Summary of Sunni concepts | 11- Concepts about belief in the Messengers

0:00 Summary of the Concepts of Ahl al-Sunnah

0:08 What Belief in the Messengers Entails

0:11 Belief in the messengers is the firm conviction that Allah Almighty sent His messengers and prophets

0:21 to convey His religion to humanity and to guide them to it,

0:25 and that they are entirely truthful in what they convey from their Lord, Mighty and Majestic.

0:30 This entails believing in everything Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has informed us about them in His Book

0:36 or through the tongue of His chosen Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

0:42 It also necessitates believing by name in those who have been specifically mentioned,

0:46 while as for those whose names or detailed stories with their people have not been mentioned,

0:51 we believe in them in a general, aggregate sense,

0:54 just as Almighty Allah said:

0:56 "And We have already sent messengers before you..."

1:00 “Verily We sent messengers before thee, among them those of whom We have told thee, and some of whom We have not told thee; and it was not given to any messenger that he should bring a portent save by Allah's leave, but when Allah's commandment cometh (the cause) is judged aright, and the followers of vanity will then be lost.” (40:78)

1:06 The prophets and messengers explicitly mentioned by name in the Glorious Qur'an

1:18 are twenty-five prophets and messengers.

1:22 Eighteen of them are mentioned together in a single passage in Surah al-An'am,

1:27 in addition to being mentioned in numerous other verses;

1:32 and the verses of Surah al-An'am are:

1:35 “That is Our argument. We gave it unto Abraham against his folk. We raise unto degrees of wisdom whom We will. Lo! thy Lord is Wise, Aware.” (6:83)

1:40 "...We raise in degree whom We will..."

1:43 "...Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing."

1:47 "And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob..."

1:50 “And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob; each of them We guided; and Noah did We guide aforetime; and of his seed (We guided) David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good.” (6:84)

1:55 “And We bestowed upon him Isaac and Jacob; each of them We guided; and Noah did We guide aforetime; and of his seed (We guided) David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the good.” (6:84)

2:02 "...And thus do We reward the doers of good."

2:05 "And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias..."

2:09 "...every one was of the righteous."

2:11 “And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot. Each one (of them) did We prefer above (Our) creatures,” (6:86)

2:15 “And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot. Each one (of them) did We prefer above (Our) creatures,” (6:86)

2:19 As for the remaining seven,

2:22 they are Adam, Idris, Hud, Salih, Shu'ayb,

2:27 Dhul-Kifl, and the last of them, our Prophet Muhammad—may Allah's blessings be upon them all.

2:33 As for Adam (peace be upon him),

2:36 he is mentioned approximately twenty-five times,

2:39 including the statement of Allah Almighty:

2:42 “Lo! Allah preferred Adam and Noah and the Family of Abraham and the Family of 'Imran above (all His) creatures.” (3:33)

2:49 As for Idris (peace be upon him),

2:52 he is mentioned twice,

2:54 including the statement of Allah Almighty:

2:56 “And make mention in the Scripture of Idris. Lo! he was a saint, a prophet;” (19:56)

2:59 "...Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet."

3:03 As for Hud (peace be upon him),

3:05 he is mentioned approximately seven times,

3:08 including the statement of Allah Almighty:

3:10 "And to 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud..."

3:14 "He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him...'"

3:19 "'...Then will you not fear Him?'"

3:21 As for Salih (peace be upon him),

3:24 he is mentioned approximately nine times,

3:26 including the statement of Allah Almighty:

3:29 "And to Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih..."

3:32 "He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him...'"

3:37 As for Shu'ayb (peace be upon him),

3:40 he is mentioned approximately ten times,

3:42 including the statement of Allah Almighty:

3:45 "And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb..."

3:48 "He said, 'O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him...'"

3:53 As for Dhul-Kifl (peace be upon him),

3:56 he is mentioned twice,

3:58 including the statement of Allah Almighty:

4:01 "And [mention] Ishmael and Idris and Dhul-Kifl..."

