The Importance and Status of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Wrong (Part Three)
The Purpose of the Invitation (Da’wah) of the Divine Prophets:
The invitation to the Almighty Allah is synonymous with the invitation to His law. The call of the Prophets (peace be upon them) primarily focused on three main points:
1. The recognition of Allah along with the acknowledgment of His names and attributes.
2. The recognition of Allah’s law, which leads to gaining His pleasure and honor.
3. The recognition of the ways of reward and punishment; the obedient receive reward, while the disobedient face punishment.
Calling people toward Allah is one of the righteous deeds, but it is not the only one, as Allah points out in Surah Al-Asr: «وَالْعَصْرِ (1) إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَفِی خُسْرٍ (2) إِلَّا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ(3)» Translation: “By time, indeed mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”
This verse illustrates that advising each other towards truth requires inviting others to the path of truth. Similarly, advising one another to patience and perseverance necessitates encouraging others to remain steadfast in the religion of Allah, both in its fundamentals and details.
Announcement of the Invitation (Da’wah)
The Noble Prophet (PBUH) conducted secret and hidden invitations for three years. Afterward, Allah, the Almighty, commanded His Prophet to publicly announce the religion of Islam, saying: «فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِکِینَ» Translation: “So declare what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists.” He also instructed the Prophet (PBUH): «وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِیرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِینَ (۲۱۴) وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَن اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ(۲۱۵)» Translation: “And warn your near relatives and lower your wing for those Muslims who follow you.” In another verse, it states: «وَقُلْ إِنِّي أَنَا النَّذِیرُ الْمُبِین» Translation: “And say, ‘I am the clear warner.’”
After the revelation of these verses, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ascended Mount Safa and called out to the tribes of Quraysh by name. When all the tribes gathered, the Prophet (PBUH) asked, “O Banu Abd al-Muttalib, O Banu Fihr, O Banu Ka’b, what if I tell you that horsemen are coming from the foot of this mountain to attack you, would you believe me?” They all replied in unison, “Yes, we would believe you.” Then the Prophet (PBUH) declared, “I am a warner to you of a severe punishment that lies ahead.”
All the people fell silent, but Abu Lahab responded, “Woe to you for the whole day! Was this the purpose of your call to us?” In response to Abu Lahab, Surah Al-Masad was revealed: «تَبَّتْ یدَا أَبِی لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ …» Translation: “Perish the hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!” (Quran 111:1).
The Impact of the Prophet’s Invitation on the Arab Society of Ignorance
Before accepting the invitation of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Arabs were engulfed in deep ignorance, immersed in the darkest period of their history. There was little trace of human traits or moral virtues. A clear picture of Arab life prior to Islam can be drawn from the words of Ja’far ibn Abi Talib (MAPH) in the court of the Negus. He said, “We were an ignorant and idol-worshipping people; we did not refrain from eating carrion, neighbors had no respect in our eyes, the weak and helpless were subjugated to the mighty, we had no shame in committing immorality, and we severed ties of kinship.”
History stands as a testament to the ignorance and humiliation the Arabs endured before Islam. However, after embracing the invitation of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the lives of the Arabs shifted towards a path of truth, leading them to the highest values of humanity. In the light of the Prophet’s invitation, the Arabs rose from the depths of humiliation to the pinnacle of honor, from the darkness of ignorance to the heights of knowledge and recognition. In less than a quarter of a century, they became the architects of the most advanced civilization and culture in human history. This monumental transformation in the lives of the Arabs was due to the authenticity of the invitation and the proper presentation of it by true call leaders to the faith—like the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions, who sacrificed themselves for the guidance and salvation of humanity, burning like candles to illuminate the path for others.
