Before talking about the universality of Prophet Muhammad’s message, it is essential to focus our attention on the era when Muhammad’s message first emerged: fifteen hundred years ago, in pre-Islamic Arabia. Although there were some positive characteristics of Arabs before Islam, such as generosity, courage, and dignity, the feudal system used by society was extremely harsh: marginalized groups did not have any rights; slavery was rampant; women were sold like property; and female infants were often buried alive as a part of the tradition of tribal honor. Wars between tribes occurred without cessation. People worshipped idols and made their own gods according to their own desires.

In the midst of such chaos, Muhammad was born in 571 CE on the 12th day of the third month of the Arabic calendar, Rabi Al-Awwal. Today, according to the Arabic calendar, the 12th of Rabi Al-Awwal is the Prophet’s birthday. As he came into adulthood, he was not satisfied with the tribal traditions of his society. He would often go into seclusion and meditate for a long time, particularly for the whole month of Ramadan.

In the year 610 CE, he experienced the first revelation. This would forever change him and it transformed the world. The revelations continued for twenty three years, and these make up the Holy Scripture of Islam; its name, the Qur’an, literally means recitation. While spreading this message, over a very short period of time and despite hostile reactions, the Prophet’s kindness and tenderness impacted the hearts of many in the city of Mecca. He did not consider himself a deity or a part of God, but rather the messenger of God sent to convey God’s message to his people.

The Qur’an speaks of many Prophets. There are also particular verses about Muhammad, peace be upon him. In one verse, the Qur’an speaks of him as Rahmatan li al-Alamin, the “mercy for all spheres.” In order to understand the meaning of being merciful to creation, it is important to think of the oppression that was occurring in the world into which he was born and the transformation that his message made possible.

Arabs, due to geographic proximity, were the first group addressed by the Prophet’s message; but the message was not supposed to be limited to just Arabs. In fact, it is not limited to any nation or group. Many Qur’anic verses transcend locality, region, ethnicity, and nationality, by starting with the call, “O human beings,” or, “O people.”

The Prophet’s message brings the idea that everything in creation is a living, chanting, obedient worshipper of God, regardless of whether they are human, animal, or another organism. The Qur’anic verse which says, “Everything in the heavens and earth praises God,” invites the reader to enter the world in which the Qur’an was revealed and see the darkness that dominated it. In Arabia, before the Prophet, the meaning of creatures was not recognized. The Qur’anic revelation breathed life into the world of nature and taught humans that creatures around us are not static and meaningless. Instead, all of them praise God with great joy through their own languages.

Going back in time in our imagination to see the situation in Arabia before and after Muhammad, peace be upon him, would be quite revealing to witness the remarkable transformation he was able to accomplish. One should keep in mind that to change a little vice, such as a bad habit, is difficult enough; changing the minds and the hearts of an entire society, as the Prophet did, is exponentially more difficult. He successfully transformed a wild society into a civilized community and shaped leaders for a new civilization.

If one would like to see the power of transformation that the Prophet made, one needs only to look at the second caliph, Umar, before Islam and after Islam. Umar himself said that he remembered two things from his pre-Islamic life: one, he would cry; and two, he would laugh. He cried that he buried his own daughter alive and he could still hear the voice of her calling to him. He laughed that he made gods of flour, and people ate them when they were hungry.

The new Umar became a symbol of justice for the world. Umar after Islam, during his caliphate, is known for his following statement: “If a wolf attacks a lamb at the shore of the Euphrates, I am afraid that God would ask me why I did not protect the lamb against the wolf.” Out of compassion, he would walk among houses at night and he would anonymously provide food for needy people. It was the universal message of the Prophet that transformed Umar into a person of such immense compassion and humanity.

Mercy and compassion constitute the foundation of the Prophet’s message. The first verse of the first chapter of the Qur’an indicates that God is “All-Merciful and the All-Compassionate.” Another Qur’anic verse says, “Muhammad, We have sent you as a mercy for all creation” (21:10). Being merciful towards all creation, the Prophet’s personal life has become a reflection of this Qur’anic verse. In his relationship with people, he always smiled and no one ever heard a bad word from his mouth. His companion, Anas ibn Malik, who faithfully served the Prophet for thirteen years, witnessed his mercy, saying that he was never reprimanded for his service, despite his mistakes.

The Prophet was also very sensitive towards human suffering. When he heard of a slave being tortured, he commanded one of his companions to buy that slave’s freedom. His famous hadith about the treatment of slaves is a great example of his universal teaching. He said, “They are your brothers; give them to eat what you eat, and give them to wear what you wear.” On one occasion, he asked Zaid bin Haritha, a slave freed by the Prophet, if he would like to go back to his family. Zaid chose not to return with his father, but instead preferred to stay with the Prophet.

The Prophet’s farewell sermon on the plain of Arafat also has remarkable aspects of the universality of his message. In this sermon, he spoke about the rights of women, the relationship between races, and slaves. About slaves, he said, “Fear Allah with regard to your slaves.” In fact, because of his message, just thirty years after his death, it became difficult to find a slave in Arabia. The Qur’anic verse clearly says, “O people, We have created you from male and female and made you into nations and tribes to know one another. The best of you is the best in conduct” (49:13). He said that all humankind is from Adam and Eve: an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, and a non-Arab has no superiority over an Arab. Also, a white person has no superiority over a black person, and a black person has no superiority over a white person.

Furthermore, of women he said, “It is true that you have certain rights in regard to your women, but they also have rights over you.” He successfully established a sense of responsibility and conscience in the minds and hearts of his people.

The Prophet’s universal message of mercy did not include only human beings, but also animals. Among the miracles narrated in the hadith, there was the story of a camel that had gone wild and would attack whoever attempted to come near it. When the Prophet appeared, it came to him, prostrated itself as a sign of respect, and knelt beside him, so that he could put a bridle on it. Then the camel complained to the Prophet, “They have employed me in the heaviest work, and now they want to slaughter me.”

Muhammad asked the camel’s owner: “Is it true?”

“Yes,” he said.

The Prophet said to his companions, “These animals are communities, just like you. Be compassionate towards them.” Regarding someone who used his donkey for more than he needed, the Prophet said, “Don’t make the backs of your animals chairs.” On another occasion, the Prophet saw a donkey on the road with a brand on its face, and said, “God’s curse is on him who branded it.”

The Prophet’s mercy even extended to his enemies; he never took revenge. It is reported in the hadith collection that at the battle of Ghatfan and Anmar, the courageous head of a tribe named the Ghuras slyly approached the Prophet. Holding his sword over the Prophet’s head, he asked, “Who will save you from me?”

Muhammad replied, “God!” And he prayed, “O God, suffice me against him.”

In the same breath, Ghuras was knocked down by a mysterious blow between his shoulders, and his sword slipped out of his hand. The Prophet took the sword and asked him, “Now who will save you from me?”

But the Prophet forgave him and allowed him to return to his tribe. His people were all surprised that such a courageous man could not do anything against the Prophet. They asked, “What happened to you? Why couldn’t you do anything?” He told them what had happened, and added, “I am now coming from the presence of the best of men.”

In a fashion similar to this event, at the battle of Badr, a hypocrite from among his own men likewise approached him. He had just lifted his sword when the Prophet turned and glanced at him, causing him to tremble and drop the sword. Once again, the Prophet did not take revenge.