4:04 "...all were of the patient."

4:08 As for our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

4:12 he is explicitly mentioned by name five times:

4:15 four times by the name Muhammad,

4:18 and the fifth time by the name Ahmad.

4:21 Among these is the statement of Allah Almighty:

4:24 "Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men..."

4:28 “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things.” (33:40)

4:33 "...And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing."

4:37 And the statement of Allah Almighty:

4:39 "And [remember] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said,"

4:41 "'O Children of Israel,'"

4:43 "'indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you,'"

4:46 "'confirming what came before me of the Torah'"

4:50 "'and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come'"

4:53 "'after me, whose name is Ahmad.'"

4:56 "But when he came to them with clear proofs,"

4:59 "they said, 'This is obvious magic.'"

5:04 The Call of the Prophets and Messengers is One

5:07 Even Though Their Sacred Laws Differed

5:11 Part of belief in the messengers

5:13 is believing that their call was one,

5:16 for every messenger called his people to the worship of Allah alone

5:20 and to shun associating partners with Allah.

5:23 Allah Almighty said:

5:25 “And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers!” (16:36)

5:28 "...'Worship Allah and avoid Taghut...'"

5:31 And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

5:35 "The prophets are paternal brothers;"

5:38 "their mothers are different,"

5:40 "but their religion is one."

5:42 Muttafaq 'alayh (Agreed upon).

5:45 Paternal brothers

5:47 are brothers born to a single father

5:49 from different mothers;

5:51 thus, this is an analogy whose intended purpose

5:54 is to clarify that the core religion of the messengers and prophets is one:

5:57 namely, the Islam of devoting worship exclusively to Allah and affirming His Oneness (Tawhid),

6:01 even though their sacred laws differed

6:03 regarding practical jurisprudence rulings (fiqh)

6:05 based on what was appropriate for each people and their specific era,

6:09 until our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sent

6:14 to all of humanity until the establishment of the Hour

6:17 with that very same core religion and the final, comprehensive Muhammadan Law,

6:21 which is suitable for every time after him

6:24 and for every place.

6:26 The Difference Between a Messenger and a Prophet

6:30 The saying has become famous

6:33 that a messenger is one who received revelation

6:36 and was commanded to convey it,

6:38 whereas a prophet is one who received revelation

6:41 but was not commanded to convey it;

6:44 however, that statement is imprecise and incorrect.

6:48 The correct view is that a messenger is one whom Allah has sent

6:52 with a divine message of Islam

6:55 and a new sacred law,

6:57 and his message is opposed by a disbelieving people

7:00 who deny it.

7:02 A prophet, on the other hand, is one who informs on behalf of Allah;

7:06 divine revelation has descended upon him from Allah

7:09 so that he may call his people to worship Allah alone

7:12 according to a sacred law revealed by Allah to a messenger before him.

7:16 Thus, he is sent to a people who already believe in the message of a previous messenger.

7:21 An example of this is

7:23 the prophets of the Children of Israel,

7:25 who used to govern their people

7:28 and direct their affairs in accordance with the rulings of the Torah

7:31 that had been revealed to Moses (peace be upon him).

7:34 Allah Almighty said:

7:36 "Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light..."

7:41 “Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the prophets who surrendered (unto Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests (judged) by such of Allah's Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers.” (5:44)

7:46 Based on this,

7:48 every messenger is a prophet,

7:50 but not every prophet is a messenger,

7:53 and all of them were commanded

7:55 to convey Allah's message to their people.

