Establishing the Foundations of Islamic Beliefs
Meccan period starts with the beginning of Prophet Hood of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Mecca and ends with Hijraah to Madina. The revelations in this period were concerned with establishing the ideological foundation of Islam the Tawheed, believe in one Allah alone is such a strong Faith and foundation of Islam upon which the whole structure of Islam is based. All Prophets have called their people on True Faith. Worship is exclusive right of Allah owed to Him alone. Tawheed is such an important part of Faith that Prophet (pbuh) during the thirteen years of His preaching in Makkah focused on Tawheed mainly and called people upon Tawheed by forbidding any partners to Allah.
People had distorted belief about religion and God that time. There were people who denied existence of Allah. Allah said to them,
Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?" They will say, "Allah," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?" (Surah Yunus: 31)
That is Allah, your Lord; there is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Disposer of all things. (Al An’am:102)
Many of them knew about Allah but they made partner with Him and worshipped them. Allah said about them,
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allah." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers." (Az-Zumar: 38)
Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allah are servants like you. So call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful. (Al Araf: 194)
People of Mecca did not believe in hereafter. But belief in the life in the hereafter, after a person’s death and also at the end of this world, is one of the important basic tenets of a Muslim’s faith. Allah provides the complete picture of existence of hereafter in this verse in the Quran during Meccan period:
“And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the hereafter for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious). Will you not then understand?” (Al-An’aam: 32)
“As for those who care for (no more than) the life of this world and its bounties – We shall repay them in full for all that they did in this(life), and they shall not be deprived of their just due therein” (Hud 11:15).
Believing on the Day of Judgment is an essential part of Islamic creed but people of Mecca did not believe in Day of Judgment. Allah said,
Everyone upon the earth will perish, (Ar Rahman: 26)
And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on. And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do. (Az Zumar: 68-70)
Allah also promised paradise for those who will believe in Him and they will live there eternally.
But those who have feared their Lord - for them are chambers, above them chambers built high, beneath which rivers flow. [This is] the promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in [His] promise. (Az Zumar: 20)
Indeed the companions of Paradise, that Day, will be amused in [joyful] occupation. They and their spouses - in shade, reclining on adorned couches. For them therein is fruit, and for them is whatever they request [or wish] [And] "Peace," a word from a Merciful Lord. (Surah Yasin: 55-58)
Allah also threatened the nonbelievers about eternal punishment of hellfire. Allah says,
And indeed, Hell is the promised place for them all. It has seven gates; for every gate is of them a portion designated." (Al Hijr: 43-44)
Is Paradise a better accommodation or the tree of zaqqum? Indeed, We have made it a torment for the wrongdoers. Indeed, it is a tree issuing from the bottom of the Hellfire. Its emerging fruit as if it was heads of the devils. And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies. Then indeed, they will have after it a mixture of scalding water. Then indeed, their return will be to the Hellfire. (As Saffat: 62-68)
One’s belief will not complete until he believes on paradise and hell.
One cannot be a true Muslim until one commits one’s all affairs to Allah, the All-High. During Meccan period Allah revealed verses to tell people to commit fully towards Allah.
Allah created you and that which you do (As Saffat: 96)
Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? (Al Furqan: 43)
Al-Mu'awwidhatayn revealed and it taught people how to ask safety to Allah, from any matter physically and spiritually together.
Kinship was dominant on that time. People think about their clan before anything. This was preventing many of them to enter Islam. Allah warned them that when the Hour would come this bond would not have any value.
But when there comes the Deafening Blast. On the Day a man will flee from his brother, and his mother and his father, and his wife and his children. For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him. (Abasa: 33-37)
Islam is not a new religion. It was the religion of Adam (pbuh) and all prophets preached that same religion, and Prophet Muhammad was not any different.
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses. (Al A’la: 18-19)
Those were the ones upon whom Allah bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping. (Maryam: 58)
There were some Christians in Mecca that time. Allah refuted their claim of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) being son of God. Allah revealed,
It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. [Jesus said], "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path." Then the factions differed [concerning Jesus] from among them, so woe to those who disbelieved - from the scene of a tremendous Day. (Maryam: 35-37)
During Meccan period Allah ordained prayer as obligation. Muqatil bin Sulaiman said: “Salaat (prayer) was established as an obligatory ritual at an early stage of the Islamic Call, a two rak‘ah (unit of prayer) Salaat in the morning and the same in the evening.
“So be patient, [O Muhammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.” [Ghafir: 55]
The Meccan period mostly concentrated on making peoples belief firm on Islamic creed. If their Aqeedah was not well established, they could not perform the grave duty of changing the Dark Age with the light of Allah. When one was firm on the Saheeh Aqeedah, he would perform all his duties from his own. Such sound and firm belief was laid by Allah through His Messenger (pbuh), at the very basis of creating a new society with integrated components immune to all fluctuations of time, and powerful enough to change the whole course of humanity.
People had distorted belief about religion and God that time. There were people who denied existence of Allah. Allah said to them,
Say, "Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?" They will say, "Allah," so say, "Then will you not fear Him?" (Surah Yunus: 31)
That is Allah, your Lord; there is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Disposer of all things. (Al An’am:102)
Many of them knew about Allah but they made partner with Him and worshipped them. Allah said about them,
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "Allah." Say, "Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers." (Az-Zumar: 38)
Indeed, those you [polytheists] call upon besides Allah are servants like you. So call upon them and let them respond to you, if you should be truthful. (Al Araf: 194)
People of Mecca did not believe in hereafter. But belief in the life in the hereafter, after a person’s death and also at the end of this world, is one of the important basic tenets of a Muslim’s faith. Allah provides the complete picture of existence of hereafter in this verse in the Quran during Meccan period:
“And the life of this world is nothing but play and amusement. But far better is the house in the hereafter for those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious). Will you not then understand?” (Al-An’aam: 32)
“As for those who care for (no more than) the life of this world and its bounties – We shall repay them in full for all that they did in this(life), and they shall not be deprived of their just due therein” (Hud 11:15).
