(Friday speech delivered by Imam Mohamed
Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, NC on July 3, 1998)
For the last two Fridays, when we asked the question: What
is our role in this age and in this society? We said: Our role is the same as the role of the great past messengers that
Allah sent to the people. This is because we are their heirs till the Last Day, and we now know that their first task was
conveying the message in the clearest way, their second task was the Da'wah, calling people to Allah, and their third
task was giving glad tidings and warnings.
Today, we will continue discussing the other tasks of the
messengers so that we will know our role and tasks.
Fourth: Reforming and purifying the People's Souls.
When people live in ignorant societies, that are not ruled
by the Deen of Allah and are not guided by Allah's legislation, they get corrupted, and corruption reaches the depth
of their thoughts, their visions, their manners, and morals. So, it is a must that someone reform and purify these souls,
and bring them back to their pure natural state that Allah created them with.
Allah made this difficult task from the tasks of the great
messengers; that is reforming and purifying the souls of those people who accepted and embraced Islam as a way of life.
We see Mousa (S.A.W.) when Allah sent him to the Pharaoh
with a clear task. So, Allah said in Surat An-Nazi’at, (Verses 17-19), what can be translated as, "Go to Pharaoh,
verily, he has transgressed all bounds. And say to him: "Would you purify yourself (from the sin of disbelief). And that I
guide you to your Lord, so you should fear Him."
We also see Ibrahim (S.A.W.), after he finished building
Allah's House, supplicating to Allah to send in his progeny after him someone who will purify them. Allah (S.W.T.) said in
Surat Al-Baqarah, (Verse 129), what can be translated as, "Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own, who
shall recite unto them Your Verses and teach them the Book (this Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (Wisdom), and sanctify
them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." Allah (S.W.T.) responded to his supplication by sending the prophet Mohammed
(S.A.W.). Allah (S.W.T.) also said in Surat Al-Jumu’ah, (Verse 2), what can be translated as, "He it is Who sent
among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Mohammed S.A.W.) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them,
and teaching them the Book (this Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (Wisdom). And verily, they had been before in manifest
error."
Allah (S.W.T.) made success or failure a result of purified
souls or unpurified ones. So, he said in Surat Ash-shams, (Verse 9 & 10), what can be translated as, "Indeed he
succeeds who purifies his ownself. And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself. He also said in Surat Al-A’la,
(Verse 14), what can be translated as, "Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success." Allah (S.W.T.) also made
entering Paradise and living in it forever a reward for the one who purified himself/herself. Allah (S.W.T.) says in Surat
Ta-Ha,(Verse 76), what can be translated as, "Everlasting Gardens under which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever:
such is the reward of those who purify themselves."
Fifth: Correcting Misguidance and Corruption in the Life
of the People.
When people live in ignorant societies that are not ruled
by the Deen of Allah and are not guided by the legislation of Allah, their societies get corrupted, and this corruption
reaches the depth of their dealings. So, it is a must that someone reforms these societies and makes them live according to
the Deen of Allah (S.W.T.).
Allah (S.W.T.) made this difficult task from the tasks of
the great messengers, that they uprooted corruption that spread in the societies and fought it because it is a transgression
and oppression.
So, every messenger that Allah sent used to call his people
to follow the straight path, the path of Allah (S.W.T.). And to clarify it to them and guide them to it. This is common among
all the messengers; their first slogan was, "O’ People submit yourself to Allah only, surely you don’t have a
Lord other than him."
After this call and based on it, we find every messenger
uprooting all kinds of corruption in his society.
We see the prophet Hood (S.AW.) denying his people the arrogance
on the earth and oppression. So, Allah (S.W.T) said in Surat Ash-Shu’ara, (Verse 128-131) that Hood said, what
can be translated as, "Do you build high palaces on ever high place, while you do not live in them? And do you get for yourselves
palaces as if you will live therein forever. And when you seize, you seize as tyrants. Now fear Allah, keep your duty to Him,
and obey me."
We see the prophet Salih(S.A.W.) denying his people the corruption
on the earth and following those who do mischief. So, Allah (S.W.T.) said in Surat Al-Araf, (Verse 74), what Salih
said to his people, what can be translated as, "…So remember the graces from Allah, and do not go about making mischief
on the earth." And Allah (S.W.T.) also says in Surat Ash-Shu’arah, (Verse 152 & 153), what can be translated
as, "So fear Allah, keep you duty to Him, and obey me. And do not obey the command of Al-Musrifen (i.e. their chiefs,
leaders who were polytheists, criminals and sinners against the law of Allah). Who make mischief in the land, and do not reform.