As we can see, the Prophet exemplified the virtues of his message at all times and in all situations. I’d like to finish with a quotation that I think captures the essence of the Prophet and his message. It’s from British Historian Edward Gibbon:

“Mohammed was distinguished by the beauty of his person, an outward gift which is seldom despised, except by those to whom it has been refused… They applauded his commanding presence, his majestic aspect, his piercing eye, his gracious smile, his flowing beard, his countenance which painted every sensation of his soul, and the gestures that enforced each expression of the tongue. In the familiar offices of life, he [meticulously] adhered to the grave and ceremonious politeness of his country; his memory was capacious and retentive, his wit easy and social, his imagination sublime, his judgment clear, rapid and decisive. He possessed the courage both of thought and action; … [and] bears the stamp of an original and superior genius.”

Zeki Saritoprak is a Professor of Islamic Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, OH.

In a narration attributed to the truthful, confirmed one, upon him be peace and blessings, it is said: Whoever is humble, God exalts him; whoever is haughty, God humiliates him. Thus, one’s true greatness is inversely proportional to behaving as if one were great, just as one’s true smallness is inversely proportional to behaving as if one were small.

Humility has been defined in many ways: seeing oneself as devoid of all virtues essentially originating in oneself, treating others humbly and respectfully, seeing oneself as the worst of humanity (unless being honored by a special Divine treatment), and being alert to any stirring of the ego and immediately suppressing it. Each definition expresses a dimension of humility. However, the last definition relates to those made sincere by God Himself and who are near to Him.

A Companion saw Caliph ‘Umar, may God be pleased with him, carrying water in a pitcher on his shoulder. He asked him: What are you doing, O Caliph of God’s Messenger? ‘Umar, one of the foremost in nearness to God, answered: Some envoys have come from other countries. I felt some conceit in my heart and wanted to suppress it. ‘Umar used to carry flour on his back. Once he accused himself while giving a sermon from the pulpit, and kept silent when people questioned and criticized his action.

Abu Hurayra carried wood while he was the deputy governor of Madina. When he was the chief judge in Madina, Zayd ibn Thabit kissed Ibn ‘Abbas’ hand, and Ibn ‘Abbas, known as the Interpreter of the Quran and the Scholar of the Umma, helped Zayd get on his horse. Hasan, the grandson of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sat with some children who were eating bread crumbs and ate with them. Once Abu Dharr offended Bilal al-Habashi and, to obtain his forgiveness, put his head on the ground and declared: If the blessed feet of Bilal do not tread on this sinful head, it will not rise from the ground. All of these events and many similar ones are instances of humility.

Both God Almighty and His Messenger emphasized humility so much that one who knows of it does not doubt that servanthood consists of humility. The Quranic verse: The servants of the All-Merciful are those who walk on the earth in modesty, and if the impudent offend them, they continue their way saying: “Peace” (25:63) praises humility, and the Divine statements extremely humble toward believers (5:54) and merciful among themselves; you find them bowing down and falling prostrate (48:29) are expressions of praise for the ingrained humility reflected in their conduct.

Concerning humility, the glory of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, declared: God has told me that you must be humble, and that no one must boast to another ; Shall I inform you of one whom Hellfire will not touch? Hellfire will not touch one who is near to God and amiable with people, and mild and easy to get along with ; God exalts one who is humble. That one sees himself as small while he is truly great in the sight of people ; and O God, make me see myself as small.

The glory of humanity, upon him be peace and blessings, lived as the most humble of people. He stopped at the places where children were gathered, greeted them, and played with them. If someone held him by the hand and wanted to lead him somewhere, he never objected. He helped his wives with the housework. When people were working, he worked with them. He mended his shoes and clothes, milked sheep, and fed animals. He sat at the table with his servant. He always welcomed the poor warmly, looked after widows and orphans, visited the ill, followed funeral processions, and answered the call of slaves in his community.

The beloved servants of God, from God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, to Caliph ‘Umar and the Umayyad Caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz and from him to numerous saints, purified and perfected scholars, and those honored with nearness to God, have held that the signs of greatness in the great are humility and modesty, while the signs of smallness in the small are arrogance and vanity. Based on this understanding, they sought to show men and women how to become perfect.

True humility means that people must know the full extent of their worth before God’s infinite Grandeur, and then make this fully realized potential an ingrained, essential part of their nature. Those who have done this are humble and balanced in their relations with others. Those who have realized their nothingness before God Almighty are balanced in both their religious lives and their relations with people. They obey the commandments of religion, for they have no objection to the revealed truths of religion, nor do they criticize its method of addressing or relating to human reason. They are convinced that what is contained in the Quran and the authentic Traditions of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, is true.

If there is an apparent contradiction between these two sources and human reason or established rational or scientific facts, such people seek to learn the truth of the matter. Therefore, it is nonsense for those without humility and modesty to assert, when confronted with an apparent contradiction between reason or rational premises and the revealed and narrated principles of religion, that reason or what is rational must be preferred. Their further assertion that judgments based on reasoning and analogy must be given priority over revealed principles is also mistaken. The wonders worked and spiritual pleasures felt by following ways not followed by the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, is God’s way of leading people to perdition, for “success” in such endeavors leads to sin.

Those who have achieved humility are completely convinced of the truth of whatever the Prophet said or did. They never doubt it, and seek to practice it in their lives. If something else, such as a wise saying or a great accomplishment, appears to them as more beautiful or acceptable, they accuse themselves of being unable to discern the incomparable superiority of the revealed truths and expressions, saying:

There are many people who find fault with the words having no defects.
However, the fault lies in their defective understanding.

They are certain that one cannot prosper in the Hereafter by following ways opposed to the Quran and the Sunna. They find the greatest source of power in servanthood to God. In reality, one who worships God never adores anyone else, and one who serves others cannot be a true servant of God. How apt are the following words of Bediuzzaman:

Do not see anything or anybody else other than God as so much greater than you as to deserve adoration or servanthood. Do not boast of yourself in a way to see yourself as greater than others. As creatures are equal in being distant from being worshipped, so also are they equal in that they are all created.

Those who are truly humble do not attribute the fruits of their work and efforts to themselves, nor do they regard their successes or efforts in the way of God as making them superior to others. They do not care how other people regard them, and do not demand a return for their services in the way of God. They regard their being loved by others as a test of their sincerity, and do not exploit God’s favors to them by boasting to others about them.

In short, just as humility is the portal to good conduct or being characterized with the qualities of God (such as generosity, merciful, helpful, forgiving, and so on), it is also the first and foremost means of being near to both the created and the Creator. Roses grow on the earth, and humanity was created on the earth and not in the heavens. A believer is nearest to God when prostrating before Him. While recounting the Prophet’s Ascension (to the heavens), the Quran refers to him as God’s servant, as a sign of his humility and utmost modesty.

A: After belief in God, this is the main way to secure a peaceful social order. If I don’t believe in personal accountability, why should I be honest and upright? The Qur’an declares: In whatever affair you may be, and whichever part of the Qur’an you recite, and whatever deed you do, We are witness over you when you are deeply engrossed therein. Not an atom’s weight in the Earth and in the heaven escapes your Lord, nor is there anything smaller or greater, but it is in a Manifest Book (10:61).

