Chapter 6: Belief In the Messengers

Chapter 6: Belief In the Messengers




The
Messengers are sent to deliver a Message. They are the ones to whom
Allah has sent down revelation and who conveys His Law to mankind.
Allah ordered them to deliver these Messages. The first Messenger to be
sent was Noah and the last one was Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi
wa-sallam). Allah said, what translated means, “Verily, We have
inspired you (O Muhammad) as We inspired Noah and the Prophets after
him.” [4:163]. Anas ibn Malik (radiyallaahu anhu) narrated that the
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam) said, during his Hadeeth about
Shafa’ah (the right of intercession on mankind’s behalf that Allah
grants to His Messenger on the Last Day), “Mankind come to Adam to
intercede on their behalf but he declines, saying: ‘Go to Noah, the
First Messenger that Allah sent...” [Saheeh al-Bukharee] Also, Allah
said, what translated means, “Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam)
is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of
Allah, and the Last (end) of Prophets.” [33:40]. Allah sent Messengers
to every nation and provided them with Laws that their nations must
follow. Some Messengers were sent to revive a Message of a previous
Messenger. Allah said, what translated means, “And verily, We have sent
among every nation a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah (alone),
and avoid all Taghut (false deities).” [16:36], “And there never was a
nation but a warner had passed among them)." [35:24] and, “Verily, We
did send down the Torah (to Moses), therein was guidance and light, by
which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah’s will, judged
the Jews.” [5:44]. The Messengers are only humans and they do not
possess any attributes that qualify them to be gods. Allah described
His Messenger, Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), the master of
all Messengers and the best of mankind, saying, what translated means,
“Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam): “I possess no power of
benefit or harm to myself except as Allah will. 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 unto people who believe.” [7:188] and, “Say (O Muhammad):
“It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right
Path.” Say: (O Muhammad): “None can protect me from Allah ‘s punishment
(if I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge except in Him.”
[72:21]. The Messengers are only humans. They get sick and they die,
they need to eat and drink and they have other human needs. Abraham
described his Lord, saying, as was mentioned in the Qur’aan, “And it is
He Who feeds me and gives me to drink And when I am ill, it is He Who
cures me; And Who will cause me to die, and then will bring me to life
(again).” [26: 79-81]. Also, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam)
said, what translated means, “I am only human, just like you, I forget
as you forget, therefore, when I forget, remind me.” [Saheeh
al-Bukharee and Saheeh Muslim] Allah described the Messengers, while
praising them, that they reached the highest attainable degrees in
worshipping Him. He said about Noah, what translated means, “Verily, he
was a grateful slave.” [17:3], and about Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi
wa-sallam), “Blessed be He Who sent down the Criterion (of right and
wrong, this Qur’aan) to His slave (Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi
wa-sallam) that he may be a Warner to the ‘Alamin (Mankind and the
Jinn).” [25:1], and about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, “And remember Our
slaves, Abraham Isaac and Jacob, (all) owners of strength (in
worshipping Us) and (also) of religious understanding. Verily, We did
choose them by granting them the Remembrance of the home (in the
Hereafter). And they are in Our Sight, verily, of the Chosen and the
Best.” [38:45-47], and about Jesus, “He was not more than a slave. We
granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the Children of
Israel.” [43:59]. Belief In The Messengers Has Four Parts
1. To believe that the Messages are truly from Allah. Whoever
disbelieves in one Messenger, will have disbelieved in all Messengers.
Allah said, what translated means, “The people of Noah belied the
Messengers.” [26:105]. Allah considered the people of Noah disbelievers
in all Messengers, although they only disbelieved in one Messenger.
Therefore, the Christians, who disbelieve in Muhammad (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam) and do not follow him, are disbelievers in Jesus, the
Son of Mary. Jesus gave the glad tidings of the coming of Muhammad
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) to the Christians. This glad tidings will
be of no benefit to the Christians if they do not follow Muhammad
(sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) to guidance and the Straight Path. 2. To
believe in the Messengers whom we were told about, like Muhammad
(sallallaau alaihi wa-sallam), Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Noah (alaihum
as-salam). These are the five strongest Messengers. Allah mentioned
them in two verses of the Qur’aan, “And (remember) when We took from
the Prophets their Covenant, and form you (O Muhammad (sallallahu
alaihi wa-sallam)), and from Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, son of
Mary.” [33:7] and, “He (Allah) has ordained for you the same Religion
(Islam) which He ordained for Noah, and that which We have inspired in
you (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)), and that which We
ordained for Abraham, Moses and Jesus, saying you should establish
Religion (by implementing the Commandments) and make no divisions in
it.” [42:13]. We must also believe in all other Messengers and Prophets
whom their names were not mentioned to us, “And, indeed We have sent
Messengers before you (O Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam)), of
them some We have related to you their story and some We have not
related to you their story.” [40:78]. 3. To believe in all what the
Messengers have conveyed to us. 4. To implement the Laws of the
Messenger who was sent to us, Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam),
the final Messenger. Allah sent Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam)
to all mankind, “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until
they make you (O Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa-sallam)) judge in all
disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against
your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” [4:65].
Benefits Of Believing In The Messengers
1. Knowing how Allah takes care of His slaves by sending them
Messengers to guide them to His Path. The Messengers teach their
nations how to worship Allah, because the human mind cannot know how
Allah should be worshipped without guidance from Him.
2. Thanking Allah for this great bounty.
3. Dutifully loving, respecting and praising the Messengers of Allah.
They are Allah’s Messengers; they worshipped Him, conveyed His Message
and gave the best advice to His slaves. Many rebellious people rejected
their Messengers, claiming that Allah’s Messengers cannot be human.
Allah mentioned this claim and refuted it, “And nothing prevented men
from believing when the Guidance came to them, except that they said:
“Has Allah sent a man as (His) Messenger?” Say: “If there were on the
earth, angels walking about, in peace and security, We should certainly
have sent down for them from the heaven an angel as a Messenger.””
[17:94- 95]. Allah refuted this claim, saying that the Messengers must
be sent from among humans, because they are sent to the people of
earth, who are humans. If the inhabitants of earth were angels, then
Allah would have sent Messengers from among the angels to them. Allah
mentioned what the disbelievers in the Messengers said, “You are no
more than, human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our
fathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority (a clear sign
that supports what you say).” Their Messengers said to them: “We are no
more than human beings like you, but Allah bestows His grace to whom He
will of His salves. it is not ours to bring you an authority (proof)
except by the permission of Allah.” [14:10-11]