Of all the things required of the prophets...

Of all the things required of the prophets, offering proofs to the people and performing miracles combined with decisive reasoning leave no room for any excuses. Nothing must withhold people from exercising their free choice. Once they stick to their beliefs, they will prosper and once they refuse to do so they will be tormented. There is no compulsion in that. The verse says: “He said: “O my People!

Bethink you, if I be upon a clear proof from my Lord, and He has grant me mercy from His Presence, but has been obscured for you; shall we compel you to (accept) it while you are averse to it?” Surah Hud – Verse 29 وَيَا قَوْمِ لآ أَسْأَلُكُم عَلَيْهِ مَالاً إِنْ أَجْرِيَ إِلاَّ عَلَي اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَاْ بِطَارِدِ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا إِنَّهُم مُلاَقُوا رَبّهِمْ وَلَكِنّي أَرَاكُمْ قَوْماً تَجْهَلُونَ 29. “And O’ my People! I ask you no wealth for it.

My reward is only upon Allah, and I will not drive away those who believe, (for) verily they shall meet their Lord, but I see you are an ignorant people.” The secret of a preacher’s success is his lack of over expectation with regard to people and not letting himself be stymied by the objections of the wealthy corrupt classes. If the prophets were seeking illegitimate profits, they would call on the aristocrats and not the poor, on the princes not on the paupers.

The followers of the prophets are the oppressed people and they never neglect them. The prophets are never greedy for the people’s property. Their sole purpose, according to their mission is to save the people from their ignorance and from the Divine punishment. The verse says: “And O’ my People! I ask you no wealth for it.

My reward is only upon Allah, and I will not drive away those who believe, (for) verily they shall meet their Lord, but I see you are an ignorant people.” Surah Hud – Verse 30 وَيَا قَوْمِ مَن يَنصُرُنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ إِن طَرَدتُّهُمْ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ 30. “And O my people! Who will help me against Allah if I drove them away?

Will you not then reflect?” The Qur’an further explains the situation in this verse, and from the tongue of the prophet to his people, it implies that if he cast out this group, who in this world can come to his assistance in that great Court of Justice? The verse says: “And O my people! Who will help me against Allah if I drove them away?...” Driving out the righteous and faithful believers is no easy matter.

✦ ✦ ✦