Angels record our actions, and God knows our thoughts and deeds. Those who live accordingly find true peace and happiness in both worlds. This belief prevents young people from wasting their lives, gives hope to the elderly, and helps children endure the death of loved ones. It is as necessary as air, water, and bread.

As this belief leads to a life of peace, intellectuals seeking public peace and security should emphasize it. Those who are convinced of: Whoever does an atom’s weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil shall see it (99:7-8) live responsible lives. A community composed of such people finds true peace and happiness, and its people serve their nation and humanity.

Children are easily affected by events. Their world becomes dark when they see death or are orphaned, and they become depressed. When one of my sisters died during my childhood, I frequently went to her grave and prayed sincerely: O God, please bring her back to life and let me see her beautiful face once more, or let me die so as to be reunited with her. What other than this belief and reunion with loved ones can compensate us for such losses?

How can you compensate the elderly for what they have lost? How can you remove their fear of death and the grave or make them forget death? More and newer worldly pleasures cannot console them. Only convincing them that the grave is a door or a waiting room to a much better world can accomplish this.

The Qur’an voices such feelings through Prophet Zachariah: This is a mention of your Lord’s mercy unto His servant Zachariah; when he invoked Him with a secret, sincere call, saying: My Lord, my very bones have become rotten and my head is shining with gray hair. My Lord! I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You (19:2-5).

Fearing that his surviving kinsmen would not be loyal to his mission, Zachariah asked his Lord for a son to continue it. This is the cry of all elderly people. Belief in God and the Resurrection tells them: Death is only a change of worlds, a discharge from this life’s distressing duties, a passport to an eternal world where all kinds of beauty and blessing wait for you Only this console them and allows them to face death without fear.

Q: What about our free will?

A: Our free will, which directs our life and makes us unique, is the manifestation of Divine Mercy. If used properly, it will cause us to be rewarded with the fruits of Mercy. Belief in the Resurrection is a most important and compelling factor urging us to use our free will properly.

Sahl ibn Sa’d narrates that God’s Messenger was told of a young man who stayed at home for days. The Messenger went to visit him. When the young man saw him appear before him unexpectedly, he threw himself into the Messenger’s arms and died instantly. The Messenger said: Lay out your friend’s corpse. Fear of Hell frightened him deeply. I swear by Him in Whose hand my life is that God will protect him from Hell. The Qur’an declares: Those who fear to stand before their Lord and curb the desires of the carnal self, Paradise will be their dwelling place (79:40-1).

In a hadith qudsi, God says: I will not unite two securities or two fears. Thus, those who fear His punishment here will be protected from it in the other world, while those who do not fear it here will not be saved from it there.

Q: What impact did this belief have upon early Muslims?

A: Upon seeing a young man bravely protest and resist a wrong, Umar said: Any people deprived of its young are doomed to extinction. If young people waste their transforming energy, your nation’s future is undermined. Belief in the Resurrection directs them to lead a disciplined, useful, and virtuous life.

This belief consoles the sick. Secure in this knowledge, all beloved servants of God, Prophets and saints, welcome death with a smile. During his final minutes of life, Prophet Muhammad said: O God, I desire the eternal company in the eternal world. When Umar ruled over a vast area, he prostrated before God and sighed: I can no longer fulfill my responsibility. Let me die and take me to Your Presence.

Such a strong desire for the world of eternal beauty and being blessed with the vision of the Eternally Beautiful One caused the Prophet, Umar, and many others to prefer death to this world.

Q: Does it matter if I believe in the Resurrection?

A: The world is a mixture of opposites. Many instances of wrong (seem) go unnoticed, and many wronged people cannot recover their rights. Only belief in being resurrected in another world of absolute justice dissuades them from revenge. Similarly, the sick and unfortunate are consoled, for they believe that their suffering purifies them and that their loss will be restored in the Hereafter as a blessing, just as if they had been given as alms.

This belief changes a house into a garden of Paradise. A family without religion contains young people pursuing pleasure, children ignorant of religious sentiment and practices, and parents striving for the good life. Grandparents live in an old-folks or nursing home and console themselves with pets Life is a burden. Belief in the Resurrection reminds people of familial responsibilities. By undertaking their duties, an atmosphere of mutual love, affection, and respect begins to pervade the house.

Spouses deepen their mutual love and respect. Physical love is temporary, of little value, and usually disappears quickly. But if spouses believe that their marriage will continue in a world where they will be eternally young and beautiful, their mutual love will remain…

Such a belief-based family life makes its members feel that they are living in Paradise. If a country orders itself accordingly, its inhabitants would enjoy a life far better than that imagined by Plato in his Republic or by al-Farabi in his The Virtuous City. It would be like Madina under the Prophet, or the Muslim lands under Umar.

Q: How did the Prophet establish the ideal society in Madina?

A: To better understand this, we provide several of his sayings on the Resurrection and the afterlife:

O people! You will be resurrected barefoot, naked, and uncircumcised. Listen to me! The one who will be first clothed is Abraham. Heed what I say: That day some from my Umma will be seized on the left side and brought to me. I will say: O Lord! These are my Companions. I will be told: You do not know what disagreeable things they did after you. I will say as the righteous servant [Jesus] said: I was a witness over them while I continued to stay among them. When You took me, You became the watcher over them. You are Witness over all things. If You punish them, they are Your slaves; if You forgive them, surely You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.

The most terrible event is death. However, death is easier than what will follow it. People will be so terrified that sweat will cover their bodies until it becomes like a bridle around their chins, until it grows into something like a sea on which, if desired, vessels could be sailed.

People will be resurrected in three groups: those who combined fear of God with expectation [fearing God’s punishment and hoping for His mercy and forgiveness], those who [frequently sinned and so] will try to go to Paradise mounted on a mule in twos, threes, fours … or tens. The rest will be resurrected into Fire [since they indulged in deeds deserving Hellfire]. If they sleep in the forenoon, Hell sleeps with them; when they reach night, Hell reaches night with them; when they reach morning, Hell reaches morning with them; and when they reach evening, Hell reaches evening with them.

God’s Messenger made sure his Companions understood exactly what Hell was, and roused in them a great desire for Paradise by conveying its good tidings. Thus they lived in great consciousness of Divine reward and punishment, as well as religious obligations and people’s rights.

– Is there fresh bread and cold, fresh water like this on the tables of our fighting brothers, or have you offered me such a table just because I am the commander?

– We set aside that bread and water for you, o Commander, they answered.

This answer made Abu Ubayda angry and, pushing the table away. he commented:

– I cannot conceive of a behaviour worse in the sight of God Almighty than sitting at a table different from what is offered to our brothers shedding their blood in the way of God in the same lines with us. I could not sit at such a special table even if I were the Caliph, not a commander.

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, the famous Muslim scholar and thinker, who launched a major Islamic movement of revival in Turkey in the second quarter of this century, offered this challenge to those who deny the Prophethood of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings:

Consider how, eradicating their evil and savage customs and immoral qualities to which they were so fanatically attached, he equipped and adorned the desperate, wild and unyielding peoples of the seventh century Arabian Peninsula with all the praiseworthy virtues, and made them teachers of all the world and masters to, especially, the civilized nations.