8:00 Allah's Messengers: Between Hierarchy and Avoiding Distinction

8:05 Part of belief in the messengers

8:08 is believing that they are the noble best of humanity

8:11 and that they vary in rank above one another,

8:13 just as Allah Almighty said:

8:15 “Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit. And if Allah had so wiled it, those who followed after them would not have fought one with another after the clear proofs had come unto them. But they differed, some of them believing and some disbelieving. And if Allah had so willed it, they would not have fought one with another; but Allah doeth what He will.” (2:253)

8:19 The best of them are the Messengers of Strong Will (Ulu al-'Azm),

8:23 who are the five mentioned in the statement of Allah Almighty:

8:28 “He hath ordained for you that religion which He commended unto Noah, and that which We inspire in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying: Establish the religion, and be not divided therein. Dreadful for the idolaters is that unto which thou callest them. Allah chooseth for Himself whom He will, and guideth unto Himself him who turneth (toward Him).” (42:13)

8:34 "...and that which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus..."

8:39 “He hath ordained for you that religion which He commended unto Noah, and that which We inspire in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham and Moses and Jesus, saying: Establish the religion, and be not divided therein. Dreadful for the idolaters is that unto which thou callest them. Allah chooseth for Himself whom He will, and guideth unto Himself him who turneth (toward Him).” (42:13)

8:43 And the best of the Messengers of Strong Will

8:46 is our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

8:50 who is the absolute best of all humanity,

8:53 as he (peace be upon him) said:

8:56 "I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection,"

8:59 "the first for whom the grave will split open,"

9:02 "the first intercessor, and the first whose intercession will be accepted."

9:06 Narrated by Muslim.

9:08 As for not making distinction between the messengers,

9:11 as mentioned in the statement of Allah Almighty:

9:14 “The messenger believeth in that which hath been revealed unto him from his Lord and (so do) believers. Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers - We make no distinction between any of His messengers - and they say: We hear, and we obey. (Grant us) Thy forgiveness, our Lord. Unto Thee is the journeying.” (2:285)

9:17 and in other verses,

9:19 what is meant by it

9:21 is not making a distinction between them

9:23 by believing in some while disbelieving in others,

9:27 as explicitly stated in the words of Allah Almighty:

9:30 “Lo! those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between;” (4:150)

9:34 "and wish to disjoin between Allah and His messengers..."

9:38 “Lo! those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between;” (4:150)

9:43 “Lo! those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, and seek to make distinction between Allah and His messengers, and say: We believe in some and disbelieve in others, and seek to choose a way in between;” (4:150)

9:47 “Such are disbelievers in truth; and for disbelievers We prepare a shameful doom.” (4:151)

9:51 "...and We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment."

9:55 For disbelieving in a single messenger

9:58 is considered disbelief in all the messengers,

10:01 since it is in reality a rejection of the divine message from Allah.

10:05 Therefore, the pillar of belief in the messengers

10:07 requires believing in all of them

10:10 without making any distinction between them in that regard.

10:13 As for attributing the statement:

10:15 "Do not prefer me over Jonah, son of Amittai (Yunus ibn Matta)"

10:18 to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

10:21 it is not authentic,

10:23 and no trace of it is known as a directly attributed hadith;

10:26 it is not a valid hadith at all,

10:28 and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said regarding it:

10:31 "It is a fabrication."

10:33 Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

10:37 is the Seal of the Prophets.

10:39 Allah Almighty said:

10:42 "Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men..."

10:47 “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things.” (33:40)

10:51 "...And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing."

10:55 For He said: "...and the Seal of the Prophets,"

10:59 and He did not say: "and the Seal of the Messengers."

11:02 This is simply because

11:03 sealing prophethood logically necessitates sealing messengership,

11:08 based on the principle that every messenger is a prophet,

11:11 but not every prophet is a messenger.

11:14 Had it been said, "Seal of the Messengers,"

11:16 a pretender could have claimed prophethood,

11:19 relying on the argument that sealing messengership does not necessarily imply sealing those lower in rank than them,

11:25 namely the prophets.

11:29 Requirements of Belief in the Messengers

11:32 Requirements of belief in the messengers

11:36 include loving them, honoring them, venerating them,

11:39 affirming the truth of everything they have conveyed from Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

11:44 and believing that Allah chose them for His message

11:48 due to His divine knowledge of their righteousness and worthiness for that status,

11:53 as Allah Almighty said:

11:55 “Allah chooseth from the angels messengers, and (also) from mankind. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Seer.” (22:75)

12:00 "...Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing."

