بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
And the fired obeyed. Belief makes what is impossible possible. The fire burns, but Allah changed it for Ibrahim عليه السلام. Do not rely on the means.
الإيمان محله القلب
The place of faith is the heart
#4 - Belief in the Messengers
-> The divine books need to be revealed on a special people whom Allah chose;- The Messengers.
-> Allah sent the Messengers to guide the people.
-> The Messengers are the best of people.
The Messengers are humans whom Allah sent to the creation
All the Messengers are from humankind. They feel tired, sleep, eat, socialize in the markets, talk, forget, etc.
What made them a higher level than others? Allah chose them to be Messengers. They are the best of creation.
They are humans created from a father and mother, except Eesa bin Maryam
What about Adam عليه السلام? He is the father of all humans. The Messengers began with Nuh عليه السلام. You need a Messenger when people deviate; to bring them back to the right path. The job of the Messenger is to revive the natural disposition (فطرة).
The Messengers are normal human beings, having a mother and father, except for Eesa عليه السلام. For people who idolize him, why don't you idolize Adam عليه السلام?
And He made them intermediaries between Him and His slaves in delivering His Legislation
The Messengers are just messengers. If you received a letter you did not like from the postman, is it logical to fight with him? No. Because he's just a Messenger. Do not kill and argue and oppose the Messengers; the message is from Allah. They are not the ones who write the message or make the books up.
The Messengers came teaching us to worship Allah alone. They are mediators from up to down, not down to up. If we want to go to Allah, we go to Allah directly. We respect them because they are the Messengers, but we do not go through them to Allah. We do not need to go through anyone to reach Allah.
The Messengers said they do not own benefit, harm, the ability to provide. If you want anything, the way is لا إله الا الله.
Allah sent them as a mercy for Al-'Alameen
Allah sent them to bring human beings from darkness to light. Originally, humankind were all Muslims. Adam عليه السلام was a Muslim, his children were Muslims, there were so many generations of Muslims. They then started to deviate, until they worshipped humans and idols instead of Allah. Humankind then fell into darkness, and Allah sent the Messengers to take them out of darkness, to revive the natural state - what their father, Adam عليه السلام, was on.
If you go astray, it is a mercy to have someone take your hand and pull you out. This is the job of the Messengers; a mercy for the 'Alameen.
Allah sent them to establish the proof (against the people)
Allah sent them in order that no one can say, "I didn't get a message".
Allah said in Surah an-Nisa [4:165]:
"Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise."
The Messengers tell you who Allah is, what you are supposed to do in life, what your destination is. And when Allah sent the Messengers, He did not send them as dictators or commanders, who force the people to accept. He sent them as Messengers - to show people right from wrong. They are مبشرين و منذرين - bearers of glad tidings and warners.
If this is the job of Messengers, then how can anyone else force the people to accept? If you force people, they will either be rebellious or hypocrites. There is no compulsion in Religion.
They are many in number
There are thousands of Messengers and Prophets, but we only know those who are mentioned in the Qur'an (approximately twenty four). Allah chose all the Messengers, each suitable to their people.
What is the wisdom behind Allah sending the Messengers?
1) مبشرين و منذرين (Bearers of glad tidings and warners); to convey the message.
All the Messengers came to convey لا إله إلا الله; to worship Allah alone.
2) قدوة (To be a role model)
All the Messengers went through challenges which were different from other Messengers. If we go through any challenge in our life, the Messengers have gone through it before.
Story of the Messengers
From Adam عليه السلام, all people were Muslims. Then after the good people died, Shaytan came to the people and told them to make statues of them so that when they see the statues they will be reminded to do good. So the people did that. As the generations went by, their offspring began to worship these statues. People were drowning in disbelief and Shirk, and so Allah sent Nuh عليه السلام. Nuh عليه السلام spent 950 years calling his people but they did not listen, until Allah inspired him to build a ship because no one else would believe apart from the 80 who did. They made fun of him for building the ship. Allah told Nuh عليه السلام that when he sees a sign to collect all the believers and the pairs of animals and embark the ship. The sign was water coming out of an oven. When Nuh عليه السلام embarked the ship, the sky opened and water poured down like a tap, and springs of water sprang out from the earth. Those who followed the Messenger were safe and everyone else drowned. Nuh عليه السلام saw his son and called him to join them on the ship, but his son said he that he would take refuge in the mountain. The son did not listen, and as Allah says in Surah Hud [11:43]:
"The son replied: "I will betake myself to a mountain, it will save me from the water." Nuh (Noah) said: "This day there is no saviourfrom the Decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy." And a wave came in between them, so he (the son) was among the drowned."
Allah cleaned the entire earth of disbelief and only the believers remained. Humanity began again with the people of the ship. Our forefathers are those who were saved from the ship.
There is no salvation except when you follow Allah and His Messengers. The mountain did not avail Nuh عليه السلام's son.
But Shaytan is always cheating the people. Each of Nuh عليه السلام's sons went to different parts of the world. Then you had Hud عليه السلام, whom Allah sent to the people of Ad. Ad was a group who settled in the Arabian Peninsular who were disbelievers and proud of their power. Hud عليه السلام told them that Allah is the One who gave them their power and to not be proud of themselves, but they did not listen. They were destroyed by the wind. They were confident about their power, and they were destroyed by the wind.
