Effect on the Audience

background. Instead, thoughts of them arose from the perspective that “a movement cannot succeed without engaging with the majority group in the country.” As a result, the true nature of non-Muslims faded in the minds of those influenced by this interpretation. They were not concerned with rescuing them from the accountability of the Hereafter; rather, they began viewing them as a group whose “opinions” needed to be “shaped” in favor of the movement to secure their votes. An illustrative example of this mentality can be seen in the following clause from Article 5 of the Constitution of the Jamaat: “The organization will pursue its objectives through constructive and peaceful means. It will achieve this by reforming minds and character through preaching, persuasion, and the dissemination of ideas, thus preparing public opinion to bring about the desired righteous revolution in the country’s social life.” Observe how, in this interpretation, non-Muslims, who are fundamentally the subject of our reminder regarding the Day of Meeting (Yawm al-Talaq), have been reduced to a matter of shaping public opinion. It’s as if, as long as they align with us at the ballot box, there’s no further need to think about them. For, according to this view, this alone suffices to bring about a righteous transformation in “collective life.”