Awamil al-Nasr wal-Tamkin fi Dawat al-Mursalin
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- Awamil al-Nasr wal-Tamkin fi Dawat al-Mursalin
Awamil al-Nasr wal-Tamkin fi Dawat al-Mursalin (Factors of Victory and Empowerment in the Missions of the Messengers) is a Quranic thematic study authored by Ahmad bin Hamdan al-Shahri, examining the principles and causes of divine victory (nasr) and empowerment (tamkin) as demonstrated in the Quranic accounts of the prophets and messengers.
Background and Conceptual Framework
In his introduction, al-Shahri explains that he chose the term tamkin (empowerment/establishment) over nasr (victory) because tamkin is broader and more comprehensive; it encompasses preparation, consolidation, strength, dominance, and enduring victory. He specifically refers to "the messengers" (al-mursalin) rather than prophets in general for two primary reasons:
- Messengers sent as the initial bearer of a message to an entire nation were definitively promised divine victory and worldly empowerment, and were safeguarded from being killed, unlike renewing prophets who followed an established message and were sometimes slain.
- The Quran directly directs the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to follow the paths of earlier messengers and avoid what they were reproved for, confirming that studying their journeys provides a timeless guide for victory.
The author also contrasts the divine promise given to the messengers with that given to ordinary believers: while the promise to messengers is unconditional because of their direct connection to revelation and innate preparedness, the promise to ordinary believers is conditioned upon actively fulfilling certain moral, spiritual, and material requisites.
Structure and Core Factors
After exploring the linguistic and Quranic definitions of empowerment, the work categorizes the factors of victory into twelve primary thematic chapters (mabahith):
- Pure faith in God (al-Iman al-khalis lillah)
- The supportive community (al-Jama'ah al-munasirah)
- Patience (al-Sabr)
- Mutual exhortation to truth (al-Tawasi bil-haqq)
- Conveying the message (Tabligh al-da'wah)
- Miracles (al-Mu'jizah)
- Wisdom in calling to God (al-Hikmah fi al-da'wah)
- Enjoining good and forbidding evil (al-Amr bil-ma'ruf wal-nahy 'an al-munkar)
- Emigration (al-Hijrah)
- Striving in God's cause (al-Jihad)
- Supplication and entreaty (al-Dara'ah)
- Establishing the religion (Iqamat al-din)
The author notes that broader themes like monotheism (tawhid), righteous leadership, and steadfastness are integrated across these chapters—monotheism within pure faith, leadership within wisdom and mutual counsel, and steadfastness within patience. He highlights that while certain earlier prophets manifested specific factors more predominantly—such as patience during Moses's confrontation with Pharaoh or military mobilization in the reign of Solomon—the mission of Muhammad ﷺ comprehensively embodied all twelve factors in their complete form.
Contemporary Application
Al-Shahri concludes the work by underscoring that the Quranic principles of victory provide an adaptable blueprint for Muslim communities across different circumstances. In situations of severe weakness under tyrannical regimes, he argues that believers should emulate the model of Moses by prioritizing patience, regular prayer, inward worship, humble entreaty, and refraining from reciprocating harm until God brings relief.
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