Messenger’s Way – Calling to Allaah with clear insight and evidence

No one can be from among the followers of the Messenger in reality except the one who calls to Allaah with clear insight and evidence (baseerah):

Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam)), ”This is my way. I invite unto Allaah with keen insight and sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me.‘   [Soorah al-Yoosuf (12):10] 

(1) His saying,  “… I invite unto Allaah …“  explains his way, which he is upon, since his way and the way of his followers is calling to Allaah. Therefore, whoever does not call to Allaah is not upon his way.

(2) And His saying,  “… with keen insight and sure knowledge (baseerah) …”  (regarding this) Ibn al-A’raabi said, “Al-Baseerah:  (meaning) firmness in the religion.” And it is said, “Al-Baseerah is keen insight”, just as it is said to an intelligent person,”You have baseerah in this”, meaning keen insight.

A poet said:

“In those who first departed among the generations

Are insights (of sure knowledge) for us”

(3) What is correct is that keen insight is a fruit of sure knowledge. So when one has sure knowledge he has keen and perceptive insight. Whoever lacks sure knowledge lacks insight, and it is as if he has no sure knowledge.

The root of this word (baseerah) is from “dhuhoor” (visibility) and “bayaan” (elucidation). The Qur’aan consists of basaa’ir (pl. of baseerah), meaning evidences, guidance and elucidation which lead to the truth and guide to right conduct. This is why it is said about the trail of blood which gives evidence to the game animal (that has been shot), that it is ”baseerah.‘

(4) So this aayah indicates that the one who is not upon sure knowledge is not one of the followers of the Messenger whose followers are the ones who possess sure knowledge and keen insights. This is why He said, “… I and whosoever follows me …“

(5) If the meaning was, “I call upon Allaah, I and whosoever follows me …” and “… whosoever follows me …” refers back to the nominative pronoun in “I invite unto …” and this conjunction has been made for the purpose of clarification, then this is a proof that the followers of the Messenger are the ones who call to Allaah and His Messenger.

(6) If the wording “… and whosoever follows me …” is in conjunction with the genitive pronoun in “… my way …” then the (meaning) is, “This is my way and the way of those who follow me.” In both considerations (of the meaning) his path and the path of whoever follows him is calling to Allaah.