is indeed one of the objectives of telling such stories in the Qur’ān.

“Some still remain.” (Verse 100) Their ruins which still exist testify to the standard of civilization and strength that these communities attained. Of these the ruins of `Ād at al-Aĥqāf and Thamūd at al-Ĥijr are the best examples. “Others are extinct, like a field mown-down.” (Verse 100) They were wiped out, without a trace, as in the cases of the peoples of Noah and Lot. After all, what are people? And what is civilization? They are but fields of human beings, similar to agricultural fields. Some plants are good and pleasing, others are foul. Some acquire strength and spread, others wither and die.

“No wrong did We do to them, but it was they who wronged themselves.” (Verse 101)

They chose to be blind and to stifle their instincts and senses. They turned away from divine guidance, ignored God’s signs and greeted His warnings with contempt.

Hence, they brought on themselves the suffering they received, wronging themselves while no wrong was done them.

“Those deities of theirs which they were keen to invoke instead of God availed them nothing when your Lord’s judgement came to pass; they only added to their ruin.” (Verse 101) This verse states another objective behind relating such historical accounts in the Qur’ān.

The sūrah opened with a warning to all those who submit to deities other than God.

The same warnings were repeated by every messenger and every prophet. They were told that these false deities could not protect them from God. Their destinies confirmed the earlier warnings. When God’s judgement came to pass, none of their deities could avail them of anything. None was able to spare them any portion of the suffering which befell them. Indeed, their false gods could only add to their ruin.

Having spoken about the punishment of the hereafter, and its similarities with what can be meted out in this life, the sūrah draws some lessons for the Prophet and his few followers in Makkah, reassuring them that they follow the truth. It also warns those who deny God’s message against what will befall them in the hereafter.

It firstly reassures the Prophet and tells him not to entertain any doubt with regard to the fallacy of the religion the pagan Arabs were following. Like earlier communities mentioned in the sūrah, those Arabs were only worshipping what their forefathers before them had worshipped. Hence, they will inevitably have their befitting requital. If such punishment is deferred, as was the case with Moses’ people, both will have their due reward at the right time.

So be not in doubt about anything which these people worship. They worship only as their fathers worshipped before them. We shall most certainly give them their full due, without any reduction. Indeed, We gave the Scriptures to Moses, and there was strife over them. Had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from your Lord, judgement would have been passed on them. Yet, they are in grave doubt concerning that. To each and all your Lord will surely give their full due for whatever they may have done. He is indeed aware of all that they do. (Verses 109-111)

You must not entertain any doubt about the falsehood those people followed. This address is made to the Prophet, but the warnings are given to his people. This approach is perhaps more effective because it implies that the whole matter is something explained objectively by God to His Prophet. There is no argument with anyone. Those who offer such false worship are not directly addressed because they do not deserve to be given attention. Thus, the objective truth, in the manner it is stated, may by itself arouse their interest more than if they were to be addressed directly. “So be not in doubt about anything which these people worship. They worship only as their fathers worshipped before them.” (Verse 109) Hence, the same suffering awaits them. It is, however, implied here: “We shall most certainly give them their full due.” (Verse 109) What is due to them is known from what befell other people before them.

The sūrah has portrayed some examples of this.

It is possible that they may not be destroyed, just as Moses’ people were not totally destroyed, despite the divisions and strife that arose between them over their faith and worship. “Indeed, We gave the Scriptures to Moses, and there was strife over them.” (Verse 110) God has decreed that they will be held answerable for all their deeds on the Day of Judgement: “Had it not been for a decree that had already gone forth from your Lord, judgement would have been passed on them.” (Verse 110)

There is a certain wisdom behind this decree. They were not totally destroyed because they had Scriptures. All those who received Scriptures, through any Prophet, will not be punished until the Day of Judgement. The Scriptures are clear pointers to the right path, and succeeding generations can study them and follow them, just as the generation which was first addressed by them. This cannot apply to physical miracles which are witnessed only by those who are present at the time they happen.

The assurance is thus given that God’s laws will not fail, whether they relate to His creation, the religion He has revealed, or to His promises and warnings.