His was not an outward domination; rather, he conquered their minds, spirits, hearts, and souls. He became the beloved of hearts, the teacher of minds, the trainer of souls, and the ruler of spirits.

You know that despite all the advanced techniques and methods, modern communities are unable to remove permanently so small a vice as cigarette smoking. However, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, with apparently little effort over a very short period of time removed numerous ignoble habits from large communities in whom those habits were long ingrained, and in their place implanted and inculcated noble qualities in such a way that they became inherent in their nature. To those who refuse to see the testimony of the blessed age of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, we present as a challenge any part of today’s civilized world. Let them go there with hundreds of philosophers, sociologists, psychologists and pedagogues and educators, and strive for a hundred years. I wonder whether they will be able to achieve in that period a hundredth part of what the Prophet Muhammad achieved in a year.

Abu Bakr, in the early days of his Caliphate, managed on the wage he earned by milking the cattle of one of his neighbours. Some time later, some Companions led by ‘Umar made him this offer:’As the Commander-in-chief of the Muslims, you have much work to do. Therefore, give up milking cattle and let us assign a fixed salary for your needs as Caliph.’

Abu Bakr spent from this salary for his living expenses and stored any surplus in a pot. He told those around his death-bed to hand that pot over to the one nominated to replace him as Caliph.

Umar was chosen after Abu Bakr. During his rule, Islam spread as far as Afghanistan in the east and Caucasia in the north. One evening during the holy month of Ramadan, ‘Umar was a guest of one of the Companions. When he was offered a sherbet of honey, he refused it, saying:

‘I can drink this only when all of the people, the responsibility of governing whom I shoulder, have become so rich that they can drink the sherbet of honey with their meals.’

The governor explained the reason why he came to his office late in the morning:

It is not proper to explain it, but since you want me to, I consent to do it: I do not have any servants and my wife is ill. I knead the dough myself and make the bread, and only after doing other work at home am I able to leave for my office.

In answer to the second complaint of the people, the governor said:

Although it is not proper to explain this either, I will explain it since you want me to. I spend all my day among them to attend to their work and needs. When it is night, shall I not worship my Lord and accuse myself before Him for what I did during the long day?

The third complaint of the people was that Sa’id ibn ‘Amir stayed at home one day a week and did not come out among the people. The governor answered that complaint:

As I said before, I do not have any servants and my wife is ill. I have only one suit of clothes and wash it on that day. That is why I cannot go out among them one day in the week.

The last complaint was that the governor sometimes lost his senses and almost went mad. The explanation was as follows:

When Hubayb was martyred by the Makkan polytheists I had not yet become a Muslim and was present on the scene. [Hubayb was among the deputation the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, sent to the tribes of Adal and al-Qarah to teach them the Qur’an upon their request. However, when the deputation halted to have a rest in the area where the Hudayl tribe lived, and while sleeping, they were all at once attacked by the Hudayli unbelievers. Three of the deputation were martyred, the rest, among whom were Hubayb and Zayd ibn Dasina were submitted to the Makkans. The Makkans kept Hubayb and Zayd as prisoners for some time and then took them out of the city to kill them.] When Hubayb was about to be killed, Abu Sufyan stepped forward and said to him:

I adjure you by God, Hubayb, don’t you wish that Muhammad was with us now in your place so that we might cut off his head, and that you were with your family?’

‘By God,’ said Hubayb, ‘let alone wishing that Muhammad were here in my place so that I were with my family, I do not wish that even a thorn should hurt his foot in Madina.’

Abu Sufyan was astonished by this answer. He turned to those present, and said:

‘By God, I swear I have never seen a man who was so loved as Muhammad’s Companions love him.’

I could have helped Hubayb then, but since I was then among those who associated partners with God, I did not. So, whenever I remember this event, thinking that God will never forgive me, I lose my senses and go almost mad.

‘Umar, may God be pleased with him, was content with his governor’s conduct and gave him one thousand gold pieces to meet his needs. However, the pious, righteous governor turned to his wife and said: ‘Let us spend this for a day when we will need it more than at any other time. Let us distribute it among those poorer than us.’

The governor handed the gold pieces to one among his family to distribute them among the poor, which he did.

Almost all the governors of Caliph ‘Umar were of a like quality in belief, conduct and understanding of administration. God-fearing, piety and righteousness were the lights by which they made their decisions and conducted their lives. It was the golden age in human history, or ‘the Happy Time’ as it is called in Islamic tradition.

God Himself is the Most Compassionate of the compassionate (A‘raf, 7,15: Yusuf 12.64,92) and the best of those who forgive (Mu’minun, 23.109,118). This means that compassion is an emotion whose source and original is the Divine attributes, the Compassionate and the Merciful. Our beloved Prophet, upon him be peace, explains how even animals have compassion: ‘God divided His Mercy into a hundred portions. He held back with Himself ninety-nine portions and sent the other one down to earth. It is out of that one portion that living creatures find compassion for each other. Even an animal is careful with its leg so that its young are not hurt’ (Bukhari, Adab, 19; Muslim, Tawba, 17). The reason why compassion is a noble quality is that it is a portion of God’s infinite compassion.

Bearing this in mind Muslims are inspired to help one other and other living creatures, and treat them with mercy, as a religious and moral duty. Those who fail in this duty, who do not have compassion for others, are believed to remain deprived of God’s compassion and people’s forgiveness. The Prophet said: ‘The one who does not forgive is not forgiven’ (Bukhari, Adab, 106: Muslim, Fada’il, 65); ‘God does not forgive the one who has no mercy (Muslim, Fada’il, 66; Tirmidhi, Birr, 16).

We all know that Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, always treated children, the elderly and the sick, women, widows and orphans, indeed all people who might be in need, and even animals, with tolerance and mercy. Once he said: ‘Often I start my prayer intending to prolong it. However, when I hear a baby crying I feel myself urged to cut it short in order to ease the mother’s distress’ (Bukhari, Adhan, 163). He also instructed Muslims who lead prayers to keep the prayers short in order not to distress or tire the sick or the weak and elderly in the congregation (Bukhari, Ahkam, 13).

In Islam, compassion and mercy are a universal duty. The Prophet said: ‘God forgives those who forgive. You should have mercy for those on earth so that those in heaven shall have mercy for you’ (Abu Dawud, Adab, 58). Therefore, a Muslim must treat all people- Muslim or non-Muslim-and all living creatures with mercy and tolerance. The saying of the Prophet that a sinful woman obtained God’s pardon because she felt pity for a dog dying of thirst and troubled herself to draw water from a well and give it to the dog, is a clear message to people that they should have mercy for all creatures.

Once a man accompanied by a child came to the Prophet. When the man started to kiss and caress the child, the Prophet asked: ‘Do you feel mercy for the child?’ The man said, ‘Yes’. The Prophet said:

‘Because of your mercy for the child you also deserve God’s mercy, since He is the Most Compassionate of the compassionate.’

Mercy means a love that includes feelings of protection and guardianship. The saying of the Prophet just cited tells us that he loved children and instructed believers to treat children with care and mercy. We should remember that the Prophet used to greet children, give them food, hug and caress them, and let them ride on his camel. He also cherished non- Muslim children. When some children were killed by both sides in a battle, the Prophet became very sad. Some people tried to console him and said that he should not be so distressed for non-Muslim children. He replied: ‘These children, even though they are non-Muslims, are better than you [because they are sinless]. Be careful not to kill children. Do not kill children!’

