Muhammad’s speech in the Quran. Part 9

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful

Exhortation

Creator

In the relationships between Muhammad and those opposing him, the main thing was the competition of ideologies. The doctrine established for centuries by the people, the messenger opposed by of the Quran.

Say, “In the bounty of God and in His mercy – in that let them rejoice; it is better than what they accumulate.”

 Say, “Have you seen what God has sent down to you of provision of which you have made [some] lawful and [some] unlawful?”

Say, “Has God permitted you [to do so], or do you invent [something] about God?” (10:58-59)

Opposing parties appealed to God, but the difference was in the division of powers.

Say, “Invoke those you have claimed besides Him, for they do not possess removal of harm from you or for its transfer.” (17:56)

In such a situation, the question of the validity of exhortation by the name of God inevitably arose. Opponents of the messenger were confused by the fact of Muhammad’s human nature, for which was given a logical response.

Say, “If there were upon the earth maintainers walking securely, We would have sent down to them from the heaven a maintainer [as a] messenger!”

Say, “Sufficient is God as Witness between me and you. Indeed he is ever, concerning His servants, Acquainted and Seeing!” (17:95-96)

The arguments given by the messenger to his fellow tribesmen made it possible to include the mind in the work.

Say, “Praise be to God, and peace upon His servants whom He has chosen.

Ask, “Is God better or what they associate with Him?” (27:59)

All this was intended to trigger mental activity and overcome the inertia of the intellect. But without an appeal – to think, it was impossible to awaken the consciousness of polytheists.

Say, “Have you considered: if there came to you the punishment of God or there came to you the hour – is it other than God you would invoke, if you should be truthful?” (6:40)

Say, “Have you considered: if God should take away your hearing and your sight and set a seal upon your hearts, which deity other than God could bring them [back] to you?” Look how we diversify the signs; then they [still] turn away.

Say, “Have you considered: if the punishment of God should come to you unexpectedly or manifestly, will any be destroyed but the obscurant people?” (6:46-47)

Say, “Have you considered: if God should make for you the night continuous until the day of standing before Him, what deity other than God could bring you light? Then will you not hear?”

Say, “Have you considered: if God should make for you the day continuous until the day of standing before Him, what deity other than God could bring you a night in which you may rest? Then will you not see?” (28:71-72)

There was a process of describing the qualities of the Creator, which flew in the same vein. After all, knowledge about the qualities of the Creator helped to clarify the erroneousness of views on the world.

Say, “Is it other than God I should take as a patron, Creator of the heavens and the earth? While it is He who feeds and is not fed!”

Say, “Indeed, I have been commanded to be the first who humble himself and not ever be of the one who ascribe partners to God!’ “(6:14)

Say, “If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement!” (18:109)

Say, “Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it], but most of the people do not know!” (34:36)

Human memory preserves the traumatic events especially well: wars, diseases, death and natural disasters. In such moments, the senses and the search for salvation are captured in memory particularly strongly.

Say, “Who rescues you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring [aloud] and privately, ‘If He should save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful!’ “

Say, “It is God who saves you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him!”

Say, “He is able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you with groupings and make you taste the violence of one another.” Look how We diversify the signs that they might understand!

But your people have denied it while it is the truth.

Say, “I am not over you a trustee! For every happening is a finality; and you are going to know!” (6:63-67)

Causal relationship of deeds and their results is directly related to the Lord. The realization of His power in punishment is capable of putting a barrier on the way to a sinful act.

Say, “Have you considered: if His punishment should come to you by night or by day – for which of it would the criminals be impatient?” (10:50)

Say, “Who can protect you at night or by day from the Gracious?”

But they are, from the remembrance of their Lord, turning away! (21:42)

Say, “Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then God will produce the final creation. Indeed God, over all things, is competent.” He punishes whom He wills and has mercy upon whom He wills, and to Him you will be returned. And you will not cause failure upon the earth or in the heaven. And you have not other than God any patron or any helper! (29:20-22)

An important point for comprehending was the argument about the renewability of life processes.

Say, “He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing. [It is] He who made for you from the green tree, fire, and then from it you ignite!” (36:79-80)

Of course, in a primitive form, “dense” people understood the appearance of life and the cyclical nature of the birth, but in the sense of reproduction. However, they did not imagine the actual resumption of themselves in the future.

Say, “God causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the day of standing before Him, about which there is no doubt, but most of the people do not know!” (45:26)

Such concepts were from the realm of the hidden. Therefore, in order to believe such information there should have been a reliable source. The only common “object” in the polemics was the Creator Himself. Indeed, it is God has knowledge of all hidden things.

Say, “Whether you conceal what is in your thoughts or reveal it, God knows it. And He knows that which is in the heavens and that which is on the earth. And God is over all things competent!” (3:29)

Say, “God is most knowing of how long they remained. He has the hidden of the heavens and the earth. How perfectly He hears and sees! They have not besides Him any patron, and He shares not His judgement with anyone!” (18:26)

Say, “Indeed, my Lord projects the truth. Knower of the hidden!”

Say, “The truth has come, and vainness can neither begin nor return!”(34:48-49)

Muhammad explained his own awareness of the information provided with the authorized powers of the messenger, who only proclaimed the received message from God.

Say, “I do not know if what you are promised is near or if my Lord will grant for it a [long] period.” [He is] Knower of the hidden, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] hidden to anyone Except whom He has approved of messengers, and indeed, He sends before each messenger and behind him observers That he may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number!” (72:25-28)

The consequence of this kind of exhortation was the statement of the only correct way – the path indicated by the Creator.

Say, “Shall we invoke instead of God that which neither benefits us nor harms us and be turned back on our heels after Allah has guided us? Like one whom the disobedient enticed upon the earth confused?!”

 He surprised his companions. They invite him to their guidance, “Come to us!”

Say, “Indeed, the guidance of God is the true guidance! And we have been commanded to humble ourselves to the Lord of the worlds. And to establish prayer and beware of Him! And it is He to whom you will be gathered!” (6:71-72)

Confidence in the Lord, faith to God and in His Prescription gave a new quality for that time – to rely on God in everything.

Say, “Never will we be struck except by what God has decreed for us. He is our patron.” And upon God let the believers rely! (9:51)

But if they turn away, say, “Sufficient for me is God; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the great abiding!” (9:129)

All Muhammad’s efforts boiled down to the one thing – to the propaganda of true monotheism.

Ask, “Who is Lord of the heavens and earth?”

Reply, “God .”

Ask, “Have you then taken besides Him patrons not possessing for themselves any benefit or any harm!?”

Ask, “Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Or is darkness equivalent to light?

Or have they attributed to God partners who created like His creation so that the creation seemed similar to them?”

Say, “God is the Creator of all things! And He is the One, the Prevailing!” (13:16)

True monotheism rejects the involvement of anyone in law making.

Say, “If there had been with Him [other] gods, as they say, then they [each] would have sought to the way of owning the abiding!”

Exalted is He and high above what they say by great sublimity! The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him! And there is not a thing except that it exalts by His praise, but you do not understand their [way of] exalting! Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving! (17:42-44)