According to a frequently narrated (mutawātir) Ḥadīth, his holiness himself said,
«بُعِثتُ لاتمِّمَ مَكارِمَ الأخلاق»
“The beginning of my Prophetic Mission (bi‘tha) was to complete moral characteristics”. The Prophetic Mission emerged in the world in order that the moral characteristics and the spiritual virtues of humankind become universalized and attain perfection. Unless someone has the most superior moral characteristics, Allah Almighty will not give this great and vital mission to him; that is why at the beginning of the Prophetic Mission of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), Allah Almighty said to him,
﴿وَ إنّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظيم﴾
The Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) being [self-] made and disciplined until he becomes a vessel that Allah Almighty finds that vessel to be fit for His Revelation is related to his life before the beginning of his Prophetic Mission; thus it has been reported that as a young man, the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was engaged in trade and had acquired a huge income through trade, all of which was given in the way of Allah in the form of alms that were divided among the needy.
During this period, which is the latter period of the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) development and before the decent of revelation–a period when he had not become a prophet yet either–the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) would climb up Mount Ḥarā’ and look at the Divine signs; at the sky, at the stars, at the Earth, at those folks who lived on the land with different emotions and in a variety of ways. He could see Divine signs in all of these things and his humility toward Allah, the humility of his heart toward Divine orders and Divine will, would increase day by day and gradually the seedlings of good morals began to rise in him. It is narrated in a ḥadīth,
«كانَ اَعقَل النّاسُ و اكرَمَهم»
[The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was the most intellectual and the most generous among the people]; before the beginning of the Prophetic Mission, by observing the Divine signs, the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) became more and more prolific and matured, until he became forty years old.
«فَلمّا استَكمَلَ أربعينَ سَنَةً وَ نَظَرَ اللهُ عَزّوَجَلّ إلى قَلبِهِ فَوَجَدهُ أفضَلَ القُلوب وَ أجَلَّها، وَ أطوَعَها وَ أخشَعَها وَ أخضَعَها»
[When he reached forty years, Allah looked at his heart and found it the best, the most splendid, obedient, fearful, and submissive of all.] At the age of forty years, his heart became the most luminous of hearts, the most humbled of hearts for receiving the Divine message.
«أذِنَ لِأبوابِ السّماءِ فَفُتِحَت، وَ محمّدٌ يَنظُرُ إلَيها»
[Allah allowed the doors of the heavens to open and the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) began looking at them.] When he reached this stage of spirituality, sanctity, luminosity, and the height of perfection, then Allah Almighty opened the gates of heaven and the gates to the unseen worlds to him and opened his eyes to the spiritual worlds and the unseen worlds.
«وَ أذِنَ لِلمَلائِكَةِ فَنَزَلُوا وَ محمّدٌ يَنظُرُ إلَيهِم»
[And Allah commanded the angels to descend from Heaven and Muḥammad began looking at them.] He would see the angels, they were speaking with him; he could hear their words, until the Angel Gabriel, the trusted one, descended upon him and said,
﴿اقرأ﴾
“[Read!]; (this was) the beginning of the Prophetic Mission.”
This unique Divine creature, this perfect human being who had reached this stage of perfection before the decent of revelation from the very moment of the beginning of his Mission started a composite, comprehensive, and difficult jihād and he carried out this holy struggle under extreme hardship for twenty three years. His holy struggle within himself was a holy struggle with a people who had no perception of reality and was a holy struggle with that absolute oppressive environment, where Amīr al-Mu’minīn ‘Alī, said in Nahj al-Balāgha,
«في فِتَنٍ داسَتهُم بِأخفافِها وَ وَطِئَتهُم بِأظلافِها وَ قامَت عَلى سَنابِكِها»
Seditions are putting pressure on the people from all sides; worldliness, lustfulness, oppression, and encroachment, moral vices in the depths of human souls, and the encroaching hands of the powerful that were stretched toward the weak without any hindrance and impediment. This encroachment not only existed in Mecca and the Arabian Peninsula, but also in the greatest civilizations in the world of that day; namely in the Roman Empire and in the Persian Monarchy. Look at history; the dark pages of history had engulfed the life of humankind. For the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), struggling with this great power and the ceaseless unthinkable effort began from the early hours of the beginning of the Prophetic Mission and receiving the interconnected Divine Revelation, which was like pure water that reaches a fertile land being revealed to the sacred heart of that great man and giving him strength. He used all his power to be able to place this world on the verge of a great transformation and he succeeded.
