The Finality of Prophethood

There was no other path that they could have opted for: they had to accept the religion of the Prophet. Old enemies were now turned into friends. In fact, if the deeds of the Prophet of Islam were to be subtracted from history, such examples would be eliminated, where not only the external political structure is transformed but also the very innermost recesses of human beings. One important part of the sunnah of the Prophet of Islam is trust in human nature. We find examples of his following this principle throughout his entire life. Man is not a statue made of stones. Rather he has a precious gift within him in the form of human nature. This nature is the most important part of a human personality. This is what is referred to in the Quran in the following verse: By the soul and how He formed it, then inspired it to understand what was right and wrong for it. (The Quran, 91:7-8) This shows that everyone by birth wants to know what is good and what is bad; what is wrong and what is right. This means that the dawah about to be presented by the dayee is already vaguely or unconsciously known to the madu. Therefore, when the dayee issues to man the call of truth, it is as if it is a known message for the madu and as if the dayee is trying to bring the message to the madu from the unconscious to the conscious. This fact gives the dayee conviction that the message he is going to deliver to the madu had already been inculcated in his nature from the time of his birth. The madu, by his own inner nature, is compelled to acknowledge the truth. The realization of this fact saves the dayee from frustration. He is able to ignore the apparent recklessness or opposition on the part of the madu and continue to present the message with the conviction that, one-day or another, the madu will certainly welcome his words of wisdom. The dawah life of the Prophet of Islam is replete with examples of such conviction and confidence. In spite of apparent antagonism, his conviction was never shaken, that one day or the other the hearts of his hearers would be opened, and their human nature would be compelled to accept the message. That is the reason why, in spite of the worst opposition, he never cursed people who were apparently his enemies. Instead he always prayed for them. For instance, when Tufayl Ibn Amr Ad Dausi came to Makkah and accepted Islam, he was sent by the Prophet to his tribe to give them the call of Tawhid. Far from listening to him, they tormented him. Tufayl again came to the Prophet and said to him: ‘O Prophet, my tribe, the Daus has become an oppressor. So curse them.’ But the Prophet did not curse them. Instead he raised his hands and prayed in these words: ‘O God, give them guidance.’ (Seerah Ibn Hisham Vol. 1, p. 394) After praying for them, the Prophet asked Tufayl to go back to his tribe and deal with them gently, in spite of their hardness towards him, and to be their well-wisher and speak to them