Whereas the final outcome of disbelief is eternal doom, it also invokes worldly turmoils. Apart from anxiety and discontentment it sometimes brings physical as well as material disasters. Sooner or later, the fate of disbelief is nothing but destruction. The Holy Prophet^-SW must recount to these disbelievers the story of Prophet Nuh^-AS who relentlessly propagated Allaah^-SWT ’s Message to his people for many centuries. However, his people did not give up their hostile attitude. He told them that if they hated Allaah^-SWT ’s Message so much that they were not even prepared to listen to it and threatened him instead, they were at liberty to do against him whatever they could. They may even call their self-proclaimed gods for assistance and show no clemency or concession to him. Hence they were free to employ whatever means of deterrence they could think of to inhibit him from propagating the Din.

 

Use of Religion for Acquiring Wealth or Power Not Allowed

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And remember that he did not expect any favours from them nor was he demanding wages to make his preaching a source of income. It was the common practice of all Prophets^-AS that they never demanded nor received any reward or remuneration for imparting religious instruction.

 

Here is a point to ponder for those whose livelihood depends on Din. Such people can never speak the truth and are guilty in the Sight of Allaah^-SWT . The reward for propagating religion lies with Allaah^-SWT and He^-SWT Alone requites the efforts exerted in the furtherance of His^-SWT Message. To obey His^-SWT Commands and not to submit to anyone in His^-SWT Defiance is indeed Islam. The Din brought by the Messengers^-AS of Allaah^-SWT was Islam, comprising the same basic tenets: Unity of Allah^-SWT, the Prophethood, the Hereafter, the Recompense, and the Angels. The only difference was in the modes of worship, which varied with the temperament and circumstances of different nations. Islam also stands for an optimum level of submission in terms of beliefs and practices.

 

The People of Prophet Nuh^-AS, however, insisted on denial and it invoked Allaah^-SWT ’s Wrath. A great Deluge wiped out the disbelievers and the disbelief from the face of earth. The Prophet^-SW remained safe and sound as well as those who had boarded the Ark with him, had accepted his Message and had obeyed him. These noble souls inherited the earth as all the non believers had perished. This event should suffice as a warning for those who reject the Message of Allaah^-SWT ’s Messengers^-AS.

 

Nevertheless, mankind repeated its performance. Inspite of knowing everything it plunged into the quagmire of disbelief once again. But Allaah^-SWT ’s Grace and Munificence came to their rescue and He^-SWT sent His^-SWT Prophets^-AS time and again, rather raised them from amongst those very people. They conveyed Allaah^-SWT ’s Message to their respective nations supported by clear signs, but the unfortunate insisted on denial.

 

Reason Behind Insistence on Denial

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Due to their wickedness and wrongdoings Allaah^-SWT had set a seal on their hearts. It is a law of nature that sin rusts the heart and repeated sinning eventually destroys it, for it loses the capacity to accept the truth. Such unfortunate people never find guidance.

 

Mode of Preaching

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Later, Prophets Musa^-AS and Harun^-AS were deputed to the Pharaoh and his people who were exceedingly arrogant and immoral. Although they were raised for the entire nation yet the Pharaoh and his chieftains have been alluded to in particular, because generally common man follows the elite. Thus the preachers must pay greater attention to the leaders and rulers, it being the most effective way of preaching.

 

The People of the Pharaoh saw many a miracles and were given the Divine Message but they rejected it outrightly, calling it magic. Prophet Musa^-AS asked them why a sorcerer would invite people to Allah^-SWT, for he exploits people to satisfy his own fancies, while a Prophet^-AS invites people to truth and Allah^-SWT's obedience.

 

Difference between Magic and a Miracle / Karamah

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A miracle cannot be logically explained. It is peculiar to Prophets^-AS and aims at rescuing people from disbelief and acquainting them with Allaah^-SWT . A Karamah is an offshoot of miracle manifested at the hands of a devout follower of a Prophet^-AS and always serves as a source of bringing people closer to Allaah^-SWT . This is not the handiwork of juglars or sorcerers. They, on the contrary, impose themselves on people in pursuit of their own desires. Prophet Musa^-AS therefore, enquired of his people whether it was sorcery to invite them to Allah^-SWT, adding that a sorcerer is ultimately destroyed, whereas those who invite people towards Allaah^-SWT are always triumphant, even if they are martyred in His^-SWT Cause.

 

Unfortunately, his preaching fell on deaf ears of the Pharaoh and his chieftains. The main cause of stubbornness was that they were averse to renouncing the rituals of their forefathers. They argued that if they accepted his Message abandoning their ancestral religion, their status shall be reduced to mere followers and the power will shift to Prophet Musa^-AS. This was not acceptable so they decided to counter what they thought was magic. The Pharaoh summoned master magicians from all over the country. As the contest began, Prophet Musa^-AS called on the magicians to display whatever they had. They put forth their ropes and sticks which appeared as snakes. The Prophet^-AS told them that since their genius in sorcery was plainly aimed at gaining worldly benefits and supporting the falsehood, it will be failed by Allah^-SWT, as He^-SWT never let it stand against the truth. The actions of wrongdoers never last long, nor are they successful, while the truth always prevails. When compared to miracles and Karamah, sorcery has no place. Allaah^-SWT makes the miracles prevail in order to endorse the Message conveyed by His^-SWT Messengers^-AS, no matter how uneasy the non believers may feel.