A. The Holy Qur’an

“…(O Prophet) but warn by the Qur’an him who fears My threat.”

Qaf 50; 45

 

The Holy Qur’an builds up the foundation and methodology of the Prophet’s missionary activities. Based on the succinct sayings of the Prophet (pbuh):

“1) The Qur’an guides a person through all kinds of trouble

2) It consists of information about previous societies, about the state of future societies, and about the rules of the incident which will take place amongst the people

3) It distinguishes the right from the wrong

4) It is not something of no benefit

5) Allah the Almighty will destroy the mischievous ones who give it (the Qur’an) up

6) Allah the Almighty will mislead those who look for guidance other than its guidance

7) It is the most trustworthy rope from Allah the Almighty, His supreme remembrance, and His straight path

8) Those who hold it tight will never go astray

9) Those tongues which recite it will not err

10) Scholars could not be satisfied with it

11) It never loses its freshness through its frequent recitations

12) Its superiority and miraculousness never ceases

13) When jinns listen to it, they could not help but say “…They said, We have really heard a wonderful Recital!” (al-Jinn 72; 1)

14) Those who use the Holy Qur’an in their speech speak the truth

15) Those who base their rulings upon the Qur’an reach the right decisions and issue just rulings

16) Those who apply it in their lives obtain spiritual reward

17) It is the Divine Word and those who are invited to it find the straightes path.” (Tirmidhi, Fada’il al-Qur’an, 14; Darimi, Fada’il al-Qur’an, 1)

Hasan al-Basri (q.s.) says:

“Allah the Almighty revealed one hundred and four books. He summed the knowledge included in these books up in four of them: the Torah, the New Testament, Psalms, and the Qur’an. Then He inserted the knowledge of the three books into the Qur’an.” (Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman, II, 450)

The Holy Qur’an, which possesses the above mentioned general characteristics, was revealed to the heart of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and it is the greatest miracle of his prophethood. He (pbuh) comprehended the Truth through it and his inner world was enlightened by means of it. He transmitted its prosperity to people’s hearts and exerted his entire effort to take humanity to its enlightened atmosphere. Imam Shafii (may Allah have mercy on his soul) describes this as follows:

“The words of Muslim scholars are the interpretations of the Sunnah. And the content of the Sunnah is the exegesis of the Holy Qur’an. Every ruling issued by the Prophet (pbuh) is what he understood from the Qur’an and what can be included as the contents of the Qur’an.” (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, I, 4; Kattani, II, 122)

It is stated in the verses:

“Alif Lam Mim. This Book, there is no doubt in it, is a guide to those who guard (against evil).” (al-Baqara, 2; 1-2)

“Alif Lam Ra (This is) a Scripture which We have revealed unto you (Muhammad) that thereby you may bring forth mankind from darkness unto light, by the permission of their Lord, unto the path of the Mighty, the Owner of Praise.” (Ibrahim 14; 1)

By means of the Holy Qur’an our Prophet, a mercy to the universe, took people out of the darkness of disbelief, polytheism, and oppression to the light of faith, Islam, and ihsan. This enlightened path is the sacred path leading to Paradise and to the manifestation of Allah drawn by Allah the Almighty the Omnipotent.

This is expressed in a verse:

“So We have only made it easy in your tongue that you may give good news thereby to those who guard (against evil) and warn thereby a vehemently contentious people.” (Mayram 19; 97)

The Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, or the language of people to whom it was revealed. And as a result of our Lord’s great Blessing, it was made easy on the Prophet’s tongue. By this means Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) was able to convey the Qur’an to his people; by means of the Qur’an he gave the joyful tidings of Paradise to the pious believers and warned those who obstinately resisted the truth and showed enmity towards it.

The Qur’an, which has been facilitated for the people and about which people have been asked to contemplate, has the special effect of influencing its listeners. For someone who is right-minded even listening to the Qur’an is enough to realize that it is God’s words. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had the responsibility to transmit the Qur’an to humanity, which is stated in the following verse:

“If one amongst the Pagans asks you for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure…” (al-Tawba 9; 6)

In other words, accustoming the ears hear the sound of the Qur’an helps faith settle into the hearts. In some other verses it is stated that the Prophet’s characteristic of being the bearer of glad tidings and the admonisher of the torments of the Hereafter were exercised only through the Qur’an. (al-Shura 42; 7; Qaf 50; 45; Furqan 25; 52) Another verse informs the Messenger of Allah the manner of his method in inviting others to the path of Islam:

“Invite (all) to the way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching…” (al-Nahl 16; 125) Exegete Tabari interprets the word “wisdom” as the Holy Qur’an and the phrase “beautiful preaching” as the lessons and advice in the Qur’an which prove the unity of Allah and encourage believers. According to this interpretation invitation with wisdom and beautiful preaching means that it can be done by reciting and talking about the verses of the Qur’an.

