Gradual legislation of religious responsibilities is one of the ways in which Allah has facilitated them for His servants. Allah the Almighty says in the Qur’an:
وَقُرْآناً فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلاً
“(It is) a Quran which we have divided (into parts from time to him), in order that you may recite it to men at intervals: we have revealed it by stages.” (al-Isra 17; 106)
Aisha (r. anha) talks about the gradualness in the Qur’anic legislation saying:
“The first reveled chapter of the Qur’an was one of the Mufassal[1] chapters. Paradise and Hell was described in that chapter. Regulations about the lawful and the unlawful started to be reveled after people warmed to Islam. If the command of “do not consume alcoholic beverages” had been revealed first, people would have said “we will never give it up.” Similarly, if the order of “do not fornicate” had been revealed first, people would have said “we will never give it up.” When I was a little girl playing in Mecca, Muhammad (pbuh) received verses (about faith and the Day of Judgment) such as:
“Nay, the Hour (of Judgment) is the time promised them (for their full recompense): and that Hour will be most grievous and most bitter.” (al-Qamar 54; 46) Chapters like Baqara and Nisa (which contain verses related to daily transactions) were revealed when I was with him (the Prophet) in Medina.” (Bukhari, Fada’il al-Qur’an, 6)
As it is known the earliest revelations were about matters related to faith such as belief in the Oneness and Unity of Allah, giving believers the good news of Paradise and warning unbelievers and the disobedient about the Hell. After people learned such issues and strengthened their faith, verses related to daily matters began to be revealed. Since people are so accustomed to their habits, they cannot easily give them up, and trying to save people from their bad habits without paying attention to gradualism may cause negative reactions and alienation.
Even the earliest revelations about faith possessed stages. The first verses to be revealed were about the Islamic faith, then verses criticizing polytheist beliefs came later. Ibn Sa’d points out this issue as follows:
“Until Allah the Almighty told the people of Quraish that their idols were false and that their unbelieving ancestors had gone to Hell, they were just mocking. At that time, they listened to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and many weak members of their society converted to Islam and their numbers, decreased. Moreover, when the verses criticizing their beliefs their opposition to the Prophet toughened and they began to show enmity.” (Tabaqat, I, 99)
Gradualness was also observed in the Medinan revelations addressing the believers. Especially since this was the method applied in almost all issues like correcting old habits and establishing new rules and regulations. For instance, this was the method applied in declaring ritual prayer, fasting and almsgiving that were obligatory upon believers or this was the method applied in prohibiting alcohol, fornication and usury. Let’s elucidate some of these regulations below by giving examples:
Two sets of ritual prayer, one in the morning and one in the evening, had been declared obligatory in chapter al-Muddaththir (74) in the early years of the revelation. Afterwards, the night prayer was ordered in the beginning verses of chapter Muzzammil (73) and Muslims performed the night prayer for about a year as an obligatory act of worship. This obligation was reduced to supererogatory status by the last verse of the same surah. Five daily prayers were declared obligatory in the eleventh year of the Prophet’s mission. Until the Migration these prayers consisted of only two cycles for both travelers and residents, but after migration they were increased to four cycles for residents and continued to be two cycles for travelers. During migration Friday prayer was made obligatory and later holiday prayers were ordered. (Tâhirü’l-Mevlevî, p. 58-65)
When various verses and prophetic traditions are examined, we can see that this important act of worship was declared obligatory in three stages. First with the verse “…Fasting is prescribed for you…” (al-Baqarah 2; 183) fasting three days a month were ordered. In the 184th verse of surat al-Baqarah (2) feeding a person in need was allowed for those who wished not to fast and finally with the 185th verse of the same chapter all of the above were abrogated and fasting in the month of Ramadan was announced obligatory for everyone. (Jassas, I, 226-227)
The prohibition of alcohol took place according to the following stages:
1. In Mecca the following verse had been revealed “And of the fruits of the date-palm, and grapes, whence you derive strong drink and (also) good nourishment. Lo! Therein is indeed a portent for people who have sense.” (al-Nahl 16; 67) In this verse it was stated that people extract alcoholic drinks and good nourishment from dates and grapes. Thus, people were made feel that alcoholic drinks were different than good nourishment and they are not considered good and acceptable. Here there was an implication that they were going to be banned. There was no other revelation about alcoholic drinks during the Meccan period.
2. After Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) migrated to Medina, Allah the Almighty revealed the following verse in answer to people’s questions: “They question you about strong drink and games of chance. Say: in both is great sin, and (some) utility for men; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness…” (al-Baqarah 2; 219) After this verse’s revelation many Muslims gave up alcohol, while some others continued to drink.
3. While a Companion was leading the maghrib (evening) prayer, he made a mistake in his recitation and changed the meaning of the verse. As a result of which, the following verse was revealed:
“O you who believe! Draw not near unto prayer when you are drunken, till you know that which you utter…” (al-Nisa 4; 43) .
After this the number of believers who were consuming alcohol decreased significantly. A caller of the Prophet (pbuh) used to announce when they were about to pray: “those who are drunk must not come close to the prayer.” With this verse believers realized that alcohol was soon to be prohibited and so they were prepared for such a prohibition.
