Al-Risala (English), August 1984

The companions of the Prophet, whose homes were demolished, for whom the earth had become a place of unmitigated oppression, who were robbed of their properties, who were so victimized and terrorized that they lived in constant fear of extermination—these very people were raised to a position of great honour. The Quraish and the Jews, the Romans and the Iranians, the Yemenis and the Ghassanis—those who took pride in their wealth and power—were meanwhile reduced to ignominy and disgrace. Every prophet who comes from God provides a criterion of divine justice. Through him God announces to man the decisions that He Himself will announce in the next world. But the Prophet of Islam gave such a display of divine justice that it became incorporated in human history. What the world experienced from him became a historical reality, like many other human experiences. Man has seen with his own eyes how God honours His faithful servants and degrades those who rebel against Him. Heaven and hell are realities that will be made manifest in the next world. But man has been given a preliminary glimpse of them in this world so that he may take heed. What really emerged with the prophethood of Mohammad was the divinity of God Himself. That is why the New Testament foretells of his prophethood as the “Kingdom of God.” There is no doubting the fact that the revolution of the Prophet had great political and strategic implications. But its main importance is as an earthly manifestation of God’s glory, a revelation of divine justice. The revolution of the Prophet Mohammad showed man in advance the realities that will come upon him in stark and absolute form in the hereafter. A believer’s joy lies in his children being God-fearing Miqdar says that in the Prophet’s day, there used to be people for and against Islam living in one house. A Muslim would see his father, son and brother following the ways of idolatry. This caused great distress. The faith which God had put in a person’s heart made him sure that if others remain in their present state, they will perish and enter hell fire. For this reason Muslims derived no joy from seeing these non-Muslim relatives. It was about such Muslims that God revealed this verse of the Quran: “Lord, give us joy in our wives and children and make us examples for those who fear you.”