Believers and advocates of Islam must, therefore, follow it strictly without deviation or change. “Follow, then, the right course as you are bidden, together with those who, with you, have turned to Him; and let none of you transgress. Surely, He sees all that you do. Put no trust in those who do wrong, lest the fire touch you. You would, then, have none to protect you from God, nor would you find any help. Attend to your prayers at both ends of the day and in the early watches of the night. Surely, good deeds erase evil ones. This is a reminder for those who are thoughtful. And be patient in adversity; God does not fail to reward those who do good.” (Verses 112-115)

These instructions are given to the Prophet and to those with him who have turned to God in repentance. “Follow, then, the right course as you are bidden.” (Verse 112) The Prophet felt the power behind the order detailing these tasks and how awesome a responsibility it was. He is reported to have said: “This sūrah, Hūd, has made me grow grey.” Here, he is commanded to follow the right path without any deviation. This requires him to always be alert, careful, watchful, and aware of his path. He was to be in full control of his feelings, for these can lead to deviation, major or otherwise.

It is worth noting here that this order to keep to the right course is followed by a negative injunction. The Prophet and his followers are not warned against complacency or slackening, but are warned against excess and transgression.

This is because the order to follow the right course may cause people to be over- alert and may lead to exaggeration, which, in turn, transforms this naturally easy religion into one that is difficult to follow. God wants the religion He has revealed to remain as it is. He wants the believers to follow the right path without exaggeration or excessive rigidity.

“Surely, He sees all that you do.” (Verse 112) The use of the verb ‘see’ is very apt here, where good and sound judgement are called into action.

“Put no trust in those who do wrong, lest the fire touch you. You would, then, have none to protect you from God, nor would you find any help.” (Verse 113) Do not incline towards or have any trust in tyrants who oppress and subjugate others by their sheer force, making them submit to false gods. If you trust them, or incline towards them, you are endorsing the great evil they practise, and you become party to it. Such deviation would bring about the punishment of hell and leave you without God’s support or protection.

Following the right path during such times may be very hard. Indeed, believers may need to have something to comfort them. God, therefore, guides His Messenger and the believers to what gives them the greatest comfort: ‘Attend to your prayers at both ends of the day and in the early watches of the night.” (Verse 114) God knows that this is the source of comfort when every other source fails.

As the sūrah draws to its end, it finishes its comment on the destruction of earlier communities which turned their backs on God’s messengers. It says rather indirectly that had there been among them groups of good people who tried to earn for themselves a good position with God by speaking out loud against corruption and injustice, God would not have exterminated them as He did. God does not punish any community for its injustice if its people are righteous; that is, if the righteous among its people have enough power to resist injustice and corruption. There were in each of those lands only a handful of believers who had no influence on their community and wielded no power. God saved those believers, and destroyed the rest, including both the powerful, wealthy masters and their weak and poor followers who accepted their commands without question.

If only there had been among the generations that have gone before you some people of virtue to speak out against the spread of corruption on earth, as did the few whom We saved from among them! The wrongdoers pursued what ensured for them a life of comfort and plenty; they were hardened in sin. In truth, your Lord would have not destroyed those cities, without just cause, had their people been righteous. (Verses 116-117)

This explains the divine law which applies to all nations and communities. If corruption, that is, any form of subjugating people to any authority other than that of God, spreads in any community, that community will not be destroyed by God, provided that a section of its people rises to stop such corruption. On the other hand, if injustice and corruption go unchecked, or if those who speak out against them have little influence on the continued spread of these evils, then the divine law operates against these communities and they are either destroyed immediately or by gradual weakening and imbalance.

Hence, those who call on their communities to submit to God alone, and work against all other forms of submission to other authorities provide a safety net for their nations and communities. In this light, we can appreciate the value of the struggle by the advocates of Islam who resist all forms of evil, injustice and corruption and who try to establish this religion, which is based on submission to God alone. By their struggle, they not only discharge their own responsibility towards God and towards their various nations, but they also ensure that their nations are spared God’s immediate punishment which brings about their total destruction.

Then follows a comment on the fact that people have different inclinations and follow different ways. “Had your Lord so willed, He would have made all mankind one single community. As it is, they continue to differ, except those upon whom your Lord has bestowed His grace. And to this end He created them. The word of your Lord shall be fulfilled:

‘I shall certainly fill hell with jinn and humans all.’” (Verses 118-119)

God could have created all mankind in the same form and with the same aptitude.

