THE WORD OF GOD
From The Scriptures
The Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam between AD 610 and 632. It is a book that brings glad tidings to humankind, along with divine admonition, and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level. Translated from Arabic and commentary by Maulana Wahiduddin KhanIn the name of God the Most Beneficent the Most Merciful O you who are wrapped up in your mantle, stand up to pray for much of the night. It may be half the night or a little less than that or a little more, but recite the Quran slowly and distinctly. For We are about to send down to you a message of considerable gravity. (73: 1-5)
Literally ‘recite the Quran in slow, measured rhythmic tones’. This means ‘recite, paying full attention to the import of the content’. When recited like this, a two- way process between Quran and its reciter comes into play. For him, the Quran is an address or speech by God and his heart starts answering this address at every verse. In the Quran where there is any mention of God’s majesty, the reciter’s entire existence is strongly affected by the realization of His greatness. When God’s blessings are enumerated in the Quran, the reciter’s heart overflows with gratitude; when God’s retribution is described in the Quran, the reciter trembles on reading it; when an order is laid down in the Quran, the feeling becomes intensified in the reciter that he should become the obedient subject of his Lord by carrying out that order.
Literally ‘weighty words’ refers to that order for giving warning which is mentioned in the next chapter, ‘Arise and give warning’ (74: 2). This means inform people about the hazards of the Hereafter. Undoubtedly this is the most difficult task in the world. For this, the missionary has to stand by the pure and unadulterated Truth, even if he becomes a stranger to all his people. He has to tolerate being tormented by the people, so that the relationship between him and his addressees remains unaffected till the last moment. He has to be unilaterally governed by the principles of patience and avoidance of confrontation, so that his status as da‘i should not be damaged.
Surely, getting up at night [for worship] is the most potent means of subduing the self and most suitable for the word [of prayer]. You have by day prolonged occupations [with Dawah work]. Remember the name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him wholeheartedly. He is the Lord of the East and the West, there is no deity but Him, so take Him as your Guardian. Bear patiently with what they say, and ignore them politely. Leave it to Me to deal with the deniers, who live a life of comfort, and bear with them a little longer. We have in store for them heavy fetters and a blazing Fire, food that chokes and painful punishment on the Day the earth and mountains shall shake and the mountains crumble into shifting sand dunes. (73: 6-13)
Delivering the call for acceptance of the Truth means initiating the most difficult campaign. One who does so becomes persona non grata in his entire surroundings. In such conditions, the only Being whom the preacher of Truth finds as his sympathiser and supporter is his Lord. He not only goes on remembering his God in his heart, but he also stands before Him during the night. Night time is the time of leisure. In the dead silence of night man finds a better opportunity to turn towards God with full concentration. In the path of the mission of Truth, strewn as it is with difficulties, this is the only real weapon which the missionary has.
It is the way of a true preacher that, when he is troubled by an addressee, he does not inveigh against or argue with him, but rushes towards God. He abstains from negative reaction till the last moment. And to continue to work, rising above such a reaction, is the essential condition which makes a man a missionary of the Truth in the real sense.