None Succeeded like He Succeeded in his
Mission
Dr. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad
Allah SWT says in Chapter Al-Juma’ah:
2. It is He who has sent among the unlettered (Arabs or children of Ishmael) an apostle from among themselves to rehearse (yatlu) to them His verses, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and wisdom (Hikmah) – although they have been in manifest error.
3. As well as others of them
who have not already joined them, and He is exalted in Might and Wise.
The objectives mentioned in these
verses have been mentioned almost in the same words at three other places of
the Qur’an as well. At each place the reason, however, is different. For the
first time, these objectives have been mentioned in verse 129 of Chapter
Al-Baqarah. When the prophets Abraham AS and Ishmael AS were raising the
foundations of Ka’bah (a Cuboid) in Makkah, they were praying to Allah SWT to
send a messenger to the people from amongst them. His job would be to recite
Allah’s verses, to teach them Book and wisdom (Hikmah), and to purify their
lives. Allah SWT granted their prayer, and gave the glad tidings of the coming
of the Prophet Muhammad SAW to men through different prophets AS. For example,
Allah says in the Qur’an,
And remember, Jesus, the son
of Mary, said, “O children of
The
Bible verifies this claim as under:
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to
your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not
come to you, but if I go I will send him to you” (John 16:7)
In a hadith, the Prophet SAW
said, “I am the dream of my mother, the prayer of Abraham and the glad tidings
of Jesus” (Abu Amamah RA, Musnad Ahmad).
The Makkans, who claimed to
profess the religion of Abraham AS, had already adopted the polytheism in place
of monotheism. They had also incorporated a lot of other rituals in their way
of life. On the other side, the Jews and the Christians had amended their books
of God. They had not only deleted and added a lot of things in the books; they
had changed the meanings and the interpretations as well. Such was the society
around him when the Prophet SAW was born. He was born to reform the society.
His job was to communicate fully the guidance and orders of Allah to the
people; to tell them the likes and dislikes of Allah; to tell the people deeds
and actions which were essentials in order to go to
The believers should rightly
understand the status and the value of the Prophet SAW. They should fully avail
the opportunity to gain from this bounty. Allah further advised the believers
to remember Him; He would remember them. He also asked them to thank Him for
this bounty, and not to be ungrateful.
The same missions were again
mentioned a third time in chapter Ale-‘Imran, verse 164. Allah SWT says that it
was His beneficence upon the believers when He sent the Prophet SAW among them.
But the hypocrites and those having weak faith do not appreciate it. It is the
fourth time that Allah SWT has mentioned these missions in this chapter
al-Juma’ah. He told the Jews explicitly that He had sent an apostle in a
non-Jewish nation. The jobs His messenger was doing were definitely the jobs of
an apostle. They should judge him by his job and not by his race.
We shall now study the objectives
of his missions one by one. Let us now recall that the prophets Abraham AS and
Ishmael AS had prayed to God to send a messenger among their children from
among themselves. This means that a person from some other nation should not be
sent to them as an apostle. Therefore, Allah SWT emphasizes the point that an
apostle had been sent from the children of Ishmael. Here He has used the word
ummi. Ummi means a person who does not belong to Israelite nation i.e. a
gentile. Rationally and logically, a
messenger to a nation should be from the same nation in order to receive
messages in their language. Not only that, he should also be well versed with
the needs, problems and culture of his people. He had to live a life as a model
to his people. If a Chinese had been an apostle for an Arab nation, the
language would have become a big hurdle. Moreover, a non-familiar and strange
culture would also have become a barrier. Similarly, a super human person could
never have been a model for the humans, because Allah says,
You have indeed in the
apostle of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) (Al-Ahzab 33: 21).
This
naturally, then, implies that the Prophet SAW was not only an Arab, he was an
Ishmaelite, and a man as well. Moreover as a second point, Allah SWT rejected
an argument that how could one accept that a man could be an apostle. He very
correctly rebuts this weak conjecture:
Say, “ If there are settled,
on earth, angels walking about in peace and quiet, We should certainly have
sent them down from heavens an angel for an apostle (Al-Isra 17: 95).
