{Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed.} [Qur’an 53: 3,4]
{Say, [O Muhammad]: “It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear, if I should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day.”} [Qur’an 10:15]
In their mission, the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, did not ask for a reward from their people, as they only sought the reward of Allah the Almighty. Prophet Hud, may Allah exalt his mention, said to his people (what means): {O my people, I do not ask you for it any reward. My reward is only from The One who created me. Then will you not reason?}[Qur’an 11:51] Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, confirmed the same meaning by saying (what means): {Say, [O Muhammad]: “I do not ask you for the Qur’an any payment, and I am not of the pretentious.”} [Qur’an 38:86]
The aim of all the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, was for people to have sincerity in religion and to turn them towards worshipping the Lord of all creation instead of worshipping His creatures. The prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, also aimed at saving disobedient people from the adversity of life to the comfort of both the worldly life and the Hereafter and from the oppression of distorted and false religions to the justice of Islam. In the Qur’an, Allah the Almighty clarifies the true religion that He commands all people to follow, by Saying (what means): {And they were not commanded except to worship Allah, [being] sincere to Him in religion, inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give Zakah. And that is the correct religion.} [Qur’an 98:5]
Every prophet was sent speaking the language of his people in order to communicate clearly with them. The prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, followed their Fitrah (innate disposition) and talked to people in a way that suited their mentality without pretence, declamation or exaggeration. Allah the Almighty Says (what means):
{And I am not of the pretentious} [Qur’an 38:86]
Allah the Almighty made the method of Da’wah (propagation) clear to His prophets, as He gave an order to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, by Saying (what means):
{Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most Knowing of who is [rightly] guided.}[Qur’an 16:125]
The methodology of the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, and their Da‘wah are clear. The best way to make Da‘wah is the clear and simple way of the Noble Qur’an, with which one does not need any philosophical or scholastic methodology.
All the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, gave precedence to the eternal life of the Hereafter over the worldly life that would ultimately come to an end. Their predominant characteristic was to renounce the pleasures of this worldly life and seek the reward of the Hereafter, as they were certain that: {what is with Allah is better and more lasting} [Qur’an 28:60] and: {that which is with Allah is best for the righteous.} [Qur’an 3:198]
Allah the Almighty Says to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, (what means): {And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring.} [Qur’an 20:131]
The prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, were the most perfect, most honest and had the noblest lineage of all mankind. Allah the Almighty chose them by his Knowledge over everyone and everything else to bear the greatest trust, which is conveying His message. Therefore, they must be a model for all people. Regarding the merits of the prophets, Allah the Almighty Says (what means):
{And remember Our servants, Ibraheem, Ishaq and Ya‘qoob - those of strength and [religious] vision. Indeed, We chose them for an exclusive quality: remembrance of the home [of the Hereafter]. And indeed they are, to Us, among the chosen and outstanding. And remember Isma‘eel, Al-Yas‘ and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the outstanding.} [Qur’an 38:45-48]
{[Allah] Said: “O Moosa, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be among the grateful.”}[Qur’an 7:144]
Throughout their Da‘wah, the prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, not only confirmed the idea of servitude to Allah by telling their people (what means): {Worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him} [Qur’an 7:59] but they also treated the faults that were widespread during their time and urged their people to be virtuous. For instance, Prophet Shu‘ayb, may Allah exalt his mention, tried to reform the faults of his people, the people of Madyan, and advised them not to give less in measure and weight and decrease the rights of others. Also, Prophet Lut, may Allah exalt his mention, said to his people: {“Do you approach males among the worlds. And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your wives? But you are a people transgressing.”} [Qur’an 26:165-166] He also criticised them for obstructing roads and committing every evil in their meetings. The biography of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, also proves that he continuously tried to treat the faults of his people.
Adhering to Tawheed and Legislation: A Shield for Morality
1- Adhering to Tawheed (monotheism): Tawheed is purity as it is acknowledgement of the truth, while Shirk (polytheism) is an impurity as Allah the Almighty Says (what means): {indeed the polytheists are unclean.}[Qur’an 9:28] This is because Shirk is the denial of truth, and even if the polytheists superficially bathed, adorned and perfumed themselves their inner impurity would still not be removed. Sins and evil deeds are considered impurities, as the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Whoever commits any of these sins should conceal them and make use of the concealment granted to him by Allah. Whoever openly admits to his sins [to other people] will be punished with what is prescribed in the Qur’an.”
In order to perfect morality and obtain the desired objectives, we should be careful in matters pertaining to Tawheed and legislation and follow the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, in this regard. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, implanted two crucial principles in his Companions: the first was to worship Allah the Almighty without associating any other deity with Him, while the second principle was to worship Allah the Almighty according to His Legislation and no other.
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, did not allow any of his Companions to break either of these two principles. Once the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, saw ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, holding a piece of paper from the Torah as he had admired what was written on it. Thereupon, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, was very angry and said to him: “You do this while I am amongst you? I have conveyed to you the message white and pure. By Allah, if Moosa [Moses] had been alive now, he would have had no choice but to follow me.” [Ahmad, Al-Albani - Hasan] This Hadith shows the universal nature of the Da‘wah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and that it is impermissible to follow anything except the Qur’an and Sunnah. Therefore, how can people leave these protected principles and seek guidance in things that have been distorted and changed?
Once, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, heard an Imam delivering a Khutbah (sermon) on the pulpit, and saying,“Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be rightly guided, while whoever disobeys them, will be misguided.” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said: “What a bad Imam you are! Say: ‘The one who disobeys Allah and His Messenger will be misguided’.” [Ahmad, Muslim] In the abovementioned Hadith, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, criticised the Imam for saying “disobeying them” when referring to Allah and His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallamas the use of this pronoun entails that both Allah the Almighty and His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, are on the same level. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, also saw that it was appropriate to mention and clarify this point in during the Khutbah.
When ‘Uthman ibn Math‘oon, may Allah be pleased with him, died, Umm al-‘Alaa’, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “O Abu As-Saa’ib! I testify that Allah has honoured you.” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said to her: “How do you know that Allah has honoured Him?” She replied, “Who would be honoured if not him?” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said to her: “By Allah, though I am the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what Allah will do with me tomorrow.” Umm al-‘Alaa’, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “By Allah, I will never attest the piety of anybody after this.” [Ahmad and Al-Bukhari]
Deeds depend on how the last of them will be, which Allah the Almighty has concealed from people’s knowledge. This refutes what was said by the Jews and Christians as they said (what means):
{We are the children of Allah and His beloved} [Qur’an 5:18]
{None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.} [Qur’an 2:111]
Allah the Almighty told them (what means): {That is [merely] their wishful thinking, Say: “Produce your proof, if you should be truthful.”} [Qur’an 2:111] This also refutes what some people do, thinking that some of the dead are the allies of Allah The Almighty and consequently, they worship these ‘allies’.
Among the examples that illustrate adherence to Tawheed is when a man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and said to him, “Allah and you willing.” The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, said: “Are you making me an equal to Allah? You should say, ‘What Allah alone, wills.” [Ahmad, Al-Albani - Hasan]
Article source: http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/
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