The Holy Qur’an is the greatest miracle of the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) said,

“There was no prophet among the prophets but was given miracles and as a result of which people had a sense of security or had belief, but what I was given was the Divine Inspiration which Allah revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will be more than those of any other prophet on the Day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari, I’tisam, 1)^[1]

In this report, the Prophet (pbuh) relates his hope about having the greatest number of followers with the miracle of the Qur’an. There is wisdom behind this:

The Qur’an does not resemble other miracles which happened at an exact time and were valid only for that time. It addresses human intellect through its style and meaning. Therefore, as long as intellect and contemplation exist in this world, Qur’anic verses will be read and contemplated upon. As a result, every day a new subtlety of the Qur’an will come to light.

Its meanings do not address a certain group of people of a certain time but it embraces the whole of humanity at all times. This is why there have been, and will always be, who affirm the miraculous character of the Qur’an. Consequently, the number of the Prophet’s (pbuh) followers will continue to increase.^[2]

The magnificent literary style of the Qur’an affects and fascinates people from all levels of society. This is why there are reports in the books of Islamic history about the polytheist who could not help but listen to the Qur’an even though they did not believe in it.

One night Abu Sufyan, Abu Jahil, and Ahnas b. Sharik came secretly to Prophet’s house to listen to the Qur’an. Every one of them hid in a place unaware of the presence of the other. They spent the whole night listening to Prophet’s recitation of the Qur’an. When they were leaving early in the morning, they saw each other. They then began to criticize one other saying:

“We should never do this again. If someone had seen us, it would have placed a doubt in his heart.” And then they left. But the same thing happened the next day and the following day. Finally they told each other:

“We will not leave until we swear that we will never do this again.” They left after they agreed upon not coming back. (Ibn Hisham, I, 337-338)

If the Qur’an has such a great effect upon those who refuse to believe just because of their stubbornness and grudge, its effect is undoubtedly much greater upon those who sincerely and faithfully open their hearts to Islam. One of the best examples of this is as follows:

The ruler of Abyssinia had sent seventy of his people to Medina along with Ja’far (r.a.). All of them were softhearted prominent religious authorities. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) recited chapter Yasin (36) to them. They began to cry while they were listening and said:

“This is very similar to the words revealed to Jesus (A.S.)” Then they converted to Islam and then Allah the Almighty revealed the following verses:

“And when they hear what has been revealed to the messenger you will see their eyes overflowing with tears on account of the truth that they recognize; they say: Our Lord! We believe, so write us down with the witnesses (of truth).” (al-Maidah 5; 83) (Qastallani, I, 292; Diyarbekri, II, 31; Tabari, Tafsir, VII, 4)

The verses below express how much the true scholars who know with certainty that the Qur’an is the Word of Allah are moved by the miraculous effects of the Qur’an:

“Say: whether you believe in it or not, it is true that those who were given knowledge beforehand, when it was recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration, and they say: Glory to our Lord, truly has the promise of our Lord been fulfilled. They fall down on their faces in tears, and it increases their (earnest) humility.” (al-Isra 17; 107-109)

Allah the Almighty calls the Qur’an and the information given in it the “al-Naba al-Azim – tremendous tiding.” (Sad 38; 67) This tremendous tiding shapped the agenda of the time and deeply affected everybody. When polytheists attacked the invitation of the Qur’an, it responded to their questions and clearly showed them the falsity of their faith and thoughts. It also presented them scenes from Hell and warnings about the painful torment awaiting the non-believers.

Since the Arab society of the time was very fond of poetry, they were easily impressed by an eloquent speech and showed interest in it. Their interest in poetry was so powerful that one line was enough for them to praise or to abase someone. Since non-believers knew that the Qur’an possessed a very strong literary effect, they did not just prevent themselves from listening to it but also trying to prevent others. They exhorted:

“… Do not listen to this Qur’an and make noise therein, perhaps you may be overcome.” (Fussilat 41; 26) The following report about Walid b. Mughirah adequately manifests this matter:

“One day Walid b. Mughirah came to the Prophet (pbuh) and asked of him:

“Read me something from the Qur’an.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) recited the following verse:

“Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and giving to kith and kin, and he forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: he instructs you, that you may receive admonition.” (al-Nahl 16; 90) Walid told him:

“Recite it one more time.” When the Prophet (pbuh) recited the verse, Walid could not help but say:

“By Allah there is such beauty, eloquence, and light in this word that it is like a very green tree whose roots are watery and branches are filled with fruits. No human can utter such words. It certainly is superior to all the other words and no other word can outdo it. It can easily overcome its rivals.”

