Approaching the West — Page 24
A pproaching the West—24 this reason our people have risen against us, have persecuted us because we have stopped the worship of idols made out of wood and stones and other abominations. They have hurt us and tortured us. Finding no safety among them, we have come to your country, and hope you will protect us from oppression. Thus, in these words, Ja‘far bin Ab ū Ṭā lib summarized the mission of Mu ḥ ammad, the Prophet of Isl ā m. The mission was obviously for a moral and spiritual reformation, and it remained at the heart of his Prophethood till the last day of his life. The Rightly Guided Khal ī fahs not only discharged their responsibilities as the heads of the expanding Isl ā mic empire, but also continued to carry out Prophet’s main mission. They understood that the religion of Isl ā m was completed in the life of the Prophet, and the revelations of the Qur’ ā n had ceased with the death of the Prophet, but to keep his mission going was of paramount importance to them. They carried on the Prophetic mission concerning spiritual, moral, legal and intellectual growth of the community the best way they could. They led the five daily prayers as Im ā m-u ṣ - Ṣ al ā t; and imparted religious knowledge, its precepts and underlying wisdom to the fellow Muslims through their Friday prayer sermons, mutual discussions, speeches, edict and rulings. They fully utilized the institution of Mush ā warat, that is, mutual consultation, as was ordained in the Qur’ ā n and practiced by the Prophet himself. They upheld the rights of the poor, the needy, the