During the caliphate of ‘Umar, the great Caliph was discussing the duties of a man he was about to appoint as governor. During their discussions a small boy came in. Caliph ‘Umar was merciful towards children. He took the boy on his lap and kissed him. The man was so struck by ‘Umar’s behaviour with the boy that he asked if he was the Caliph’s son. ‘Umar said: ‘No, he is an orphan of a man who was martyred in a battle.’ The man said:

‘O Commander of the Believers! You show such love for another man’s child, hugging and kissing him! I have three children and have never done the same with them.’ On hearing this, it was ‘Umar’s turn to be astonished. He said to the man: ‘The one who lacks love and mercy for his own children cannot have those feelings for other people. Therefore I have changed my mind and will not appoint you to that post.’ ‘Umar recognized that love and mercy are among our religious obligations and a means of spiritual nourishment. If we do not treat children with love and mercy, particularly orphans, their emotional and psychological growth may be stunted and their spiritual life damaged-lack of love can harden the human heart.

Love, compassion and mercy are three golden keys to deliverance and peace of mind and heart. We hope that humanity will regain their commitment to these values which are and always have been of the highest relevance and importance for our well-being.

‘O people of Quraysh! It is God who has created the sheep. He it is who has sent down rain from the skies of which they drink and He has caused fodder to grow from the earth with which they are fed. Then even so you slaughter them in names other than His. Indeed, I see that you are an ignorant people.’

Zayd’s uncle al-Khattab, the father of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, seethed with anger. He strode up to Zayd, slapped him on the face and shouted:

‘Damn you! We still hear from you such stupidity. We have borne it until our patience is exhausted.’

Al-Khattab then incited a number of violent people to harass and persecute Zayd and make life extremely uncomfortable for him.

These incidents which took place before Muhammad’s call to prophethood gave a foretaste of the bitter conflict that was to take place between the upholders of truth and the stubborn adherents of idolatrous practices. Zayd was one of the few men, known as hunafa’ (sing. hanif,), who saw these idolatrous practices for what they were. Not only did he refuse to take part in them himself but he refused to eat anything that was sacrificed to idols. He proclaimed that he worshipped the God of Ibrahim and, as the above incident showed, was not afraid to challenge his people in public.

On the other hand, his uncle al-Khattab was a staunch follower of the old pagan ways of the Quraysh and he was shocked by Zayd’s public disregard for the gods and goddesses they worshipped. So he had him hounded and persecuted to the point where he was forced to leave the valley of Makka and seek refuge in the surrounding mountains. He even appointed a band of young men whom he instructed not to allow Zayd to approach Makka or enter the Sanctuary.

Zayd only managed to enter Makka in secret. There, unknown to the Quraysh, he met with people like Waraqah ibn Nawfal, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, ‘Uthman ibn al-Harith and Umaymah bint ‘Abd al-Muttalib, the paternal aunt of Muhammad ibn Abdullah. They discussed how deeply immersed the Arabs were in their misguided ways. To his friends, Zayd spoke thus:

‘Certainly, by God, you know that your people have no valid grounds for their beliefs and that they have distorted and transgressed from the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham). Adopt a religion which you can follow and which can bring you salvation.’

Zayd and his companions then went to Jewish rabbis and Christian scholars and people of other communities in an effort to learn more and go back to the pure religion of Ibrahim.

Of the four persons mentioned, Waraqah ibn Nawfal became a Christian. Abdullah ibn Jahsh and Uthman ibn al-Harith did not arrive at any definite conclusion. Zayd ibn ‘Amr, however, had quite a different story. Finding it impossible to stay in Makka, he left the Hijaz and went as far as Mosul in the north of Iraq, and from there south-west into Syria. Throughout his journeys, he always questioned monks and rabbis about the religion of Ibrahim. He found no satisfaction until he came upon a monk in Syria who told him that the religion he was seeking did not exist any longer, but the time was now near when God would send forth, from his own people whom he had left, a Prophet who would revive the religion of Ibrahim. The monk advised him that, should he see this Prophet he should have no hesitation in recognizing and following him.

Zayd retraced his steps and headed for Makka intending to meet the expected Prophet. As he was passing through the territory of Lakhm on the southern border of Syria, he was attacked by a group of nomad Arabs and killed before he could set eyes on the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. However, before he breathed his last, he raised his eyes to the heavens and said:

‘O Lord, if You have prevented me from attaining this good, do not prevent my son from doing so.’

When Waraqah heard of Zayd’s death, he is said to have written an elegy in praise of him. The Prophet also commended him and said that on the day of Resurrection ‘he will be raised as having, in himself alone, the worth of a whole people.’

God, may He be glorified, heard the prayer of Zayd. When Muhammad the Messenger of God rose up inviting people to Islam, Zayd’s son Sa’id was in the forefront of those who believed in the Oneness of God and who affirmed their faith in the prophethood of Muhammad. This is not strange, for Sa’id grew up in a household which repudiated the idolatrous Quraysh and he was instructed by a father who spent his life searching for Truth and who died in its pursuit.

Sa‘id was not yet twenty when he embraced Islam. His young and steadfast wife Fatima, daughter of al-Khattab and sister of ‘Umar, also accepted Islam early. Evidently both Sa‘id and Fatima managed for some time to conceal their acceptance of Islam from the Quraysh and especially from Fatima’s family. She had cause to fear not only her father but her brother ‘Umar who was brought up to venerate the Ka’ba and to cherish the inseparability of the Quraysh and their religion.

‘Umar was a headstrong young man of great determination. He saw Islam as a threat to the Quraysh and became most violent and unrestrained in his attacks on Muslims. He finally decided that the only way to put an end to the trouble was to eliminate the man who was its cause. Goaded on by blind fury, he took up his sword and headed for the Prophet’s house. On his way he came face to face with a secret believer in the Prophet who, seeing ‘Umar’s grim expression, asked him where he was going.

‘I am going to kill Muhammad,’ ‘Umar answered.

There was no mistaking his bitterness and murderous resolve. The believer sought to dissuade him from his intent but ‘Umar was deaf to any arguments. He then thought of diverting ‘Umar in order to at least to gain time to warn the Prophet of his intentions.

‘O ‘Umar,’ he said, ‘Why not first go back to the people of your own house and set them to rights?’

‘What people of my house?’ asked ‘Umar.

‘Your sister Fatima and your brother-in-law Sa‘id. They have both forsaken your religion and are followers of Muhammad in his religion…’

‘Umar turned and made straight for his sister’s house.

There he called out to her angrily as he approached. Khabbab ibn al-Aratt who often came to recite the Qur’an to Sa‘id and Fatima was with them then. When they heard ‘Umar’s voice, Khabbab hid in a corner of the house and Fatima concealed the manuscript. But ‘Umar had heard the sound of their reading and when he came in, he said to them:

‘What is this haynamah (gibbering) I heard?’

They tried to assure him that it was only normal conversation that he had heard, but he insisted:

‘Hear it I did,’ he said, ‘and it is possible that you have both become renegades.’