Walid stood up and went to Abu Bakr’s house. He asked some questions about the Qur’an and received answers to them all. Then he went to Quraish and said:

“What Ibn Abi Kabsha^[3] says does indeed deserve to be admired. It is neither poetry nor magic nor nonsense. It certainly is the word of Allah.” When some people from Quraish heard Walid’s words, they made plans to prevent him from converting to Islam and succeeded.” (Hakim, II, 550; Tabari, Tafsir, XXIX, 195-196)

Walid, who was one of the foremost men of letters of his time, was astonished by the salient language and eloquent style of the Qur’an but he was not bestowed with the honor of embracing Islam.

Another example of the Qur’an’s impressive nature can be seen in the incident of Umar’s conversion to Islam. Before his conversion, Umar was one of the harshest enemies of the believers. One day, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) prayed in the house of Arkam saying:

“O Allah! Strenghten Islam with Amr b. Hisham or Umar b. al-Khattab whichever is more beloved to You.” (Ibn Hisham, I, 367) Umar (r.a.) narrates:

“Before I embraced Islam, one day I went out of the house to find and torture the Prophet. He had come to the mosque before me. I stood before him. He began to recite chapter Haqqah (69). I was amazed by the eloquence and clarity of the words that I was hearing. I thought:

“Maybe he is a poet like the people of Quraish say.” At that moment the Prophet began reciting the verses:

“But nay! I swear by all that you see and all that you see not that this is verily the word of an honored messenger; it is not the word of a poet: little it is you believe!” (al-Haqqa 69; 38-41)

I thought:

“Maybe he is a soothsayer and he sensed what I was thinking.” Just then the Prophet recited another verse from the same chapter:

“Nor is it the word of a soothsayer: little admonition it is you receive. It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds.” (al-Haqqa 69; 41-43) When the Messenger of Allah finished the recitation of the chapter, I felt relieved and my heart inclined towards Islam. (Ibn Hanbal, I, 17; Haythami, IX, 62)

Finally, Umar (r.a.) was entranced by the beginning verses of surat Taha (20) which he heard in his sister Fatimah’s house. He said:

“How wonderful and valuable these words are!” And he came back to the Prophet (pbuh) and embraced Islam. (Ibn Hisham, I, 369-371)

We can see the Qur’an’s great influence by Umar’s conversion to Islam. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) benefited from the miraculous nature of the Qur’an to invite people to the true religion.

The poet Tufail b. Amr al-Dawsi was one of the people who embraced Islam because of the miraculous language of the Holy Qur’an. When he came to Mecca, some people from Quraish came to him and gave him some advice:

“O Tufail! You are a poet and a respected member of your tribe. You came to our town, but be careful about that man. He has been a problem for us. He destroyed our society and our jobs. His words are like magic enchanting people and destroy their relationship with their fathers, brothers, and wives. We are afraid that what happened to us might also happen to you and to your people. Never talk to him and listen to anything he says.” Tufail was influenced by their suggestions so he decided not to listen or talk to the Prophet (pbuh). When he arrived at the Ka’bah, he even placed some cotton into his ears so as not to hear what the Prophet was saying. Then he thought:

“Shame on me! I am an intelligent poet. I can distinguish between good and bad speech. So what could be wrong with listening to what this man is saying? If it is good I will accept it; if it is bad I can reject it.” Then he began to wait. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) left to go home, Tufail followed him and entered his house after him. Then he said:

“O Muhammad! Your people told me such and such about you. They scared me so much that I stuffed cotton into my ears so as not to hear you. Then thanks to Allah I managed to listen to you. Would you please tell me about your mission?” Tufail continued his words:

“Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) told me about Islam and recited from the Qur’an. By Allah until then I have not heard anything as beautiful as the Qur’an and any religion better than Islam. I immediately bore witness that there is no god but Allah and embraced Islam.

Tufail attained light, peace, and relief in Islam. A few days later he asked permission from the Prophet (pbuh) to go back to his tribe to convey the message of Islam. He also asked the Prophet (pbuh) to pray for him to bestow on him the ability to do some kind of miracle in order to show his people and prove his words. As a result of Prophet’s supplication, first a light appeared right between his eyes, then upon his request this light left his face and appeared on top of his staff. Then he went back to his tribe. (Ibn Hisham, I, 407-408; Ibn Sa’d, IV, 237-238)

Another example demonstrating that the Qur’an was the essence of the Prophet’s mission is given by Uthman (r.a.):

“I went to visit my aunt Arwa. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) came with me. I began to watch him. I was feeling sad that day. The Prophet (pbuh) turned to me and asked:

“What is wrong O Uthman?” I said:

“I am sad because of what they are doing to you and saying about you.” Just then, he said “La ilaha illallah” and I began to shiver. After that he recited the following verses from chapter al-Zariyat (51):

