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The Da’wah (Invitation) and Power (Quwwah)

Allah (swt) said:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

Indeed we have sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might (Al-Hadeed 25).

Allah Subhaanahu created all creatures and he alone knows what is suitable for them, what benefits them and what establishes their lives upon goodness and guidance. There are from amongst the people the one who is affected by the good word and exhortation, and as a result he changes his conduct, straightens his affair and removes his acts of disobedience. There are also those people who are obstinate and proud despite knowing that it is the truth. He comes across the clear Aayaat and witnesses the overwhelming proofs and yet he turns his back to them as if he has not heard them. With this type of person, strength is required along with the Da’wah (invitation), and the sword is required with the words, so that he proceeds upon the correct path or (alternatively) he is dealt with in a manner that puts an end to his corruption and evil.

And in this way Allah (swt) has made some of the people a check against other people when the Hikmah (wisdom) and Maw’izhah (exhortation) is not sufficient, so that the corruption and those who cause it are dealt with. This is so that the goodness will be dominant and the people’s affairs will be rectified.

Allah (swt) says:

وَلَوْلا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَفَسَدَتِ الْأَرْضُ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

And if it were not for Allah checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted, but Allah is full of bounty to the worlds (Al-Baqarah 251).

And:

وَلَوْلا دَفْعُ اللَّهِ النَّاسَ بَعْضَهُمْ بِبَعْضٍ لَهُدِّمَتْ صَوَامِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَاتٌ وَمَسَاجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا اسْمُ اللَّهِ كَثِيرا

And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is mentioned a lot (Al-Hajj 40).

This picture has been demonstrated in Islaam in the clearest of meanings from the time that Allah (swt) dispatched His Messenger (saw) to call the people in Makkah secretly and openly to Allah (swt) until he (saw) sought the Nusrah (support) from the tribes and the Ansaar (rah) responded positively to him in Al-Madinah. So the State was established in their midst and the Da’wah became linked to power and strength. The Messenger (saw) and his companions (rah) then performed Al-Jihaad for Allah, to make the Haqq (truth) prevail, to spread justice and to remove any force that stood in the face of the Da’wah to Allah and its spreading and expansion.

Allah (swt) said:

وَقَاتِلُوهُمْ حَتَّى لا تَكُونَ فِتْنَةٌ وَيَكُونَ الدِّينُ كُلُّهُ لِلَّه

And fight them until there is not more Fitnah (strife and trial) and the Deen belongs completely to Allah (Al-Anfaal 39).

As such the Islamic Da’wah was connected to and directed towards reaching the establishment of the Islamic State. Therefore the Da’wah must have a State that protects it and carries it: The kindly word is utilised with the people of sound Fitrah (nature) and minds whilst the sword (i.e. force) is utilised to those who deny and disbelieve in the truth after it has come to them and who transgress and remain arrogant despite the clear signs and evidences that they have been exposed to and the definite decisive proof that refutes their falsehood and strikes at their ears and sight.

And this Noble Aayaat from the Book of Allah mentioned at the beginning of this article is general in relation to the Da’wah and strength:

Allah (swt) said:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

Indeed we have sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might (Al-Hadeed 25).

By examining it we find:

1) Allah (swt) explains in the beginning of the Aayah that He (swt) sent His Messengers to the people accompanied with decisive arguments and stark clear proofs which guided to and indicated the truthfulness of the Messenger who had been sent to them in a confirming manner and that he is a Messenger from Allah without the least amount of doubt. In addition Allah (swt) explains that he has sent along with His Messengers the Book in order for them to judge and rule between the people in respect to what they differ in. So he establishes justice amongst them, removes the oppression and provides everyone with his due right.

Breakdown of vocabulary in the Aayah:

Al-Bayyinaat: The decisive arguments and clear proofs.

Al-Kitaab: It is an Ism Jins (Name of a type) prefixed with Alif and Laam and therefore it is a Lafzh ‘Aamm (general expression) meaning books and not just a single book.

Al-Mezaan: It a Kinaayah (metaphor) for justice (‘Adl) and it includes the revealed book but has been mentioned by way of mentioning the Khaass (specific) after the ‘Aamm (general) to make it stand out.

Therefore Allah (swt) sends His Messengers with Al-Bayyinaat and Al-Kitaab so that the people are guided and are ruled by justice.

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ

Indeed we have sent Our messengers with clear evidences (Al-Bayyinaat) and sent down with them the Scripture (Al-Kitaab) and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice.

2) After Allah (swt) mentioned that he sent His Messengers with Al-Bayyinaat and Al-Hudaa (guidance) He (swt) mentions after this that He also sent Al-Hadeed (iron) and this is a Kinaayah (metaphor) for power, strength and the means for conducting warfare so that the Deen of Allah is made victorious by way of Al-Jihaad. This is so that the Haqq (truth) is affirmed and the Baatil (falsehood) is vanquished. So the strength and force is the way to repel the corrupted, corrupters, arrogant and those who are stubborn in front of the clear arguments of Allah and His proofs. The Quwwah (strength and force) is also the way to remove the obstacles that lie in the way of raising the word of Allah (swt) high and the way for bringing honour to His Deen.

Then Allah (swt) states that in the force used to attain the Haqq there are benefits for the people as this power and force deals decisively with the oppression and tyranny and spreads security and safety. The weak person does not fear that his right will be lost whilst no force will dare to usurp and unjustly take the rights of others or persecute those who cannot defend themselves. All of this represents a benefit to the people and the spread of goodness.

وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ

And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people

3) And at the end of the Aayah Allah (swt) explains that the battlefield is the place that distinguishes the Khabeeth from the Tayyib (The bad from the good or impure from the pure). And it is what will reveal to the people that which Allah (swt) knows in terms of those who are supporting His Deen and those who are not. It reveals the one who supports the Deen of Allah and the one who betrays it, and the one who remains firm upon the battlefield and the one who flees from it without looking back.

In addition it reveals the one who is true and sincere in supporting Allah, the one who gives his support to Allah as if he can see Him (swt) and if he does not see Him then with the knowledge that Allah sees him. So he gives his support to Allah without seeing him in the Dunyaa and despite this he is a believer with true Imaan, fighting in the way of Allah with Imaan and anticipation that Allah will be pleased with him on the day that he meets Him. These sincere Mujaahideen who support the Deen of Allah are given glad tidings of victory from Allah (swt) Al-Qawwiy Al-‘Azeez, the irresistible above his slaves, nothing escapes his will and power in the heavens and the earth.

So that Allah may make evident those who support him: This means that those who aid the cause of Allah will be shown in front of the eyes of the people.
Who support Him and His messengers unseen: Meaning that the person will give support to Allah and His cause whilst not seeing Allah in this Dunyaa. This is in line with the statement of Ibn Abbaas (ra): ‘They support Him and they do not see Him’.

Therefore the power and force that Allah (swt) has made in the Dunyaa and the means of fighting represent the yardstick and criterion by which the people are distinguished: It distinguishes between the one who supports Allah and the one who turns away, and between the one who fights in the way of Allah to raise His word high and the one who fights for show or under the shade of hypocrisy.

وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

So that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

The carriers of the Da’wah need to comprehend the meanings of this Noble Aayah so that they know that it is necessary for the Da’wah to have a State that protects it and carries it. This is so that they can carry the Da’wah just as the Messenger of Allah (saw) carried it and establish the State just as the Messenger of Allah (saw) established it, following his methodology and being guided by his guidance, and with that the victory from Allah and a near conquest will come and give good tidings to the believers.

From the archives of Al-Waie magazine.

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