4. Finally, most of the believers gave up alcoholic drinks. Some of them were suffering from the unpleasant side effects of consuming alcohol. Umar (r.a.) prayed to Allah by saying “O Allah! Send us a clear and certain ruling about alcohol,” upon which Allah the Almighty revealed the last verses relating to this matter:
“O you who believe intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination, of Satan’s handywork: eschew such (abomination), that you may prosper. Satan’s plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah, and from prayer: will you not then abstain?” (al-Maidah 5; 90-91)
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) called Umar (r.a.) and recited those verses. When the Prophet (pbuh) came to the part “will you not then abstain?” Umar (r.a.) said:
“Yes, O Lord, we abstain, we abstain.” Not just him, but rest of the believers was also repeating the same words. After the revelation of those verses, a town crier walked around Medina announcing by the order of the Prophet (pbuh):
“Beware! Alcohol is prohibited.” Alcohol flowing from pierced water-skins and broken jars flooded the streets.
Then the Prophet (pbuh) said that:
“God’s curse falls on a group of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distils it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to whom it has been brought, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else.” (Ibn Hanbal, I, 53; II, 351; Nasai, Ashriba, 1-2; Hakim, II, 305)
The Qur’an approaches the issue of chronic social diseases tolerantly, not forcefully and tried to heal them through gradual stages which continued until achieving the goal.
Similar stages apply to the case of the prohibition of usury. The same method was applied and the prohibition of usury had been prohibited in four steps. Thus, the prohibition of usury demonstrates an exact similarity to the prohibition of alcohol.[2] This might be considered a Divine sign, for there are common points between them. Indeed, both of them have harmful sides and people with weak characters get fooled by the supposed benefits. This is why there are similarities between the methods and the features of the each of the stages of their prohibition.
The first verse in relation to usury was Meccan and no other verse was revealed during the Meccan period regarding this matter:
“That which you give in usury in order that it may increase on (other) people’s property has no increase with Allah; but that which you give in charity, seeking Allah’s countenance, (will increase); it is these who will get a recompense multiplied.” (al-Rum 30; 39)
In this verse, the unworthiness of usury and its lack of reward are stated, but nothing is mentioned about its unlawfulness.
The second stage began with a verse revealed in the Medinan period:
“And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people’s wealth by false pretences. We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve (amongst the Jews) a painful doom.” (al-Nisa 4; 161)
Here it is stated that some of the Jews, who continued to engage in usurious transactions even though it had been prohibited for them, were punished by Allah the Almighty. Those who have a moderate level of understanding and perception understood that usury was soon going to be banned.
Even though usury was prohibited in the third stage, this prohibition was not an absolute prohibition, rather, it was a limited one. Excessive types of usury or doubling and multiplying type was prohibited.
“O ye who believe devour not usury, doubled and multiplied; but fear Allah; that ye may (really) prosper.” (Al-i Imran 3; 130)
Later the last and comprehensive prohibition of usury was revealed:
“Those who devour usury will not stand except as stands one whom the evil one by his touch has driven to madness. That is because they say: trade is like usury, but Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury. Those who after receiving direction from their Lord, desist, shall be pardoned for the past…O you who believe! Fear Allah, and give up what remains of your demand for usury, if you are indeed Believers.” (al-Baqara 2; 275, 278)
With this verse, not only the ruling about usury was announced, but also the period of Qur’anic legislation came to an end. In this matter Umar (r.a.) said that:
“The last revelation is the one about the prohibition of usury. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had passed away before he had a chance to interpret this verse. Therefore you should abstain from both usury and transactions that carry doubts about usury.” (Ibn Majah, Tijarah, 58)
Regulations about acts of worship and daily transaction were usually made during the Medinan period. There is also a gradual approach to these regulations and their application. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) trained his Companions gradually in every aspect of life and religion until they reached perfection. For instance when Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) sent Muadh to Yemen, he advised (him):
“You are going to people of a (Divine) Book. First of all invite them to worship Allah (alone) and when they come to know Allah, inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them five prayers every day and night; and if they start offering these prayers, inform them that Allah has enjoined upon them, Zakat (charitable tax). And it is to be taken from the rich amongst them and given to the poor amongst them; and if they obey you in that, take Zakat from them and avoid (don’t take) the best property of the people as Zakat.” (Bukhari, Zakat, 41, 63; Muslim, Iman 29-31)
The first thing that we need to expect from people, be they Muslims or non Muslims, is a valid faith and strong Islamic understanding. After achieving this, we can ask them to live according to their faith. The easiest way and most effective remedy to realize this goal is the method of facilitating things for people and giving them good news. If there is the danger of warding people away and encouraging them to leave the religion, then one should not interfere with other people’s un-Islamic and immoral deeds temporarily. However, after they learn the requirements of the religion, their old habits and life styles cannot be tolerated.
One of the reasons why Jalal al-Din Rumi and other Sufi masters have become successful in making contemporary society love Islam in the East and in the West was due to their successful application of the principle of gradualism. They have always paid attention to people’s natural traits.
Of course, gradualism is essential to missionary activities. However, this should not, in a way, be considered concession and laxity; because laziness and idleness are the distinguishing characteristics of human beings. The important thing is to purify body and soul of these negative attributes. One should consciously avoid preaching everything that may support such negative attributes and behavior.
[1] According to the preferred interpretation, mufassal chapters are the ones starting with chapter Qaf (50th chapter) until the end of the Qur’an. Because these chapters are short and thus they are frequently separated by basmalah, they are called as mufassal.
[2] Draz, M. Abdullah, İslâm’ın İnsana Verdiği Değer, p. 218-221.