Itmaam-i-hujjat
Encyclopedia
Itmām al-hujjah is an Islam
ic concept denoting that religious truth has been completely clarified by a Messenger of Allah
and made available to a people, who are considered to have no excuse to deny it.
(Messenger) and not by a mere Nabi
(Prophet). The former is distinguished from the latter by having received a message for a community in the form of a book and by being assured success. While all messengers are prophets, not all prophets are messengers. In Shiite Islam, an Imam
can also be hujjah through whom Allah's presence becomes established for a believer.
This punishment is considered to occur both in this world and the next world. The judgment in this world is considered a rehearsal for the ultimate punishment or reward on the Day of Judgement.
The Qur'an explains this punishment in the following verse:
Generally, the punishment is considered to come either through natural disaster or through human hands.
Examples in the Qur’an are the nations of Noah
, Lot
, Saleh
, and Shoaib
along with some other nations of Messengers, which were punished in the form of raging storms, cyclones and other calamities, which completely destroyed them. A notable exception would be the "People of the Book
", who as monotheists were not destroyed but reduced to a subjugated status. The Israelite
s are considered punished by "constant subjugation to the followers of Jesus
till the Day of Judgement". The Qur'an explains this in following verse:
According to Ghamidi, the chief example in the Qur'an is Muhammad
himself, who after having conquered Mecca
and given the Arabian polytheists a respite of four months, ordered his followers to fight and kill them until they had embraced Islam. The Qur'an says:
According to Ghamidi, another verse reiterates and also deals with the punishment of Jews and Christian
s, who as monotheists are not threatened with death but merely subjugated to the status of dhimmi
s:.
Muslims also cite Moses
as an example, especially his punishment of those worshipping the Golden calf
.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic concept denoting that religious truth has been completely clarified by a Messenger of Allah
Rasul
In Islam, an Apostle or Messenger is a prophet sent by God.According to the Qur'an, God sent many prophets to mankind. The five universally acknowledged messengers in Islam are Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad, as each is believed to have been sent with a scripture...
and made available to a people, who are considered to have no excuse to deny it.
Role of a Messenger
The concept of Itmām al-hujjah requires that religious truth is presented by a RasulRasul
In Islam, an Apostle or Messenger is a prophet sent by God.According to the Qur'an, God sent many prophets to mankind. The five universally acknowledged messengers in Islam are Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and Muhammad, as each is believed to have been sent with a scripture...
(Messenger) and not by a mere Nabi
Nabi
Nabi may refer to:* Prophets of Islam, humans who, in the Islamic faith, have been chosen as prophets by God**Nabi * Butterfly in the Korean language** Nabi , a 2001 South Korean film** The Korean language title of Mr...
(Prophet). The former is distinguished from the latter by having received a message for a community in the form of a book and by being assured success. While all messengers are prophets, not all prophets are messengers. In Shiite Islam, an Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
can also be hujjah through whom Allah's presence becomes established for a believer.
Punishment of adversaries
The Qu'ran asserts that after Itmām al-hujjah has been attained, those rejecting the religious truth have no excuse and are punished by Allah.This punishment is considered to occur both in this world and the next world. The judgment in this world is considered a rehearsal for the ultimate punishment or reward on the Day of Judgement.
The Qur'an explains this punishment in the following verse:
And the disbelievers said to their Messengers: ‘‘We will drive you out of our land, or you return to our religion’’. But their Lord inspired [this message] to them [the Messengers]: ‘‘Verily We will cause the wrong-doers to perish! And verily We will cause you to abide in the land, and succeed them. This is for those who feared the time when they shall stand before My tribunal and those who feared My warnings’’. )
Generally, the punishment is considered to come either through natural disaster or through human hands.
Punishment through natural disaster
Punishment comes through natural calamities, if the Messenger has very few companions and no place to migrate.Examples in the Qur’an are the nations of Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, Lot
Lut
Lot is an apostle and prophet of God in the Qur'an. He also appears in the Bible, but the Biblical stories of Lot are not entirely accepted within Islam. According to Islamic tradition, Lot lived in Ur and was the son of Haran and nephew of Abraham. He migrated with Abraham to Canaan in Palestine....
