“O Messenger of Allah! Send us an instructor to teach us our religion and the Qur’an.”
Hamidullah, Wathaiq, p. 52
While preaching Islam by his actions and words Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) also trained many instructors and missionaries which enabled him to deliver the message of Islam to a much wider audience. He appointed his talented Companions as instructors both inside and outside of the borders of Mecca and Medina. Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) also sent missionary envoys to the neighboring tribes which requested instructors from him to learn Islam.
After the migration, our Prophet (pbuh) had a special section built next to the mosque which he used like a college and trained the teachers and missionaries of Islam. Those who were trained in that school are known as “Ashab al-Suffah or the Companions of suffah.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) was their head instructor. Some Companions like Abdullah b. Mas’ud, Ubai b. Ka’b, and Muadh b. Jabal also gave lessons. The needs of the Companions of suffah were covered by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), and he also encouraged the wealthy Companions to help them.
Since the Companions of suffah were constantly with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and were busy with learning, they mastered the regulations of Islam, the Qur’an and Sunnah well. When newly converted tribes asked for an instructor, the Prophet (pbuh) usually sent some of the Companions of suffah. Thus, they played an important role in conveying and spreading the message of Islam.
From the first day that Our Prophet (pbuh) began to call people to Islam, he considered everybody who believed in him to be a prospective instructor. Indeed he stated at the end of his farewell sermon that:
“… It is incumbent upon those who are present to convey this message to those who are absent, for some of those to whom it is conveyed may comprehend and apply it better than some of those who have heard it directly…” (Bukhari, Adaahi, 5)
Following the directions of the Prophet (pbuh) these distinguished people enlightened their surroundings like candles.
Abu Bakr (r.a.) was one of the prominent ones from among these distinguished people. He immediately began to invite people to Allah openly as soon as he embraced Islam. Abu Bakr (r.a.) was a gentle person loved by everyone. He was a good mannered, trustworthy, and honest merchant. Since he was knowledgeable and a good speaker many people would come to benefit from him. He would speak about Islam and Allah to those whom he saw fitting. Zubair b. Awwam, Uthman b. Affan, Talha b. Unaidullah, Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas, Abdurrahman b. Awf and many others embraced Islam by his guidance. (Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah, III, 80)
Twelve Muslims who had met the Prophet (pbuh) at the second Aqabah pledge of allegiance began to spread Islam in Medina. Later, ansar wrote a letter and sent it to the Messenger of Allah. The letter consisted of the following request:
اِبْعَثْ اِلَيْنَا رَجُلاً يُفَقِّهُنَا فِى الدِّينِ وَيُقْرِئُنَا الْقُرْآنَ
“O Messenger of Allah! Send us an instructor to teach us our religion and the Qur’an.”
Upon which Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) appointed Mus’ab b. Umair (r.a.) as an instructor and sent him to be the pioneer of Islam in Medina. (Ibn Sa’d, I. 220; Hamidullah, Wathaiq, p. 52)
This young Companion, an admirer of the Prophet (pbuh), began to tell people about Islam day and night. As’ad b. Zurara (r.a.) was one of the first converts to Islam and helped Mus’ab (r.a.) in his mission. The following information which we will narrate from the Islamic history books clearly shows the reasons for the success of Mus’ab’s policy and method of preaching.
One day As’ad b. Zurar and Mus’ab b. Umair (r. anhum) sat by the well in the garden of Zafar clan. When Sa’d b. Muadh, one of the prominent members of Abdulashhal clan, heard this, he told Usaid b. Hudair:
“You are a calculating man who does not need anybody. Go to those men who came to our neighborhood to ruin the faith of our weak and warn them not to come here again. If As’ad b. Zurara was my relative, I would do it myself.”
Usaid picked up his spear and went there immediately. He told them angrily:
“What brought you here? Have you brought this stranger to ruin the faith of our weak? I do not want to see you doing this again. If you value your lives, leave this neighborhood immediately.” Mus’ab (r.a.) acted sagaciously and said to him:
“Would you sit and listen to what I say? You are an intelligent man. If you like what I say, you may accept them or if you do not, you won’t.” Usaid said:
“You are right.” and stuck his spear to the ground and sat down.
Mus’ab told him about Islam and recited parts of the Qur’an.
As soon as Usaid listened to the Qur’an, the light of Islam shone in his face and his heart softened towards Islam. He converted to Islam saying about the Qur’an:
“What lovley and lofty words!”
