Previous chapters described the characteristics that followers should develop in themselves through tazkiyyah. Preceding this process is an enlistment phase. Khurram Murad discusses part of the process used by the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) in detail, and this process is summarized here:

Just as the message of Islam is nonelitist, being a follower in Islam is not an elitist process. The idea that only a small, selective, and highly trained group of Muslims can energize the remainder of the Ummah is misleading. Both quality and quantity are needed. In spreading the message, a Muslim leader must not ignore anyone. Every single individual, because he is a khalifa of Allah, must be made aware of Allah's message. In a famous incident reported in the Qur'an in Surah 'Abasa (80:1-3), the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) was engaged in discussion with a group of Quraishi chieftains. He earnestly wanted to convey the message of Islam to them. While he was thus engaged, Ibn Um Makhtum, a blindman who was very interested in Islam, interrupted the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). The Prophet then frowned to express his discontent. Allah rebuked the Prophet for turning away from Ibn Um Makhtum who was already interested in Islam and for focusing instead on a group of nobles who were not as enthusiastic about Islam. As the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) learned, every person, regardless of his or her socioeconomic status, requires exposure to the message of Islam.

In approaching Muslims (or non-Muslims), one should not prejudge; upon acquiring the "appropriate" knowledge, one may excel in Islam. Hence, someone who was once an enemy of Muslims may be transformed into one of the champions of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) once said:

The best before Islam are the best in Islam if they comprehend (the religious knowledge). [Narrated by Abu Hurairah. Sahib al Bukhari, hadith 4.593]

We need only remember the story of 'Umar ibn al Khattab before and after he embraced Islam. Before he embraced Islam, he was very harsh against Muslims, and even plotted to kill the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). After he became a Muslim, he participated in all the battles with the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), and was one of the few who stood by him during the debacle at Uhud.

No Muslim can reject another person's pledge or shahada under any circumstance. The following incident is reported about Usama bin Zaid by himself in Sahih al Bukhari, and amply illustrates this approach:

Allah's Messenger sent us toward al Huruqa, and in the morning we attacked them and defeated them. I and an ansari man followed a man from among them and when we overtook him, he said, "La ilaha ilia Allah." On hearing this, the ansari man stopped, but I killed him by stabbing him with my spear. When we returned, the Prophet came to know about what had happened and he said, "O Usama! Did you kill him after he had said "La ilaha illa Allah?" I said, "But he said so only to save himself." The Prophet repeated this so often that I wished I had not embraced Islam before that day. [Usama Bin Zaid in Sahih al-Bukhari]

Zaid's rationale in wishing that he had not embraced Islam before that day stems from the fact that all previous sins of an unbeliever (except for debts) are forgiven by Allah when that person embraces Islam. Had Zaid embraced Islam after the deed described above, he would have been forgiven.

The example of Abdullah bin Ubayy - a person known for deliberately causing dissension among the Prophet's (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) Muhajirs and the Ansars should be kept in mind. In spite of all this person's misdeeds, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) did not punish him.

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions were harassed and subjected to severe hardships by the unbelievers. Allah enjoined upon them to turn back evil with good deeds:

The good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between whom and you there was enmity (will become) as though he was a bosom friend. (Fussilat, 41:34) [Translation by Pickthall]

A good deed overpowers a bad deed. Many examples from the life of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) support this, such as his magnanimous forgiveness of Hind bint Utbah who had his Uncle Hamzah killed and then ate from his liver. At her request, Muhammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) also forgave her husband, Abu Sufyan - the leader of enemy forces against the Muslims.

The Prophet's approach is what Khurram Murad calls gradualism. Just as a plot of new land needs to be cleared, ploughed, and fertilized before being seeded, a member needs to be nurtured before being entrusted with major responsibilities. Bring up progressively, according to his or her capability, everyone who is attracted to an Islamic organization. Muslims should not flinch from any responsibility because Allah has promised them that any test that they go through shall not exceed their capabilities:

In the case of a member whose knowledge and practice of Islam is somewhat weak, you may wish to follow the incremental approach recommended by Allah - encourage him or her to adopt taqwa as much as he or she is able to.

After all, we have the example that the commands about alcohol drinking became progressively more prohibitive. If gradualism can be used by Allah and His Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) to transform his Sahaba who had been sunk in jahiliyyah before Islam, so too it can be adopted by contemporary Islamic leaders.

During the time of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), bedouins tended to be uneducated people, accustomed to a very simple way of life. The following hadith demonstrates his ability to transmit the core message of Islam according to his audience's frame of reference:

A bedouin came to the Prophet and said, 'Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise if I do it." The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said, "Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory zakat, and fast the month of Ramadan." The Bedouin said, "By Him, in whose hands my life is, I will not do more than this." When he (the bedouin) left, the Prophet said, "Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man." [Narrated by Abu Hurairah, Sahih Bukhari, 2.480]

On the other hand, when the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) dealt with companions who had higher responsibilities and a deeper understanding of Islam, he would ask more from them. For example, at the time of the hijrah, he asked Ali (radhiallahu `anhu) to stay behind in order to repay some things entrusted to and deposited with the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). 'Ali stayed in spite of the fact that the Prophet's house was surrounded and watched by an armed group of would-be assassins. Later, he was the standard bearer specially appointed by the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) on the critical day of Khaybar. [As-Suyuti, Jalal ad-Din (1996). The History of The Khalifahs Who Took the Right Way. Translation of Tarikh at Khulafa by 'Abdassamad Clarke. London: Ta-Ha Publishers, p. 174.]

Sometimes, a member may slip. Rather than criticizing him, be patient and understanding. The following verse from the Qur'an revealed after the near debacle at Uhud illustrates this point vividly:

The above verse was revealed during one of the darkest moments of Islamic history. It came at a time when the Muslim army came very close to defeat because some of the Sahaba did not follow the Prophet's explicit instructions. After the battle, Allah instructed His Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) to overlook this incident, to show patience with his followers, and to continue to work and consult with them. Just because they did not listen to him once did not mean that they were to be set aside; on the contrary, the Prophet was to demonstrate understanding and gentleness.