Islam Rediscovered
18. Islamic Activism
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juncture, certain basic guidance was revealed to the
Prophet. God declared in the Qur’an:
Surely with every hardship there is ease; with
every hardship there is surely ease. (94:5-6)
This means that although the status quo in Makkah
appeared to be an obstacle, by the very law of
nature, opportunities for the furtherance of his
aims, opportunities also existed side by side.
Therefore, any attempt to change the status quo was
not to be made in the first stage itself. Without
disturbing
the
prevailing
situation,
such
opportunities as were available in other fields were
to be utilized to promote the Islamic mission.
The method Islam prescribes for the achievement of
our goals, and the model example we find in the life
of the Prophet, can be described in brief as a
method based on patience. That is, remaining in
harmony with the status quo and launching one’s
struggle in the sphere of the possible. In this
respect, it may be called positive status quoism.
1.
An Obstacle Turned Into a Stepping Stone:
