Introducing truth and calling people to accept it is the religious, moral and social responsibility of every Muslim who knows the truth and has already accepted it. Every Muslim is a member of humanity. He essentially has love, sympathy and compassion towards every other member of the human society. He is also a sincere well-wisher of all human beings irrespective of their caste, creed, race, colour, language or nationality. Hence he has to share with them his knowledge of the path that can lead to eternal happiness and guard them against the eternal punishment. From this we can learn that propagating the message of Islam is a fundamental and important task of every Muslim.
When we analyse the life or Prophet Ibrahim, his life and his Dawah struggle was very well organised. The work of Prophet Ibrahim was divided in four stages, namely his family, society, religious scholars and the king. First, at the family stage, he invited his father Azar to Islam; secondly, at the society stage, he invited the common people to Islam through various examples using, the stars, the moon and the sun; thirdly, towards the religious scholars, where he indulged in a dialogue with them and told them to ask the big idol as to who chopped the heads of all other idols; and fourthly, toward the kind Namrud, where he asked him whether he could make the sun rise from the west.
The propagation methodology adopted by Prophet Ibrahim can be understood as a theory for people to learn and understand as to how one needs to propagate the message of Islam at different levels. From the Qur’ān we can learn that Prophet Ibrahim propagated the message of Islam at four levels, family, people, religious leaders and the ruler of that time. The following is the detailed explanation about the various levels of proportion from the life of Prophet Ibrahim:
FAMILY LEVEL
God says in the Qur’ān, “(Mention) when he said to his father, “O my father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?”” (Qur’ān 19:42). God also says in the Qur’ān, “When he said to his father and his people, “What do you worship?” They said, “We worship idols and remain to them devoted.” He said, “Do they hear you when you supplicate? Or do they benefit you, or do they harm you?”” (Qur’ān 26:70-73).
This is a conversation of Prophet Ibrahim which is recorded in the Qur’ān. The most amazed and furious was his father (or his uncle who had raised him), as it is well known, he not only worshipped idols but sculpted and sold them as well. Prophet Ibrahim felt that it was his duty as a good son to advise his father against this evil so that he could be saved from Allah’s punishment. Being a wise son, he did not make his father feel foolish, nor did he openly laugh at his conduct. He told him that he loved him, thereby hoping to generate fatherly love. Then he gently asked him why he worshipped lifeless idols who were neither able to hear nor was he able to see him, then how could that god benefit him or harm him.
PEOPLE LEVEL
God says in the Qur’ān, “So when the night covered him (with darkness), he saw a star. He said, “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said, “I like not those that disappear.” And when he saw the moon rising, he said, “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said, “Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray.” And when he saw the sun rising, he said, “This is my lord; this is greater.” But when it set, he said, “O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah. Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created the heavens and the earth, inclining towards the truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah.” (Qur’ān 6:76-79).
God also says in the Qur’ān, “And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah, who created them, if it should be Him that you worship” (Qur’ān 41:37).
In the first set of verses Prophet Ibrahim clarified to his people that these celestial bodies do not serve as deities and cannot be worshipped as partners with Allah. Indeed these bodies are created things, fashioned, controlled, managed and made to serve. They appear sometimes and disappear at others, going out of sight from our world. However, Allah does not lose sight of anything, and nothing can be hidden from Him. He is without end, everlasting without disappearance and here is no other deity but Allah.
In the next set of verse, we learn that Prophet Ibrahim made clear to them, first that the celestial bodies are unworthy of worship and second that they are among the signs of Allah. The reasoning of Prophet Ibrahim helped to reveal the truth, and then the conflict between him and his people began for the worshippers of the stars and planets.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS LEVEL
When everyone went to the other side of the river for a grand celebration, Prophet Ibrahim went to the temple with a sharp axe. He then raised his axe and started smashing the false gods worshipped by the people. He destroyed them all except one on whose neck he hung the axe. After this his anger subsides and he felt at peace. He left the temple. He had fulfilled his vow to show his people a practical proof of their foolishness in worshipping something other than Allah.
When the priests returned to the temple from the celebration, they were shocked to see their idols smashed to pieces, lying scattered all over the temple. They began to guess who had done that to their idols and Ibrahim’s name came to their minds. Then the priests called him and asked him if he was responsible for breaking the idols. To which Ibrahim responded saying, “… Rather, this, the largest of them, did it, so ask them if they should (be able to) speak” (Qur’ān 21:63).
The conversation of Prophet Ibrahim with them, which is recorded in the Qur’ān, helps us learn how he adopted a unique approach while conveying the message of Islam to the priests by asking them to ask the biggest idol which was not broken. He told them that he must be the culprit. They replied that he knew well that the idol could not speak or move. They realised the senselessness of their beliefs; however, their arrogance would not allow them to admit their foolishness.
This gave Prophet Ibrahim a chance to prove the foolishness of worshipping these lifeless objects. To which Prophet Ibrahim said, “… Do you worship that which you (yourself) carve, While Allah created you and that which you do.” (Qur’ān 37:95-96) These verses also show us as to how Prophet Ibrahim used a unique argument to tell the priest that how they could worship the idols which they have carved themselves.
RULER LEVEL
God says in the Qur’ān, “Have you not considered the one who argued with Ibrahim about his Lord (merely) because God had given him kingship? When Ibrahim said, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death,” he said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim said, “Indeed, God brings up the sun from the east, so bring it up from the west.” So the disbeliever was overwhelmed (by astonishment), and God does not guide the wrongdoing people” (Qur’ān 2:258).
Prophet Ibrahim confronted with the king of Iraq called Namrud, who also called himself God. After Prophet Ibrahim came out of the fire unharmed, a large portion of the society started believing in God and him being a prophet of God. After this the king felt that his throne was in danger, and that he was losing power.
Seeing this situation, Namrud wanted to debate with Prophet Ibrahim to show his people that he was God and Prophet Ibrahim was a liar. Namrud asked Prophet Ibrahim, “What can your God do that I cannot?” Prophet Ibrahim replied, “My Lord is He who gives life and death.” Nimrod then shouted, “I give life and death.” He immediately ordered an innocent person to be killed by the royal executioner. Then he freed a prisoner who was on death row. He turned his attention to Prophet Ibrahim and said, “Did you see how I can also give life and death?” Seeing this, Prophet Ibrahim said, “My Lord makes the sun rise from the East. Can you make it rise from the West?” Nimrud was confounded. He was beaten at his own game, on his own territory and in front of his own people. Prophet Ibrahim left him there speechless and went back to continue his mission.
Islam is a philosophy and the way of life presented by the creator of this universe for the salvation of the entire mankind. The mission of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) was universal. The Islamic community also has a universal character. Therefore, naturally, the responsibility of the Muslim community to propagate the truth is also universal in dimension. Every person and every human group, including even the professed enemies of Islam deserves to be conveyed the truth. It is the birth right of every human being, to be shown the right path that would lead him to the heaven and save him from the trauma of hellfire. Thus, every individual, group, organisation and movement should strive to propagate the message of Islam to their family members, people around them, religious leaders and to rulers.