12:04 And Allah Almighty said:

12:06 “And when a token cometh unto them, they say: We will not believe till we are given that which Allah's messengers are given. Allah knoweth best with whom to place His message. Humiliation from Allah and heavy punishment will smite the guilty for their scheming.” (6:124)

12:10 Among the requirements of belief in the messengers as well

12:13 is to refrain from exaggerating or venerating them excessively,

12:15 and not elevating them to a status above human bounds,

12:20 such as worshipping them besides Allah

12:22 or setting them up as partners with Him in worship,

12:25 as the Christians did with Jesus (peace be upon him).

12:29 Rather, it is obligatory to limit their veneration to the realm of servitude and human perfection;

12:34 despite their nobility and exalted standing,

12:37 they are created servants of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, under His lordship,

12:41 They attained the level of perfection in their servitude to Him, Glorified be He.

12:45 And that alone is honor enough.

12:48 Allah Almighty has described His chosen Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

12:53 with the attribute of servitude in the most noble of contexts.

12:57 He, the Exalted, said:

12:59 “Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.” (17:1)

13:04 "...to the Aqsa Mosque, whose surroundings We have blessed..."

13:08 Among the specific requirements of faith in our Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

13:15 in addition to what has been previously mentioned regarding the messengers in general,

13:20 we are required, specifically regarding our Messenger: First,

13:24 obeying him in what he has commanded,

13:26 avoiding what he has forbidden and warned against;

13:29 second,

13:31 that we do not worship Allah except through what He has ordained for us upon the tongue of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him;

13:39 third,

13:41 that we offer sincere counsel to him,

13:43 as he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

13:46 "The religion is sincere advice."

13:48 We said, "To whom, O Messenger of Allah?"

13:51 He said, "To Allah, His Book, His Messenger,

13:55 and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk."

13:59 Narrative by Muslim.

14:02 How is sincere advice offered to the Messenger, peace be upon him?

14:07 A thing that is *naṣiḥ* (sincere/pure) is that which is pure and untainted.

14:11 You say "pure honey" (*ʿasal nāṣiḥ*), meaning untainted.

14:15 Thus, sincere counsel to the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

14:19 is realized through sincerity in giving him his full due,

14:22 meaning giving him his due purely and completely.

14:26 This is accomplished through the following:

14:29 First,

14:30 exalting and venerating him,

14:32 as the Exalted said:

14:34 “Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful.” (7:157)

14:37 "...and followed the light that was sent down with him—it is those who are the successful."

14:41 "...it is those who are the successful."

14:44 Meaning: glorify him and venerate him.

14:47 Second,

14:48 following his command,

14:50 not putting oneself forward before him,

14:52 and not opposing him with analogical reasoning or intellect.

14:55 Third,

14:58 emulating him in his guidance and character.

15:01 Fourth,

15:03 defending his Sunnah

15:06 and censuring those who profess a religion contrary to it.

15:09 Fifth,

15:11 that we do not make his grave an idol.

15:14 This is in compliance with his saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

15:18 "Do not make my grave a place of recurring festivity,

15:21 but send blessings upon me,

15:23 for your blessings will reach me wherever you are."

15:27 Narrated by Ahmad and Abu Dawud;

15:31 it is authentic due to supporting chains (*sahih li-ghayrihi*).

15:33 Sixth,

15:34 that we do not commit excess regarding him by raising him above the status of servitude to Allah,

15:40 for he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

15:43 "Do not excessively praise me as the Christians excessively praised the son of Mary.

15:47 I am only His servant,

15:49 so say: 'The servant of Allah and His Messenger.'"

15:53 Narrated by al-Bukhari.

15:56 Seventh,

15:57 that we love anyone who had a connection to him through kinship or companionship,

16:02 and who died upon faith.

16:05 Among the requirements of exalting our Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

16:10 Exalting the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

16:15 is not a mere claim devoid of obligations;

16:19 rather, it is a duty that entails many requirements and consequences.

