The Prophet in the Quran

most cases it comes from individuals who have established their leadership in the name of religion. This reaction on the part of those addressed was something natural. For the pure call of the Prophet would amount to discrediting those who already held sway on the basis of self-styled religion. This is a situation which is unavoidable but which the preacher of truth has to face. However, its effect is confined only to the sphere in which the divine law of human trial is operative. It can never happen that opponents become so powerful as to put a stop to the dawah campaign altogether or succeed in preventing this mission from reaching its completion. A true call must reach its target of dawah according to the divine plan. Therefore, no power on earth can stop it from remaining unfulfilled. Once the message has been fully communicated, it is for the madu to accept or reject it, either fully or in part. Unilateral Well-Wishing At the battle of Uhud (3 A.H.) the number of Islam’s opponents far exceeded that of the Muslims. Consequently, the latter suffered great losses. Even the Prophet of Islam was injured. Bleeding profusely, the Prophet could not but utter these words: How will those people receive guidance who treat their Prophet in this way, one who calls them towards their Lord. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir 1/403). This was a clear case of grave injustice on the part of the Prophet. And God disapproved of an utterance of this nature. The angel Gabriel was immediately sent by God to the Prophet with these words of caution: You have no say in this affair to decide whether He will relent towards them or He will punish them: they are wrongdoers. (The Quran, 3:128) It was thus incumbent on the Prophet to become his madu’s well-wisher, even when he was subjected to all kinds of oppression and injustice, to pray for those who cast stones at him, to treat the insolent gently, to show love and affection for those who hated him; to continue to advise his hearers to follow the right path, leaving his own personal fate to God. This example set by the Prophet has to be adopted, unconditionally, by the dayee in his dealings with the madu. No other course is lawful for a preacher of truth. A Positive Response Addressing the Prophet of Islam, God says in the Quran: Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation and reason with them in a way that is best. Your Lord knows best those who have strayed away from His path, and He knows best those who are rightly guided. (The Quran, 16:125) The Quran says at another place: Who speaks better than one who calls to God and does good works and says, ‘I am surely of those who submit’? Good and evil deeds are not equal. Repel evil with what