We see the prophet Loot (S.A.W.) denying his people the despicable
act of homosexuality that spread among them. So, he (S.W.T.) said about this story in Surat Al-Ara’f, (Verse
80 & 81), what can be translated as, "And (remember) Loot when he said to his people: "Do you commit the worst sin such
as none preceding your has committed in the Alamin (mankind and jinn)? Verily, you practice you lusts on men instead
of women. Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (by committing great sins.)." Also Allah (S.W.T.) says in
Surat Al-Ankabut, (Verse 29), what can be translated as, "Verily, you perform sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer
(travelers etc.)! And practice Al-Munkar in your club…"
We see the prophet Shu'ayb (S.A.W.) denying his people the
crime of cheating when using the weight scale. So, Allah (S.W.T.) said in Surat Ash-Shuara, (Verse 181-183), what Shu’ayb
said to his people, what can be translates as, "Give full measure, and cause no loss (to others). And weigh with the true
and straight balance. And do not defraud the people by reducing their things, nor do evil, making corruption and mischief
in the earth."
We see the prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.) denying his people the
crime of killing innocent children, and legislating for themselves what Allah (S.W.T.) has not permitted. Allah (S.W.T.) says
in Surat Al-An’am, (Verse 140), what can be translated as, "Indeed lost are they who have killed their children,
from folly, without knowledge, and have forbidden that which Allah has provided for them, inventing a lie against Allah. They
have indeed gone astray and were not guided." He (S.W.T.) also says to them in Surat Al-Ma’idah, (Verse 103),
what can be translated as, "Allah has not instituted things like Bahira (a she-camel whose milk was spared for the
idols and nobody was allowed to milk it) or a Sa’iba (a she-camel let loose for free pasture for their false
gods), or a Wasila (a she-camel set free for idols because it has given birth to a she-camel at its first delivery
and then again gives birth to a she-camel with its second delivery) or a Haam (a stallion-camel freed from work for
their idols, after it had finished a number of copulations assigned for it, all these animals were liberated in honor of idols
as practiced by pagan Arabs in Pre-Islamic times). But those who disbelieve invent lies against Allah, and most of them have
no understanding."
The sixth task is to run our affairs as Muslims according
to the laws of Allah:
If the people accept and embrace the message of the messengers,
they become one Jama’ah (group of people) and this Jama’ah progress and develop to become an Ummah,
and this Ummah needs someone who can run its affairs and lead it. The great messengers were the ones who took on this
great responsibility and ruled the people with the rules of Allah and His legislations. Allah (S.W.T.) says in Surat,
Al-Baqarah (Verse 213), what can be translated as, "Mankind was one Ummah (nation) and Allah sent Prophets with glad
tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed…"
Allah (S.W.T.) proclaims the mission of Dawud (S.A.W.) on
earth, so he said in Surat Sa’d, (Verse 26), what can be translated as, "O’ David! Verily! We have placed
you as Khalifah (a successor) on earth, so judge between people in truth and do not follow the desire - for it will
mislead you from the Path of Allah…"
The prophets of the children of Israel used to rule their
people with the Torah. The prophet Mohammed (S.A.W.) says in a Hadith reported by Imam Bukhari, Muslim and others,
"The children of Israel used to be ruled by the prophets; when a prophet perished, another prophet arose (to rule them)."
Allah (S.W.T.) speaks about this in Surat Al-Maidah, (Verse 44), what can be translated as, "Verily, We did
send down the Torah (to Moses), therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah’s
Will, ruled the Jews. And the Rabbis and the priests (too ruled the Jews by the Torah after those Prophets) for to them was
entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book." Allah (S.W.T.) also says about the Christians; the people of Injeel
in the same Surah, in (Verse 47), what can be translated as, Let the People of the Gospel rule by what Allah has revealed
therein. And whosoever does not rule by what Allah has revealed (then) such (people) are the Fasiqun (disobedient).
Then, Allah (S.W.T.) says to the prophet Mohammed
(S.A.W.) in the same Surah, (Verse 48), what can be translated as "And We have sent down to you (O Mohammed) the Book
(this Qur’an) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Mohayminan (trustworthy in highness)
over it (old Scriptures). So judge between them by what Allah has revealed , and do not follow their vain desires, diverging
away from that which has come to you…" He also says to the prophet (S.A.W.), in Surat An-Nisa’, (Verse
105), what can be translated as "Surely, We have sent down to you (O’ Mohammed) the Book (this Qur’an) in truth
that you might judge between people by that which Allah has shown you…"
Finally, we summarize that our role today
is the same as the role of the blessed messengers of Allah, because we are their successors till the day of judgment:
First, conveying the message of Islam in the clearest way.
Second, calling all people to Allah.
Third, giving glad tidings and warnings, which were given
to us by Allah.
Fourth, reforming and purifying the souls of the people.
Fifth, correcting Misguidance and Corruption in the Life
of the People.
Sixth, is to run our affairs as Muslims according to the
laws of Allah.
