The Prophetic Method

that God should forgive us when we come before Him. When Islam penetrates the depths of our consciousness, we become concerned with one thing alone: how to earn God’s favour and forgiveness. We immediately seek to mould our faith, ideas, character, actions, and all we do in life, following our overriding concern to avoid displeasing God. It is on the hereafter that we focus all our attention. We call others to Islam, making sure that we are first good Muslims ourselves: Say: “I was commanded to be the first to submit to Him.”71 Regarding its motivation, becoming the “first to submit to God” is an entirely personal affair. But in its consequences, this act has far-reaching implications for society. A volcanic eruption starts within a mountain, invisible to the eyes of humankind. But when the eruption occurs, it illuminates the surrounding area with its glow. So it is with those who first submit to God. The transformation that occurs within them has repercussions on their entire environment. The exact sequence can be found in the revelation of the Quran. The initial verses to be revealed were those dealing with personal reform. Later came the chapters dealing with the improvement of society at large. Comparing this sequence with the method adopted by the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, in the introduction to his translation of the Quran, writes: The inspiration of the Prophet progressed from inward things to outward things.72