Our Duty towards The Messenger

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Our Duty towards The Messenger

Muhammad Naim Ya-Sin




We should believe in all of Allah's messengers, and in the messages they communicated to mankind, as well as accept all they said without preference of one over the other. Only the disbelievers distinguish between them, accepting some and rejecting others, believing some and disbelieving others. Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, says:
“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers saying: "We believe in some but reject others", and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers.” [Surah An-Nisa’:150-151][1]
We should also believe that every messenger has delivered the message that Allah had entrusted to him, and has expounded it clearly and satisfactorily.
We must also obey the messengers completely.
Doing so is part of obedience to Allah. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allah” [Surah An-Nisa’: 80]
“We sent no messenger, but to be obeyed by Allah's Leave.” [[Surah An-Nisa’: 64]
We must also believe that, among men, the messengers are the most perfect in knowledge and deed, the most honest and the most perfect of character, that Allah has blessed them with excellent attributes unequalled before or since. We must believe that He has guarded them against sins and misdeeds placed them above lying, treachery, holding back or neglect in communicating their message and delivering their trust.[2] Though they might have made mistakes: small errors in comparison to their high status, such as happened to Adam when he absent-mindedly ate the fruit of the tree.[3] The messengers did not persist in their sins and have always repented.
We should also believe that all the messengers were human and male. They were not angels, nor female *. Allah says:
“And We sent not before you (O Muhammad) but men to whom We inspired.” [Surah Al-Anbiya’,: 7]
We should believe that Allah bestowed no non-human attributes upon His messengers. He, the Mighty and Glorious, chose them from among men. They ate and drank, walked in the markets, slept, laughed, married and had children, were subject to harm and oppression by the unjust among their people. They died, perhaps murdered unjustly, fell ill, and so on. They had normal human lives, a fact that does not in any way reduce their high status among mankind. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
“Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed many Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm win he do to Allah.” [Surah Aal-Imran: 144]
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says."
“And We never sent before you (O Muhammad) any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets.” [Surah Al-Furqan: 20]
“And indeed We sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad), and made for them wives and offspring.” [Surah Ar-Ra'd: 38]
“The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah (that is, she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books). They both used to eat.” [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 75]
The Prophet said: "... But I observe fast and also do not observe fast, I offer prayer, and I also sleep and I also marry women.”[4], He (Peace be upon him) used to fall ill, suffer pain, heat, cold, hunger, thirst, experience anger, annoyance, fatigue, and other human weaknesses that do not in any way detract from his status ".[5]
We must also believe that the messengers do not enjoy any of the characteristics of Allah. They do not have any ******* over the universe, nor do they possess any power of benefit or hurt, nor do they effect any changes on Allah's Will. They do not have the knowledge of the Unseen (Ghaib) except that which Allah has revealed to them. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
“Say (O Muhammad)." I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah Wills. If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those people who believe.” [Surah Al-A'raf: 188]
“He Alone is the All-knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His unseen, except to a Messenger whom He has chosen.” [Surah Al-Jinn: 26-27]
Allah has only bestowed upon the messengers characteristics, standards and morals that qualified them for receiving revelation and carrying the burden of the divine message, as well as to be an example for their people to follow in both religion and temporal matters.
We must believe that the messengers are safeguarded against any faults that adversely effects their faith and obedience to Allah, or their ability to communicate the message entrusted to them.[6] Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
“They are those whom We gave the Book, Al-Hukm (understanding of the religious laws), and Prophethood. But if these disbelieve therein, then, indeed We have entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers therein. They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance.” [Surah Al-An'am: 89-90]
Allah has given the messengers the perfection of trustworthiness, honesty, insight and other qualities necessary for the completion of the mission and delivery of the burden He put in their hands. Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, attested to their truthfulness in the Qur'an in references, among others, to Isma'il and Abraham. Allah says:
“Also mention in the Book (the story of) Isma'il: He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet.” [Surah Maryam: 54]
“Mention in the Book (the story of) Abraham: He was a man of Truth. A prophet.” [Surah Maryam: 41]
We must believe that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) gave the messengers dazzling miracles and clear proofs to support the truth of the messages they delivered to mankind. Miracles are supernatural acts given by Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) to His messengers and prophets and carried out by the messengers. The miracles are used to challenge people.[7] Our conviction should include every one of those miracles mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
Those advantages have been enjoyed by all the messengers, though Allah was more generous with some than others. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
“Those messengers! We preferred some to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others He raised to degrees (of honour); and to Jesus, the son of Mary, We gave clear proofs and evidences, and strengthened him with Ruhul Qudus (Gabriel).” [Surah Al-Baqarah: 253]
We believe that the best of all creation was the Prophet, Muhammad Ibnu Abdullah (Peace be upon him). Some early scholars interpreted Allah's saying (others He raised to degrees (of honour)) to be reference to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).[8] Further evidence to this view is to be found in a number of Ahadeeth, including the one narrated by Abu Hurayrah who reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: "I am the master of the sons of Adam on the day of judgement, the first to appear from the grave, the first interceder, and the first to be the subject of intercession?".[9] Also the Hadith reported by Waathilah Ibnu al-Asqaa (may Allah be pleased with them) who heard the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Allah chose Kinaanah from among the children of Isma'il, He chose Quraysh from Kinaanah, and from them He chose Banee Hashim, and He chose me from among the latter.”[10] These Ahadeeth and others indicate that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the best of all creation.[11]