Then you had the people of Thamud who were in the Arabian Peninsular as well and were intelligent, powerful, and had a civilization. But their intelligence did not benefit them and lead them to worship Allah. Their Messenger was Saleh عليه السلام. They challenged him to fulfill some of their requests, saying that if he did, they would believe in him. They asked him to bring a humped 10 month old pregnant she-camel from a rock. Allah fulfilled their request, but with a condition: That the she-camel shares their water with them. One day she drinks, the other day they drink. Then they asked one of them to kill the she-camel, and when they did, Allah sent an awful cry to them and they died. They did not just disobey Allah, but they killed the miracle. They asked for it, and then killed it.
Allah sent Shu'ayb عليه السلام to people who would cheat when measuring. They did not listen, and Allah destroyed them.
Ibrahim عليه السلام is the father of Messengers. His offspring were Messengers. Ibrahim عليه السلام had different phases in his life:
Phase #1 - With his father and tribe.
His father and tribe were all disbelievers. He was the only believer in a disbelieving community. His father used to carve idols. Once the people had a celebration and he pretended he was sick. Then he went to the temple where all the idols were and broke all the idols except for the big one. When the people came back, they called Ibrahim عليه السلام, and he said, "Ask the big one". He wanted to tell the people: How can you worship one that can be destroyed? That cannot talk?
Even though they saw the truth, they decided to burn him. They removed his clothes and made a big fire out of revenge for their idols. Ibrahim عليه السلام had so much faith, that even when they put him in the fire and Allah sent Jibreel who asked him if he needed help, he said, "From you I do not want help, only from Allah. حسبنا الله و نعم الوكيل"
Allah will not leave someone who has faith. As soon as he was thrown into the fire, Allah changed the characteristics of fire from burning to peaceful and cool. With one command of Allah, Allah spoke to the fire and said (as mentioned in Surah al-Anbiya 21:69]:
"Allah said, "O fire, be coolness and safety upon Abraham."
From all the disbelievers, one believed in him: Lut عليه السلام. It is said that Ibrahim عليه السلام was his uncle.
Phase #2 - Ibrahim عليه السلام got married to Sarah and lived for her for so many years without children. When they were old, Allah gave them a son named Is'haaq. Ibrahim عليه السلام also married Hajar who gave birth to Isma'eel. He left the disbelieving society and started a new life, and both of his children were Prophets. Allah commanded Ibrahim عليه السلام to take Isma'eel and his mother when he was a baby and leave them in Makkah. Ibrahim عليه السلام did so without any argument. In that time, Makkah was a deserted place, without any animals or plants. This is why Ibrahim عليه السلام has such a high status; because he had so much trust in Allah. Hajar ran behind them and asked him where he was going. He did not say anything. She asked him, "Did Allah command you with this?" He said yes. She said, "Then He will never leave us". This is belief - you may see evil, but you know there is good behind it. It may be that you hate something, but it is good for you. When the food ran out she ran looking for water 7 times on Safa and Marwa and then finally water gushed out; Zamzam Water. When there is water, animals and birds will come, so the Arabs settled there. Isma'eel lived there until you had Muhammad ﷺ.
Bani Isra'eel lived in Sham. They went to Egypt for some time, then came back to ash-Sham. Allah knew which nation would need more Messengers and which would need less. You find so many Messengers being sent to Bani Israeel. Yusuf عليه السلام was one of the sons of Ya'qoub, and he was known for his beauty. When he was a child he saw a dream, and his father told him not to tell his brothers or they would plot against him. The brothers threw Yusuf عليه السلام in a well. Yusuf عليه السلام ended up in Egypt and went through trials - first with a woman who tried to seduce him and next in jail. After these two incidents, Allah took him out of jail and he had a high position. Meanwhile, there was drought in Sham, and the brothers came to Egypt, and in the end the whole family moved to Egypt. With time, Bani Israeel became slaves, until after some time, you had the time of Pharoah and the Prophet Musa عليه السلام. Allah saved Musa عليه السلام and he was raised in Pharoah's household, then he killed a person accidentally and fled to Madyan, then returned to Egypt to call Pharoah, until Allah made Pharoah drown and saved Bani Israeel. Musa عليه السلام wanted to take Bani Israeel back to their dwellings in Sham but they were very stubborn and Allah punished them and they roamed around the land for 40 years.
Then you had Dawud عليه السلام. He was known for his beautiful voice and his judgement. Dawud عليه السلام's son was Sulayman عليه السلان who was known for his Kingdom.
Ayyub عليه السلام went through sickness and loss in his life, and he was patient for 18 years, until Allah cured him and replaced his loss. He was known for his patience.
Allah set Yunus عليه السلام to people, but they disbelieved, and he left them out of anger without Allah's permission. He was swallowed by a whale, until he made Dua to Allah saying: لا إله الا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين.
This teaches us that even if you are in the stomach of a whale, in a hopeless situation, what will take you out? لا إله إلا أنت سبحانك إني كنت من الظالمين.
Then you have Zakariya عليه السلام who asked Allah for a son, and Allah gave him Yahya عليه السلام.
And then you had Eesa عليه السلام who was conceived without a father. His mother was Maryam عليها السلام, and when she was worshipping Allah, the Angel blew his soul through her sleeve and she became pregnant and gave birth to Eesa عليه السلام.
After Eesa عليه السلام humanity was in darkness. Allah looked into the earth and hated all of them, except a few, because it was full of disbelievers. Then Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ as a mercy for humankind. And Allah informed all the Prophets about Muhammad. And the Prophet ﷺ is the seal of all the Prophets. We take the Messengers as examples, their message was one, but we follow Muhammad ﷺ. Each Prophet was sent to their people, but Muhammad ﷺ was sent for all of humanity; including the Jinn.
In the stories of the Messengers are so many lessons.
The Family Tree of Ibrahim عليه السلام (The Prophets)
Comments
Post a Comment