‘Have you not considered whether the truth is not to be found in your religion?’ said Sa‘id to ‘Umar trying to reason with him. Instead, ‘Umar set upon his brother-in-law hitting and kicking him as hard as he could and when Fatima went to the defence of her husband, ‘Umar struck her a blow on her face which drew blood.

‘O ‘Umar,’ said Fatima, angrily. ‘What if the truth is not in your religion! I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’

Fatima’s wound was bleeding, and when ‘Umar saw the blood he was sorry for what he had done. A change came over him and he said to his sister:

‘Give me that script which you have that I may read it.’ Like them, ‘Umar could read, but when he asked for the script, Fatima said to him:

‘You are impure and only the pure may touch it. Go and wash yourself or do ablution.’

‘Umar went and washed himself, and she gave him the page on which was written the opening verses of Surah Ta Ha. He began to read it and when he reached the verse,

Verily, I-I alone-am God, there is no deity but Me. So, worship Me alone, and be constant in prayer so as to remember Me.

He said:

‘Show me where Muhammad is.’

‘Umar then made his way to the house of al-Arqam and declared his acceptance of Islam and the Prophet and all his companions rejoiced.

Sa‘id and his wife Fatima were thus the immediate cause which led to the conversion of the strong and determined ‘Umar and this added substantially to the power and prestige of the emerging faith.

Sa‘id ibn Zayd was totally devoted to the Prophet and the service of Islam. He witnessed all the major campaigns and encounters in which the Prophet engaged, except Badr. Before Badr, he and Talha were sent by the Prophet as scouts to Hawra on the Red Sea coast due west of Madina to bring him news of a Quraysh caravan returning from Syria. When Talha and Sa‘id returned to Madina the Prophet had already set out for Badr with the first Muslim army of just over three hundred men.

After the passing away of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, Sa‘id continued to play a major role in the Muslim community. He was one of those whom Abu Bakr consulted on his succession and his name is often linked with such companions as ‘Uthman, Abu ‘Ubaydah and Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas in the campaigns that were waged. He was known for his courage and heroism, a glimpse of which we can get from his account of the Battle of Yarmuk. He said:

‘For the Battle of Yarmuk, we were twenty-four thousand or thereabouts. Against us, the Byzantine mobilized one hundred and twenty thousand men. They advanced towards us with a heavy and thunderous movement as if mountains were being moved. Bishops and priests strode before them bearing crosses and chanting litanies which were repeated by the soldiers behind them.

‘When the Muslims saw them mobilised thus, they became worried by their vast numbers and something of anxiety and fear entered their hearts. Thereupon, Abu ‘Ubaydah stood before the Muslims and urged them to fight.

“Worshippers of God,” he said, “help God and God will help you and make your feet firm.”

“Worshippers of God, be patient and steadfast for indeed patience and steadfastness (sabr) is a salvation from unbelief, a means of attaining the pleasure of God and a defence against ignominy and disgrace.

“Draw out your spears and protect yourselves with your shields. Don’t utter anything among yourselves but the remembrance of God Almighty until I give you the command, if God wills.”

‘Thereupon a man emerged from the ranks of the Muslims and said:

“I have resolved to die this very hour. Have you a message to send to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace?”

“Yes” replied Abu Ubaydah, “convey salam to him from me and from the Muslims and say to him: ‘O Messenger of God, we have found true what our Lord has promised us.”

As soon as I heard the man speak and saw him unsheathe his sword and go out to meet the enemy, I threw myself on the ground and crept on all fours and with my spear I felled the first enemy horseman racing towards us. Then I fell upon the enemy and God removed from my heart all traces of fear. The Muslims engaged the advancing Byzantine and continued fighting until they were blessed with victory.’

Sa‘id was ranked by the Prophet as one of the outstanding members of his generation. He was among ten of the companions whom the Prophet visited one day and promised them Paradise. These were Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, ‘Ali, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Abu ‘Ubaydah, Talha al-Zubayr, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, and Sa‘id the son of Zayd the Hanif. The books of the Prophet’s sayings have recorded his great praises of the Promised Ten (al- ‘asharatu al-mubashsharun), and indeed of others to whom, on other occasions, he also gave good tidings of Paradise.

First of all, it should be noted that there is no general statement or decree in Islam that those who live in non-Islamic countries will go to Hell. Rather, the decree is this: if those who heard the message and invitation of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, and witnessed the truth and light of Islam, reject it out of spiteful obstinacy and shut their ears and turn away from it, they will go to Hell. To pretend to more mercy and compassion than the Compassion of God is the worst sort of impertinence. Whether those who have heard the Divine Message live in Islamic countries is less to the point than whether they heed and obey that Message: those who do not will indeed go to Hell and suffer eternally.

The question is one that has been treated at great length by the scholars of Islamic theology who have spoken and written fully on the import of Qur’an and Hadith on the subject. But why, when there are so many pressing issues today, do people dwell upon this sort of question? If they get the answer to it, how will it affect and change their lives? What will they gain concerning their life in the Hereafter? How will the answer affect the daily practice and lifestyles of those who ask it or of those on whose behalf it is asked?

Is there a difference between those who have gone into unbelief willfully and those who have had no opportunity to hear about Islam? Will the latter go into hell and suffer the same punishment? The answer will be given in the light of the views of the imams of Islamic theology.

The Asharis held that one who has not heard the name of God and has not been communicated to about Him, wherever and however he lives, will not be punished but rather ‘excused’: God, as He wills, rewards such people to the measure of the good they have done and they enjoy the blessings of Paradise.

The view of the Maturidis is somewhat similar to the Mu’tazilis. They hold that if one finds his Creator through the use of his reason, even though he does not now His Names or Attributes, he will be saved. But, if he does not find and know the Creator through his reason, he will not be saved. In fact, this position is not so different from that of the Asharis, although they do sound different at first hearing. According to the Maturidis, it does not matter where one lives. Whether a man lives in the mountains, in a desert or on an island, he can observe the rising and the setting of the sun and moon, the sparkling light of the stars, the balance and order of the creation, the splendour and regularity amid the enormous variety on the surface of the earth, the grandeur of mountains and the gentle, easing breezes on their slopes, the thrilling colours and movements of flowers, trees and animals. All these are signs of the Owner, Creator, Sustainer and Administrator of all things. One can thus observe and acknowledge the absolute existence, power and grace of the Creator without knowing His Names and Attributes, or His Books and Messengers. Such a person is among the excused. That is why, one should not rashly assert that people who live in non-Islamic countries will go to Hell if they do not believe in God. Rather, one must, at least, keep silence, given the views of the imams of Islam.

Imam Ashari deduces his judgement from the verse of the Qur’an: We would never visit our wrath on any community until We had sent a Messenger to give warning (al-Isra’, 17.15). So, someone may not be punished for a wrong until due warning has reached him through a true Messenger.

