Witness to Truth

concerned, it is still as essential to do so as before. For this task now the followers of Muhammad on him be peace, have been chosen. As the Quran says, “He has chosen you… He has given you the name of Muslims so that His Messenger may testify you, and that you yourselves may testify your fellowmen” (22:78). The final prophet has borne full witness to the Truth, and now it is our responsibility to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet, in testifying to the Truth to the nations of the world, until the Day of Judgement. This is not a subsidiary task but the very raison d’etre of the Muslim Ummah. According to the Quran, the establishment of Muhammad’s prophethood rested in the eyes of God on the fact that he scrupulously fulfilled his duty, i.e., he conveyed the message of God to his hearers. Had the prophet failed to perform this task, the duty of prophethood would have been left incomplete. “O Messenger, proclaim what is revealed to you from your Lord; if you do not, you will not have conveyed His message” (5:67). This responsibility which the Prophet bore, is also the responsibility of his followers (12:108). Just as the establishment of Muhammad’s prophethood rested on his conveying God’s guidance to the people, similarly the followers of Muhammad are entitled to be called Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad only if they continue to pass on God’s message to posterity. So we shall deserve the title of being the Prophet’s Ummah only if we continue to perform his task, i.e. carry his message from generation to generation till the Last Day. A believer must follow Islam (submission to God) till his last breath. Failing to do so tantamounts to risking hellfire. This not only compels one to follow the true religion oneself, but also gives one the zeal to struggle to save other human beings from this danger. Ibn Abd Al-Bar relates that, according to Muawiyah ibn Heeda Qushayri, when the Prophet invited the latter to Islam, he also said: “Why should I have held you by the waist to save you from the fire if not that my God will call me and will surely ask me, ‘Did you convey My message to My servants? Then I shall be able to say, ‘Yes, my God, I conveyed it to them.’ Listen, those of you who