Manifestation of Prophethood in the Present Day and Age

re-established, another “nursery of heroes” must emerge. If the Prophet and his immediate successors were obliged to undergo such a rigorous initiation phase, his latter-day successors should show no reluctance to do likewise. Just as the followers of the Prophet in his day suffered all kinds of privations and courted every danger to bring Islam into a position of supremacy in the world, so have Muslims of the present day engaged in titanic struggles for its restoration. They have sacrificed their lives and properties and expended time and energy on preparing literature and lectures supporting Islam; they have travelled great distances to further the Islamic cause. Regarding the quantum of effort, the struggle of present-day Muslims in the path of Islam has far surpassed that of the Prophet’s contemporaries and his immediate successors. But as far as results are concerned, the story is very different. While the efforts of the Prophet and his companions changed the whole course of human history, present-day Muslims’ efforts have only aggravated their plight. This paradox stems from the differing psychologies that lay behind the struggle of the first Muslims on the one hand and that of modern Muslims on the other. While a sense of discovery moved the former, the latter has been driven by a sense of loss. For example, when the Quraysh sent two men to try to secure the return of those Muslims who had felt forced to emigrate to Abyssinia, the Negus (the King) called the Muslims to his court and questioned