, Saleh
Saleh
Saleh or Salih was a prophet of ancient Arabia mentioned in the Qur'an, who prophesied to the tribe of the Thamud. He is mentioned nine times throughout the Qur'an and his people are frequently referenced as a wicked community who, because of their sins, were ultimately destroyed...
, and Shoaib
Shoaib
Shuʿayb, or Shoaib, , was an ancient Midianite prophet, who is mentioned in the Qur'an a total of 11 times. He is believed to have lived after Abraham, and Muslims believe that he was sent as a prophet to two communities, namely the Midianites and the People of the Wood. To both the people, Shoaib...
along with some other nations of Messengers, which were punished in the form of raging storms, cyclones and other calamities, which completely destroyed them. A notable exception would be the "People of the Book
People of the Book
People of the Book is a term used to designate non-Muslim adherents to faiths which have a revealed scripture called, in Arabic, Al-Kitab . The three types of adherents to faiths that the Qur'an mentions as people of the book are the Jews, Sabians and Christians.In Islam, the Muslim scripture, the...
", who as monotheists were not destroyed but reduced to a subjugated status. The Israelite
Israelite
According to the Bible the Israelites were a Hebrew-speaking people of the Ancient Near East who inhabited the Land of Canaan during the monarchic period .The word "Israelite" derives from the Biblical Hebrew ישראל...
s are considered punished by "constant subjugation to the followers of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
till the Day of Judgement". The Qur'an explains this in following verse:
Remember when Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will terminate [your period] and raise you to Myself and cleanse you from those who have denied you; I will make those who follow you superior to those who reject faith till the Day of Resurrection.
Punishment through human hands
Punishment comes through human hands, if the Messenger has migrated from his people to another place, where he has achieved political sovereignty and a considerable number of followers. The Messenger consolidates his power and trains his followers and prepares them for battle, so that he is able to root out the disbelievers and establish the supremacy of his religion.According to Ghamidi, the chief example in the Qur'an is Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
himself, who after having conquered Mecca
Conquest of Mecca
Mecca was conquered by the Muslims in January 630 AD .-Background:In 628 the Meccan tribe of Quraysh and the Muslim community in Medina signed a 10 year truce called the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah....
and given the Arabian polytheists a respite of four months, ordered his followers to fight and kill them until they had embraced Islam. The Qur'an says:
But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
According to Ghamidi, another verse reiterates and also deals with the punishment of Jews and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s, who as monotheists are not threatened with death but merely subjugated to the status of dhimmi
Dhimmi
A , is a non-Muslim subject of a state governed in accordance with sharia law. Linguistically, the word means "one whose responsibility has been taken". This has to be understood in the context of the definition of state in Islam...
s:.
Fight those who believe not in Allah or the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission and are subdued.
Muslims also cite Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
as an example, especially his punishment of those worshipping the Golden calf
Golden calf
According to the Hebrew Bible, the golden calf was an idol made by Aaron to satisfy the Israelites during Moses' absence, when he went up to Mount Sinai...
.
See also
- DawahDawahDa‘wah or Dawah usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite"...
- Fate of the unlearnedFate of the unlearnedThe fate of the unlearned is an eschatological question about the ultimate destiny of people who have not been exposed to a particular theology or doctrine and thus have no opportunity to embrace it...
- Islamic term
- JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
- Muhammad as a diplomatMuhammad as a diplomatMuhammad is documented as having engaged as a diplomat during his propagation of Islam and leadership over the growing Muslim Ummah . He established a method of communication with other tribal or national leaders through letters, assigned envoys, or by visiting them personally, such as at Ta’if...
- Muhammad as a generalMuhammad as a generalThe military career of Muhammad lasted for the final ten years of his life when he served as the leader of the ummah at Medina.-History:Muhammad spent his last ten years, from 622 to 632, as the leader of Medina in a state of war with pagan Mecca...
- Proselytization
- Repentance in IslamRepentance in IslamThe word Tawbah in Arabic literally means 'to return'. In an Islamic context, it refers to the act of leaving what God has prohibited and returning to what He has commanded. The subject of repentance is one which concerns all people who believe in God, and is central to Islamic belief as well. It...
- RevelationRevelationIn religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...