He could have made them copies of one original. This is, however, not the nature of the life God has chosen for this earth. He has willed to make man, to whom He has assigned the task of building the earth, a creature of varying inclinations and ways. It is God’s will that man should have the freedom to choose his own line, views, and his own way of life and to be responsible for the choices he makes. It is also God’s will that man should be rewarded for the choice he makes between good and evil.

Whatever choice they make, people operate within the law God has set for His creation and according to His will that man should be able to choose freely.

It is, then, God’s will that mankind are not made of a single community. Hence, they are bound to differ. Their differences go as far as the basics of faith. Only those who are able to stick to the truth, which is one, by definition, are spared such differences. They, however, differ with the rest of mankind who have lost sight of the truth.

“The word of your Lord shall be fulfilled: ‘I shall certainly fill hell with jinn and humans all.’” (Verse 119) From this statement, we deduce that those who stick to the truth enjoy God’s grace and have a different end. Heaven will be full of them, in the same way as hell will be full of those who preferred error to the truth.

The sūrah concludes with an address to the Prophet, explaining the reason behind relating to him such accounts of the histories of earlier communities. It is to strengthen his heart and to provide a reminder for all believers. To those who reject the faith, he should say his final word, indicating the parting of his way from theirs and leaving them to wait for whatever fate God decides for them: “All that We relate to you of the histories of earlier messengers is a means by which We strengthen your heart.

Through these [accounts] there has come to you the truth, as well as an admonition and a reminder for all believers. Say to those who will not believe: ‘Do whatever lies within your power, and so shall we. Wait if you will; we too are waiting.’ God alone knows whatever is hidden in the heavens and the earth. All authority over all matters belongs to Him alone.

Worship Him, then, and place your trust in Him alone. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do.” (Verses 120-123)

It is clear from these verses that the Prophet faced so much trouble from his people and their rejection of his call, and had to shoulder such a heavy burden in conveying his message particularly in respect of the unbelievers’ rejection of his call. Hence he needed to be comforted by God, despite his inexhaustible treasure of patience, perseverance and confidence in the truth.

Looking at the sūrah in total, and indeed at the entire part of the Qur’ān revealed in the Makkan period, we find that it always reverts to the central theme of faith, outlining Islamic beliefs. Therefore, we need to reflect a little on how this central theme is addressed in the sūrah. We may need to repeat some of what we have already said so as to make these final comments more coherent.

The fundamental issue emphasized in the sūrah as a whole is the divine order to worship God alone, prohibiting the worship of anyone or anything else, making it clear that this is the sum of religion and faith. At the outset, the sūrah provides an outline of the Qur’ān, God’s book revealed to Muĥammad, His last Messenger. This issue is addressed in this outline, while the historical accounts give a glimpse of the progress of faith in human history, and the final passage directs the Prophet on how to address the unbelievers. The sūrah also makes clear that all promises and warnings, reckoning, reward and punishment in the hereafter are all based on this basic principle.

We find that addressing all worship solely to God is expressed in two different ways:

1. My people! Worship God alone; you have no deity other than Him. (Verse 50)

2. Worship none but God. I come to you from Him as a warner and a bearer of glad tidings. (Verse 2)

It is clear that the two ways differ in the fact that one gives an order and the other states a prohibition. Do they, however, contain the same meaning? The first gives an order to worship God, making it clear that He is the only deity worthy of worship.

The second prohibits the worship of anyone else. Needless to say, the second meaning is the correlate of the first, but the first verse states the first meaning in words leaving the second implied. Since this is the central issue, God in His wisdom determined not to leave the prohibition of worshipping other deities implicit. He wanted it stated separately, even though it is clearly implied in the first order. This gives us a clear sense of the seriousness Islam attaches to this issue.

