Political Status Quoism and Dawah Activism

In 622 A.D, the Prophet migrated from Makkah to Medina and settled there for ten years. This period is divided into two phases. In the first phase, Muslims and non-Muslims in Medina were almost equal in number so it was a mixed society. He accepted a mixed type of politics.

At that time there were two centres of power. One was the Prophet himself, the second was a Jewish leader, Kab bin Ashraf. So, it was a bi-polar state. The Prophet accepted it as it is without trying to bring a change in the political status quo of Medina. Then, in the second phase of the Medina period the whole city had accepted Islam. Medina became completely a Muslim society. At that time the Prophet of Islam implemented Islamic Shariah in Medina.

Due to this nature of politics in Islam, there is no political structure in the Islamic system. For example in the early period there were six heads of the Islamic political system — the Prophet himself, Abu Bakr, Omar bin Khatab, Uthman bin Affan, Ali bin Abi Talib, and Umar bin Abdul Aziz. All six were heads of the state in the early period of Islamic history, but every one of them was appointed political head in a different manner. The most fundamental component of a political system is the appointment of the head of state and without a common method of their appointment there could have been no single political structure of Islam.

Video Transcript
Video Transcript

The Prophet began his dawah in Makkah. There was a tribal parliament in Makkah called Dar al-Nadwa. The Prophet never demanded a seat in Dar al-Nadwa, although his grandfather Abdul Muttalib and his uncle Abu Talib had been its members. The Prophet never placed a demand for a position in Dar al-Nadwa. We learn from Seerah that the Quraysh who were leaders gave an offer to the Prophet: Copy Arabic text
The Prophet started his mission in 610 AD in Makkah. At that time Quraysh were the leaders. They said to the Prophet: Copy Arabic text "If you want leadership over us, we will make you our leader."
The Prophet replied: Copy Arabic text (I don’t seek kingship over you)  My mission is to not to become ruler over you. (Sirah Ibn Hisham, 1:294-95)
The Prophet separated political rule from the task of dawah. This was a revolutionary step. All disputes arise when political rule is your target. All conflicts at present are political in nature. I have studied the Quran, Hadith and Seerah. I have understood that the Islamic method is: political status quoism, dawah activism. Accept the political state of affairs, avoid confrontation and devote your energies to the task of dawah. The Islamic formula is political status quoism and dawah activism. 
 

QURANIC VERSES1:7
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