The first cells of the body of the Islamic nation was built with mighty hands of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) during the difficult days of Mecca; fortified pillars on which the base of Islamic nation should be built; [it was] the first believers, the first of those who professed faith, the first who had this knowledge, this bravery, this luminosity by which they were able to understand the meaning of the message of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and become attached to him.
﴿فَمَن يرُدِ الله أن يهَديهَ يشَرَح صَدرَهُ للِإسلام﴾
Prepared hearts and opened doors of the heart toward this Divine wisdom and these Divine instructions were made by the mighty hands of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.); these minds became illuminated, day by day these wills became stronger; and hardships occurred for these same few believers–who also increase day by day–during this period that are unimaginable for you and I. In an atmosphere that all values are values of the pagan ignorance (jāhilīyya), and the prejudices, zeal for false pride, acting on deep vengeances, atrocities, wretchedness, oppressions, and lustfulness are intermixed and put pressure on people’s lives and engulfed them, these lush seedlings sprouted from among these granite and impenetrable rocks.
«وَ إنَّ الشّجَرةَ البَرّیّةَ أصلَبُ عُودا وَ أقوَى وَقُوداً»
That is, what Amīr al-Mu’minīn (P.B.U.H.) says is this. No hurricane could move these sprouts, these seedlings, and these trees that have grown out of these rocks and taken root and have grown. Thirteen years passed and then, based on these fortified pillars, the Islamic nation and the civic and Prophetic society was established on these pillars.
Laying the Foundation of the Islamic System
This nation-building was not just politics; one part of it was politics. Another major part of this system was the education of every individual:
﴿هُوَ الّذي بَعَثَ في الأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنهُم يَتلُو عَلَيهِم آياتِهِ و يُزَكِّيهِم و يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الكِتَابَ و الحِكمَةَ﴾
“It is He who sent to the unlettered [people] an Apostle from among themselves, to recite to them His signs, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom”.
“To purify them”; each and every person’s heart was under the training of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) indoctrinated science and knowledge to each and every mind and wisdom. “To purify them and to teach them the Book and wisdom.”
Wisdom is one level higher. It was not only to teach them the rules and regulations and religious law; rather, he taught them wisdom, too. He was opening their eyes to the facts of the world. For ten years the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) proceeded in this manner and with this method. On the one hand, [he was engaged in] politics, governance, defending the nature and existence of the Islamic society, expanding the scope of Islam, opening the way so that groups outside Medina could slowly and one by one enter the illuminated realm of Islam and Islamic science, culture, and education. On the other hand, he proceeded in training each and every individual. These two cannot be separated.
A number of people considered Islam to be just a personal issue and took politics away from Islam. While the first thing the holy Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) did at the beginning of the migration when he was able to save himself from the hardships of Mecca, was [practicing] politics. The foundation of an Islamic society, the establishment of Islamic rule, the establishment of an Islamic system, the establishment of Islamic army troops, sending letters to the great politicians of the world, entering into great human political sphere of those days, is indeed politics.
How can Islam be separate from politics? How can politics be defined and interpreted and formed with a guiding hand other than a guiding hand of Islam?!
﴿الّذينَ جَعَلُوا القُرآنَ عِضين﴾
“Who reduced the Qur’an into pieces]; certain people shred the Holy Qur’an into pieces.”
«يُؤمِنُ بِبَعضِ الكِتابِ وَ يَكفُرُ بِبَعض»
They come to believe in devotional aspect of the Qur’an, but they do not come to believe in the politics of the Qur’an.
﴿لَقَد أرسَلنا رُسُلَنا بِالبَيّناتِ وَ أنزَلنا مَعَهُمُ الكِتابَ وَ الميزانَ لِيَقُومَ النّاسُ بِالقِسط﴾
What is qisṭ (justice)? Qisṭ means implementing social justice in society. Who can do this? The establishment of a society with justice and equity is a political task; it is a task of the administrators of a country. This is the objective of the prophets. Not only our prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), but also Jesus, Moses, Abraham and all Divine prophets (P.B.U.T.) came to establish policies and to establish an Islamic system.
2006/22/08
An Exemplar of the Islamic System
The holy Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) sīra (practical way of life) in the ten-year period of Islamic governance in Medina, is one of the brightest–and it is not an exaggeration if we say that it is most brilliant–periods of administration in the history of mankind. This short, prolific, and enormously influential period in the history of mankind must be recognized. The Medina period, is the second chapter of the twenty-three-year mission of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). Thirteen years in Mecca was the first chapter–which is considered to be the introduction of the second chapter–and the period in Medina is also almost ten years, which is a period of laying the foundation of the Islamic system and making an exemplar and a model out of the Islamic sovereignty for all times and periods of the history of man and all places. Of course, this exemplar is a perfect exemplar and we don’t know of another of its kind in any other period, yet by looking at this perfect exemplar, it is possible to discover the criteria or indicators. These indicators are marks for human beings and Muslims, by which systems and human beings must be judged.
The Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) objective for migrating to Medina was to fight the oppressive, tyrannical environment, and political, economical, and social corruption which were predominant that day throughout the world and the objective was not only fighting the infidels of Mecca; it was indeed a global issue. The holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) pursued this objective that wherever the grounds were favorable he would plant the seed of thought and opinion; with the hope that this seed will germinate and grow. The objective was that the message of freedom, vigilance, and prosperity would reach the hearts of all human beings. It was not possible except by creating an exemplary system and model; hence, the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) came to Medina to create this exemplary system. As to how much longer they could carry on and how much the succeeding ones could bring themselves closer to that depended on their efforts. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) makes the sample and makes it available to all of humanity and history. The system that the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) made has various criteria, among which seven are more important and more prominent.
The first criterion is faith and spirituality. The real motivation and driving engine in the prophetic system is a faith that gushes from the spring of the hearts and minds and moves their hand, arm, leg, and existence in the right direction. So, the first criterion is the breathing and strengthening the spirit of faith and spirituality into people [’s souls], giving them trust and correct thought, which the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) started from Mecca and powerfully lifted his flag in Medina.
The second criterion is justice and equity. The cornerstone of any work is equity and justice and conveying every due to the rightful person–without any reserve.
The third criterion is knowledge and education. In the prophetic system, the foundation of all things is knowing, understanding, awareness, and vigilance. No one is guided blindly in some direction; and the people are transformed into an active force–not a passive one–through awareness, education, and the power of discernment.
The fourth criterion is purity and fraternity. In the prophetic system, clashes that arise from superstitious, personal, profit seeking, and profiteering motives are hated and a battle is being fought with it. The sphere is a sphere of sincerity, fraternity, brotherhood, and empathy.
The fifth criterion is moral and behavioral soundness. This purifies human beings and cleanses them from corruption and moral vices; it makes a moral and purified person out of him;
﴿وَ يُزَكّيهِم وَ يُعَلِّمُهُمُ الكِتابَ وَ الحِكمَة﴾
Purification is one of those main pillars; meaning that the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was working on the education and the humanization of each and every person.
The sixth criterion is might and dignity. The prophetic system and society are not an underdog, dependent, follower in others’ footsteps, and one that begs from this person and that; it is dignified, mighty, and decisive; when it has recognized its interest, it strives to secure it and advances its task.
The seventh criterion is work, movement, and constant progress. Cessation does not have a place in prophetic system; there is constant movement, work, and progress. It does not happen that one time they say, “It is over, now let’s sit down and relax!” This does not exist. Of course the work brings enjoyment and well-being; it is not irksome and boring, or causing fatigue; it is a job that gives humans vitality, strength, and motivation.
Pillars of This Islamic System
The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) entered Medina to perfect this system and help it stand on its own feet and leave it as a sample in history forever so that anyone wherever in history–from his time until Doomsday–could bring someone like it into existence and create enthusiasm in hearts so that human beings can go toward such a society. Of course, creating such a system requires pillars of belief and humanity.
First, there must exist correct beliefs and thoughts for this system to be built on the bases of those thoughts. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) had already explained these thoughts in the form of oneness of Allah, man’s esteem, and the rest of Islamic teachings during the thirteen-year Meccan period; then in Medina too, he continually and at any moment taught and made others understand these thoughts and high learnings, which were the pillars of this system, until his death.
Secondly, human bases and columns are necessary so that this structure can be placed upon their shoulders because the Islamic system is not dependent on one individual. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) had created and had prepared many of these columns in Mecca. A number of them were the honorable companions of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)–with different ranks that they had–who were the result and the product of the effort and endeavor of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) during that difficult thirteen-year period in Mecca. A number of them such as Sa‘d b. Ma‘ādh, Abī Ayyūb, and others were also among those who had emerged in Yathrib (Medina) before the migration of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) along with the message of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.). Then when the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) came he started the fostering of human beings from the moment of [his] arrival and day by day capable managers, great, brave, forgiving, believing, strong, and knowledgeable men entered Medina as fortified columns of this lofty and elevated structure.
The Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) migration to Medina–which was named Yathrib before the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) entrance to this city and after his holiness’ coming it was named Madīnat al-Nabī (the city of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)), was like a sweet spring breeze that spread throughout the atmosphere of this city and everyone felt as if it was like a relief of difficulties has come about. Thus, people’s hearts became aware and woke up when they heard that the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) has entered Qubā. Qubā is close to Medina and the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) stayed there for fifteen days. The passion to see him increased in the hearts of the people day by day. Some people would go to Qubā to visit the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and would return (to their cities); some were also waiting in Medina for him to come. Then when he entered Medina, this eagerness and this pleasant and gentle breeze turned into a storm in hearts of the people and changed these hearts. Suddenly they felt that their beliefs and emotions and tribal affiliation and prejudices, had disappeared from the face and behavior and the words of this man and they have become acquainted with a new gateway to the truths of the world of creation and moral knowledge. It was this very storm that created a revolution in their hearts first; then it spread all around Medina. Then it conquered the natural fortress of Mecca and finally found its way to far routes and advanced to depths of two empires and great nations of that day; and wherever it went it shook the hearts and created a revolution within humans. The Muslims of early Islam conquered Iran and Rome with the power of faith. As soon as these nations that had been invaded would see them, faith would be created in their hearts. The sword was for the purpose of getting rid of barriers and those who were the ring leaders of wealth and the powerful; otherwise the mass of the people, everywhere, had perceived that same storm and the two great empires–namely Rome and Iran–had profoundly become a part of the Islamic system and country. All of these took forty years to happen; ten years during the time of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), and thirty years after his demise.
As soon as the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) entered Medina, he began his work. Among the wonders of the life of his holiness is that during these ten years, he did not waste even one moment. It had not been observed that the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) had not subsisted form casting the light of spirituality, guidance, teaching, and training. His being awake, his sleep, his mosque, his house, his waging wars, his going to alleys and markets, his family interaction and his existence–wherever he was–was a lesson. What a blessing there is in such a life! Somebody who subjected all of history to his thoughts and influenced it–which I have said many times, many of the concepts such as the connotation of equity, brotherhood, justice, and democracy, that became sacred for humanity in centuries thereafter were all under the influence of his teaching; such things did not exist in the teachings of other religions or at least had not emerged on the scene–he had only done ten years of governmental, political, and collective work. What a blessed life! From the first instant of his entrance he had specified his position.
Social Behaviour of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)
The camel on which the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) was mounted entered the city of Yathrib (Medina) and people surrounded it. In that time the city of Medina was divided into neighborhoods; each neighborhood had houses for itself, it had alleys and fences and commerce for itself and belonged to a certain tribe; some tribes were affiliated to “Aws” and some others to “Khazraj”. When the camel of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) entered the city of Yathrib and when it reached each of the fortresses, the elders would come out and would stop (and say), “O’ Messenger of Allah! Come here! Our house, life, wealth, and our comfort are at your disposal”. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) said, “Please, open the way for this camel”;
«إنّها مأمورة»
[It is commissioned]; it moves according to instruction; let him go. They opened the way for the camel until it reached the next neighborhood. Again the elders, nobility, old men, personalities, and young people stopped the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) camel: “O’ Messenger of Allah! Come down here; your home is here; whatever you want, we will place at your disposal; we are all at your service. He said, “Step aside; let the camel continue its way;
«إنّها مأمورة»
[It is commissioned]. So the camel went from neighborhood to neighborhood until it reached the neighborhood of Banī al-Najjār–the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) mother was from this family. The men of Banī al-Najjār were considered to be the uncles of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.); thus they came forward and said, “O Messenger of Allah! We are your kin, everything we have will be at your disposal, come down at our house.” He said, “No,
«إنّها مأمورة»
[It is commissioned]; step aside, Open the way.” The camel came to one of the neighborhoods of Medina that had the poorest residents and sat in a place. Everyone looked to see whose house it was. They saw that it is the Abī Ayyūb Anṣārī’s house; the poorest or one of the poorest people of Medina. He and his needy and poor family came and picked up the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) belongings and took them inside the house. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) also entered their house as a guest and refused the invitations of the lords and nobles and influential people and the owners of these tribes and the like; meaning that he [thereby] specified his social stance. It turned out that this person is not dependent on money and prestige and honor of the chief of a certain tribe and is not dependent upon a clan, kin, family, or brassy and charlatan people and the like and never will be. From the very hour and the first moment, he specified that which side of the group he was and which population he supported and for whom his existence would be beneficial. Everyone benefits form the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) and his teachings, however that person who is more disadvantaged will inevitably get more share and his deprivation must be compensated.
