THE STARTING POINT

When the Prophet of Islam received prophethood in Makkah, he opted for a particular line of action in the spreading of his message. He used to go to the people and tell them: “Say there is no God but the one God and you will be saved.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 16022) That is, abandon idolatry and worship only one God and you will earn salvation.

This shows the correct prophetic method of the Islamic movement. That is, first of all, to bring about a change in the character and thinking of the people through peaceful intellectual campaigns. Only when this initial work has been performed to a considerable extent should practical steps be taken and only if circumstances permit.