From the Rescue of Humanity to the Permanent Responsibility of His Heirs
Seyed Hashem Moosavi
Introduction: The Mission-A One-Time Event or a Living Movement?
The mission (biʿthah) of the Prophet of Islam is not merely a historical incident that occurred in seventh-century Arabia. It is a decisive turning point in the continuous flow of divine guidance throughout human history. If we understand the mission only as “the beginning of a prophet’s ministry,” we imprison it in the past. But if we understand it as “the awakening of humanity to revive God’s message,” it becomes a living, ongoing, and ever-relevant reality.
The Qur’an presents the mission not simply as a divine favour, but as a saving necessity-one rooted in the intellectual, moral, and social condition of humanity. This article seeks, through a historical, Qur’anic, and analytical lens, to elevate the mission of the Prophet from “an event in Mecca” to “a permanent responsibility in history.”
- The Nature of the Mission in the Logic of Revelation
In its linguistic sense, biʿthah means “to raise up with a mission.” In the Qur’anic worldview, it signifies awakening a sleeping humanity-not merely sending a message.
God describes this event as a great divine blessing upon the believers, because humanity had reached a point of deadlock where it could no longer save itself from within. The mission came precisely at a time when reason, innate nature (fiṭrah), and morality were trapped within the triangle of habit, power, and ignorance.
This reality is clearly expressed in a foundational Qur’anic verse:
« لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ؛
“Indeed, God bestowed a great favour upon the believers when He raised among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, though before that they were in manifest error.” (Āl ʿImrān 3:164)
- Why the Mission Was Necessary: The Age of Manifest Error
Before the Prophet’s mission, society was suffering from three fundamental crises, which the Qur’an calls “manifest misguidance” (ḍalāl mubīn): « وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ» “Though before that they were in manifest error.” (al-Jumuʿah 62:2)
1) Moral Collapse
Human dignity had fallen so low that:
- Female infanticide was normalised: « وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ؛ بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَتْ ؛ “When the buried girl is asked: for what sin was she killed?” (al-Takwīr 81:8-9)
- Alcohol, gambling, bloodshed, and tribal arrogance were celebrated.
- Compassion, justice, and human dignity had no real place.
2) Epistemic Crisis
The Arabs had neither a coherent philosophy nor even a distorted revealed religion capable of restraining them. Abrahamic monotheism had been replaced by superstitious polytheism. Idols became tools for sanctifying the interests of the powerful.
3) Structural Oppression
Wealth and power were monopolised by a small elite that regarded the lives and rights of the weak as worthless. A society where injustice becomes institutionalised cannot be reformed without divine intervention.
- The Charter of the Mission: Freedom, Dignity, and Responsibility
The Prophet’s message can be summarised in three foundational pillars:
1) Monotheism – Liberating Humanity from False Gods
«قولوا لا إله إلا الله تفلحوا؛ “Say: There is no god but God, and you will prosper.”
Monotheism was not merely the rejection of stone idols; it was the rejection of the idols of power, wealth, tribe, and ego.
2) Human Dignity
One of the central messages of the Prophet’s mission was the restoration of human worth. The Qur’an declares the human being to be God’s vicegerent: «وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً؛ “I am placing on the earth a vicegerent.” (al-Baqarah 2:30)
And it describes humanity as worthy of angelic prostration: «وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ؛ “We said to the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam.” (al-Baqarah 2:34)
After the Prophet’s mission, slaves, women, orphans, and the poor were for the first time recognised as bearers of God-given rights.
3) Moral and Social Responsibility
After the mission, faith without righteous action was declared meaningless. Justice and piety replaced lineage and status as the true criteria of excellence in society.
- Why Did People Resist the Mission?
People responded differently to the Prophet’s call:
- a) The Truth-Seekers
A small group whose reason and conscience were alive-such as Abu Dharr, ʿAmmār, and Khadījah.
- b) The Hesitant Majority
Those who recognised the truth but found the cost of commitment too high.
- c) The Arrogant Elite
The Qurayshi aristocracy opposed the Prophet not out of ignorance but because:
- Monotheism threatened their power.
- Justice threatened their wealth.
- Ethics threatened their lifestyle.
The Qur’an calls them the arrogant (al-mustakbirūn): « قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا إِنَّا بِالَّذِي آمَنتُم بِهِ كَافِرُونَ؛ “Those who were arrogant said: ‘We disbelieve in what you believe in.’” (al-Aʿrāf 7:76)
- The Great Warning: The Return of Ignorance
Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) is not just a past era; it is a recurring mindset. Even within an Islamic society it can re-emerge. The Qur’an warns: «أَفَحُكْمَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ؛ “Do they seek the judgement of ignorance? And who is better than God in judgement for a people who have certainty?” (al-Māʾidah 5:50)
The Prophet ﷺ also said: «أَخْوَفُ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي أَئِمَّةُ الضَّلَالَةِ “The thing I fear most for my community is leaders of misguidance.”
History confirms this: the return of aristocracy, luxury, the misuse of public wealth, and the distortion of prophetic values after the Prophet’s death all testify to how ignorance can be reproduced.
- The Ongoing Mission: Scholars as the Heirs of the Prophets
After the end of prophethood, God did not abandon humanity. Three pillars ensure the continuity of the mission: the Qur’an, the Ahl al-Bayt, and righteous scholars.
The responsibility of the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) after the Holy Prophet of Islam is clearly mentioned in the Hadith of Al-Thaqalayn.
As for the responsibility of religious scholars and jurists, the Holy Qur’an has also made the necessary predictions and states: «وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ؛ “It is not for all the believers to go forth together. Rather, from every group a party should go to gain understanding in religion and to warn their people when they return to them.” (al-Tawbah 9:122)
And the Prophet ﷺ said: «العلماء ورثة الأنبياء؛ “The scholars are the heirs of the prophets.”
This inheritance is not of wealth or titles, but of mission. A true religious scholar must:
- Break the barriers of ignorance,
- Expose religious distortions,
- Challenge unjust power structures,
- Revive public morality.
Conclusion: The Mission Is Now on Our Shoulders
The Prophet’s mission was God’s answer to a crisis of humanity. It exposed ignorance rather than merely removing it-and then transferred responsibility from the Prophet to the community.
The Prophet was sent once; the duty to convey and embody his message is eternal. Every conscious believer, teacher, and preacher must see themselves as a bearer of that mission-not as a prophet, but as an heir to the prophetic trust.
If we witness the return of ignorance today, it is not because the message is absent, but because awakened heirs are too few.
The mission has not ended; it has become a responsibility resting upon us all.
