In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

The Truth Has to Be Conveyed Completely

(Friday speech was delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh, N. C., on November 1, 1996)

Allah says, in the Qur’an, speaking to his prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in surat Al-Maidah, (Verse 67 & 68), what can be translated as, "O Messenger, deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord (completely), and if you do not, then you have not delivered his message, and Allah protects you (from killing) from the people. Allah does not guide the non-believing people." "Say (Muhammad), oh, People of the Book, you have nothing (of the divine guidance) until you implement (completely) The Torah and The Gospel and what was revealed to you from your Lord. Verily, many of them will get more oppressive and become more disbelieving from what you were revealed from your Lord. So, do not feel sad for the non-believing people."

This speech is addressed to the messenger (S.A.W.) and to every Muslim to the Last Day to deliver the message of Islam completely, without any distortion. If delivering the message had not been complete and comprehensive, then the Muslim would not have delivered the message of his Lord, and he would not have established the clear evidence for Allah before the people, and the Muslim would not have accomplished the obligation of delivering the message unless he delivered the truth of Islam completely, and clarified to them their situation, without deception and lying. If he deceived them and shined up to them, then he would have betrayed Allah, the trust of delivering the message which he was appointed to deliver, and at the same time, he would be deceiving them and hurting them because he did not clarify to them their situation, and that their situation is all falsehood from the roots.

The Muslim, with this message, invites them to something else other than their terrible situation; he invites them for a fundamental change in their views and their beliefs and also in their circumstances and their systems and also in their worship acts and their morals and manners. Allah (S.W.T.) said in surat Al-Anfal, (verse 42), what can be translated as, "To perish whom he chose to be perished after a clear evidence, and live whom he chose to live after a clear evidence."

 When the Muslim is not clear in his da’wa and withholds part of it and waffle, and does not clarify frankly the fundamental difference between the reality of the people living in falsehood and the truth that he is calling them for- with the excuse of taking into consideration the circumstances of Muslims and establishing good relationships with the false reality- he then would have deceived them and hurt them, because he did not clarify to them the truth of what is required for them to do, and above all, he would not have delivered what Allah required him to deliver.

Being kind in calling the people to the guidance of Allah and delivering the message to the people with wisdom and good advice is in the way of delivering the message, not in the truth that is to be delivered. The truth must be delivered to them completely and clearly without any confusion or ambiguity.

The example of a Muslim da’eya and the example of the non-believers being called to Islam, like the good trustworthy doctor with his patients who are sick of a deadly mysterious disease. The integrity of the doctor in his profession and his frankness with his patients require him to clarify to his patients the reality and the truth of their disease that plagued them and its danger and if this disease continues, it will result in severe pain and other diseases, and eventually death. This truth is known by the doctor by virtue of his knowledge and experience, so he is obliged to let his patients know that truth and the danger involved completely.

It is also wise on the part of the doctor to convey to them the bitter painful truth with the best way because he does not want to increase their pain and their diseases. It is also not allowed for the doctor in any situation for any reason to withhold the truth of this disease or part of it from his patients, even if he has some interest in withholding that truth; the interest of keeping good relationships with his patients. If he does that, he will be betraying his profession and losing integrity and losing his patients’ trust. Because despite the interest that he has in withholding the truth, this interest is weak, illusionary and of no value.

And if the patients and their guardians find out the doctor’s withholding of the truth of this deadly disease from them, they decide that he is a betrayer and of no integrity and hold him responsible totally for every harm that happens to them in their life and even for the death that befell their relatives, then his excuse would not be a good intercessor that he withheld the truth to keep good relationships with them by not hurting their feelings and keep away from them what they hate to hear.

When the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) was ordered to confront the People of the Book that they have nothing of the true Deen, they used to recite their holy books, and claim that they are believers. Because the Deen is not words uttered with the tongue or holy books read and recited.. It is not heresy, but instead the Deen is a comprehensive way of life that comprises belief and submission…Worship represented in certain acts, submission that is represented by establishing a system for all aspects of life based on this way of life.. Since the people of the book did not establish their deen on these foundations.., then they do not have any deen

"Until they establish The Torah and The Gospel and what was revealed to you from your Lord" Establishing Torah and Gospel and what was revealed to them from their Lord requires first: To embrace The deen of Allah that the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) came with. Allah (S.W.T.) made covenant with them that they believe in every messenger and support him- The description of the prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and his companions is with them in the Torah and Gospel; they know him like they know their children. If they do not believe in him and embrace the Deen of Allah, then they have nothing of the true guidance.

Allah (S.W.T.) knows that in confronting them with this decisive truth will lead many of them to get more oppressive and get further away from belief. But despite this fact, Allah (S.W.T.) ordered the messenger (S.A.W.) to confront them with this truth and not become sorry for them for their disbelief and their oppression.

Those who claim today that they are Muslims and do not implement what was revealed to them from their Lord in this Qur’an, they are like the People of the Book mentioned here; they have nothing of the true guidance. This is a description from Allah of every people who have a holy book and who do not implement it completely in their life. So, he who wants to be a true Muslim, he has first to implement the book of Allah completely in his life, and then confront those who do not implement it that they have nothing till they implement it. And it is not allowed at all for any Muslim to say to them (the Jews and the Christians) that you have the truthful Deen, and you are like us; both of us belong to Ibrahim (Abrahamic religions) because in doing this, he will be rejecting the words of Allah to them "You have nothing" and he will be rejecting Allah who says in Surat Al-Imran, (Verse 67), what can be translated as, "Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but, truly, a Muslim and not from the mushriks."

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