5.2. Sayings of the Holy prophet:

1) " So long as a person says "La-ilaha Illallah" he receives spiritual benefits, and is saved from the miseries and calamities unless he neglects its rights, the companions said, 'How are these rights neglected? "Rasulullah (SWT) answered, 'when sins are committed openly, and the person who recites the kalmia does not prevent the sinners from wrong doing." (1)

2) "When my followers will begin to adore the worldly benefits, their hearts will be deprived of the dignity and importance of Islam; when they stop the enjoining good and forbidding evil, they will be deprived of the blessings of the Revelations; and when they will abuse each other, they will fall from the esteem of Allah. (2)

3) "The decline and fall of Bani Israel started thus: When the pious among them saw certain sins being committed by the transgressors, they forbade them from doing the same ; but when the sinners did not repent, the pious because of their relationship and friendship continued mix with them. So when this state of affairs began to prevail, Allah confounded their hearts in the same manner." (3)

4) "There are people who do not transgress the limits (laws) of Allah (SWT). And there are others who do so, they are like two groups who boarded a ship, one group settled on the upper deck, and the other, on the lower deck of the ship. So when the people of the lower deck needed water, they said, why should we cause trouble to the people of upper deck when we can easily have plenty of water by making a hole in or deck? 'Now if the people of upper deck do not prevent this group from such foolishness, all of them will perish, but if they stop then they will be saved." (4)

5) Hazrat Aaisha (R) says: "once the Holy prophet entered the house and I guessed from his face that some thing of great importance had occurred. He did not talk to anyone, and after making wdu (ablution) he entered the mosque. I stood behind the wall to hear what he said: He sat at the pulpit and after praising Allah, he said, 'O Muslims! Allah (SWT) has commanded you to call people to good deeds, and prevented them from committing sins; otherwise a time will come when you will pray, but He will not listen to you; you will ask your needs of him, but He will not grant them; you will demand His help against our enemies, but He will not help you, "After saying this, he came down from the pulpit." (5)

6) "Whoever sees a forbidden thing being done, he should prevent it by the use of his hand, and if he had no capability for this action, then he should prevent it with his tongue, and if he cannot do this even, then he should at least consider it a vice in his heart, and this is a very low level of one's faith (Iman)." (6)

6. The root cause of degradation:

The aforementioned divine assertions and sayings clearly indicate that the way to regain honour, grandeur, glory and virtue by Muslims, lies only in their having a strong faith (Iman). If this Iman is strong and firm, they are destined to be masters of each and everything on this earth. But if, on the other hand, Iman becomes weak or it gets broken; disaster and degradation are bound to follow. History proves that the early Muslims had been able to reach the highest summit of their faith (Iman). The deplorable condition of the present-day Muslims is the cause of weakness in their faith (Iman). That's why, the noble prophet has assigned the act of "Tabligh" as the essence of the faith (Iman) of Islam. The abandonment of the act of preaching has really been the main cause of Allah's anger and displeasure and also been the cause of decay and decline of the faith (Iman).

7. The remedy for degradation :

The glorious Qur'an clearly reveals that the capacity to maintain the required level of the true faith (Iman) of Islam, and the ultimate ascendance to exaltation and glory through it, are dependent on the fulfilment of a special task (Tabligh) which has been so graciously assigned by Allah (SWT) to the Muslims alone. And for this very reason, they have been given in the glorious Qur'an, the dignified position "the best of all peoples." Says the Noble Qur'an:

"O you (followers of Muhammad)! You are the noblest of peoples, you have been brought out for (the benefit of) mankind. You enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and you believe in Allah. (7)

Now we can realize the disease from which we are suffering. It's now up to us to set about the revival of the obligatory task of Tabligh (propagation) through which Muhammad (SAW) made the uncivilized and wicked of his time pure gold. We know when the prophet (SAW) started calling the people to Islam, he neither had any supporter nor any political power and possessions. The pagan Arabs were arrogantly independent and self- opinionated. No one among them was prepared to listen to truth or obey another person. (8)

They strongly disliked and were deadly opposed to the "Tabligh". But everyone becomes absolutely astounded what gave such invisible power and force to that one single man, who without any means, eventually became able to draw the whole of the Arab nation towards him. Really, it was the message of Eternal truth to which he called and only that truth was the Holy prophet's sole mission.

Let's sincerely repent our lethargies and injurious past and take part in the august act of "Tabligh" as our major occupation. It's a matter of hope that even in this age of moral degradation, thousands and millions of derailed people of the world are getting the right path of life and are being enlightened through the miraculous task of Tabligh. So Hazrat Imam Malik (R.) has opined:

"The method through which the Holy prophet has made the savage and barbarous people of the Arab virtuous and pious, the same very method is needed to be adopted to reform the present-day Muslim."

8. Conclusion:

It's obvious when the source of fine attributes, virtues and good deeds becomes dry, the noble acts are not to be seen any longer. This is exactly what is evident today, the only means for the building up of this source, and maintaining a constantly proper flow of religious benefits from it, is the act of "Tabligh" which was the only way and the soul purpose of the Holy prophet's life. And this very highway has been marked for the noble prophet and his followers. The or glorious Qur'an says :

"O Muhammad! say this is my path, I invite people towards Allah knowingly. I it's my duty and those who follow me it's also their duty," (9)