Three Tasks of Muhammad (’alaihi ’s-salâm)

What was the three tasks of Muhammad (’alaihi ’s-salâm) [1]

Imâm Muhammad al-Ghazâlî (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) wrote in Kimyâ-yi sa’âdat: “It is fard for a Muslim to know and believe primarily the meaning of the phrase Lâ ilâha ill-Allâh, Muhammadun Rasûl-Allâh. This phrase is called kalimat at-tawhîd. It is sufficient for every Muslim to believe without any doubt what this phrase means. It is not fard for him to prove it with evidence or to satisfy his mind. Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallâm) did not command the Arabs to know or mention the relevant proofs or to search and clarify any possible doubt. He commanded them to believe only and not to doubt. It is enough for everybody also to believe briefly. Yet it is fard kifâya that there should exist a few ’âlims in every town. It is wâjib for these ’âlims to know the proofs, to remove the doubts, and to answer the questions. They are like shepherds for Muslims. On the one hand, they teach them the knowledge of îmân, which is the knowledge of belief, and, on the other hand, they answer the slanders of the enemies of Islâm.”

“The Qur’ân al-karîm stated the meaning of kalimat at-tawhîd and Rasûlullah (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) explained what is declared in it. All as-Sabâhât al-kirâm learned these explanations and communicated them to those who came after them. The exalted scholars who conveyed to us what the as-Sahâbat al-kirâm had communicated, by committing them to their books without making any alterations in them, are called Ahl as-Sunna. Everybody has to learn the i’tiqâd of the Ahl as-Sunna and to unite and love one another. The seed of happiness is this i’tiqâd and this unification.”

“Allâhu ta’âlâ sent prophets (’alaihimu ’s-salâm) to His human creatures. Through these great people, He showed His human creatures the deeds that bring happiness and those which cause ruination. The most exalted prophet is Muhammad (’alaihi ’s-salâm), the Last Prophet. He was sent as the Prophet for every person, pious or irreligious, for every place and for every nation on the earth. He is the Prophet for all human beings, angels and genies. In every corner of the world, everybody has to follow him and adapt himself to this exalted Prophet.”[2]

The great scholar and Murshid-i-kâmil Sayyid ’Abdulhakîm-i Arwâsî[3] (rahmat-Allâhi ’alaih) said: “Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) had three tasks:

1.The first one was to communicate and make known (tabligh) the rules of the Qur’ân al-karîm, that is, the knowledge of îmân and of ahkâm fiqhiyya, to all human beings. Ahkâm fiqhiyya is composed of the actions commanded and actions prohibited.

2.His second task was to transmit the spiritual rules of the Qur’ân al-karîm, the knowledge about Allâhu ta’âlâ Himself and His Attributes, into the hearts of only the highest ones of his Umma.

3.The third task was carried out upon those Muslims who failed to adhere to the advice and warnings concerning carrying out the ahkâm fiqhiyya. Even the use of force is to be applied to get them to obey the ahkâm fiqhiyya.

After Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam), each of the four Khalîfas (radî-Allâhu ’anhum) accomplished these three tasks perfectly. During the time of Hadrat Hasan (radî-Allâhu ’anh), fitnas and bid’as increased. Islâm had spread out over three continents. The spiritual light of Rasûlullâh (sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam) had receded away from the earth. The as-Sahâbat al-kirâm (radî-Allâhu ’anhum) had decreased in number. Later, no one was able to do all these three tasks together by himself. Therefore, these tasks were undertaken by three groups of people.

The task of communicating îmân and ahkâm fiqhiyya was assigned to religious leaders called mujtahids. Amongst these mujtahids, those who communicated îmân were called mutakallimûn, and those who communicated fiqh were called fuqahâ.

The second task, that is, making those willing Muslims understand the spiritual rules of Qur’ân al-karîm, was assigned to the Twelve Imâms of Ahl al-Bayt (rahmat-Allâhi ta’âlâ ’alaihim) and to great men of tasawwuf.

The third task, having the rules of the religion done by force and authority, was assigned to sultans, i.e. goverments.

The sections of the first class were called madhhabs. Sections of the second one were called tarîqas, and the third one was called huqûq (laws). Madhhabs that define îmân are called madhhabs in i’tiqâd.” This is the end of our quotation from Abdulhakîm Efendi.

[2] Kimyâ’ as-Sa’âda. Muhammad al-Ghazâlî (rahmat-Allâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih) was one of the greatest Islâmic scholars. He wrote hundreds of books. All his books are very valuable. He was born in 450/1068 in Tûs, i.e. Meshhed, Persia, and passed away there in 505/1111.

[3] He was born in Başkal’a in 1281/1864 and passed away in Ankara in 1362/194

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