<b>ISLAM: <p/>THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS</b> - Islam The Religion of Mankind [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

ISLAM:

THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHETS

The concept of submission to Allah has thus been
described as the core of the religion and the gist of
faith.

Here, 'Islam' as a special title given to the eternal
Divine Religion - the Message of Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.) - and as a general title for the calls of all
the prophets, will be discussed .

Since all the prophets called for monotheism and
invited mankind to worship Allah alone and liberate
themselves from servitude to others, Islam is thus a
general title for their calls.

In attempting to analyze this subject, one should
refer to Qur'anic verses which deal with the concept of
'Islam'. Among these numerous verses which discuss
religion, servitude and submission to the Lord of the
worlds, preached by the prophets and messengers from Noah
(a.s.) to Muhammad (s.a.w.), one should also note when
and how the term 'Islam' has been used. In this way, the
clear meaning of 'Islam' and its relation with the calls
of all the prophets becomes readily apparent.

The Qur'an uses this word repeatedly and in diverse
forms to define true faith and complete submission to
Allah's commands. 'Islam' has been used in the form of
commands, benedictions and other expressions by the
prophets and their faithful followers, announcing their
submission or response to its call.

Allah the Exalted, proclaims through His servant Noah
(a.s.):

"But if you are averse I have asked of you
no wage; my wage is only with Allah,

and I am commanded to be of those who are Muslims (submit
to Him)."

Sura Yunus (10:72)

Also, Allah proclaims through Abraham (a.s.):

"When his Lord said to him; be a Muslim, he
said: I submit to the Lord of the worlds. And the same
did Abraham enjoin upon his sons, and (so did) Jacob,
(saying): O my sons! Surely Allah has chosen for you this
(We) faith, therefore die not unless you are
Muslims."

Sura Baqara (2:131 - 132)

"....the faith of your father Abraham (is
yours). He named you Muslims before (in previous
scriptures)...."

Sura Hajj (22:78)

Allah also relates Joseph'(a.s.) prayer:

"My Lord! You have given me (something) of
the kingdom and taught me (something) of the
interpretation of events: Originator of the heavens and
the earth! You are my Guardian in this world and the
hereafter; make me die a Muslim and join me with the
righteous."

Sura Yusuf (12:101)

Allah the Exalted, relates Moses' proclamation in the
Qur'an:

"And Moses said: O my people! If you
believe in Allah, then rely on Him (alone), if you have
indeed become Muslims (those who submit to Him)."

Sura Yunus (10:84)

Allah also says:

"Surely We revealed the Torah, in which Was
guidance and light, by which the prophets who submitted
themselves (to Allah) judged the Jews..."

Sura Ma'ida (5:44)

And,

"And when I inspired the disciples,
(saying): Believe in Me and My Apostle (Jesus), they
said: We believe and bear witness that we are Muslims
(have submitted)."

Sura Mai'da (5:111)

Allah also commands Muhammad (s.a.w.) like all other
prophets to say:

"I am commanded only to serve the Lord of
this land (Mecca), Who has made it sacred, and His are
all things: And I am commanded to be of those who are
Muslims (submit to Him)"

Sura Naml (27:91)

Thus, all these divine invitations meet along the line
of submission - Islam - to the Lord of the worlds in its
true context; that is, servitude and true faith in Allah,
the Exalted. The explicit meaning becomes apparent in
Abraham's (a.s.) words: "I submit to the Lord
of the worlds"; that is, he regards his
submission as a religion for worship, as a trust he
commits to his sons and his followers, as a slogan for
the monotheists, and as a motto for the invitation to
faith:

..... the faith of your father Abraham (is
yours); He named you Muslims before (in previous
scriptures)....."

Sura Hajj (22:78)

Through these Qur'anic verses we understand that all
the prophets followed this unified line of faith with a
single aim: The implementation of servitude to Allah
mankind's submission to the Lord of the worlds liberating
them from the worship of tyrants or their own inner
desires.

As such, the Qur'an regards belief in the prophets as
a major basis of a Muslim's ideology and as a historical
and logical proof of the truthfulness of Muhammad's
(s.a.w.) message:

"Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah and
(in) that which has been revealed to us, and (in) that
which was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and
Jacob and the tribes, and (in) that which was given to
Moses and Jesus, and (in) that which was given to the
prophets from their Lord, we make no distinction between
any of them, and to Him we submit (become Muslims)."

Sura Baqara (2:136)

"Say: I am not the first of the apostles,
nor do I know what will be done with me or with you: I do
not follow anything but that which is revealed to me, and
I am (nothing) but a plain warner."

Sura Ahqaf (46:9)

All the prophets, as is understood from the above
verses, offered to mankind the same religion and the same
belief which Allah considered to be the base and the
starting point for the reformation of man. It would
deliver him from the dark labyrinth of ignorance which
has resulted from the ages of legends and myths
fabricated by primitive peoples. Man has suffered from
this ignorance as he has suffered from the oppression of
tyrants, and from poverty, injustice and corruption. He
will continue to suffer unless he turns to the path of
the prophets who all shared the same call. This call
aimed at the salvation of humanity - generation after
generation, nation after nation - from its sufferings and
tragedies.