16:24 It encompasses all that was mentioned regarding the requirements of faith in the Messenger in general,

16:28 including love, veneration, and believing in what he informed us of;

16:33 it encompasses all that was mentioned regarding the requirements of faith in him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

16:38 including obeying him in what he commanded,

16:41 avoiding what he prohibited and warned against,

16:44 and not worshipping Allah except according to what he ordained;

16:48 it encompasses all that was mentioned regarding sincere advice to the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

16:53 including not putting oneself forward before him or opposing his word with analogy, intellect, personal taste, or politics;

17:01 emulating him in his guidance, following his Sunnah,

17:05 defending it, and censuring those who oppose it;

17:09 loving those who had a connection to him through kinship or companionship among the believers;

17:15 and it encompasses not raising one's voice in his mosque or near his grave, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

17:21 for that is the current practical application of the statement of Allah Almighty:

17:26 “O ye who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him as ye shout one to another, lest your works be rendered vain while ye perceive not.” (49:2)

17:32 “O ye who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him as ye shout one to another, lest your works be rendered vain while ye perceive not.” (49:2)

17:37 “O ye who believe! Lift not up your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor shout when speaking to him as ye shout one to another, lest your works be rendered vain while ye perceive not.” (49:2)

17:42 It also encompasses preferring love for him over love for oneself, family, and children.

17:48 When 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

17:54 "You are surely dearer to me than everything except my own self,"

17:59 he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, answered him saying:

18:03 "No, by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, not until I am dearer to you than your own self."

18:09 'Umar then said, "By Allah, now you are indeed dearer to me than my own self!"

18:16 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Now, O 'Umar!" Narrated by al-Bukhari.

18:25 And as he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "None of you truly believes

18:30 until I am dearer to him than his father, his child, and all of mankind."

18:36 Agreed upon. It also encompasses invoking blessings upon him when he is mentioned,

18:41 in compliance with the statement of Allah Almighty: "Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet..."

18:49 “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)

18:55 Manifestations of Allah Almighty's Exaltation of the Messenger, Peace and Blessings of Allah Be Upon Him, and Their Proofs

19:04 For Allah Almighty's exaltation of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

19:10 there are numerous manifestations and proofs, perhaps the most important of which are:

19:15 First, Allah exalted his renown, as the Almighty said: "And We raised high for you your repute."

19:23 Among this raising of renown is the pairing of his name, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, with His own in the testimony of monotheism,

19:31 and making that repeated in every call to prayer (*adhan*) and every prayer.

19:36 Second, sending blessings upon him and commanding it, as the Exalted said:

19:42 “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)

19:47 “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)

19:53 Third, Allah took the covenant from all the prophets to follow him if he were sent during their time.

20:01 The Exalted said:

20:03 “When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and knowledge. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.” (3:81)

20:11 “When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and knowledge. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.” (3:81)

20:19 "He said, 'Do you ratify and accept My covenant on this condition?'

20:25 They said, 'We ratify it.'"

20:27 “When Allah made (His) covenant with the prophets, (He said): Behold that which I have given you of the Scripture and knowledge. And afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming that which ye possess. Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you) in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear ye witness. I will be a witness with you.” (3:81)

20:31 Fourth,

20:33 informing the People of the Book of his description before his advent.

20:37 The Exalted said:

20:39 "Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons."

20:45 Fifth,

20:47 sealing prophethood and messageship with him.

20:50 The Exalted said:

20:52 “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets; and Allah is ever Aware of all things.” (33:40)

21:00 "...and Allah is Ever-Knowing of all things."

21:04 Sixth,

21:06 the universal nature of his message, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

21:09 The Exalted said:

21:11 “We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.” (21:107)

21:16 Seventh,

21:18 Allah Almighty swore by his life, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

21:22 and to Allah alone belongs the right to swear by whatever He wills upon whatever He wills.

