The Prophet’s (saw) Methodology for Revival
سم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Circle 12: The Political Actions in The Prophet’s (saw) Da’wah
In this halaqah we continue with the third stage on the Prophet’s (saw) methodology for revival. In addition, today we will talk about the political actions in the Prophet’s (saw) da’wah.
Political action is about criticizing the elite and leaders and among the politicians and rulers i.e. struggling with them intellectually without resorting to use of violence or continuous material action (militarily).
Political actions is meant to expose conspiracies of rulers, and their plots and treacheries, as depicted by the Sahaba led by Umar bin al-Khattab prior the establishment of the State when they attempted to challenge the elite and the leaders through a continuous material action, and had the urge of fighting them, where they came to the Prophet (saw) and asked him: “Oh Messenger of Allah, are we not on the truth?” The Prophet (saw) replied: “Why not? Of course we are” And they asked him: “Are they not on the falsehood?” The Prophet (saw) replied: “Why not? Of course they are” They said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, why would we show weakness in our religion…? Oh Messenger of Allah! Give us order tomorrow we fight these people with our swords…!” The Prophet (saw) replied: “No! We haven’t been ordered for that yet”. Such a matter requires permission from the Legislator, Allah Ta’ala.
And indeed after the establishment of the State the permission to fight was granted; Allah Ta’ala said:
أُذِنَ لِلَّذينَ يُقاتَلونَ بِأَنَّهُم ظُلِموا ۚ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ نَصرِهِم لَقَديرٌ
Those who are fought against are permitted [to fight] because they have been wronged, and Allah is indeed able to help them.
[Al-Hajj: 39]
How Political Actions Came in The Qur’an and Was Performed by The Prophet (saw) prior to The Establishment of the State:
As for before the establishment of the State, the Prophet (saw) used to ridicule their clever as ignorant describing them as liars, deceivers, and often threatening them without fighting, and he did not want any of his Sahaba to engage in fighting the polytheists despite them being a nuisance.
The Prophet (saw) practically engaged in the political action himself, he used to read to them:
وَدّوا لَو تُدهِنُ فَيُدهِنونَ
who are eager that you should be pliable, so that they may be pliable [towards you].
[Al-Qalam: 9]
And he (saw) used to read to his uncle Abu Lahab:
تَبَّت يَدا أَبي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ
Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!
ما أَغنىٰ عَنهُ مالُهُ وَما كَسَبَ
Neither his wealth availed him, nor what he had earned.
سَيَصلىٰ نارًا ذاتَ لَهَبٍ
Soon he will enter the blazing fire,
[Al-Masad: 1-3]
And he (saw) used to read to Walid bin Mughira who carried the banner of the Quraysh in war:
ذَرني وَمَن خَلَقتُ وَحيدًا
Leave Me [to deal] with him whom I created alone,
وَجَعَلتُ لَهُ مالًا مَمدودًا
and then furnished him with extensive means,
وَبَنينَ شُهودًا
and [gave him] sons to be at his side,
وَمَهَّدتُ لَهُ تَمهيدًا
and facilitated [all matters] for him.
ثُمَّ يَطمَعُ أَن أَزيدَ
Still he is eager that I should give him more!
كَلّا ۖ إِنَّهُ كانَ لِآياتِنا عَنيدًا
No indeed! He is an obstinate opponent of Our signs.
سَأُرهِقُهُ صَعودًا
Soon I will overwhelm him with hardship.
إِنَّهُ فَكَّرَ وَقَدَّرَ
Indeed, he reflected and decided.
فَقُتِلَ كَيفَ قَدَّرَ
Perish he, how he decided!
ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيفَ قَدَّرَ
Again, perish he, how he decided!
[Al-Muddaththir: 11-20]
And he (saw) used to read to the leader of disbelief, Abu Jahli:
كَلّا لَئِن لَم يَنتَهِ لَنَسفَعًا بِالنّاصِيَةِ
No indeed! If he does not stop, We shall seize him by the forelock!
ناصِيَةٍ كاذِبَةٍ خاطِئَةٍ
a lying, sinful forelock!
فَليَدعُ نادِيَهُ
Then let him call out his gang!
سَنَدعُ الزَّبانِيَةَ
We [too] shall call the keepers of hell!
[Al-Alaq: 15-18]
And he (saw) used to read to Umayya bin Khalaf:
وَضَرَبَ لَنا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلقَهُ ۖ قالَ مَن يُحيِي العِظامَ وَهِيَ رَميمٌ
He draws comparisons for Us, and forgets his own creation. He says, ‘Who shall revive the bones when they have decayed?’
قُل يُحييهَا الَّذي أَنشَأَها أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلقٍ عَليمٌ
Say, ‘He will revive them who produced them the first time, and He has knowledge of all creation.
[Yasiin: 78-79]
Umayya came to the Prophet (saw) with pieces of decay bones while crushing them and blowing them on the Prophet’s (saw) face and saying: “Oh Muhammad, will your Lord bring these bones to life after they have decayed and turned to sand…?!” The Prophet (saw) replied: “Yes, Allah will resurrect you and throw you in the Hell”, that reply from Allah’s order emanating from His saying below, had a great impact:
…فَأَعرِض عَنهُم وَعِظهُم وَقُل لَهُم في أَنفُسِهِم قَولًا بَليغًا
So let them alone, and advise them, and speak to them concerning themselves far-reaching words.
[An-Nisaa: 63]
And he (saw) used to read to Walid bin Mughera’:
وَلا تُطِع كُلَّ حَلّافٍ مَهينٍ
And do not obey any vile swearer,
هَمّازٍ مَشّاءٍ بِنَميمٍ
Scandal-monger, talebearer,
مَنّاعٍ لِلخَيرِ مُعتَدٍ أَثيمٍ
Hinderer of all good, sinful transgressor,
عُتُلٍّ بَعدَ ذٰلِكَ زَنيمٍ
callous and, on top of that, baseborn,
[Al-Qalam: 10-13]
And ZANIIM is a child born outside wedlock, Mufassiroon said: these verses were revealed to Walid bin Mughera because he used to consider himself Quraysh while he wasn’t among them, when they were revealed, Walid went to his mother and told her, “Indeed Muhammad has described me with nine attributes, I recognize all of them except the ninth one, meaning the ZANIIM. Should you not tell me the truth about it I will chop off your head with my sword…!” His mother replied: Indeed, your father was impotent, you are the son of our shepherd”, he never knew that he was a son of zina except after the revelation of these verses…!
Ibn Abbas said: “His real father is Akhnas ibn Shariq”.
The Prophet (saw) used to perform political actions, he used to describe rulers and those in authority by their filthy characters, he described one a liar for his lying, a traitor for his treachery, a hypocrite for his hypocricy, and he exposed their conspiracies, and their misleading tactics.
And all that were confirmed by conclusive evidences which were expounded by verses which are explicit (Qat’iy Thubut Qat’iy Dilala).
It will continue in UQAB Issue 17… In Shaa Allah.