[1] Imam at-Tabaree said about the verse 'We believe in some but reject others ... " means they believe what one messenger said and disbelieve others. This refers to the Jews, who say they believe in Moses and all the prophets who preceded him, while rejecting both Jesus and Muhammad 0; and the Christians, who claim to believe in Jesus and the prophets who came before him and reject Muhammad O. See: "Tafseer at-Tabaree", vol. 9, P 352.

[2] "Al-Fiqh al-Akbar" and "Sharb Mallaa Ali al-Qaarree Alaa al-Fiqhi al* Akbar", p. 56, and see in details account about the infallibility of the Prophets in "Ar-Rusul war Risaalaat", Dr. Omar al-Ashqar, p. 107.

[3] See: "Al-Fiqh al-Akbar" by Abee Haneefah and "Sharh Mallaa Ali al*Qaarree Alaa al-Fiqhi al-Akbar", p. 57, and "Sharb al-Aqaaid an* Nafeesah", p. 467, and "Ar-Rusul war Risaalaat", 107.
*Although all the scholars have agreed that all the messengers were men, and that Allah did not entrust a female with a message, because there is a verse in the Qur'an, some argue that Allah had blessed some women, such as Mary, with prophethood. Among those who hold this view are Abu! Hassan al-Ashari, al-Qurtubi and lbnu Hazm, "Ar-Rusul war-Rissalsat", p. 86.

[4] Reported by AI- Bukhaaree in "the book of Wedlock".

[5] That is clear from his autobiography, many books were written especial1y about his good qualities 0, see for example, "Ash-Shama'il an-Nabawiyyah" by Tirmidhi and "Al- Wafaa bi Ahwaal al-Mustafaa" by Ibni al-Jawzee, and many other books.

[6] See: "Sharh an-Nawawee Alaa Saheeh Muslim", Vo1.3, p. 53.

[7] See: "Lam' al-Adillah", p. 110, Imam al-Haramayn.

[8] See: "Tafseer at-Tabaree", Vol.5, p.378.

[9] Reported by Muslim and others. See: "Saheeh Muslim Bisharh an-Nawawee", Vol. 15, p.37-38.

[10] Reported by Muslim and Tirmidhi, he said Hadith Hasan Saheeh - see "Saheeh Muslim Bisharh an-Nawawee” VoL5, p. 36, and "Tirmidhi Bisharh Ibnu al-Arabee al-Maaliki” Vol.13, p. 102-103.

[11] See: "Saheeh Muslim Bisharh an-Nawawee", Vol.15, p. 37, 120, and "Sharh al-Aqeedah at-Tahaaeayyah", 170,171, and "Ar-Rusul war Risaalaat” 223.