Believing on the Day of Judgment is an essential part of Islamic creed but people of Mecca did not believe in Day of Judgment. Allah said,
Everyone upon the earth will perish, (Ar Rahman: 26)
And the Horn will be blown, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on the earth will fall dead except whom Allah wills. Then it will be blown again, and at once they will be standing, looking on. And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the record [of deeds] will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged. And every soul will be fully compensated [for] what it did; and He is most knowing of what they do. (Az Zumar: 68-70)
Allah also promised paradise for those who will believe in Him and they will live there eternally.
But those who have feared their Lord - for them are chambers, above them chambers built high, beneath which rivers flow. [This is] the promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in [His] promise. (Az Zumar: 20)
Indeed the companions of Paradise, that Day, will be amused in [joyful] occupation. They and their spouses - in shade, reclining on adorned couches. For them therein is fruit, and for them is whatever they request [or wish] [And] "Peace," a word from a Merciful Lord. (Surah Yasin: 55-58)
Allah also threatened the nonbelievers about eternal punishment of hellfire. Allah says,
And indeed, Hell is the promised place for them all. It has seven gates; for every gate is of them a portion designated." (Al Hijr: 43-44)
Is Paradise a better accommodation or the tree of zaqqum? Indeed, We have made it a torment for the wrongdoers. Indeed, it is a tree issuing from the bottom of the Hellfire. Its emerging fruit as if it was heads of the devils. And indeed, they will eat from it and fill with it their bellies. Then indeed, they will have after it a mixture of scalding water. Then indeed, their return will be to the Hellfire. (As Saffat: 62-68)
One’s belief will not complete until he believes on paradise and hell.
One cannot be a true Muslim until one commits one’s all affairs to Allah, the All-High. During Meccan period Allah revealed verses to tell people to commit fully towards Allah.
Allah created you and that which you do (As Saffat: 96)
Have you seen the one who takes as his god his own desire? (Al Furqan: 43)
Al-Mu'awwidhatayn revealed and it taught people how to ask safety to Allah, from any matter physically and spiritually together.
Kinship was dominant on that time. People think about their clan before anything. This was preventing many of them to enter Islam. Allah warned them that when the Hour would come this bond would not have any value.
But when there comes the Deafening Blast. On the Day a man will flee from his brother, and his mother and his father, and his wife and his children. For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him. (Abasa: 33-37)
Islam is not a new religion. It was the religion of Adam (pbuh) and all prophets preached that same religion, and Prophet Muhammad was not any different.
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses. (Al A’la: 18-19)
Those were the ones upon whom Allah bestowed favor from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those We carried [in the ship] with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful were recited to them, they fell in prostration and weeping. (Maryam: 58)
There were some Christians in Mecca that time. Allah refuted their claim of Prophet Jesus (pbuh) being son of God. Allah revealed,
It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. [Jesus said], "And indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. That is a straight path." Then the factions differed [concerning Jesus] from among them, so woe to those who disbelieved - from the scene of a tremendous Day. (Maryam: 35-37)
During Meccan period Allah ordained prayer as obligation. Muqatil bin Sulaiman said: “Salaat (prayer) was established as an obligatory ritual at an early stage of the Islamic Call, a two rak‘ah (unit of prayer) Salaat in the morning and the same in the evening.
“So be patient, [O Muhammad]. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth. And ask forgiveness for your sin and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord in the evening and the morning.” [Ghafir: 55]
The Meccan period mostly concentrated on making peoples belief firm on Islamic creed. If their Aqeedah was not well established, they could not perform the grave duty of changing the Dark Age with the light of Allah. When one was firm on the Saheeh Aqeedah, he would perform all his duties from his own. Such sound and firm belief was laid by Allah through His Messenger (pbuh), at the very basis of creating a new society with integrated components immune to all fluctuations of time, and powerful enough to change the whole course of humanity.
Bibliography
1. IslamQA.com Various Fatwas
2. Islamweb.com Various Fatwas
3. On Islam.Net
4. Revelation order for Meccan verses. Tanzil.net.
5. Translation. Saheeh International.
6. missionislam.com
7. Alquranclasses.com
8. Seerate Ibn Hisham
9. Ar Raheek Al Makhtum - Saifur Rahman al- Mubarakpuri
10. The Fundamentals of Tawheed – Dr. Bilal Philips
11. The Evolution of Fiqh – Dr. Bilal Philips
12. Lumatul Itiqaad – Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee
13. Fiqh Us Seerah - Muhammad Al Gazali
2. Islamweb.com Various Fatwas
3. On Islam.Net
4. Revelation order for Meccan verses. Tanzil.net.
5. Translation. Saheeh International.
6. missionislam.com
7. Alquranclasses.com
8. Seerate Ibn Hisham
9. Ar Raheek Al Makhtum - Saifur Rahman al- Mubarakpuri
10. The Fundamentals of Tawheed – Dr. Bilal Philips
11. The Evolution of Fiqh – Dr. Bilal Philips
12. Lumatul Itiqaad – Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee
13. Fiqh Us Seerah - Muhammad Al Gazali
© 2014 by Tauhid Ahmed.