Playing God

"All rights of this book are reserved for the publisher and the author. This copy is for reading purpose only. This copy cannot be uploaded on any website except those of the publisher and the author." Playing God: Misreading a Divine Practice 21 era of Muhammad (sws) in the overall perspective of the various phases of his preaching mission. i. The Propagation Phase In the fortieth year of his life, Muhammad (sws) was summoned by the Almighty to serve Him. Makkah at the time was the soc ial and cultural centre of Arabia. It was its central c ity. So, in accordance with the Almighty’s established practice of sending a messenger to the central city of a land, Muhammad (sws) was called upon to begin his ende avour in this city: 7G J- 2 F?- ~ 01 N@ 7G W g3 In 6 T3 R 3 -@ T GX- ˆ / 4< e‰! <- 1 4< e‰! < 3< \!7 ŠB 1 N ! )$z : D( And thus have We sent by inspiration to you an Arabic Qur’ ā n that you may warn the Mother of Cities and all around her; – and warn [them] of the Day of Assembly of which there is no doubt [when] some will be in the Garden, and some in the Blazing Fire. (42:7) In Makkah, where Muhammad (sws) spent about thirteen years of his preaching endeavour, his addressees were basically the Idolaters – the descendants of the Prophet’s great ancestor: the Prophet Ishmael (sws). However, the People of the Book were also addressed at various instances. Besides these two distinct pockets of opponents, there were the mun ā fiq ū n (the Hypocrites) of whom only a few were in Makkah and who emerged as a sizeable faction in Mad ī nah as the Islamic message started www.javedahmadghamidi.com www.al-mawrid.org