Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
6. The Path of the Prophet
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the duty of calling people to the path of God. Only
those have the right to be called true followers of
the Prophet, who, along with other obligations
enjoined by him, adopt this all-important practice of
the Prophet as well.
One aspect of the Prophet’s public mission was a
realistic, step-by-step approach to everything he
did. In the application of theoretical standards, he
always made allowances for practical realities. He
was always careful to introduce social reforms
gradually. In modern jargon, his approach can be
called evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
‘A’ishah, the Prophet’s wife, has explained this
principle very clearly:
The first chapters of the Qur’an to be revealed
were short ones making mention of heaven
and hell. Then, when people became
conditioned to accept Islamic teachings, verses
dealing with what is lawful and unlawful were
revealed. And if injunctions like: “Do not drink
wine,” and “Do not commit adultery,” had
been revealed first of all, people would have
refused to abandon these practices.
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