The express statement of both aspects of this fundamental issue tells us that people need both to be categorically emphasized. It is not sufficient to state that there is no deity to be worshipped other than God, relying on the implicit correlate of prohibiting the worship of anyone or anything else. There have been times in human history when people did not deny God or abandon worshipping Him, but they also worshipped other beings beside Him. If this were to happen again, people would be guilty of idolatry, worshipping false deities alongside God while thinking they were Muslims who worship God alone. Hence, the Qur’ān states the concept of God’s oneness as it should be manifested in peoples’ lives, stating both the commandment and the prohibition so that each endorses and confirms the other, leaving no loophole for polytheism to manipulate. This dual emphasis is often repeated in the Qur’ān, in verses such as the following:

We need also to reflect on the term ‘worship’ and how it is used in this sūrah, and in the Qur’ān in general. This will give us an idea of what lies beyond this unequivocal statement ordering the worship of God alone and the prohibition of any gesture of worship to anyone else.

The Fiqh terms ‘worship’, denoting dealings between a person and God, and ‘transactions’, referring to people’s dealings with one another, were not used in the very early period of Islam, when the Qur’ān was being revealed. Their use started later. We wrote elsewhere on the history of such usage as follows:

The division of human activities into ‘worship’ and ‘transactions’ began sometime after scholars started to write books on Islamic law, or Fiqh. At the beginning, the division was typically academic in nature, but regrettably, it had some negative effects in people’s minds. These were later to affect Islamic life in general. People started to think that the concept of worship applied only to the first type of activity addressed in its special section in books on Islamic law. Gradually, this concept was seen to have less and less to do with the aspect addressed in the section on ‘transactions’ in legal works. This represents a deviation from the holistic Islamic approach which is inevitably followed by a deviation in Islamic life in general.

Under Islam, there is no human activity to which the concept of worship does not apply. The Islamic code of living aims to implement this concept in all aspects of life. All Islamic legislation, whether it relates to government, economy, criminal, civil and family law, or indeed any other aspect of life, has no objective other than the implementation of the concept of worship in human life. Human activity cannot be described in such terms, so as to serve this objective which the Qur’ān describes as the aim of human existence, unless it is undertaken in accordance with the divine way of life. That is, to attribute Godhead to God alone and to address all worship to Him only.

Otherwise, human activity would be in conflict with the aim of human existence, or in other words, be deviant from the divine faith.

When we consider the types of human activity Fiqh scholars describe as ‘worship’ in the light of the Qur’ān, we are bound to realize that they are not addressed separately from the other type of activity such scholars call ‘transactions’. Indeed, both are interlinked in the Qur’ān and its directives.

Both belong to the concept of worship which puts into effect the principle of man’s servitude to the One God who has no partners.

As time passed, some people began to think that they could be Muslims when their worship activity was in accordance with Islamic rules, while their transactions were conducted according to some other system produced by some other deities which legislate for them without God’s authority. But this is a great myth. Islam is a complete whole. Anyone who tries to divide it into two parts undermines its unity; or, to use a different expression, abandons Islam altogether.

The unity of worship, in the sense of submission to God alone, has a profound impact on human life because it liberates people from submission to anyone else.

Thus man ensures his true dignity and freedom which cannot be guaranteed under any system where people are subjugated by others, in one form or another. Such subjugation can be manifested in beliefs, rituals or laws, but their effects are the same, in the sense of submission to beings other than God.

People cannot live without self-surrender to one thing or another. Those who do not submit to God soon find themselves in the worst type of submission to others.

They lose out to their desires which spiral out of control. Hence, they lose their very humanity: “The unbelievers may enjoy their life in this world and eat like animals eat, but the fire is their ultimate abode.” (47: 12) The greatest loss man can suffer is the loss of his own humanity. Moreover, they fall into different aspects of submission to other creatures, such as submission to rulers who always try to tighten their grip on power, pursuing their own self interest.

Submission to other creatures can also take subtle forms, which may even be more domineering and cruel than the political form. One example is submission to fashion houses. We ask: what power do these have over a very large section of humanity, which claims to be civilized? When a fashion deity prescribes a certain style in clothes, cars, buildings, parties, etc. people slavishly toe the line. No one even contemplates dissidence. If people submitted themselves to God in an even smaller measure than they do to fashion lords, they would be truly devout. How can submission be practically demonstrated if not in the form people follow with fashion? What is the meaning of Lordship and sovereignty if they are different from those exercised by fashion makers?

The poor woman who feels she must wear something too revealing, despite its being unsuitable for her figure, and wear make-up that leaves her subject to ridicule, simply cannot stand up to the lords of fashion with their immense power. What woman can resist such humiliation when she sees the whole of society around her toeing the line? If this is not submission to lordship, what is? Yet this is only one form of humiliating submission which people endure when they turn their backs on submission to God alone. Repugnant dictatorship is not limited to the political sphere and government.

How important is the unity of worship and submission to the preservation of people’s lives, honour and property? All these become vulnerable when people submit to other human beings, whether in legal affairs, traditions or beliefs.

In the sphere of beliefs and concepts, submission to anyone other than God means falling prey to endless myths, legends and superstitions, examples of which are easily found in both pagan societies and popular myth. Pledges and sacrifices are often offered under such false beliefs. Such sacrifices may not be limited to money and property, but may also include the sacrifice of children. People live in fear of false deities, priests who claim to be in touch with deities, sorcerers who claim to have contact with the jinn, saints and holy men who claim to possess powerful secrets, etc. Under the influence of such fears, and similarly false hopes, people waste their talents and energy.

Dedicating worship and submission to God alone, to the exclusion of all else, pays great returns in directing all human efforts to the task of building and improving human life. Elsewhere in this volume we identified that anyone who sets himself up in a position of a deity demanding worship, i.e. complete obedience, needs to devote all national resources for his own protection, and also for establishing himself as a deity. He also needs to have a machinery and media to sing his praises, and to blow up his image to that of a superior person fit to be worshipped. These cannot stop their praises for a moment. On the contrary, they always try to make the masses share in such worship rituals. The reason being that whenever the great praise exercise slackens even a little, the tyrant’s image reverts back to that of a small powerless creature. Hence, the exercise is constantly renewed to endorse his image once again. If a portion of such efforts and funds are dedicated to ensure real progress in human life, all people in society would share in its fruits. But such energy, funds, and at times life and honour, are not spent for human benefit as long as people do not submit to God alone.

Such losses are not incurred in only one particular system. They are common to all systems, even though situations differ and types of the sacrifice required also differ.

What happened with those who rebelled against submission to God alone, allowing some of their numbers to rule over them implementing a law other than God’s law, is that they ended up enduring the misery of submission to others. Such submission, however, squanders away their dignity and freedom, regardless of the type of government, even though they may think that some forms of government ensures such dignity and freedom.

When Europe rebelled against a Church that tyrannized under the false guise of religion, it tried to run away from God. People in Europe thought that they could best preserve their freedom, dignity and humanity under democratic government.

They pinned their hopes on the guarantees provided by democratic constitutions, parliamentary systems, a free press, judicial and legal checks, majority rule, and similar ideals. But what happened in practice? Capitalism managed to exercise tyrannical power reducing all checks and institutions into little more than slogans or myths. The great majority of the people became subservient to the powerful minority that owned the capital which enabled it to control the parliamentary majority, the constitution, the press and all other checks and balances that people imagined would guarantee their freedom and other rights.

Certain groups turned away from individualistic or democratic systems which usher in a tyranny of capital or class and established ‘collective’ systems. But what has this meant in practice? They simply replaced subservience to the capitalist class with subservience to the working class. Or we may say, they replaced subservience to capitalists and big companies with subservience to the state which controlled capital and enjoyed total power. This made the tyranny of the state an even worse tyranny.

We also need to have a brief look at the order of the historical accounts given in the sūrah and what this signifies in terms of the progress of the faith based on submission to God alone.

In our discussion of the history of the Prophet Noah, we made clear that the first religion known to humanity was the one based on submission to God alone, i.e.

islam. It was the one preached by Adam, the father of the human race, then by Noah, its second father, and then by all God’s messengers. In its broad sense, Islam means belief in God’s absolute oneness, offering all worship to Him alone, and belief that He is the Lord whom people must obey and submit themselves to, which means that He is the Sovereign who has the sole authority to legislate for human life.

We also explained that deviation into jāhiliyyah, in either beliefs and worship rituals, or submission and obedience, or in all of these, was a subsequent development, after mankind had known the true faith of islam, as explained by God’s messengers (peace be upon them all). Human beliefs, and human life generally became corrupted as a result of people’s submission to deities other than God. Such submission, in any form, indicates deviation from the faith based on God’s oneness.

