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The Prophet and Good Tidings:
Another characteristic of the prophets and messengers is their being bringers of good tidings. The Holy Quran says:
“ O, Prophet! We have sent thee as a witness and a bearer of good tidings and a warner. And as a summoner unto Allah by His permission, and as a lamp that giveth light. And announce unto the believers the good tidings that they will have a great greac from Allah.” The Holy Quran (33: 45-47)
Giving Good tidings is so say encouragement. When one like to pursuade one’s child to do something, there are two ways to do it, either any one method at a time or both at the same time would serve the purpose.
1. Encouragement and good tidings. For example, if one wants to send one’s son to school, one give him an account of all the good thing about school and the benefits he can derive from going to school. This will encourage the child and will motivate his feeling and love for school.
2. Warning about the bad consequences: A child who has been explaind that bad consequences of not going to school that not.
Encouragement and good tidings always come first and warning follows to motivate. Sometime both method are used as both are necessary and good tidings will not suffice. Giving good tidings is necessary butt not sufficient method. The same thing applies to warning. The reason that the Holy Quran is called Sab’ almathani’ (Having seven doubles, which refers to the fast that “good tidings” and “warnings” are mentioned together seven times.) is because it makes a harmonious use of good tidings and warning. In propagation also, these two methods should be so used so that one complements the other. It is wrong to insist on only giving good tidings and forget about warnings. Both should be used, though more good tidings should be given and less of “warnings”. Hence, in the Holy Quran, the words “giving good tidings” always precede “warnings” in my verses.
Tanfir( Terrifying, Causing to Flee)
In addition to “giving good tidings” and “warnings”, there is another method, namely “Tanfir” or “Causing to Flee” Sometimes people interpret “Tanfir” as “warnings”. Warnings is used to motivate, but “Tanfir” is used to make a person run away. For example, when pulling an animal with a rope, one may terrifying noises to make the animal move faster, though the same noise may cause the animal to break the rope and run away. Concerning human beings too. some times preacher’s calls, of encouraging faith and action cause them to flee with disgust and hatred. This is a psychological principle. Many parents, for example, instead of encouraging their children to go to school or warning them against not attending school, make them abscond by terrifying them.
When the Holy Prophet set Ma’adh – Ibn – Jabal to Yemen to propagate the word of God, he said: “O Ma’adh! Give people good tidings and do not cause them to escape! Give them good tidings and do not impose trouble on them. He didn’t say “Do not warn them”, because warning is a part of the Quranic order. He said “Do not make them hate Islam!”
The Holy Prophet said to Jaber:
Lo! This religion is a firm stronghold. So, enter it with politeness and consideration. A person who hastens or tries to take short – cuts, will get now where and will leave his horse injured. So cultivate the land as if you were going to live for ever. And act as if you were going to die tomorrow.
Islam is religion of equanimity, so be fair to your self. Those who think they can reach their goal by putting pressure on themselves are wrong. Such people will never get any where. They are like a person on riding a horse from one city to another. He thinks that by riding faster he can get where he wants to in a short time. He may actually even cover some of the distance in a shorter period of time, but finally he realizes that he has not only failed to reach his destination, but has hurt his horse too.
A human being who over strains himself, though he may think he is going faster than others, will not get where he wants to and he will lose his spirit to progress just as a horse that in injured and can not walk any more.
“ There was a Muslim who had a Christian neighbour. The Christian was gradually showing and inclination towards Islam and was converted to Islam at the end by the help of his Muslim neighbour. The day after he got converted, he heard somebody knock on the door early in the morning. when he answered. it was his Muslim neighbour. who has come to take him to the Mosque. They went and performed their dawn prayer, the Nafillah prayer, the pre-sunrise prayer, the post – sunrise prayer, and so forth, They then stayed for the noon prayer, and lingered around till it was time for evening prayer. The Muslim then turned to the newly- converted Muslim and said, “Let’s make our niyyats for fasting tomorrow.”
The day after, when the Muslim went after his neighbour to take him to the Mosque, the man said, “I am not coming. The religion you practice is good for people who have nothing to else to do but pray. I am not Muslim anymore.
Imam Sadiq (A.S) then said, “ Do not be like this man who helped a Christian to accept Islam and then made him flee from it,”
Importance of “ Tanfir ( Terrifying ) for propagation
There are many things which many scare away people from Islam. Some times the appearance of a Muslim make a non – Muslim hate Islam, although cleanliness is highly recommended in Islam( Safinat –al Bihar , section on cleanliness , Vol , II,p597.), and the Holy Prophet (S) was of the cleanest men of his time and he would have been so if he were living today.
Dialecticians believe that one of the conditions of prophethood is that there should be no attributes in the Prophet or Imam which would make people hate him. The Prophet or Imam should have no physical handicap or disability because things create repulsion and disgust. They should be attractive, or at least no repelling in appearance.
Someone propagating for Islam should also have such qualifications. His words should not scare people away from Islam – too much reproach or too much rudeness, for example, is condemned. There are cases when reproaching is fruitful. For example, a wrong – doer may change his attitude if he is influenced by someone’s reproach. Most of the time, however, reproach scares people away.
Some people always insist on the problem of being religious, while the Holy Prophet said to Ma’adh, “ Make it easy (for them) and not cumbersome.” He also, “God sent me with a religion which is forgiving and generous (I don’t remember to have seen exactly the same statement any where, but in kafi vol.P,497.I have seen: “I was not for seclusion but to conduct the right path which is easy and munificent ).
How can a religion be indulgent? A religion has his principles. For example, it says that ablution is a must, but if there is a woundor sickness which gets worse by washing, ablution is not necessary. This is where the religion is indulgent. Islam is not a religion based on obstinacy and stubbornness, but on due indulgence. It says fasting is obligatory but intentional breaking of fast is a cardinal sin. At the same time it says that if you are traveling and fasting may cause you harm if you are sick, then you can fast some time afterwards, whenever possible.
“..and (for) him who is sick amony you, or on a journey,
( he may fast for the same) number of other days. Allah desireth for you ease, He desireth not hardship for you.” The Holy Quran, ( 2: 184)
If you are afraid that fasting or an ablution may harm you, then refrain from it, even if your fear is based on the medical advice of an infidel or heretic. There are also other cases where Muslims are exempted from fasting, like old age, and pregnancy.
The late Ayatullah, Haj Sheikh Abdulkarim Hayeri ( peace be upon him) used to fast even when he was very old and weak and fasting was difficult for him. So people enquired as to the reason, as he himself had written in his answered that his verdict was correct and confessed that he was old enough and was exempted from fasting. Then they asked him why he didn’t break his fast? He replied that his nature stopped him from doing so. Islam is a generous religion and it is this indulgence which attracts people. That is the reason why the Holy Prophet (S) said. “A propagator should propagate the indulgence and ease associated with this religion, and he should set a practical example so that people are encouraged to accept Islam.”
منابع
- noble character of the Holy prophet of islam- pages:132to135 and 138to142
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