The First Image
Tearful Eyes
The first picture has been preserved for us by Abdullah Bin Masud. He narrates
as follows:
“One day I was present before the Prophet (S.A.W) who was sitting on his pulpit.
Addressing me, the Prophet (S.A.W) said: ‘Abdullah, come and recite from the
Qur’an to me.’”
In amazement and respect I asked: ‘Shall I recite it to you on whom it has been
revealed?’
He said: ‘I like to hear it from others.’
So I started to recite Surah Nisa (The Women). When I reached the verse:
‘How
will it be then when We bring from each nation a witness, and We bring you (O
Muhammad) as a witness against these people?’ (4:41)
There came from him a cry: ‘Stop Abdullah, recite no more!’ I raised my head to
look at him. Both of his eyes were overflowing with tears.
Look at this picture with attention. What could be that great responsibility the
appreciation of which melted the heart and brought tears to the eyes? It is the
obligation to stand witness to the Truth before the slaves of Allah. It is the
responsibility of the da’wah (invitation to the religion of God). It is because
of the deep sense of accountability. One day Allah will question the extent the
duty has been performed. What would be the reply? Look at the love he has for
his Lord! Admire his fear of confronting his Master. What a strange and
appealing combination of love and fear! Mark his compassion and mercy for
mankind. Such was his faith in the Divine Word that only a few verses brought
all the love, fear and kindness to his eyes in the form of tears. How can one
help not loving such a picture?
Now, have a look at yourself in the light of this picture. You know that as
Muslims you have been raised as an Ummah to stand witness to the Truth in front
of your nation and the rest of the world. This is the objective of your life.
For this cause you have organized yourselves. Day and night you repeat, Shariah
(Islamic Order), Deen (the rule of Allah), ‘witness to the Truth’. Let us be
honest and speak the truth. How many times have we cried, during the day or
night, thinking of the hour when Allah will make us stand before Him to account
for as a witness to the people living around us? What will then our position be?
You know it very well that you too are obliged to stand witness to the Truth
before the world in the way the Prophet (S.A.W) stood in his days. You will have
to stand in front of Allah, as the Prophet (S.A.W) will. You will also be asked
if you had stood witness of the Truth in front of your household, school and
college mates, your colleagues at the workplace, the inhabitants of your town
and country, and who went ways of evil or were led astray. Were you a true or a
false witness? Were you mindful or negligent of your duty? Were you thoughtful
of all human beings or just worried about your own comforts and your own
salvation?
Did such thoughts ever move you to tears? If not, it means this image of the
Prophet (S.A.W) has not been affixed in your heart. Your heart is still devoid
of that tenderness of love for your Lord and His creatures without which your
life cannot attain any beauty and grace. You may deliver speeches, read books,
shout slogans, hold grand meetings, and what not; nothing will be fruitful
without a deep passion for and dedication to the Cause.
Viewing this picture should move you to tremble. You should shiver, and shed
tears whenever you recall that. You will be accountable for every indifference
shown to the Lord by your people who neither follow the right path nor obey Him.
You might be held responsible for the lapses of others around you.
The Second Image
The Tender, Tormented Heart
Let us take a look at the second picture. It was not drawn by any mortal but by
Him Who is “The Artist”; the entire universe speaks of the excellence and
perfection of His art. “It may be that thou tormentest thyself (O Muhammad)
because they believe not.” (26:3)
The statement is brief but the picture is complete and comprehensive. Only a few
words reflect a myriad of colors; there are several of its features that stir
the heart. One aspect is the Prophet’s (S.A.W) faith in his own truthfulness, a
faith that one has in existence of the sun on a bright sunny morning. Whatever
is beyond our sight and perception is quite evident to the Prophet
(S.A.W).
His faith is confronted by repeated denials and rejection from the disbelievers.
What would be the mental condition of the person who, pointing to the shining
sun, declared that it was day time and people refused to accept it? They brand
him as a liar, and an impostor. Could you imagine how stifling their attitude to
him would be? The people are not satisfied with only refuting his claims; they
laugh at him, turn against him, and oppress him. Think of what his heart goes
through and how correctly the Artist paints his picture by using the expression
‘tormentest thyself’.
There is another feature far more fascinating. To grieve over rejections is but
natural. Every human being suffers them. But there is one thing very hard to
visualize. The Artist brings it before our eyes. Despite rejections, accusations
and enmity, there are no signs of anger or bad will on the part of the Prophet
(S.A.W). He has only one desire, one concern, one passion: to bring this people
to the way of Allah, rescue them from the wrath of Allah and the fire of hell.
His greatest wish is that they are sent to heaven and rewarded fairly in this
world and the hereafter.
It is one of the most attractive combinations of devotion, concern and grief
from which emerge the characteristics of the picture of one who torments
himself. He is emaciating, losing control over himself and virtually dying of
this grief.
He is not aggrieved because people are not paying the attention he seeks. He is
not suffering because people are rejecting the invitation to the Truth. He is
not dying to win their confidence. The pain and the grief is because people are
rushing towards the fire like months falling in it, and are, above all, happy
and contented to die this way.
Ah! What boldness they show for the Fire! (2:175)
On the one hand he is in love with his Lord and fellow creatures. He is by
nature a compassionate being. “Mercy for the Creation”
is his title. On the
other hand, his beloved fellow human beings are running away from his beloved
Lord and almost killing themselves. Can you imagine the condition of such a
heart? The Prophet (S.A.W) is repoted to have said:
“My example is that of a man who made a fire, and when it lighted what was
around it, moths and other insects started falling into it. The man tried his
best to prevent them from falling in the fire but they disregarded him and
rushed into the fire. Now, similarly, I take hold of you by your waists to keep
you from falling into the fire, but you strive hard to fall.
Now look at yourself. Do you believe in your message so intensely as to find it
difficult to breathe when people refuse to accept it? Do you love humanity so
much so that disappointment, anger and hate do not replace the feelings of love,
sympathy and concern? Do you feel the same pangs of grief when you see people
going astray, as you would feel seeing some dear one burn in fire? After all,
among these dear ones are included your mothers and fathers, brothers and
sisters, wives and children, relatives, friends, schoolmates and colleagues. The
worldly cares, financial concerns, and hardships of those whom we love depress
us and render us well-nigh dead. All of us have been through this in some way or
another. Does the concern to deliver the message of Allah to the people, the
desire to save them from fire and lead them to salvation keep us impatient and
agitated? Do we try to hold them back and save them from disaster instead of
branding them transgressors when we see people going astray? Believe me, until
our lives reflect the image of “thou tormentest thyself’, we will not be able to
do or even think of what was successfully performed by the Prophet
(S.A.W).
By Khurram Murad