21:27 The Exalted said:

21:29 “By thy life (O Muhammad) they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death.” (15:72)

21:34 Eighth,

21:35 Allah guaranteed his protection and defense.

21:39 The Almighty said:

21:41 "Indeed, We are sufficient for you against the mockers."

21:44 And the Exalted said:

21:46 “O Messenger! Make known that which hath been revealed unto thee from thy Lord, for if thou do it not, thou wilt not have conveyed His message. Allah will protect thee from mankind. Lo! Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk.” (5:67)

21:50 Among other verses.

21:53 Ninth,

21:54 Allah Almighty linked His love

21:57 to following the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

22:00 and obeying him.

22:02 The Exalted said:

22:05 “Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (3:31)

22:08 "...'Say, [O Muhammad], "If you love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you

22:11 and forgive you your sins.

22:14 And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."'"

22:17 Actions that Nullify Faith in the Messengers

22:23 For faith in the messengers, there are several nullifiers,

22:26 the most important of which are:

22:28 First,

22:29 disbelieving them or denying the existence of any single one of them,

22:34 because that is a denial of the revelation of Allah Almighty in His Book.

22:39 Second,

22:40 reviling them or mocking them,

22:43 belittling their statements and states,

22:46 or claiming superiority over them.

22:49 Third,

22:51 claiming prophethood after our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

22:56 or believing anyone who claims that.

22:59 Fourth,

23:01 claiming that prophethood or messageship

23:04 is attained through personal effort, meditation, and self-discipline

23:08 to receive revelation.

23:10 Fifth,

23:11 harboring enmity and hatred toward them,

23:13 even toward just one of them,

23:16 or loving their enemies and taking them as allies.

23:19 Sixth,

23:21 claiming that there is a partner with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

23:24 in messageship or prophethood,

23:27 as some extreme Rawafid claim.

23:31 Seventh,

23:32 elevating any messenger to the level of divinity

23:36 and associating him with Allah in worship.

23:40 Eighth,

23:41 claiming that the prophethood of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is true,

23:46 but that it is specific to the Arabs

23:49 and not for all mankind.

23:52 Ninth,

23:53 rejecting anything brought by the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

23:58 and refusing to accept it despite knowing that it is from his Sunnah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

24:04 This is distinct from one who falls short in adhering to his commands

24:08 and grows too weak to comply after affirming it,

24:12 due to desire or personal inclination;

24:15 for this is a sin

24:16 and not a nullifier of faith.

24:20 The Role of Reason and Signs

24:23 —meaning miracles—

24:25 in Faith in the Messengers

24:27 Reason is restricted, in the realm of faith in the messengers,

24:32 to reflecting upon their biographies and the beauty of their worship of their Lord,

24:36 and reflecting upon the credibility of the signs and miracles they brought.

24:42 As the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

24:46 "There was no prophet among the prophets

24:48 except that he was given signs

24:50 by which human beings believed.

24:53 But that which I was given was a revelation

24:56 that Allah revealed to me,

24:58 so I hope to be the one with the greatest number of followers on the Day of Resurrection."

25:03 Agreed upon.

25:05 Accordingly,

25:06 the role of reason regarding the Noble Qur'an,

25:09 with respect to faith in the messengers,

25:12 is to ponder it and believe its accounts regarding all the messengers

25:16 and everything that has been reported concerning their rights,

25:19 and to apply what has been revealed by following them

25:21 and emulating their guidance.

25:23 Therefore, to believe in any messenger or prophet, it is necessary

25:27 to combine reflection upon his biography

25:30 with reflection upon the miracles and supernatural events manifested at his hands.

25:35 A supernatural event alone is not sufficient,

25:38 as Allah may bring it about at the hands of a disbeliever

25:41 as a trial for him and for those who follow him,

25:44 due to their opposition to Allah's law and guidance—

25:47 just as will occur at the hands of the False Messiah (*al-Masih ad-Dajjal*)

25:51 Towards the end of time, among the miraculous occurrences

25:53 Even though written between his eyes is the word "disbeliever" (kafir).