The chronological order given in the sūrah clearly shows the fundamental flaw in the methodology of comparative religion, which has led to erroneous conclusions.

The basic flaw in this methodology is that it traces the line of successive forms of jāhiliyyah in human history, and ignores the line of belief in God’s oneness as preached by His messengers. Even as scholars of comparative religion trace their preferred line, they refer only to what is derived from the periods of jāhiliyyah in human society, which correspond to those highlighted in history. We should remember that historical studies record, merely on the basis of probability, only a tiny portion of human history. What is worse is that when such scholars find some heritage of the worship of the One God, as preached by divine messengers, surviving in a distorted form in an ancient jāhiliyyah, as in the case of Ekhnaton in ancient Egypt, they deliberately ignore its reference to God’s messages. Ekhnaton ruled Egypt after the Prophet Joseph preached the message of God’s oneness. An example of his preaching is related in the Qur’ān, in his discourse with his two fellow prisoners: “I have left the faith of people who do not believe in God, and who deny the truth of the life to come. I follow the faith of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not for us to associate any partners with God. This is part of God’s grace which He has bestowed on us and on all mankind, but most people do not give thanks. My two prison companions! Which is better: [to believe] in diverse lords, or to believe in God, the One who holds sway over all that exists? Those you worship instead of Him are nothing but names you and your fathers have invented, and for which God has given no sanction from on high. All judgement rests with God alone. He has ordained that you should worship none but Him. This is the true faith, but most people do not know it.” (12: 37-40)

But this is not our main point of discussion here. We want to look at the line of progress pure faith took in human history. The faith of submission to God alone, i.e.

islam in its broader sense, and jāhiliyyah compete for human minds. Satan tries to exploit man’s weaknesses and nature as a creature with a dual susceptibility to good and evil. He tries to turn people away from the pure faith in order to sink them into jāhiliyyah. When people have sunk deep into jāhiliyyah, God sends a messenger to turn them back to the pure faith. The first thing he purges from their minds is submission to anyone other than God in any aspect of their life, not merely in worship rituals or beliefs. With this clear in our minds, we can understand humanity’s situation today and determine the nature of Islamic advocacy.

Humanity as a whole reflects a return to the jāhiliyyah from which the Prophet Muĥammad saved it during his lifetime. This jāhiliyyah takes different forms. In some communities, it is reflected in the clear denial of God’s very existence, which means that it pertains to faith and beliefs. The clearest example of this type is that of the Communists. In others, we see a confused recognition of God’s existence and a clear deviation in worship rituals and in submission and obedience. This is the case of idol worshippers like the Hindus, and also the case of the Christians and Jews. In other communities we find a clear admission of God’s existence and a proper performance of worship rituals, coupled with serious deviation in people’s concept of the meaning of the declaration that there is no deity other than God and that Muĥammad is God’s Messenger. There is also utter confusion about the question of submission and obedience. This is the type of jāhiliyyah practised by people who claim to be Muslims.

They imagine that simply by pronouncing the basic declaration and offering acts of worship they have become Muslims entitled to all that is due to believers in Islam, despite their flawed understanding of the meaning of this declaration and their submission to other creatures. But all these are forms of jāhiliyyah, which means that they are either disbelief like the first type, or association of partners with Him like all others.

This view of present-day human reality confirms that another cycle has passed and that humanity is back in jāhiliyyah, which defines the basic role of the advocates of Islamic revival, their basic task in rescuing humanity and their starting point.

These advocates must begin by calling on people to embrace Islam anew and to abandon the miserable state of jāhiliyyah into which they have sunk. They must also define the basic meaning of Islam, which is: belief that all Godhead belongs to God, offering all worship to Him alone, submitting themselves to Him and obeying Him in all their affairs. Unless all these elements are met, then people have not embraced the faith of Islam and cannot be considered Muslims, enjoying the rights and privileges which Islam guarantees for them, with regard to their lives and property.

Every messenger was sent to his own community. At the start of his message, the messenger would be a member of his community, addressing them as a brother, desiring for them all the goodness a brother desires for his siblings. He wanted them to have all the goodness he had found in God’s guidance, and for which he found clear evidence granted by his Lord. This was the attitude of every single messenger at the beginning; but it was not the same with any of them at the end.

