Ushering in the Hamd Culture

USHERING IN THE HAMD CULTURE The Prophet’s Companions had a unique role: to counter the culture of associating with God things other than God and replace it with the desired divine culture of adoring God alone. T he Companions of the Prophet had a unique role: to counter the culture of associating with God things other than God and replace it with the desired divine culture of adoring God alone. In the following verse of the Quran, the word ‘fighting’ is used as prevalent in those times: “Fight them until there is no more [religious] persecution, and religion belongs wholly to God” (8:39) In ancient times, the prevailing state of affairs was that the culture of shirk had the support of political power. This was why armed confrontation had to take place with the political powers of the time to end the culture of worshipping things other than God. Consequently, God gave the commandments to the Companions to engage in a defensive war against the