having lived for a full 40 years among his immediate addressees he was a thoroughly familiar figure locally. He knew first-hand the ailments afflicting his society. The Makkans enjoyed free, direct access to him and could communicate with him in their own language and at any time and place convenient for them. They could easily relate to him and in strict confidence. Likewise, they could verify his claims and conduct, without any difficulty. Unlike an outsider, he could not take them for a ride. That they could interact with him all the time was to their great advantage.
Under the Prophet Muḥammad’s care and guidance, man learnt how to lead a purposive life, which, in turn, benefited the larger society. His sending down by Allah, no doubt, constituted a major favour. He instructed his followers in excellent morals and manners, spiritual development and flawless conduct. The role model afforded by him is a blessing for mankind for all time and place. For, following his example, man can attain the highest rank imaginable in both worlds. Viewed thus, his advent signifies Allah’s immense favour.
What follows, in the Qur’ānic passage quoted at the outset of this chapter, is a pithy description of the Messenger’s assignment, demonstrating his central position both in matters of faith and in man’s individual and collective life. A messenger accomplishes, in the main, the following four life-enriching functions.
i. He preaches to man Allah’s revelations.
ii. He purifies man.
iii. He teaches man the Book of Allah.
iv. He imparts wisdom to man.
i. Presenting Allah’s message of guidance is his primary function, as is clear from his self-evident title of messenger. He conveys faithfully and vigorously the divine message to everyone. Transmitting the Word of Allah in its pristine purity is his main duty. This point is exemplified best by the Prophet Muḥammad’s illustrious life. Even in the face of all the obstructions and persecution faced by him, he made a point of preaching the Oneness of Allah throughout his career. He dismissed outright any compromise on this vital issue. It is on record that he paid no heed to the pleas of his affectionate guardian and uncle, Abū Ṭālib, who, swayed by tribal affiliation, asked him to soften his stance on idolatry and polytheism. With his unflinching resolve the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) communicated each and every word of the divine message, which is codified as the Qur’ān. It enabled both his immediate addressees and later generations to benefit immeasurably from divine guidance. This divine arrangement of conveying eternal guidance through the agency of a messenger and preserving it until the end of time may thus be regarded as an outstanding favour extended by Allah. For it helps mankind identify and follow the Straight Way and win His pleasure and abiding success, particularly in the After-Life.
ii. The Messenger’s other role consists in being a social reformer and spiritual mentor. Apart from preaching the Word of Allah, he sees to it that men imbibe its spirit in their individual and collective lives. Needless to add, this cannot be achieved without ensuring first their moral transformation and spiritual regeneration. These twin functions are performed by the Messenger. It is under his care that the believers manage to attain heights of moral and spiritual development. He instructs and guides them in every sphere of human activity, teaching them what is lawful and unlawful and instilling in them the belief that all their actions are closely watched by Allah. Since Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing and All-Knowing, they cannot escape Him in the slightest. Furthermore, since Allah embodies perfect justice, they are destined to be recompensed in all fairness and in full for their actions, both good and evil. Thanks to this pervading God-consciousness, believers make a point of thinking and acting only good. They thus turn into virtuous human beings, concerned solely with winning Allah’s pleasure which alone brings about their deliverance. As a result of these teachings persuasively articulated by the messenger, believers are likely to achieve moral and spiritual perfection.
This is what really happened in seventh-century Arabia, as is graphically recorded in history. When the Prophet Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) embarked on his mission, calling men to accept Allah’s final and eternal message, the Makkan Arabs, his immediate addressees, enjoyed an unenviable reputation for their evil deeds, low morality and spiritual abasement. Under the Prophet’s able guidance and affectionate care, however, these notorious people turned out to be such paragons of virtue, the likes of whom the world has not witnessed since or before them. These early Muslims or the Prophet’s Companions stand out for their excellent character, their devotion to Allah, their commitment to truth, justice and equality, and their exemplary conduct. Their model behaviour, so to speak, cast a magic rather a magnetic spell on all those with whom they came into contact. It was one of the main reasons for the phenomenal spread of Islam even in far-off lands. Wherever these early Muslims went, they won over the hearts and minds of people, which resulted in the rapid expansion and consolidation of Islam. All this was possible only because of the model provided by the Messenger as an exemplary teacher. This underscores yet another of Allah’s favours. Had Allah not assigned this role to the Messenger, the believers, in particular, and mankind in general, would not have known or scaled such heights of moral and spiritual elevation. Without the unblemished role model of the Messenger, mankind could not grasp or emulate the description of excellent conduct as spelled out in the Qur’ān, and which is expected of man by Allah.
The Messenger’s function of purifying man resided in his instructing man to shun all that may pollute him physically, morally and spiritually. For he declared what is unclean for the body and asked the believers to avoid the same so as to ensure physical cleanliness and personal hygiene. More importantly, his teachings cleansed man of such abominations as idolatry, pride, this-worldliness and all other vices. He also instructed believers in attaining the sincerity and purity of intention. In sum, the Messenger discharged the function of a reformer of mankind.
iii. Another equally important function of the Messenger is his teaching and elucidating of the Word of Allah. His role is not of a mere courier who transmits the message. Rather, it is his assignment to elaborate the message in its finer details and to bring out clearly its import, dimensions and implications. This helps the believers grasp better its meaning. As men are of different intellectual calibre, it is important that the divine message be presented before them in an idiom best suited for them. Then, there are points in the Book in their abstract or theoretical form. It is the Messenger who demonstrates these to the complete satisfaction of people. Moreover, some points are open to more than one interpretation. Once again, the Messenger performs a key role in offering its correct interpretation, which saves people from falling into a trap or wandering in error.
The role of the Messenger as a teacher par excellence is illustrated by the Prophet Muḥammad’s distinguished career. Throughout his twenty-three year long assignment as Allah’s Messenger, his main preoccupation was the elaboration of the Qur’ān, the Book of Allah, for the benefit of those around him. His devotion to this task was so absorbing that on being asked to comment on the Prophet’s conduct, his wife and close associate, ‘Ā’ishah remarked that he exemplified in practice what the Qur’ān prescribes in theory. In doing so, the Prophet acted on the Qur’ānic directive issued to him: “We have sent down unto you the Message; that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for them”, (al-Naḥl 16:44).
Had the Messenger only delivered the Book to the people, without any elucidation, or without setting his personal example, it would not have benefited people much. His advent as teacher may, therefore, be reckoned as Allah’s favour to mankind.
iv. Besides expounding the Book of Allah, the Messenger imparts guidance and wisdom in a broad, general sense to believers, enabling them to mould their lives in accordance with the way prescribed by Allah. These instructions are rooted in the Book itself. As men face varied life situations and stand in need of divine guidance, the Messenger guides them at every step. This helps them follow steadily and consistently the Straight Way shown by Allah.
This life-enriching role of a mentor was accomplished
