[الَّذِينَ
يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِىَّ الأُمِّىَّ الَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا
عِندَهُمْ فِى التَّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنجِيلِ]
(Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write
whom they find written with them in the Tawrah and the Injil,) This is the
description of the Prophet Muhammad in the Books of the Prophets. They delivered
the good news of his advent to their nations and commanded them to follow him.
His descriptions were still apparent in their Books, as the rabbis and the
priests well know. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sakhr Al-`Uqayli said that a
bedouin man said to him, "I brought a milk-producing camel to Al-Madinah during
the life time of Allah's Messenger. After I sold it, I said to myself, `I will
meet that man (Muhammad) and hear from him.' So I passed by him while he was
walking between Abu Bakr and `Umar, and I followed them until they went by a
Jewish man, who was reading from an open copy of the Tawrah. He was mourning a
son of his who was dying and who was one of the most handsome boys. The
Messenger of Allah asked him (the father),
«أَنْشُدُكَ
بِالَّذِي أَنْزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ هَلْ تَجِدُ فِي كِتَابِكَ هَذَا صِفَتِي
وَمَخْرَجِي؟»
(I ask you by He Who has sent down the Tawrah, do you not find the
description of me and my advent in your Book) He nodded his head in the
negative. His son said, `Rather, yes, by He Who has sent down the Tawrah! We
find the description of you and your advent in our Book. I bear witness that
there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that you are the Messenger
of Allah. ' The Prophet said (to the Companions),
«أَقِيمُوا
الْيَهُودِيَّ عَنْ أَخِيكُم»
(Stop the Jew (the father) from (taking care of) your brother (in Islam).)
The Prophet then personally took care of the son's funeral and led the funeral
prayer on him.''' This Hadith is sound and is supported by a similar Hadith in
the Sahih narrated from Anas. Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-Muthanna said that
`Ata' bin Yasar said, "I met `Abdullah bin `Amr and asked him, `Tell me about
the description of Allah's Messenger in the Tawrah.' He said, `Yes, by Allah! He
is described in the Tawrah, just as he is described in the Qur'an,
[يأَيُّهَا
النَّبِىُّ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَـكَ شَاهِداً وَمُبَشِّراً وَنَذِيراً ]
(O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as a witness, and a bearer of glad
tidings, and a warner.) [33:45] as a safe refuge for the unlettered ones. `You
are My servant and Messenger. I have called you `Al-Mutawakkil' (who trusts in
Allah), not hard or harsh.' Neither uttering foul speech in the markets nor
returning evil deed with one in kind. Rather, he forgives and forgoes. Allah
will not end his life until He straightens through him the crooked religion, so
that they might proclaim, `There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.' He
will open through him sealed hearts, deaf ears and blind eyes.''' `Ata' then
said, "I also met Ka`b and asked him the same question, and his answer did not
differ from `Abdullah's answer, even concerning one letter. '' Al-Bukhari
recorded it from `Abdullah bin `Amr. It was also recorded by Al-Bukhari [up to
the word] forgoes. And he mentioned the narration of `Abdullah bin `Amr then he
said; "It was common in the speech of our Salaf that they describe the Books of
the People of the Two Scriptures as the Tawrah, as some Hadiths concur. Allah
knows best.'' Allah's statement,
[يَأْمُرُهُم
بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَـهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ]
(He commands them to do good; and forbids them from evil;) This is the
description of the Messenger of Allah in previous Books. These were the true
qualities of our Messenger , as well, for he only ordained good and forbade
evil. We should mention here that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "When you hear
Allah's statement,
[يَـأَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ]
(O you who believe!), then pay it your full attention, for it is a good that
you are being commanded, or an evil that you are being forbidden.'' And the most
important and greatest of these commands and prohibitions, is that Allah has
sent the Messenger to order worshipping Him Alone without partners and forbid
worshipping others besides Him. This is the Message that Allah has sent all
Messengers with before Muhammad , just as Allah said,
[وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا
فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ
الْطَّـغُوتَ]
(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming):
"Worship Allah, and avoid the Taghut (false deities)'')[16:36]. Allah's
statement,
[وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ
الطَّيِّبَـتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَـئِثَ]
(He makes lawful for them the good things, and forbids them from the evil
things,) meaning, he makes the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah and Ham, etc., lawful.
They were prohibitions that they invented which were only hard for themselves.
He also forbids them from evil things, such as the flesh of the pig, Riba, and
foods that were treated as lawful although Allah the Exalted had forbidden them.
`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported this from Ibn `Abbas. Allah's statement,
[وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ
إِصْرَهُمْ وَالاٌّغْلَـلَ الَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ]
(He (Muhammad) releases them from their heavy burdens, and from the fetters
that were upon them.) indicates that Muhammad came with leniency and an easy
religion. As mentioned in the Hadith recorded from many routes that Allah's
Messenger said,
«بُعِثْتُ
بِالْحَنِيفِيَّةِ السَّمْحَة»
(I was sent with the easy way of Hanifiyyah [monotheism]) The Prophet said to
the two Commanders he appointed, Mu`adh and Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari, when he sent
them to Yemen,
«بَشِّرَا وَلَا
تُنَفِّرَا وَيَسِّرَا وَلَا تُعَسِّرَا وَتَطَاوَعَا وَلَا تَخْتَلِفَا»
(Bring glad tidings and do not drive people away, make things easy and do not
make them difficult, obey each other and do not differ among yourselves). Abu
Barzah Al-Aslami, the Prophet's Companion, said, "I accompanied the Messenger of
Allah and saw how easy he was. The nations that were before us had things made
difficult for them in their laws. Allah made the law encompassing and easy for
this Ummah. Hence the statement of the Messenger of Allah,
«إِنَّ اللهَ
تَجَاوَزَ لِأُمَّتِي مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسُهَا مَا لَمْ تَقُلْ أَوْ
تَعْمَل»
(Allah has forgiven my Ummah for what occurs in themselves, as long as they
do not utter it or act upon it.) The Prophet said,
«رُفِعَ عَنْ
أُمَّتِي الْخَطَأُ وَالنِّسْيَانُ وَمَا اسُتُكْرِهُوا عَلَيْه»
(My Ummah was forgiven (by Allah) unintentional errors, forgetfulness and
what they are forced to do.)'' This is why Allah has guided this Ummah to
proclaim,
[رَبَّنَا لاَ
تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ
إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا رَبَّنَا وَلاَ
تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا
وَارْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلَـنَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَـفِرِينَ]
("Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not
on us a burden like that which You did lay on those before us (Jews and
Christians); our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to
bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Mawla
(Patron, Supporter and Protector) and give us victory over the disbelieving
people.) [2:286] It is recorded in Sahih Muslim that [the Prophet said that]
Allah the Exalted said after every one of these supplications, "I shall accept
(your supplication).'' Allah's statement,
[فَالَّذِينَ
ءَامَنُواْ بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ]
(So those who believe in him, honor him, help him.) refers to respecting and
honoring Muhammad ,
[وَاتَّبَعُواْ
النُّورَ الَّذِى أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ]
(and follow the light which has been sent down with him,) the Qur'an and the
revelation [Sunnah] that the Prophet delivered to mankind,
[أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ
الْمُفْلِحُونَ]
(it is they who will be successful.) in this life and the Hereafter.
[قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا
النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ
السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُ فَـَامِنُواْ
بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِىِّ الأُمِّىِّ الَّذِى يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ
وَكَلِمَـتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ]
(158. Say: "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah
-- to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right
to be worshipped but He. It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in
Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, who
believes in Allah and His Words, and follow him so that you may be
guided.'')