After a while, Sa’d b. Muadh came to them in a fury, but like Usaid, he embraced Islam after listening to Mus’ab (r.a.). Then he went to his people:
“O sons of Abdulashhal! How do you know me?” They said:
“You are a noble person, superior in thinking and a good leader.” Upon which Sa’d b. Muadh told them:
“Until you declare your faith in Allah and His Messenger, let talking to any of your men or women be prohibited.” No one from the Abdulashhal clan was left who did not embrace Islam that evening. (Ibn Hisham, II, 43-46; Ibn Sa’d, III, 604-605; Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah, I, 112-113)
Just like Medina, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) sent some of his Companions as instructors to other regions. One day after performing the dawn prayer, he turned to the congregation and asked:
“O Ansar and Muhajir! Which one of you would go to Yemen?” Abu Bakr (r.a.) said:
“I would O Messenger of Allah!” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) kept his silence and did not respond to him. Then he asked again:
“O Ansar and Muhajir! Which one of you would go to Yemen?” Umar (r.a.) said:
“I would O Messenger of Allah!” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) kept his silence and did not respond to him. When he asked for a third time:
“O Ansar and Muhajir! Which one of you would go to Yemen?” Mu’adh b. Jabal (r.a.) said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I would go.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) told him:
“O Mu’adh! This job is yours.” Then he turned to Bilal (r.a.) and asked:
“O Bilal! Bring me my turban.” When his turban was brought, he wrapped it on Mu’adh’s head. Then he asked:
“How will you judge when the occasion of deciding a case arises?” He (Mu’adh) replied:
“I shall judge in accordance with Allah’s Book.” He (the Holy Prophet) asked:
“What will you do if you do not find any guidance in Allah’s Book?” He replied:
“I shall act in accordance with the Sunnah of the Apostle of Allah (pbuh).” He asked:
“What will you do if you do not find any guidance in the Sunnah of the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) and in Allah’s Book?” He replied:
“I shall do my best to form an opinion and I shall spare no effort.” The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then patted him on the breast and said:
“Praise be to Allah Who has helped the messenger of the Apostle of Allah to find something which pleases the Apostle of Allah.” (Ibn Hanbal, V, 230; Ibn Sa’d, III, 584; Diyarbekri, II, 142)
Besides Mu’adh (r.a.) Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) sent Ali (r.a.) to Yemen. Ali (r.a.) said that:
“Some people from Yemen came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Send us people to teach us the religion of Allah and judge amongst us according to the book of Allah.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) told me:
“O Ali! Go to the people of Yemen and teach them Sunnah and judge amongst them by the book of Allah.” I said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I am young and inexperienced. I may face issues that I do not know.” Upon this Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) put his hand upon my chest and told me:
“Go! Allah will inspire the right judgment in your heart and give perseverance to your tongue.” After the Prophet’s words I have never had doubts about my judgments. (Ibn Majah, Ahkam, I; Hakim, III, 210)
Like the Prophet (pbuh) the first four rightly guided caliphs of Islam sent instructors and missionaries to the various regions of the Muslim lands. For instance, upon a request coming from the governor of Damascus, Umar (r.a.) sent Mu’adh b. Jabal, Ubadah b. Samit, and Abu al-Darda ( r. anhum) to teach the Qur’an and the regulations of Islam. He advised them:
“Begin preaching and teaching Islam from the city of Humus. You will find its people with different abilities. Some comprehend quickly. If you meet such people, guide some people to them to learn the Qur’an. After making some advancements, one of you should stay in Humus, one of you should go to Damascus, and the other one of you should go to Palestine.”
After they had served in Humus for a while, Ubada (r.a.) stayed there, Abu al-Darda (r.a.) went to Damascus, and Mu’adh b. Jabal (r.a.) went to Palestine. After Mu’adh (r.a.) passed away due to the plague, Ubada (r.a.) took his place. Abu al-Darda (r.a.), on the other hand stayed in Damascus until the end of his life. (Ibn Sa’d, II, 357)
One of the remarkable points of these reports is that these instructors stayed and served in the cities to which they had been appointed until the end of their lives and did not return to Medina.
Abu Idris al-Khawlani narrated a memory about those days as follows:
“I entered the Damascus mosque and there was a young man with a beautiful mouth and white teeth sitting with some people. When they disagreed about something, they referred it to him and proceeded from his statement. I inquired about him, and it was said, “This is Muadh b. Jabal.” The next day I went to the noon-prayer, and I found that he had preceded me to the noon prayer and I found him praying.”
Abu Idris continued, “I waited for him until he had finished the prayer. Then I came to him from the front and greeted him saying,
“By Allah, I love you for the sake of Allah!..” (Muwatta, Sha’r, 16)
Muslim states established after the four rightly guided caliphs followed the Prophet’s method of Islamization of the lands that they conquered. They sent instructors and callers of Islam to such lands.[1]
Only twenty thousand of the one hundred and twenty thousand Companions who had been present at the farewell sermon of the Prophet (pbuh) died in and were buried in Mecca and Medina. With their love and joy the rest of those Companions set off on journeys and spread all around the world to deliver the message of Islam. For centuries they enlightened the people with the light of the torch they had received from the Messenger of Allah. Today, many people in all parts of the world are in need and wait for the call of their Creator to be conveyed to them. Those who follow in the footsteps of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and his Companions (r. anhum) should mobilize all their efforts to meet those people’s needs.
[1] Ottomans who followed the policy of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), for instance, usually sent scholars and Sufis to the conquered lands. These people were shown where they needed to settle and many times they were given small villages or districts. Those scholars and Sufis, who went to the newly conquered lands, settled there, and founded convents, played a very important role in the Islamization of these lands. For instance, the rate of Muslim population in the city of Trabzon, which had a population of 7017 in 1523 was %14.3. This rate went up to %46.7 in 1553 and %53.62 in 1583 thanks to the efforts of these men and women. In the following years the ratio of the Muslim population to the non-Muslim one continued to rise . (Gülfettin Çelik, p. 88)