Belief In The Messengers

Belief In The Messengers

The Messengers were sent to deliver a Message. They were the ones to whom Allah sent down the revelation and who convey His Law to mankind. Allah indeed commanded them to deliver these Messages.

The first Messenger to be sent to mankind was Noa’h and the last was Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam. Allah said in the Quran, what translated means, “Verily, We have inspired you (O Mohammad) as We inspired Noa’h and the Prophets after him.” [4:163]. Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam said, during his Hadith about the 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 Noa’h, the first Messenger that Allah sent...’” [Al-Bukhari] . Also, Allah said, what translated means, “Mohammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah, and the Last (end) of the 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 were only human beings and they did not possess any attributes that qualified them to be gods. Allah described His Messenger, Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, the master of all Messengers and the best of mankind, saying, what translated means, “Say (O Mohammad), “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 unto people who believe.” [7:188], and, “Say (O Mohammad), “It is not in my power to cause you harm, or to bring you to the Right Path.” Say, (O Mohammad), “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 were only human beings. They would get sick and die, they needed to eat and drink, and they had other human needs. Prophet Ibrahim described his Lord, saying, as was mentioned in the Quran, “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, Prophet Mohammad, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, said, what translated means, “I am only a human being, just like you, I forget as you forget. Therefore, when I forget, remind me.” [Al-Bukhari & Muslim].

Allah described the Messengers, while praising them, that they reached the highest attainable degrees in worshipping Him. He said about Prophet Noa’h, for example, what translated means, “Verily, he was a grateful slave.” [17:3], and about Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam, “Blessed be He Who sent

down the Criterion (of right and wrong, this Quran) to His slave (Mohammad) that he may be a Warner to the ‘Alamin (mankind and the Jinn).” [25:1], and about Ibrahim, Isaac and Jacob, “And remember Our slaves, Ibrahim 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, and they are explained in the following points:

1— To believe that their Messages are truly from Allah. Whoever disbelieves in one Messenger will have disbelieved in all Messengers. Allah said, what translated means, “The people of Noa’h belied the Messengers.” [26:105]. Allah considered the people of Noa’h disbelievers in all Messengers, even though they disbelieved only in one Messenger. Therefore, the Christians, who disbelieve in Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam and do not follow him, are disbelievers in Jesus son of Mary. Jesus gave the glad tidings of the coming of Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam to the Christians. This glad tidings will be of no benefit to them if they do not follow Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam to guidance and to the Straight Path.

2— To believe in the Messengers whom we were informed of, such as Mohammad, Ibrahim, Moses, Jesus and Noa’h, Salla Allahu Alayhim Wasallam. These are the five strongest Messengers. Allah mentioned them in two verses of the Quran, “And (remember) when We took from the Prophets their Covenant, and from you (O Mohammad), and from Noa’h, Ibrahim, Moses and Jesus son of Mary.” [33:7], and, “He (Allah) has ordained for you the same Religion (Islam) which He ordained for Noa’h, and that which We have inspired in you (O Mohammad), and that which We ordained for Ibrahim, 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 Mohammad), 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.

4— To implement the Laws of the Messenger who was sent to us, Mohammad, the final Messenger, Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam. Allah sent him to all mankind, “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Mohammad) 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 taught 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, alaihum as-salam. They were 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 could not be human beings. Allah mentioned this claim and then refuted it in the following Ayat, “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 mankind, because they were sent to the people of earth, who are human beings. If the inhabitants of earth were angels, then Allah would have sent Messengers from among the angels to them. Allah also mentioned in the Quran 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 slaves. It is not ours to bring you an authority (proof) except by the permission of Allah.” [14:10-11].

The Muslim Creed January 2005 Vol. 13 No. 1

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