The Prophet (peace be upon him) sometimes illustrated his role and his mission so that people would understand the reason why he was so keen that they should listen to him and heed the warnings that he gave them. The Prophet did not warn people against anything evil or punishment that he might inflict on them. He warned them that they should follow God’s guidance, which he brought and explained to them, so that they would gain God’s acceptance and be granted His reward. He also warned them against all sin and evil, which would land them in hell on the Day of Judgment. He wanted this to be clear to them so that they would take heed and save themselves.
The examples the Prophet gave were varied, but they were always close to people’s life so that they would easily grasp the full meaning. Recently, we discussed a Hadith in which the Prophet gave an example illustrating his position in relation to earlier prophets. The Hadith says: “This is an example of my position in relation to prophets who were before me. It is like a man who built a building, giving it a solid structure and decorating it beautifully, except for a single brick on one of its corners. People went around it admiring it, but they all said: ‘Would that this missing brick is put in place.’ I am this last brick; and I am the last of all prophets.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). We noted the Prophet’s humility as he describes himself as a brick in a building, when he could have compared himself to the main pillar or the foundation of such a building.
The Prophet gives other examples, which speak of his role among his people. Jabir ibn Abdullah quotes the Prophet as saying: “My position in relation to you is like a man who has lit up a fire. Butterflies and other insects were attracted to it and started to fall in it. He stood there trying to keep them away from it. I am holding you by the neck to prevent you from falling in the fire while you try to run loose.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Here the Prophet shows his keenness to save mankind from the great danger that they would run into unless they heed his warning and follow divine guidance. When butterflies and insects see a fire or a light they gather around it, and this often leads them to fall in the fire. Life is like a fire; it is full of attractions and temptations, but these often lead to disobedience of God, which incurs punishment in hell. In the example the Prophet gives of himself, he is holding them by the neck to stop them from falling, but how a man can stop all butterflies from falling in the fire when they come from all directions?
Another Hadith gives us a comparison showing how the Prophet’s message is received by different people. Abu Musa Al-Ashari quotes the Prophet as saying: “The guidance and knowledge God has bestowed on me to give to people is like a rainfall. Some fertile land receives the rain and is soon resplendent with plants and plentiful grass. Other areas are barren, but these retain the water and people make use of it for drinking and irrigation. The rain falls on other areas that are flat and infertile: they neither hold the water nor let any vegetation grow. The first two are like people who accept what God has sent me to deliver and benefit by it, learning it and teaching it to others. The last type of land is like those who do not pay attention and reject the divine guidance entrusted to me.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Al-Nassaie.)
This is a very true description of people’s attitude to divine guidance. It applies to people everywhere and in all generations. Those who accept the guidance the Prophet provides will certainly benefit by it and the benefit will be transmitted from them to others. They may not be outspoken in explaining it to others, but their very behavior when they heed the Prophet’s teachings will result in great benefit to them, their families and communities. Indeed, the values a Muslim community upholds will be of benefit to all mankind. The other type simply turn away, which means that the guidance is available to them but they turn their backs on it, just like the land that lets the rainfall go through it, benefiting nothing by it.
Another example is reported by the Prophet but given by angels. Jabir reports that the Prophet came out one day and said to his companions: “I saw in my dream as though the angel Gabriel was standing by my head and the angel Michael by my feet. One of them said to the other: ‘Cite him an example.’ The other said: ‘Listen by your ear and take it in your heart. Your position in relation to your nation is like a situation in which a king takes up a place and builds a house there. He then sets up a banquet, and sends a messenger to call people to come and eat. Some of them accept the invitation but others do not. God is the king, and the place is Islam, while the house is heaven, and you, Muhammad, are the messenger. Whoever accepts your invitation will embrace Islam, and whoever embraces Islam will be admitted into heaven. Whoever is admitted into heaven will eat of its fruits.” (Related by Al-Hakim in Al-Mustadrak).
Indeed the Prophet gave several examples concerning people’s divergent attitudes to his message. All speak in the same way: he is a warner who alerts people to an impending but real danger. If they heed his warning, they will be safe. If not, they only lead themselves to ruin. This is clearly explained in the following Hadith reported by Abu Musa Al-Ashari, quoting the Prophet: “My position and what God has entrusted to me is like that of a man who came to his people and said: ‘My people, I saw with my eyes an army heading here. I am the naked warner, so get moving fast and save yourselves.’ A group of his people heeded the warning and started moving at night at a reasonable pace, and they were saved. Others disbelieved him and stayed in their position. By the morning, the army overwhelmed them. This is a true example of those who obey me and follow the truth I have been sent to explain, and those who disobey me, deny the message of truth entrusted to me.” (Related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
We need only to add a footnote to explain the significance of the naked warner. It used to be a practice among the Arab tribes that if someone wants to warn his people of an impending danger, he would stand somewhere high and take off his robe, waving it to attract attention. When people saw such a naked person, they immediately realized that there was some danger and they would flock to him to listen to what he had to say.