25:57 It is read by every believer in Allah.

26:00 However, when the person at whose hands it appears gives news of it,

26:03 A sign or a miracle.

26:05 Even if it was before the time of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

26:08 That he is a prophet.

26:10 along with his good character and his devout worship of Allah.

26:13 In that state, he is indeed testifying to its truth.

26:16 And his miracle is the proof of his truthfulness.

26:19 The straying of both the philosophers and the theologians.

26:24 On the issue of prophethoods

26:28 Prophethood, as we have mentioned before,

26:30 It is divine revelation bestowed upon a human being.

26:33 Two groups held differing views on this issue.

26:36 First, the philosophers.

26:39 Wherein he considered prophethood to be an acquired trait.

26:42 One acquires it through personal effort and self-discipline.

26:45 and contemplating it deeply.

26:47 And they judged that revelation from Allah was an impossibility.

26:50 For any human being.

26:52 Second, the theologians.

26:55 By this, they intended to refute the claim of the philosophers.

26:58 Through purely unassisted reason.

27:00 Following their customary approach

27:02 On prioritizing reason over textual revelation

27:04 They thus proceeded from their classification

27:06 The triad for the rational sciences

27:08 Rational obligation

27:10 And that which is rationally impossible.

27:12 And that which is rationally permissible

27:14 Thus, if even the philosophers—

27:16 He made prophethood, which is

27:18 That is, divine revelation.

27:20 This falls under the category of the rationally impossible.

27:22 The Mu'tazilites made it so.

27:24 It belongs to the category of rational necessity.

27:26 And the Ash'aris made it

27:28 From the category of the rationally permissible

27:30 This is the very reason for the deviation of them all.

27:32 Regarding the topic of prophethoods

27:34 It is their prioritization of intellect.

27:36 to the text and taking it as the ultimate authority over it.

27:38 And this is the decisive word.

27:41 It is that prophethood, despite its possibility,

27:43 Rationally.

27:45 for it is substantiated by what

27:47 of what we previously discussed and examined.

27:49 Regarding the excellence of the Prophetic biography (Seerah) of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

27:51 And his worship of his Lord.

27:53 And examining the authenticity of the miracle.

27:55 who is with him

27:57 And that Allah has supported him through it.

27:59 The infallibility of the Messenger and the prophets.

28:01 He discusses the issue of the infallibility of the Prophets.

28:05 The prophets and the messengers.

28:07 Is it possible for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to...

28:09 Or the Messenger [peace be upon him] falling into [a specific situation].

28:11 In anything that involves disobedience to Allah.

28:13 Whether it was major or minor.

28:15 Or is it that this

28:17 This is impossible regarding them.

28:19 And they are protected from it.

28:21 Some forms of separation are indeed established.

28:23 Infallibility is a quality exclusive to the prophets and messengers.

28:25 of everything

28:27 Even to the extent of bringing forth that which is

28:29 Contrary to what is best.

28:31 For if it were permissible for them to fall into error

28:33 Regarding any of that.

28:35 It would have been permissible for them to fall into it.

28:37 Regarding the act of lying against Allah.

28:39 This is impossible.

28:41 And other groups deny the infallibility of the Prophets.

28:43 Regarding the prophets in an absolute sense.

28:45 They even went so far as to permit speaking ill of them.

28:47 Regarding polytheism and major sins.

28:49 And the people of the Sunnah and the community (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah).

28:51 They negate [false attributions] regarding the messengers and the prophets.

28:53 Any error in the delivery of the message.

28:55 Regarding Allah

28:57 Just as they negate the possibility of them falling into error.

28:59 They are unanimously considered major sins.

29:01 However, they say

29:03 It may occur on their part.

29:05 That for which Allah holds them to account.

29:07 Because they are human beings.

29:09 And perfection belongs to Allah alone.

29:11 Yet Allah does not approve of them.

29:13 regarding that which warrants reproach.

29:15 And they desist from it.

29:17 And they seek His forgiveness for it.