“And in heaven is your sustenance, as (also) that which you are promised. Then, by the Lord of heaven and earth, this is the very Truth, as much as the fact that you can speak intelligently to each other.” (al-Zariyat 51; 22-23) He then stood up and left, but I ran after him and converted to Islam. (Ibn Abdilber, IV, 1779)

Similarly the six people from Medina who were present at the first Aqabah pledge of allegiance embraced Islam following the Prophet’s recitation of verses 35-52 of chapter Ibrahim. (14) (Ibn Hisham, II, 38-40; Ibn Sa’d, I, 217-219; Haythami, VI, 42)

The Companions trained by Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) as instructors and missionaries of Islam also followed the same method. Abu Bakr (r.a.) used to warm people’s heart to Islam by soothing them through the Qur’an. He was a compassionate, soft-hearted and gentle person. In aid of the oppressed non-believers, he had built a small place to worship at the corner of his garden. Whenever he recited the Qur’an, his voice would tremble in awe and he would begin shedding tears. Those who hear his recitation while passing by his house would stop and listen to him. Sometimes there would be crowds in front of his house and the people of Quraish were not happy with this scene. They were scared that Abu Bakr’s recitation of the Qur’an was going to cause their children and slaves to go astray. They went to complain about him to his guardian Ibn al-Daghina. Ibn al-Daghina told Abu Bakr:

“O Abu Bakr! Either sit in your house quietly or announce that you no longer are under my protection.” Abu Bakr (r.a.) gave him the following response:

“I return your guardianship to you. Allah’s protection is enough for me. (Bukhari, Manaqib al-Ansar, 45; Ibn Hisham, I, 395-396)

We observe one of the most remarkable examples of preaching by using the Qur’an in Mus’ab b. Umair’s (r.a.) invitation of Usaid b. Hudair and Sa’d b. Muadh to Islam. In Medina Mus’ab (r.a.) had awakened the hearts and minds of many by means of the Qur’an. He combined the enchanting and persuasive tone of the Qur’an with his beautiful voice and won many people’s hearts. He had educated the Medinan helpers, who opened their doors to the migrants of Mecca. (Ibn Hisham, II, 43-46; Ibn Sa’d, III, 604-605; Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-Ghabah, I, 112-113)

 The recitation of the Qur’an with a spiritually improved heart leaves indelible traces on people’s souls. Everybody is benefited from it to the extent of their knowledge and wisdom. There are all kinds of cure for spiritual problems. Every single verse has the quality to cure the troubles of both individuals and the whole society. This is why Muslim preachers need to know how to choose which verses should be read to which audience. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would pay special attention to this matter. He would choose and recite verses in accordance with the state of his audience. He disciplined his Companions in the same manner. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would tell his envoys which verses and chapters they should recite considering the beliefs of the country that they were going to be visiting. For instance, he told Iyash b. Abi Rabi’a, his emissary to the head of Himyar, to recite chapter al-Bayyinah (98). (Ibn Sa’d, I, 282)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would write some verses in his letters considering the faith of his addressee. The Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) also paid him (pbuh) the utmost attention in order to employ the Holy Qur’an as an instrument in their call to Islam.

Believers who migrated to Abyssinia and Meccans who wanted to return them to Mecca were in the court of the king of Abyssinia. The king listened the claims of Meccan polytheists but he wanted to hear the other side of the story before giving any judgment, and summoned Ja’far ibn Abi Talib to the court to answer the charges against the Muslims, and there Ja’far (r.a.) gave a most memorable speech. While listening to Ja’far’s defense the King asked him:

“Do you have anything in your memory of the things that were revealed to the Prophet of the Muslims by Allah?” Ja’far (r.a.) replied in the affirmative and began to recite verses from chapter Maryam (19). He recited the verses about Zechariah (A.S.), John the Baptist (A.S.), and finally about Mary mother of the believers. The Quranic verses softened the hearts.

These verses intentionally chosen by Ja’far (r.a.) were about issues which about which the Christians could also relate to. When Ja’far (r.a.) ended his recitation, the Abyssinian King raised his head and said:

“Certainly the fountainhead of what I have just listened to and that of the verses revealed to Jesus (A.S.) are the same thing. He then turned to the Meccan envoys and told them:

“Go back to your home. By Allah I will never give Muslims to you and they are free to live in my kingdom for as long as they wish.” (Ibn Hisham, I, 358-360)

 In addition to the matchless eloquence and the clarity of the Qur’an, Ja’far’s ability and wit in choosing the appropriate verses played an important role in this incident, which occupies a very significant place in Islamic history.

These examples clearly prove how significant and influential the Qur’an was, and still is, as an instrument in the call to Islam. This is why Muslim preachers must have a strong knowledge of the Qur’an and use it adequately in their missionary activities. They should even try to become a living Qur’an just as the Prophet (pbuh) was and invite people to Allah by means of their morals and manners shaped by the Qur’an.