Allah the Exalted, willed that all His messengers
should pour their offerings into the same stream, that
their flames should unite into a single illumination.
This was the call of Islam, the message of Muhammad
(s.a.w.), as the eternal religion, the final message, and
the theme dominating and encompassing all other missions
of the apostles.

"And We have revealed to you the Book (Qur'an)
with the truth confirming whatever of the Book(s) was
before it and a guardian over it, so judge between them
by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low
desires (to turn away) from the truth which has come to
you; for everyone of you We have appointed a divine law
and a (traced out) way..."

Sura Ma'ida (5:48)

"He it is Who sent His Apostle with the
guidance and the true religion; that He may make it
overcome (other) religions, all of them, however much the
polytheists may be averse."

Sura Saff (61:9)

Islam overcame all other religions as it is
characterized by equality, rationality, universality and
eternity, enabling it to expand over vast periods of
man's history, encompassing all aspects of human growth
and development. Religion is thus, like a great river
which has flowed through all eras of man. This river is
represented by Islam - the great religion that was
preached by the prophets in accordance with the needs and
potentials of their nations - which has flowed through
all generations, nations and prophets. Men have taken
from this river as much as they needed, yet it remained
flowing with life; fertility and growth for all humanity
through all ages.

For this reason Allah sent the prophets throughout
human history .to guide man to the shores of this great
spiritual river which endows him with prosperity and
life.

"O you who believe! answer (the call of)
Allah, and the Apostle when he calls you to that which
gives you life..."

Sura Anfal (8:24)

Therefore, the calls of the prophets were alike as all
of them advocated Islam, which is the religion of mankind
for all time.

As for differences among the messages of the prophets,
these were due to the particular requirements of
societies during the various periods of prophecy, the
societies' level of comprehension and extent of
tolerance.

When man thus attained full maturity, he became ready
to accept this religion-Islam-to carry its message, and
to follow its guidance. This has been explained and
confirmed by the Qur'an.

"Surely the religion with (acceptable to)
Allah is Islam (submission to His will) and those to whom
(formerly) the Book had been given did not oppose (about
Islam) but after knowledge (of Islam's truth) had come to
them, out of envy among themselves; and whoever
disbelieves in the revelation of Allah then surely Allah
is swift at reckoning."

Sura Aal Imran (3:19)

"And whoever follows a religion other than
Islam, it will not be accepted from him, and he will be
one of the losers in the hereafter."

Sura Aal Imran (3:85)

This was the religion from which the prophets derived
their messages, but it was not their duty to insure the
total acceptance of their nations. They had been given
the task of informing their nations according to their
nation's immediate needs and potentials, leading them to
the way of righteousness and peace. This is what the
Qur'an says about religion and messages, and about the
unity of source and aim, stressing that religion is one-
Islam - and the messages of all the prophets were derived
from it:

"He has made plain to you of the religion
which He enjoined upon Noah, and that which We have
revealed to you (Muhammad), and that which We enjoined
upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus, (saying): Establish the
religion, and be not divided therein; dreadful for the
unbelievers is that which you call them to; Allah chooses
for Himself whom He pleases, and guides to Himself him
who turns (to Him) frequently."

Sura Shura (42:13)

Consequently it is incorrect to describe the calls of
the prophets as different religions, because these
emanations originated from a single source, inviting
towards the same religion, though the messages slightly
varied, according to the times, the geographical
location, the language and levels of comprehension of the
peoples.

"And We did not send any apostle but with
the language of his people, so that he might explain to
them clearly;..."

Sura Ibrahim (14:4)

In this way the Qur'an proves the oneness of the line
and direction followed by the prophets, and affirms that
all of them had been commanded to establish the true
religion-Islam.

Going through the Qur'anic verses concerning the
concepts of religion and its messages, we realize that
Islam is the frame encircling all the divine revelations.
Islam in fact is the final formulation of the complete
divine message that draws a perfect picture of man and
life on earth. It is the very base from which the divine
calls and messages were made, such as those of Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others (peace be upon them):

"And surely it is in the original of the
Book with Us, truly elevated, full of wisdom".

Sura Zukhruf (43:4)

Thus what was revealed to the Seal of the Prophets,
Muhammad (s.a.w.) was the most advanced programme and the
most perfect law of the divine religion, Islam ,which was
to be conveyed to all humanity.

Since Muhammad (s.a.w.) is the last prophet and the
divine message has been revealed in all its entirety and
perfectness, therefore all the former messages are to be
regarded as null and void, after the revelation of the
holy Qur'an. Because the messages sent through the
previous prophets were of a temporary nature and limited
in time-span, and were the prelude for the final and
great call of Islam.

The divine message revealed to Muhammad (s.a.w.)
embraces all future eras and generations, and is the
final stage of mankind's historical march. Therefore it
is life according to the incumbent upon mankind to mould
revealed through the final call and the message of Islam,
Seal of the Prophets.