3. Aal-i-Imraan

The Prophet forgave the forty Muslims who had disobeyed his orders on the occasion of the battle of Uhud. However, people doubted that the Prophet had really forgiven them. They thought that he had done so only outwardly, for show, and that later he would show his anger. These verses tell us that the Prophet’s inner feelings did not differ from his outward behaviour. His actions never belied his words. This also indicates what a Muslim leader should be like. His heart should be free of malice, jealousy, hatred, etc., even at a time when such a grave mistake is being made by his people as was made by the Prophet’s companions on the occasion of the battle of Uhud. He should not even keep any malice hidden in his heart. He should live with his people, after his act of forgiveness, as if nothing had ever been amiss. Moreover, when Muslims trustingly handed over all their affairs to him, he should not exploit their lives and their wealth to serve his own personal ends. This would be crossing the limits, showing no fear of God’s wrath. How could one, dedicated to leading people along the path of God’s will, ever think of meeting God, if he himself had gone against His will?

The Prophet forgave the forty Muslims who had disobeyed his orders on the occasion of the battle of Uhud. However, people doubted that the Prophet had really forgiven them. They thought that he had done so only outwardly, for show, and that later he would show his anger. These verses tell us that the Prophet’s inner feelings did not differ from his outward behaviour. His actions never belied his words. This also indicates what a Muslim leader should be like. His heart should be free of malice, jealousy, hatred, etc., even at a time when such a grave mistake is being made by his people as was made by the Prophet’s companions on the occasion of the battle of Uhud. He should not even keep any malice hidden in his heart. He should live with his people, after his act of forgiveness, as if nothing had ever been amiss. Moreover, when Muslims trustingly handed over all their affairs to him, he should not exploit their lives and their wealth to serve his own personal ends. This would be crossing the limits, showing no fear of God’s wrath. How could one, dedicated to leading people along the path of God’s will, ever think of meeting God, if he himself had gone against His will?

The example set by the Prophet throughout his life must be followed by all reformers till Doomsday. For the task of reformation to be successful, it is essential that the targeted people should feel as if the reformer is one of themselves in every respect. His language, his style of speaking, his style of living— all should be familiar to them. No such feelings should be created between him and his addressee that may lead, in one way or another, to the latter becoming distanced from him, or to the addressee and the reformer becoming rivals. The first task to be performed among the people is to foster in them the ability to read the signs of God spread everywhere within and without their own selves. God’s signs should become part of their very mental make-up. The second task is to purify people. This end is achieved by the reformer speaking to them in person and giving them the opportunity to spend time in his company. The message can, of course, be put across through general discourses and writing, but this would only be in principle; whereas by resorting to individual communication the message can be conveyed in a more precise and detailed way. Then there is the question of the personality of the dayee, which should always lend weight to the message. Individual meetings thus serve the purpose of the purification of the addressees, or madu‘. The third task is to introduce to the madu‘ the shariah—the book of guidance on how life should be led in this world. The fourth task is to impart wisdom, that is, to unveil the secrets of religion and to highlight the truths hidden between the lines.

In the confrontation between truth and untruth, truth is always destined to have the final victory, because truth always has God on its side. However, this world being a world of trial, mischief-mongers too have full freedom of action. That is why at times, by exploiting some weakness of the believers—for instance, mutual dissension—they are able to inflict temporary harm on them. Yet such happenings, though tragic in appearance, have a good side to them as well, for in this way Muslims are put to the test. In the face of unfavourable situations, the insincere fall away, while the true believers persevere because of their total trust in God. In this way, it becomes clear who are the trustworthy and who are not. Furthermore, God’s mercy is all the more focussed upon them, when, after incurring loss due to their inadvertent mistakes, the believers turn to God once again in all patience and humility.