29:19 And through their seeking of forgiveness, they shall be.

29:21 And their repentance is of the highest rank.

29:23 from among those who were before him.

29:25 This is just as Allah has explicitly stated.

29:27 It weighs heavily upon the hearts of those who commit sin.

29:29 Starting from Adam, peace be upon him.

29:31 Then He made praising him an obligation.

29:33 And praising Him for accepting his repentance.

29:35 From among them.

29:37 And he clarified that, through this, he had become

29:39 Among those who were chosen and rightly guided.

29:42 Allah, the Exalted, says:

29:44 And Adam disobeyed his Lord.

29:46 Then he went astray.

29:48 Then his Lord chose him.

29:50 Then He accepted his repentance and guided him.

29:52 The infallibility of the Prophets.

29:54 Among the people of the Sunnah

29:57 The fundamental difference

30:01 Between the people of the Sunnah and the people of innovation.

30:03 Regarding the issue of the infallibility of the prophets.

30:05 It is that the people of innovation

30:07 As was their custom, they passed judgment.

30:09 Their limited intellects regarding this issue.

30:11 And that drove them to do so.

30:13 to refute what has been reported from

30:15 The solitary hadiths contain within them

30:17 As for the verses,

30:19 Their continuous recurrence compelled them to accept it.

30:21 And the impossibility of returning them.

30:23 towards interpreting them with arbitrary and baseless interpretations.

30:25 Transgressing the limits.

30:28 And to ensure it remains in harmony with the context.

30:30 ...that which has been narrated regarding it in any form.

30:32 As for the people of the Sunnah,

30:34 They recognize the status of the messengers and the prophets.

30:36 Their status.

30:38 And they grasp the meanings of the verses.

30:40 And the hadiths and their implications.

30:42 in its correct and proper manner.

30:44 without coercion or distortion

30:46 The root of the error in this matter

30:48 It is the act of submitting to the judgment of the people of innovation.

30:50 Their rational principles

30:52 Regarding matters of creed.

30:54 And the formulation of theological doctrines.

30:56 within intellectual frameworks

30:58 Rigid and deficient.

31:00 For it has not been mentioned in the Book.

31:02 Nor is there any textual evidence in the Sunnah.

31:04 He establishes the rational principle.

31:06 which claims that every

31:08 A Prophet protected from every [sin].

31:10 Sin

31:12 Rather, it is a principle established by the scholars.

31:14 The discussion is intended to refute the principle.

31:16 The other deficient mentality.

31:18 Which was established by a denier.

31:20 Prophethoods

31:22 And this applies if a single sin is committed.

31:24 Every sin is permissible for him.

31:26 This is merely

31:28 The supplication is invalid.

31:30 The explicit text of the Noble Qur'an refutes it.

31:32 The one who confirms that the event took place.

31:34 There is something in that for many.

31:36 from among the prophets and the messengers.

31:38 like Adam and Noah

31:40 ...and Moses and David.

31:42 and Sulayman and Yunus

31:44 and Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

31:46 ...and peace be upon him.

31:48 ...and peace.

31:50 The decisive word is that

31:52 He, Glorified and Exalted, is the One who protected

31:54 His prophets and messengers

31:56 He is the One who willed them [to have this outcome].

31:58 Sometimes they might fall into what

32:00 It necessitates their reproach.

32:02 Then their repentance is subject to the ruling of

32:04 [This refers to] a great [thing] that Allah, the Exalted, intended.

32:06 This is like establishing

32:08 their humanity and showing

32:10 Their complete servitude to Allah

32:12 In the station of turning back to Allah and repentance.

32:14 and what follows

32:16 based on that ruling

32:18 It is educational, and we do not have

32:20 We humans are to comment on

32:22 Allah's judgment, or we return [to it].

32:24 Some of his commands are related to others.

32:26 The essence of the concepts

32:28 أهل السنة

Summary of Sunni concepts | 11- Concepts about belief in the Messengers | Concepts (153-168)

Transcript