According to the Maturidis, reason (‘aql) is an important faculty capable of discerning good from evil, but it would be wrong to go too far and say that reason is able to work everything out by itself. That is why God commands the good and forbids the wrong, and never leaves the matter wholly to human judgement and experience which are fallible. He conveyed His commands and prohibitions to people through Messengers, and thus has never left them in obscurity. The Maturidi argument goes like this: ‘Aql can work out that adultery and fornication are evil, because genealogy and lineage are interrupted and lost, with consequent problems of, among other things, how to divide inheritances. ‘Aql can work out that theft is evil, because if it were normal to steal the belongings of one who acquired them by long hard labour, no one could live in any degree of security. ‘Aql may discover that drinking is evil, because it causes one to lose one’s consciousness, damages health and makes one vulnerable to many illnesses, and can even affect one’s offspring. The same is true for what is good. Justice, doing well by others, etc., are all recognized as good by ‘aql.

Faith in God is also a good that ‘aql can grasp because faith leads us to satisfaction and inward contentment. Even in this world, we begin to sense the contentment that we will have in paradise. The way to faith is not so difficult as to be inaccessible by ‘aql. As in the case of the Bedouin, who came to the Prophet and explained how he attained faith: ‘Camel droppings point to the existence of a camel. Footprints on the sand tell of a traveller. The heaven with its stars, the earth with its mountains and valleys, and the sea with its waves- don’t they point to the Maker, All- Powerful, Knowing, Wise and Caring?’ This bedouin attained faith in God through the use of his mind, therefore we must not underrate the role of reason and thinking in faith. Setting out from this point, Maturidi says that one may find the Creator through one’s reason. There are many good examples from pre-Islamic times. One of them is Waraqa bin Nawfal, cousin of Umm al-Mu’minin, Khadijah, the first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace. Waraqa felt that the coming of the Prophet would be in his lifetime. When the first revelation came to Muhammad, upon him be peace, he saw the Angel Gabriel, filling up the horizon and the heavens with his grandeur. The Prophet came back to his home and, with still quaking heart, told Khadijah what he had seen and heard, begging her to cover him. Khadijah went to Waraqa to seek his advice, and he confirmed the truth of Muhammad’s mission and revelations. Waraqa was among those who knew and had felt many of the predicted signs of the Prophet’s coming, upon him be peace, which had already been fulfilled. So, understanding that no good would ever come from the idols, Waraqa ignored them, and through the use of his own judgement believed in the existence of the One God. Another such person was Zaid bin ‘Amr, the uncle of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab. He too did not incline to idols but worshipped the One God. He despised the idols and told people that they were false and no good could come from them. He knew that the coming of a Prophet was imminent. However, as God willed, he did not live long enough to see the prophethood of Muhammad, but intuitively knew of its coming. He called his son Sa‘id and ‘Umar and other family members to his death-bed, and said: ‘The light of God is on the horizon. I certainly believe that it will emerge fully very soon. I am already feeling its signs over our heads. As soon as the Prophet comes, without losing any time, go and join him.’ What human beings have themselves made cannot be God or answer their needs. For such things themselves need man. How can something which is itself in need and want, answer and provide the call of man? Through such simple reasoning a man can come to know of his need to know the Lord of the earths and the heavens. However, when a person gives the direction of his mind and reason to the Revelation, his need to know is itself met and the way to eternal bliss opened for him.

In sum, those who saw or have heard about the Prophet and the Qur’an, but have felt no need to investigate and learn about them will go to Hell. However, those who have remained in darkness involuntarily, and who have not had the slightest chance to hear and learn about the Qur’an and the Prophet, we may hope that they may benefit from Divine Grace, and not be blamed and punished for such wrongs as they may do in unwilled ignorance.

This question brings to mind the difference between the early and the present-day Muslims, and the duties of Muslims towards non-Muslims.

The first Muslims lived Islam fully, and represented and spread the Message revealed to Muhammad, upon him be peace, over a large area and awakened the collective conscience of mankind. Many centuries later, when we read their life histories, we can see such greatness in their Islamic thinking and living that it becomes obvious why people were not indifferent to the Message they brought. They were so fearless and indomitable, and so disregarded the concerns, the pleasures and sufferings of worldly life, that they made a lasting impression upon the world. Thanks to their sincerity and zeal, a great number of people heard the message of Islam within a very short time. They were so lofty, profound and thorough in their bearing and spirit that, by the time of Caliph ‘Uthman, the light of Islam had spread from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Aral Sea, from the stretches of Anatolia to the Great Wall of China. During the time of Mu’awiya, the Muslims reached the Atlantic Ocean. All of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria were under the glorious flag of Islam. In less than 30 years, after the last revelation to the Prophet, Muslims reached these lands and laid the foundations of Islam there. Since they themselves lived Islam thoroughly, most people in those lands loved and respected them, and so admired and then embraced Islam. The Christians and Jews of those lands preferred government by the Muslims to that of their own people. When once the Muslims had to leave Damascus, the Christians together with their religious leaders gathered in the churches and prayed for them not to leave; then when the Muslims did go, the Christians promised them to live under their rule and pay the due tax if the Muslims were able to return in the future. Moreover, the sincerity of the Muslims brought a great number of people to enter Islam. Indeed, it is impossible to imagine how it could have been otherwise when those people saw the early Muslims so many of whom were each an ‘Umar in sincerity and commitment. They kept long vigils in the night and were legendary warriors on horseback during the day (rukhbanun fi l-layli wa fursanun fi n-nahar). They won over so many hearts and impressed people that all believed that the gates of the whole world would soon he open to them.

If we consider how people in the present age cannot successfully provide security even in a small area for even their own community, we begin to understand how great an achievement the early Muslim administrations were. In return for their security, reliability, wisdom, subtlety of mind and piety, the doors of many castles and cities were opened to them, not as honorary title-holders or visitors, but as governors and rulers.

When the Muslims took over Syria and Palestine, the commanders asked for the keys to the Masjid al-Aqsa. The Patriarch in charge of the keys told them that the description of the person who would take the keys was known to him, and that it was impossible to hand them over to any other person. While they were disputing, the Caliph “Umar set out from Madina. No one knew how he would be travelling. But it was known to the Patriarch and the priests how the one who would receive the keys would come. “Umar borrowed a camel from the treasury of the state (bait al-mal). He might have borrowed a horse, but he did not. He took it in turns to ride the camel with his servant who accompanied him on the journey. When the Muslims commanders heard about “Umar”s coming in that manner, they prayed that as they crossed the river of Jordan it would not be “Umar”s turn to walk. For the Byzantines were used to seeing pomp and magnificence in their rulers, and the Muslim commanders thought that it might be shaming for the Caliph to be seen by them leading a camel on which the servant rode while the Caliph held the reins with rolled-up trousers crossing the river. In fact, most of political pomp is injustice and inequity, and “Umar was trying to avoid it. However, everything was ordained by God, and what happened happened just as the commanders most feared. Moreover, “Umar” s garment, worn and battered by the journey, had many patches on it. When the Patriarch saw this figure, he cried out “This is the man whose description we have in our books. Now, I shall give him the key.”

