Style and Content
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Creator: Salman al-`Awdah
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Format: text
Identifier: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=221
Language: en
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Subject: dawah
Title: Style and Content
Created on: Wed Jan 09 15:33:03 -0500 2008
Updated on: Wed Jan 09 15:33:03 -0500 2008
Version: 1
Abstract: ... hose who disbelieve: 'You will be defeated and gathered together in Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest.' " are considered too rude and violent to be mentioned. The conduct of the Prophet, sallallahu alaihe wa sallam, in differentiating between style and content is enlightening. His message has always been the same: believe in Allah and believe in His messenger. There were fundamentals he never accepted to negotiate: believers will go to Paradise, disbelievers will go to Hell, the religion of the disbelievers is false, Truth is Truth, falsehood is falsehood, Good should be sought, evil should be rejected, the attributes of those who are loved by Allah, the attributes of those who are disliked by Allah. But no matter how hard the Truth was, the manner in which he declared these facts was always marked by modesty, humility, compassion, kindness, patience, forgiveness, love and truthfulness because these manners help the people who are called to Islam to accept the message. The disbelievers were irritated by the Prophet's persistence on the content of his message and its substance, and his refusal to negotiate any part of it while at the same time presenting it in such a graceful manner. They wished he would compromise with them. But Allah forbade him to: "So obey not, O Muhammad, the deniers. They wish that you should compromise in religion out of courtesy with them, so they too would compromise with you." (S68 A8-9). They proposed to meet him halfway; that they worship his Lord one day and he worships their gods the next day. The matter was resolved by Allah's revelation (S 109 A1-6): "Say: 'O disbelievers! I worship not tha... [Full Article...]
