THE PRINCIPLE OF
GRADUAL REFORM

According to a report, Aisha explained that the earliest passages of the Quran focused mainly on Paradise and Hell. Commands concerning what was lawful and unlawful were revealed only after people had become receptive to Islam.

She added that, had the prohibition of alcohol been revealed at the very beginning, people would have said, “We will never give up alcohol.” Likewise, had the command against adultery been given at the outset, they would have said, “We will never give up adultery.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 4993)

This report highlights an important principle of prophetic wisdom: reform often needs to be introduced gradually. Changing people is a difficult and complex process. They become deeply attached to certain ideas, customs and habits and, over time, begin to regard them as natural and correct. For this reason, they are rarely ready to accept a completely new way of life all at once.

In such circumstances, lasting reform can be achieved only through wisdom and a gradual process. In Arabia, the Prophet first changed the way people thought and prepared them inwardly to accept a new way of life. Only after they had become mentally and morally receptive were the religious commandments introduced.

Had these laws been imposed before people’s outlook had changed and their attitudes had been reformed, the approach would have run counter to human nature. It would not have brought about the deep and lasting transformation that eventually occurred in Arabian society.  (Al-Risala, January 2001)