The first mission of the Prophet
SAW was to recite Allah’s verses to the people. The etiquette of recitation
(tilawah) is not only to recite the verses but to act upon them as well. This
means acting upon the verses is as important as recitation. Just to be content
with the reading or memorization of its verses is not enough to give due
regards and value to the Qur’an. Let us see how the Prophet SAW used to recite
the verses. Whenever, during the recitation of the Qur’an, he would recite the
verses mentioning Allah’s punishment, he used to seek His forgiveness. Also, he
used to pray for Allah’s bounties, whenever he recited the verses mentioning
His bounties or the
Those to whom We have sent
the Book study it as it should be studied: they are the ones that believe
therein
(Al-Baqarah 2: 121).
Moreover
his entire life was a model of the Qur’anic teachings.
The purification of life was the
second objective of the mission of the Prophet SAW. The purification of life
means obedience and sincerity to Allah; to do good deeds and shun evils; to
seek the pleasure of Allah by good deeds and words. The purification also means
to do away with joining partners with Allah, to accept the beliefs of
messengership, the life after death, to give up false ideas and thoughts along
with the pride, hatred and grudge etc. This purification is the main objective.
Whoever purified self won salvation. Allah has also emphasized purification at
many places, such as
Truly he succeeds who
purifies it
(Ash-Shams 91: 9).
And
also,
But those will prosper who
purify themselves (Al-A’la 87: 14).
The third objective was to teach
the Book i.e. the Qur’an. By his deeds and words, the Prophet SAW has taught
the believers the meaning and interpretation of the Book of God. In fact the
real source of true understanding of the Book is the teachings of the Prophet
SAW himself. Trying to understand the Qur’an without the help of the Sunnah of
the Prophet SAW is a vain and futile attempt and nothing else. In order to
understand the Qur’an, a believer must study the teachings of Sunnah, because
only the Prophet SAW had the honor of receiving the details and explanation of
the Book of Allah from Himself. Allah Himself had promised to explain it. He
says,
Nay more, it is for Us to
explain it
(Al-Qiyamah 75: 19).
The fourth objective was to teach
Hikmah (wisdom). Hikmah means understanding of Islam. Hikmah also means to know
the Truth, to implement Justice, and to acquire knowledge and humility. Hikmah
also means going into the depth of a matter. Hikmah in Arabic means reign as
well. This means the quality of controlling and turning the events in one’s
favor is Hikmah. Collectively, Hikmah means the quality of differentiating
between the Truth and the false. In other words, Hikmah is a quality by which
man saves himself from loss and danger. Loss in the life after death is the
real loss. Therefore, one of the missions of the Prophet SAW was to teach the
people to adopt those deeds, attributes and qualities that would save them from
the loss of the Hereafter. And truly those who have Hikmah have achieved a lot
of good for themselves. Allah says,
He grants wisdom to whom He
pleases, and he to whom wisdom is granted receives indeed a benefit overflowing (Al-Baqarah 2: 269).
The teachings of recitation,
purification, the Book and the Hikmah were the objectives of each apostle’s
mission. The Prophet Muhammad SAW was also sent for the same objectives. It was
sheer stubbornness of the people of books that they were rejecting him. We
shall now here show, by some examples, how effectively and beautifully he did
perform his mission.
1. A woman of Makhzumi tribe
committed a theft. The Prophet SAW ordered her hand to be cut. The woman was
rich and influential. Because of her status, the people appealed to the Prophet
SAW to be lenient and spare her. The Prophet SAW got angry. He then swore by
Allah that he would have ordered even to cut the hand of his daughter, had she
stolen (A’isha RA, Agreed Upon). This example teaches the equality of man, and
establishment of Justice among the people.
2. Once the Prophet SAW asked his
companions, “Who is a pauper of my ummah (nation)?” Some one replied a pauper
is a person who does not have Dirham or Dinar (money units). The Prophet SAW
then said, “No. A pauper of my ummah is that who stood on the Day of Judgment
with a lot of salat (prayer), charity and Hajj (pilgrimage) to his account. But
he had used foul language for someone; had usurped the right of someone; had
killed someone. All his good deeds of salat, charity and Hajj were distributed
among those who were wronged by him in the world. Moreover, when he got short
of his good deeds, the evils and vices of the wronged people were debited to
his account. In result, the man was thrown into the Hell Fire (Abu Hurairah RA,
Muslim). This hadith emphasizes the respect and fulfillment of others rights,
as well as safeguarding their lives and properties. .