In the confrontation between truth and untruth, truth is always destined to have the final victory, because truth always has God on its side. However, this world being a world of trial, mischief-mongers too have full freedom of action. That is why at times, by exploiting some weakness of the believers—for instance, mutual dissension—they are able to inflict temporary harm on them. Yet such happenings, though tragic in appearance, have a good side to them as well, for in this way Muslims are put to the test. In the face of unfavourable situations, the insincere fall away, while the true believers persevere because of their total trust in God. In this way, it becomes clear who are the trustworthy and who are not. Furthermore, God’s mercy is all the more focussed upon them, when, after incurring loss due to their inadvertent mistakes, the believers turn to God once again in all patience and humility.

In the confrontation between truth and untruth, truth is always destined to have the final victory, because truth always has God on its side. However, this world being a world of trial, mischief-mongers too have full freedom of action. That is why at times, by exploiting some weakness of the believers—for instance, mutual dissension—they are able to inflict temporary harm on them. Yet such happenings, though tragic in appearance, have a good side to them as well, for in this way Muslims are put to the test. In the face of unfavourable situations, the insincere fall away, while the true believers persevere because of their total trust in God. In this way, it becomes clear who are the trustworthy and who are not. Furthermore, God’s mercy is all the more focussed upon them, when, after incurring loss due to their inadvertent mistakes, the believers turn to God once again in all patience and humility.

Those who participate in the encounter of truth and untruth in such a way as to make real sacrifices for the sake of truth, are scorned by worldly people as having destroyed themselves for no good reason. But this is a foolish assessment. Incurring a seeming loss in God’s path is a positive happening, because those who have sacrificed everything for God are the ones most deserving of God’s rewards. The foolish speak of those who sacrifice their lives in the path of God as if it is only they who die, as if those who are striving towards worldly ends do not taste death. This is entirely meaningless and those who speak of such things are never serious. Their hearts tell them that they have made a great mistake in not making sacrifices for the cause of truth, but by speaking ill of those who have done so, they want to keep up a pretence that they are in the right. But death is decreed for all human beings by God. It will certainly visit everyone at the appointed time. Whichever path one follows, none can escape from the clutches of death. People realize their mistake in their hearts, but they do not want to acknowledge it. In order to justify their course of action, they utter such words as even their own hearts attest to as being false.

The martyrdom of the believers was derided by the hypocrites. They said that Muslims were being slain meaninglessly at the instance of their leader—the Prophet. God says that, on the contrary, what they call death is in fact the true, real life, which they have entered through the gateway of death. The non-believers know only the profit and loss of this world. That is why sacrificing their lives for the cause of the Hereafter appears to them as self-destruction. But they ought to know that the believers’ ‘dead’ have a far better ‘life’ than those among the non-believers who are alive: in the Hereafter, they rejoice in the bliss they have attained through sacrifice for the cause of God. Satan’s way is to take in hand those people whom he finds closer to him, and prevent them from advancing towards religion, by showing them the ‘dreadful’ consequences of such a step. People who give in to Satan’s influences thus become his agents. They exaggerate the power and the resources of the opponents of Islam in order to awe the believers. But such kinds of propaganda only serve to benefit the believers. Their conviction is strengthened all the more that their God will not abandon them in a difficult situation.

The martyrdom of the believers was derided by the hypocrites. They said that Muslims were being slain meaninglessly at the instance of their leader—the Prophet. God says that, on the contrary, what they call death is in fact the true, real life, which they have entered through the gateway of death. The non-believers know only the profit and loss of this world. That is why sacrificing their lives for the cause of the Hereafter appears to them as self-destruction. But they ought to know that the believers’ ‘dead’ have a far better ‘life’ than those among the non-believers who are alive: in the Hereafter, they rejoice in the bliss they have attained through sacrifice for the cause of God. Satan’s way is to take in hand those people whom he finds closer to him, and prevent them from advancing towards religion, by showing them the ‘dreadful’ consequences of such a step. People who give in to Satan’s influences thus become his agents. They exaggerate the power and the resources of the opponents of Islam in order to awe the believers. But such kinds of propaganda only serve to benefit the believers. Their conviction is strengthened all the more that their God will not abandon them in a difficult situation.