The Demands of Worship

political organization. The question just does not arise of appointing a political leader over a scattered group of believers. That is to say, this commandment is not absolute. It means simply that when a group of Muslims has a social organization, it is incumbent upon it to organize its social life on the foundations of religion and to appoint a political leader in order to lead an organized life under his leadership. Political leadership is a manifestation of the social authority of a definable group. Where no social authority exists, on what basis can one be ordained to carry out the commandment of Imamat? The above statement has been made from the point of view of the feasibility of enforcing commandments. But there is an equally important requirement of Islam: the principle of gradualness to be observed when enforcing the commandments. Viewed from this angle, a Muslim minority, however religiously aware, is not required to begin launching its Islamic mission as a campaign for the enforcement of Islamic laws. The same will hold true for a Muslim society which has degenerated into religious apathy, if not apostasy. Such a campaign as a first step would be tantamount to a deviation from the Islamic method of gradualness. The correct way to reform a Muslim society is to spread the basic teachings and initial commandments of religion, so that to the necessary extent, Islam’s legal and social laws become generally acceptable. Only after this stage will the time be ripe for starting a movement for the enforcement of God’s commandments. The importance of gradualness in enforcing commandments is stressed in a famous tradition of the Prophet’s wife ‘Aishah, according to which gradualness was so essential in the eyes of God that, in many instances, He did not send the believers His commandments in their full and final form. On the contrary, most of the commandments were sent in instalments. The principle of Naskh (abrogation) came into operation due to this concession as mentioned in the Quran (2:106, 16:101). According to Hudhaifah, it is impermissible for anyone who is not conversant with this principle of Naskh to preach or to explain the verses of the Quran.