A group from among every community responded to the message. They began to worship God alone. Thus, they surrendered themselves totally to God, forming together a community of believers, or a Muslim community, in the broader sense of the term. Another group rejected the message, denying its truth and continuing to submit to deities other than God. They remained in jāhiliyyah. Thus, they became a community of unbelievers.

This means that by their different attitudes towards God’s messenger and his message, the same people became two communities: one Muslim and the other idolater. They were no longer one community, despite being of the same race and origin. Ties of race, land and common interests could no longer unite them and govern their relations. With the divine message a new bond came into being, uniting or dividing the same people. This is the bond of faith, with the type of submission it requires and the code of living it lays down.

What the advocates of Islamic revival today must clearly understand is that God never set the believers apart from the unbelievers until the believers themselves split away from the rest of their people. In so doing they declared their rejection of idolatry, submitted to God alone, and refused to obey any tyrannical authority. They also refused to participate in the social life of the community ruled by an authority implementing laws different from those of God.

God did not act to destroy the wrongdoers until the believers had separated themselves from them. This means that the believers must declare to the rest of their people that they are a community apart, with a distinctive faith, way of life and line of action. This is essential before God acts to fulfil His promise of granting victory to the believers and inflicting His punishment on the unbelievers.

It is particularly important that advocates of Islamic revival should understand this constant rule so as to plan their method of operation. The first step is to call on people to submit themselves to God alone, and to no one else. The same people will eventually split into two groups. The believers then separate themselves from the rest. When all this takes place, God’s promise to grant victory to the believers becomes due for fulfilment, as consistently happened throughout history.

The period of advocacy and calling on people to believe may be prolonged before the separation occurs in practical terms. However, mental separation should start right at the beginning. Separating the two communities may be delayed, while one generation or more of believers provide sacrifices and endure hardship and torture.

These observations about the historical accounts given in the sūrah reveal to us the nature of the Islamic approach, as outlined in the Qur’ān. It is a practical approach in the face of human realities. These histories were related to the Prophet when he was in Makkah. The small number of believers were confined to their city, and the message practically besieged within it. The road ahead must have seemed to those believers to be long, arduous and without an end in sight. These histories showed them the end and outlined the different stages ahead. The Qur’ān thus took the believers by the hand, helped them on the road that had become a continuation of the march that started at the beginning of human history advocating the true faith of self-surrender to God alone. Thus, they no longer felt that their road was deserted.

They felt themselves to be a new group in a continuous procession walking along a well charted road. They moved from the starting point to the finishing line according to a well defined plan.

Thus did the Qur’ān act with the Muslim community, moving it in safe and measured steps. Thus it can do today and in future with the advocates of Islamic revival, moving them along the same way. These advocates need the Qur’ān as a guiding light, marking its movement and outlining its stages.

When the Qur’ān plays this role, it is no longer treated as mere words recited for blessing. It comes alive as if it is being bestowed now from on high to guide the Muslim community which implements its directives and hopes for the fulfilment of God’s promise which it clearly states.

This is what we mean when we say that this Qur’ān reveals its secrets only to the Muslim group which moves according to its guidance, to put its message into practice. It does not reveal these secrets to those who only read it for blessings, artistic or scientific study, or to appreciate its artistic beauty and fine style. None of these will truly appreciate much of the Qur’ān, because the Qur’ān was not bestowed from on high for such purposes. It was rather revealed to act as a practical guide providing directives for implementation.

Those who face up to jāhiliyyah with the message of Islam, and who endeavour to return erring humanity to the faith based on submission to God alone, and who strive against tyranny in order to liberate mankind from servitude to others, are the ones who truly understand the Qur’ān. They are the ones who live in an environment similar to that which prevailed when the Qur’ān was revealed. They make the same attempt made by those who were the first to be addressed by the Qur’ān. As they make their endeavours, they appreciate the meaning of its verses, because they see how such meaning applies to events and practical situations. This by itself is compensation for all the pain they have to endure and the sacrifice they have to make.

What am I saying? Is it compensation? Certainly not. It is a great blessing from God. “Say: ‘In God’s bounty and grace, in this let them rejoice; for this is better than all that they may amass.’” (10: 58)