Islamic Activism

for which a complete scheme can be chalked out in the light of the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet. 1. Positive Status Quoism in Religious Affairs Prophet Muhammad received his first prophetic call in 610 A.D. in Makkah. This city was dominated by idolaters, who had placed in the Kabah 360 idols belonging to various Arabian tribes. The Kabah had, therefore, become a religious centre for all these tribes. The presence of these idols in the Kabah was totally against the beliefs of the Prophet, an upholder of monotheism in the true sense of the word. Yet rather than make efforts to upset the status quo in Makkah, he fully engaged himself in his task of spreading the word of God, availing of whatever opportunities were available—despite the presence of the idols. In those days the Kabah was the gathering point of the inhabitants of Makkah, and meetings were held there almost daily. The Prophet began to make use of these gatherings for the purposes of da’wah. On his visit to the Kabah, instead of interfering with the idols, he would go to the people and recite the verses of the Quran to them. This policy of avoiding the idols and availing of da’wah opportunities proved to be a wise one: many people, profoundly influenced by the Quran, embraced Islam, and this without there having been any disruption of Makkah’s peaceful atmosphere. This gave an added impetus to the Prophet’s missionary endeavours. 2. Positive Status Quoism in Social Affairs: In Makkah, there was a public place known as Dar Al-Nadwah, which served as a political centre. This was