3. During the days of ignorance,
people used to give gifts to each other. But whenever, they would have a fight
or differences, they would demand back their gifts. The Prophet SAW taught them
that whoever demands back his gift is like a dog which licks his own vomit
(Abdullah Ibn Abbas RA, Bukhari). In this hadith, the Prophet SAW has cleaned
the society of a very bad custom.
4. Once a companion was beating his
slave, when he heard someone calling his name. Turning back on the call, he saw
the Prophet SAW. The Prophet SAW said, “O Aba Mas’ud! Know that Allah has more
power over you than you have over your slave.” The companion freed his slave
right then and there (Muslim). In this example the people have been taught to
practice mercy, toleration and forgiveness.
As the last point of this verse,
Allah SWT mentions the fact that the Children of Ishmael had gone astray before
the teachings of the Prophet SAW. The most serious going astray was that they
had become polytheists. They had started worshipping a lot of idols such as
Lat, Manat and Uzza, etc. They used to seek help of those idols. The Prophet SAW
taught them the Oneness of God; converted them to monotheism; and completely
eradicated polytheism. The second point was that they had a culture entirely
based on ignorance. It lacked moral and civilized norms. The people used to
marry their widowed stepmothers. They used to throw their orphaned stepbrothers
out of their houses; and usurped their rights and properties. The Prophet SAW,
in the light of the teachings of the Qur’an, completely prohibited all such
customs and traditions; and thus, purified the society of its evil deeds. Not
only the Prophet SAW reformed the society; he purified the personal characters
of the people as well. In that society the lies, theft, alcohol drinking,
adultery and fraud etc. were very much prevalent. The Prophet SAW with his
teachings and the process of purification very tactfully changed the habits and
customs of the society. He brought a moral and cultural change in the Arabian
society that still remains unparalleled in the entire human history. To prove
my assertion, I will just quote one American historian. M. H. Hart writes:
“During
this short period of 23 years of his prophethood, he changed the complete
This is also important to know
that, to understand the true meanings of the Qur’an, the teachings and the
interpretations of the Prophet SAW are essential. This in turn requires the
preservation of his Traditions (Sunnah). Because the later generations after
generations would never have the opportunity to fall back to him in their problems
and differences except to consult his Sunnah. We also know that the Prophet SAW
was not an apostle to Arabs or his generation only. He was a messenger for all
the nations and all the times to come. He was sent to all mankind forever. This
is exactly what Allah SWT is saying in verse No.3. The Prophet SAW was a
messenger to even those who did not meet him. Allah explains this point at
several places. He says,
We have not sent thee but as
a universal (messenger) to men giving glad- tidings, and warning them, but most
men understand not (
As
well, at another place,
Say, “O men! I am sent unto
you all as the Apostle of God, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and
the earth
(Al-A’raf 7: 158).
Yet
at a third place,
We sent thee not, but as a
mercy for all creatures (Al-Anbiya 21: 107).
The Prophet SAW himself has told
the believer about the scope of his mission. Once he said, “I am sent to the
Reds and the Blacks” (Abu Musa Al-Ash’ary RA, Musnad Ahmad). In another hadith,
he said, “Other Prophets were sent to their nations, and I have been sent to
all the men in general” (Jabir bin Abdullah RA Agreed Upon).
Two points must be noted here.
First, it is necessary to follow the Sunnah (his Traditions). Second, Allah
must have preserved the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW. Otherwise, the claim that he
was sent as a messenger to all mankind and to those who have yet to follow
would be meaningless. The Prophet SAW has himself pointed out the method of
preservation of his Sunnah, and how to act upon it. Maulana Mufti Muhammad
Shafi’ RA has mentioned two ahadith to explain the point in his commentary of
the Qur’an. One hadith says, “Must on you to follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of
the righteous guided caliphs.” This shows that to act upon the sunan (plural of
Sunnah) of the righteous caliphs is to preserve, and act upon the Sunnah of the
Prophet SAW. The second hadith says, “Follow Abu Bakr and Umar from among those
who come after me” (Bukhari).These ahadith clearly inform the believers that in
order to understand the Qur’an, the Hikmah and other unknown knowledge, they
must follow the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW. Also, in case his explanation or
Sunnah is not available, the believers have to follow the models of Abu Bakr RA
and Umar RA.
(Extracted from the author’s book “Islamic Beliefs and
Worships” available at ICNA bookstore, NY)