There was an unused land in front of Abī Ayyūb Anṣārī’s house. His holiness asked, “Whose land is this?” They said, “It belongs to two orphans.’’ His holiness took money from his pouch and bought that land. Then he said, “We will build a mosque on this land”; meaning a political, devotional, social, and governmental center; meaning a center for the assemblage of the people. Somewhere for gatherings was needed; thus they began to build the mosque. His holiness did not ask anyone for land for the mosque and did not ask for donation [of the land]; he bought it with his own money. Although those two children had no father or someone to defend them; but like a father and defender, the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) fully observed their rights. When it was decided that the mosque would be built, the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.), himself was among the first persons or the first person to come, took the shovel in his hand and started to dig the foundation of the mosque; not as ceremonial deed, but rather he really started working and sweated. He worked in such a way that some of those who were sitting on the sideway, said, “Should we sit and the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) work like this? So we will go and work.” Thus, they came and built the mosque in a short period of time. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.)–this sublime and powerful leader–showed that he did not claim any specific right for himself. If a job is supposed to be done he must have a share of it.
He then designed the strategies and policies to manage that system. When one looks and sees that this task has proceeded step by step, prudently, and consciously, one understands what thought and contemplation and precise calculation is behind this determination and strong and decisive decision that is not obviously possible except with Divine Revelation. Today also, those who want to pursue the circumstances of that ten-year period step by step, they cannot understand anything. If one wishes to calculate each event separately one will not comprehend anything. He must look and see what order these events have had and how all of these tasks have been done diplomatically, consciously, and with correct calculation.
First is the creation of unity. All the people of Medina did not become Muslim; [but] the majority embraced Islam and a small number of people remained non-Muslims. In addition to these, three important tribes of Jews–the Banī Qaynuqā‘, the Banī al-Naḍīr and the Banī Qurayḍah–were settled in Medina; that is, they were living in their private fortresses that were almost attached to Medina. Their coming to Medina dated back to one or two hundred years earlier and why they had come, itself is a long and detailed story. When the holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) entered Medina, these Jewish tribes had two or three characteristics. One was that the main wealth of Medina was the best farmlands, the best profitable businesses, and the most profitable industries–gold jewelries and things like these–were at their disposal. In times of need, most of the people of Medina would refer to them and would borrow money and would pay interest [usury]. This means that all were financially under the obligation of the Jews. Secondly, the Jews were culturally superior to the people of Medina. This was because they believed in a Holy Book and they were familiar with various knowledge; religious knowledge and matters that were quite far from the minds the half-wild people of Medina, thus they had intellectual dominance. In fact, if we speak in today’s language, the Jews were considered to be an intellectual class; thus, they would depreciate, humiliate, and ridicule other people living there. Of course, wherever they were in danger and found it necessary, they would also belittle themselves, yet they were naturally superior.
The third quality was that they had links with faraway places; that is they were not confined to the area of Medina. The Jews were a reality in Medina; therefore the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) had to take these Jews into account. The holy Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) created a general collective covenant. When his holiness entered Medina, without there being any contract, without wanting anything from the people and without having done any negotiations in this regard with the people, it was made clear that the leadership of this society belonged to this man; that is the personality and the greatness of the Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) naturally made all submissive toward him; it turned out that he was the leader and all had to move on with his leadership and take action according to what he says. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) wrote a covenant that was accepted by all. This covenant was about social interaction, transactions, disputes, blood money, the Prophet’s (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) relationships with dissidents, with the Jews, and with non-Muslims. All of these were written and recorded; it is also detailed, perhaps it has taken up two or three pages of big old history books.
The next very important step was to create fraternity. Aristocracy, superstitious prejudices and tribal pride and the separation of various strata of people from one another were the major calamities of the prejudiced and ignorant societies of that day of the Arabs. The Prophet (P.B.U.H. & H.H.) trampled them by creating fraternity. He created fraternity between such and such a chieftain of a tribe and such and such a person of the very low or middle class. He said, “You two people are brothers”; and they both quite willingly accepted this brotherhood. The aristocrats and the dignitaries embraced Islam alongside the slaves and those who had attained their freedom and in doing this all barriers to social unity were removed. Despite the fact that there were many people who had a good voice and were handsome, and there were numerous educated and professional personalities; when they wanted to choose someone to become the muezzin (the one who call people to prayers), yet they chose Bilāl Ḥabashī from among all these people. Neither beauty, nor voice, not even family and parental prestige were considered as critical; only Islam and faith, striving in the way of Allah, and showing dedication in this path were the grounds (for this choice). See how, in practice, he determined these values. More than one would expect his words to affect the hearts of the people, his deeds, lifestyle, and method had affected the hearts of the people.