Because of the special spiritual insight of their elders, the priests had already known how “Umar would look and how he would cross the river. The handing of the key and the Masjid al-Aqsa to the Muslims caused many to come into Islam. With whole hearted ardour, Uqba bin Nafi” was one of those who set forth to make other people hear about the Truth all over the world. The conquest of Africa fell to his lot. After successive victories, some people envied his fame and misinformed the Caliph about him. Thus, the Caliph was provoked and Uqba was dismissed from his post, arrested and kept from spreading Islam. Imprisoned for five years, his only sorrow and great longing were expressed thus: “I would like to have spread Islam all over Africa. I was prevented from achieving this. That is the only thing I regret”. Freeing and then appointing Uqba as the governor of Africa, Yazid did one good thing to counterbalance his many injustices. He reopened the way to the conquest of Africa and the spread of Islam in the region which had all but come to an end with the arrest of Uqba. Uqba reached the Atlantic Ocean in a single campaign. He could not help riding his horse into the ocean and crying. “O God! If this dark sea had not prevented me going further, I would carry Your Holy Name to overseas lands.” Had someone been there able to speak to him of the American continents, Uqba would surely have set about planning how to go over there. These are narrated just to make us think how Islam was represented in the past and how it is now. The early Muslims took the territories now called Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, North Africa, Bukhara, Tashkent, Samarkand—places which would produce Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Sina, al-Farabi, Biruni—within 25 years, less than a single generation. It seems to have been achieved almost in the saying of it, in a single breath. Those first Muslims carried the message of Islam to almost every part of the then known world and made the glorious flag of “There is no god but God, Muhammad is His Messenger” wave over many lands. As for ourselves we are scarcely able to speak the Truth to the people around us, let alone go to foreign lands and tell the people there. Some of the people around us may be willing to listen to us, but we, alas, are unable to persuade even them. Our words come back to us, as if from walls of ice, cold. Our words do leave our mouths but do not penetrate the hearts and souls of people. In saying this, it is not our purpose to express ingratitude for the blessings we do have; we mean only to draw attention to the great, indeed immeasurabIe, distance between ourselves and the quality of men who were the Companions of the Prophet. They conveyed the Message to all peoples, and held this task as the very reason for their existence; when they could not do so, they felt sorrow and pain for the lands and peoples unaware of the Truth. By contrast, we are unable to represent Islam fully in our individual lives, still less convey its message to multitudes abroad. We have not abandoned our personal needs and preoccupations; we have not given the highest priority to working on the way of God. We remember too well, alas, the ways to our homes and our jobs, our worldly lives. Those of us who did go abroad, to non-Muslim countries, did so to earn dollars, or pounds, or marks, or francs—not to take the name of God to those lands. That is why we are unable to make them hear about the great Truths. If today the non-Muslims live in deviation, corruption and unbelief due to our neglect, ignorance, inability, laziness and incompetence, we shall certainly be summoned to account for it. If a question is asked of them in the Hereafter; then definitely it is asked of us as well. Giving lectures and organizing seminars and panels are not the only way to spread Islam. Such activities can be considered as a movement in the direction of being on the way God, but they do not themselves constitute the true service to Islam. If true service to Islam is likened to a great palace, our efforts so far are just like wandering about around the first entrance to the palace: we have not yet entered upon the task.

Therefore, many people are going astray. Occasionally, we have gone to those people to speak of Islam, but we have not saved ourselves from futile disputes and conflicts amongst ourselves. We have definitely not yet come near to representing Islam at the level of “Umar, Uqba bin Nafi”, and others of that quality. Who knows how their opponents were struck with fear at seeing their determined courage, their indomitable devotion to God; or struck with wonder by their reliability, generosity, justice, and humanity, and so moved to wonder about, then to embrace, Islam. The fact that many of the countries in which the Muslims live now, except far a few, were conquered by these early Muslims is evidence enough of what absolute sincerity in the way of God can achieve. Looked at from this direction, the question about non-Muslims, especially those living in non-Islamic countries, takes on a different aspect. We need to see those non-Muslims with a greater tolerance, and say: “Shame on us! We have not been able to convey the message of Islam, and bring them to the light out of the darkness they live in.” It will help to narrate here the true story of a German family. A Turkish worker found accommodation in the house of this German family. He paid great attention to his religious duties and performed them sensitively. Except for working hours, he never omitted, when with the family, to tell them about Islam. After a while the owner of the house became Muslim. His wife said to him, as did the wife of “Amir ibn Tufail: “We have always been together so far. Let us be together in the future, too. Together on the Bridge Sirat and also in Paradise. If Islam really makes one reach heavenly realms, as you said, why should I stay back from such a blessing while you enjoy it?” She completed her words with the Kalima. With their children coming into Islam the family group of Islam was completed and the home an outpost of Paradise. Several days later the owner of the house came and said these startling words to the Turkish worker: “I could not express my love and gratitude to you, because you have been an honoured guest to us. However, sometimes, I get very angry and wish to beat you up. You came and the Qur’an, the Prophet and God followed you. My home became a heavenly abode. But I had a father. He was a very straight, good man. He passed away a few days before you came. Why couldn”t you have come a bit earlier and told him of Islam as well?” These words indeed represent the voice, the complaint, the rebuke, of the whole non-Muslim world. We have failed to take Islam to them. Even in our own countries we have not been able to exert enough effort or give enough support to the cause of Islam to make our own people know it properly. Another aspect of the question is this: Those who took us away from Islam have always promised a Western life of Western standard. 150 years later we are still beggars at the doors of the West. Little has changed and we cannot say that we have progressed, in any important sense. Throughout a century and a half, the West have considered and treated us as servants: servants who leave their countries in return for poor wages. Even if we took them the golden principles of Islam, the best of messages, which will open the gates of Paradise for them, the Christians and Jews, will not accept them from us, they will not recognize the quality and worth of Islam in us. In part this is because we are despised labourers at their disposal. As ever, the rich man has difficulty imagining that he is in need of something from the beggar at his door.

Today, the Muslim world has not proved itself a worthy model for the rest of the world. Quite the contrary, it has been defeated in many fields many times over and become dependent on the Western countries. Only if we live and represent Islam thoroughly, and go to the non-Muslims with a commanding confidence in our own honour, dignity and greatness, and do so only for the sake of God, as our forefathers and the first Muslims did, then only have we a right to hope that they will listen to and accept the call of Islam. We cannot like, still less approve, their regarding us in the light of servants and beggars, yet, while we do not regain our true Islamic identity, we continue to give them an excuse to regard us so. Certainly, if they will be asked to account for their attitudes and behaviour in the Hereafter, so shall we, also, who have failed to convey Islam to them, be questioned and chastised for that failure. So, the responsibilities of both Muslims and non-Muslims should be considered common and equal. Judgements about them should be made justly and uprightly. We are far from any understanding that condemns all non-Muslims to Hell simply for their being non-Muslim. Equally, we are far from such vain day-dreaming as to suppose that by stepping out one day and in a perfunctory manner, mentioning the worth of Islam, we shall get people to follow us. We believe that there will be changes in the balance of the world in the near future. Especially in Turkey, the Turkic countries, Egypt, Pakistan, and in some other places, Muslims will regain their consciousness and raise up strong persons able to turn away from pursuing worldly interests for the sake of establishing Islam and its high values among other peoples and other countries besides their own. Only through sustained, sincere efforts, will Islam be a major factor in the balance of the world and be respected, and the voice of Muslims calling non-Muslims to Islam be heard. That is not something impossible. Rather it will certainly happen. But those who will manage it will be men and women of good character whose very souls are bonded with Islam, not those inconsistent and inadequate people who are under the impress of their bodily needs and who concern themselves with Islam, as it were, only in their spare time.