Welcome to Islam, - Prophethood: the perception of realities

[NajimudeeN M]

Everyone who desires the dominance of Islam and who strives for that
cause, should realize the importance of the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( and the
decisive role it has to play in today's conflict of civilizations.
They should address the issue by re-determining priorities and
strategies. The following factors should be kept in mind while
evaluating the situation:
1- The perception of eternal finality
We must understand the present social milieu in which we are striving
for the practice and dominance of Islam. It is definitely different
and 1400 years away from the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, despite the fact that the efforts being made are a
continuation of the same prophetic mission.
Muslims must understand that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
was not appointed a prophet for any particular nation or era. Rather,
he was sent to humanity as a whole, irrespective of time and place.
From the 6th century to the 21st century CE and even beyond, until
the Day of Judgment, Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, will
remain the only prophet. This statement, although simple, has
far-reaching connotations. It is obligatory that the message of
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, be continuously delivered in
the manner done in his time.
2- The perception of an immortal message
We should concede that the example of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, is still present amongst us. This is because the Divine Book
that he, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, brought is still intact, and
the minutest details of his life are preserved in the Sunnah
)Prophetic traditions(, and his Deen )Divine way of life( has spread
all over the world through his followers.
Consequently, it is incumbent on Muslims to continue with the mission
launched by him, considering it a responsibility bestowed by Allaah.
3- The true perception of prophethood
Muslims must recognize that to combat the Jaahiliyyah )pre-Islamic
period of ignorance( during the era of the Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, it was important to demand commitment towards his
prophethood. Although faith in Allaah comes first and is the essence
of the Islamic way of life, yet faith in the Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, is equally important and decisive. Belief in God
is the basic premise of all Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention,
and cradles the purpose of prophethood; yet, it is only by believing
in a prophet that one can yield to the concept of Allaah. Thus, only
that belief and concept of Allaah is acceptable which is based on the
declaration and description provided by the Prophet Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Just as the Quran is believed to be the revealed Word of Allaah
without any reservations, similarly, the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is also beyond any doubt. These two
facts have to be taken as granted, otherwise, there cannot be a
rational and sound interpretation of the concepts of Halaal and Haraam
)lawful and unlawful(, Waajibaat and Manhiyyaat )obligations and
prohibitions(, Athaab and Thawaab )penalty and reward(. Practically
then, faith and obedience to the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, is equivalent to the obedience of Allaah and is the only way
to seek the pleasure and proximity of Allaah.
4- Importance of the belief in prophethood
Belief in the prophethood should be given due importance and priority
in all our efforts of Da'wah and Jihaad )striving for the supremacy of
Allaah's injunctions(. Otherwise, mere belief in Allaah would become
meaningless, because the Jews and Christians too claimed to be
believers of one God, and the Quran itself has praised the excellence
of Ibaadah )worship( and Akhlaaq )moral dignity( of some of them, yet
they incurred Allaah's wrath simply because they denied belief in the
prophethood.
5- Belief in prophethood is a source of Allaah's help
Belief in prophethood is decisive because the promise of Allaah's
help, salvation and victory is with the Prophets, may Allaah exalt
their mention, and with those who truly believe in the prophethood,
sincerely follow prophetic teachings, become helpers in their mission
and struggle to establish Allaah's Deen )code of life(. The Quran says
)what means(:"And verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for our
slaves, -- the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant.
And that Our hosts would be victors."]Quran 35: 171-173[
6- The message of love and peace
The eternal struggle of the prophetic mission against the mischief of
unbelievers, which has now taken the shape of a conflict between Islam
and the West, is, in fact, a struggle for winning over the hearts and
minds of people. Winning over the hearts of people would result in the
supremacy and dominance of Islam -- the true religion of Allaah. Force
can conquer land, acquire money and goods, seize political power but
it cannot win people's minds and hearts. Similarly, argument can earn
support but it can never secure commitment, devotion and readiness to
face sacrifices in life. There is only one way to win over hearts: a
firm belief in the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, full devotion to his mission, love and reverence for him and
complete obedience and commitment to follow him in all aspects of
life. This is how people's hearts have been won in the past and will
be won in the future.
We should strive to prove that Islam is the true religion which
presents a complete code of life; warn people about the curse of
interest or usury and the dangers of un-Islamic economic systems, and
highlight the beauty of the Islamic social, political, economic and
family system. However, we should never forget that the purpose of all
these pursuits is to create favorable conditions and a conducive
environment for upholding the cause of Truth.
If people admit all Islamic values but refuse to believe in the
prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, the way to
achieve success in the war of civilizations will remain obstructed.
There are many people who praise Islam, eulogize Islamic arts and
architecture, applaud Islamic spiritualism and mysticism but, still,
are not ready to follow the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, as they do not believe in his prophethood! Such people,
therefore, can never be regarded as aides and supporters of the
prophetic mission.
Similarly, even if we supply ample proof that Islam ensures human
rights more than any other ideology; that it not only upholds women's
rights but has given them a status which was inconceivable earlier,
even in the West; and that the penal code of Islam is not cruel, but
sympathetic and compassionate to the people and society, it would
still not enhance the prospects of winning over people's hearts.
Arguments of logic and intellect cannot serve the purpose either. What
is needed is a firm and unshakable belief in the prophethood of
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and a pure flow of love for
him more than anything else.
Thus, the biggest objective before us should be to give top priority
to the Da'wah towards the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. It does not mean that we start telling people that they are
infidels or transgressors if they do not believe that Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is the true prophet of Allaah.
By this we mean:
Employing all the possible means -- especially modern means of
communication -- to tell the world about the unparalleled beauty of
the Prophet's character, pleasing features of his personality, his
mercy, compassion, love and
All Muslims -- especially those who are striving for the supremacy of
the Prophetic mission all over the world -- should adopt and follow
his model of character. Books, speeches and videos are not enough to
present the Prophet's life, our
We should adopt such a manner of presenting the life and message of
the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, that without getting
involved in lengthy debates we should be able to successfully rebut
and diffuse the allegations
The real task before us is to struggle for the supremacy of Islam and
translate into action the teachings and the message brought by the
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Imaam Muslim, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, has
Today a vast majority of infidels have not even heard the name of
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and those who have, have
heard it only cursorily. In fact, the people who have been properly
conveyed the message of
The Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, had sent
emissaries to different countries during his lifetime to proclaim the
message of Islam. Today, there are emissaries in every nook and corner
of the globe -- over one billion Muslims -- who have his message with
them. Muslims who realize their responsibility should stand up with
sincerity and devotion, to work towards bringing people close to the
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his mission. An equal
amount of time and resources must be spent in disseminating the
teachings of Islam, and highlighting the personality, life, character
and moral excellence of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Those who get closer to the source of illumination will automatically
find their minds and hearts opening in the warmth and light. The more
the people believe in the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, the stronger will be their devotion to his life and
mission, and the greater will be the chances of the Prophetic message
emerging victorious in the conflict of civilizations.
As Muslims, this is a debt that we owe to the world, and each one of
us should come forward to repay his share of the debt.