Salman ibn Fahd al-'Awdah
We do not understand much of what you say?
WITH REGARD TO their skepticism about the methods employed by the Prophets to call their people, bthere were many examples. They said to Nuh: Much have you prolonged the dispute with us, now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful. (Surah Hud: 32) This is how they displayed their discontent and frustration with the Call of Allah’s Messenger Nuh . They claimed that he perpetually bombarded them with advice and lengthy debates. This of course reflects their lack of argument and inability to respond to Nuh. Hence, they kept on saying to him: You have indeed spoken a great deal, if you are in fact capable of bringing punishment to bear upon us then do so.
As for Shu’ayb’s people, they said to him: O Shu’ayb we do not understand much of what you say. (Surah Hud: 91) they accused him of having poor arguments, unclear ideas, and oratorical weakness that prevented him from getting across his message. Of course, their inability to understand his message was essentially due to the fact that they themselves did not want to accept the Call an also because their hearts were covered with rust and murkiness. It is common knowledge that the Messengers of Allah were all gifted with the most convincing and potent arguments. Allah chose them
from amongst the noblest sections of their societies and equipped them with this ability to articulate and transmit their ideas. We have not sent a Messenger except to teach in the language of his own people in order to make things clear to them. (Surah Ibrahim: 4) Having done so, the recipients of the divine message were in no position to offer excuses.
Thus when Allah sent Musa he called upon his Lord: And remove an impediment from my speech. So they may understand what I say. And give me a minister from my family, Harun, my brother. Add to my strength through him, and make him share my task: that we may celebrate Your praise without stint and remember You without stint. Verily You are always aware of us. (Surah Taha: 27-35) In responding to this plea, Allah said: Granted is your prayer, O Musa. (Sura Taha: 36) Hence his speech impediment was cured and he became artful and fluent speaker. And he was aided by his brother Harun. Despite all this, we still find Pharaoh saying about Musa: Am I not better than this (Musa) who is a contemptible wretch and can scarcely express himself clearly? (Surah Al-Zukhruf: 52) This is how Pharaoh mocked Allah’s Messenger because of the speech defect from which he suffered before his call to mission. However, when this was rectified he resorted to false accusations and contempt in Musa’s ability to deliver his message in order to sow doubt in the minds of the people and turn them away from the divine Call.
Such was the folly of the enemies of the Messengers in earliest times and later. Even in our age we find that they have fallen into many contradictions which even the simple person can see through and ridicule. The truth is they have fallen into contradictions because they bear the banner of falsehood whilst the Heavens and the Earth have been established on the Truth. Actually, there is not a single person who has chosen to deny the truth except that Allah has exposed him. And on the contrary, there has not been a person who has defended the Truth except that Allah has strengthened him and corrected his speech.
When Muhammad was brought forth in the Arabian Peninsula he displayed the most excellent attributes of eloquence at a time when his own people took great pride in their gifts of fine speech which they boasted about in front of others. They referred to those who did not speak their language as foreigners. And so when Muhammad came, the Arabs were in no position to say to him what Shu’ayb’s people said to him about not comprehending his speech. This was due to the fact that they knew full well his great oratory abilities. As a result, his fiercest enemies were unable to prevent him
from reaching out to the people. They claimed that he was a magician capable of separating a man from his wife and a brother from his brother. Of course, the purpose of these wild claims was to deter the people from answering his Call. A memorable attempt in this context was Al-Tufayl bin Amr, who despite his intelligence, was encouraged by the disbelievers to place cotton in his ears in order to avoid hearing the words of the Prophet which they knew were the truth, and that the Truth has power over the
heart: it captivates it and pulls it towards itself. In contemporary language, therefore, the disbelievers of Quraysh had resorted to an ‘information blackout’ in order to contain the Islamic Call and impose restrictions upon it.
