Now we have discussed the idea that there are two messages of Islam, we will now go on to explain how this came about in the history according to Taha.
He believes that initially, the Meccan Qur’an (full of eternal, universal, general and lofty principles) was revealed, inviting people to the final true Islam (stage 3 in the previous blog) but when they failed to adopt the ultimate Islam, and it was practically demonstrated that they were below its standard, they were addressed in accordance with their abilities as Mu’minun (1) and the original precept was postponed. This was done through the verses of the Qur’an revealed in Medina (compromises e.g. most the verses on women’s rights …etc.).
[Important to note here is the general distinction that is noticed by all scholars between the Meccan and Medinese verses e.g. Medinese verses often start with “O mu’minun” whilst Meccan verses start with “O mankind”…etc.. And also important to note, is that other scholars often consider the Meccan verses to be abrogated by the Medinan verses whereas Taha argues there would otherwise have bee no point in the previous Meccan verses]
It is useful to look at an example to make it clear what he means. When 6:82 was revealed: “Those who believe you without obscuring their belief with unfairness have security and they are truly guided”. The people complained to the Prophet following this verse saying it was too difficult to comply with, and the Prophet explained – at the Mu’minun level – that it was only disbelief rather than the subtle shirk in the sense mentioned in the sir al-sir verse (20:111). (2)
His view is that as soon as the conditions necessary for achieving the original objective returns i.e. once both individual as well as collective human capacities are sufficiently mature, the original precept shall be restored. He does not consider the verse “today we have perfected for you your religion” (5:3) to mean that the religion is finished – rather that Islam cannot be concluded as “the (true) religion with God is Islam” (3:19) and “Say, if every sea became ink for the words of my Lord, surely, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted even if a similar amount is brought as additional supply ” (18:109) i.e. the true religion is with God beyond time and space. Progress is required to get there.
He says that there is a difference between revelation and explanation in the verse: “And we have revealed to you the Reminder [the Qur'an] so that you may explain to mankind that which has been sent down to them, and they may reflect” – he considers the revelation to be the second message (yet to be found), and the explanation to be the first message. (3)
We are yet awaiting the nation of the true Muslims (4) – rather the current nation are Mu’minun. And the initial message is that which the future nation believes in. It is up to us, to revive the initial universal, eternal religion. This Second Message of Islam had remained concealed in the text of the Qur’an until humanity had reached the degree of development that made its application possible. According to Taha, this moment had now arrived.
Taha then goes through some of the issues of concern, and explains how the initial message was one of purity that we need to get back to – he goes through slavery, capitalism, inequality, hijab, polygamy and explains them all in the same way using the above theory.
Note that there are slight issues with this theory e.g. there are some universal principles like “there is no compulsion in religion” in the Medinese verses (although he argues that there are some texts he considers as Meccan in his terminology , although they were revealed in Medina, and others he considers Medinese, although they were revealed in Mecca.)…
This theory is well known and majorly important in the development of modernist thinking. What is really interesting is that he went through with his theory in practice and in his politics, and he was executed for it…In the next blog, we will look at a different thinker: Muhammad Abduh
Sources:
Taha, Al-Qur’an
Taha, Second Message of Islam
The Second Message of Islam: A critical study of the Islamic reformist thinking of Mahmud Muhammad Taha (1909-85), Ph. D, 1995, Eltayeb Eltayeb
(1) Verses used in support of this theory include 47:31, 3:102, 64:16
(2) The Prophet was one of the true Muslims as referred to in 6:163
(3) These two-fold messages are explained in an earlier blog – refer also to 30:23
(4) We have said that the nation of the first message are Muslims – the Qur’an described these at the time of Musa as Jews; and at the time of Isa as Christians; and at the time of Muhammad as Mu’minun (e.g. 2:62, 5:69, 4:136, 5:44)
