Assalaamu Alaikum to All and Jummah Mubarak:Brothers,Sisters and Disbelievers. We now come to our second most important belief-belief in MOHAMMED`S PROPHETHOOD.GOD conveyed His message to man through MOHAMMED (PBUH).This took two forms: (a) GOD REVEALED THE QURAN TO THE PROPHET IN HIS OWN LANGUAGE. (b) THE SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET WHICH IS AN UNERRING GUIDE TO MAN IN RESPECT OF ALL THAT IS PERMISSIBLE AND ALL THAT IS PROHIBITED IN THE EYES OF GOD.WITHOUT THIS BELIEF IN THE PROPHET,BELIEF IN GOD WOULD BECOME A MERE THEORETICAL PROPOSITION.IT IS THE EXAMPLE OF PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP,AND THE IDEOLOGICAL GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY THE PROPHET WHICH TRANSFORMS BELIEF IN GOD INTO A CULTURE AND A CIVILIZATION,AND ENABLES MAN TO EVOLVE A WAY OF LIFE.WE GET THROUGH THE PROPHET NOT ONLY RULES OF GUIDANCE,BUT A COMPLETE SCHEME OF VALUES AND A PRACTICAL CODE OF CONDUCT.NO ONE CAN BE A PRACTISING MUSLIM UNLESS HE BELIEVES IN THE PROPHET AS HE BELIEVES IN GOD. The position of the prophet has been so clearly defined in Islam that we can know what he was and what he was not.The prophet is no more than a SERVANT OF GOD.He was to make people servants of GOD and not SERVANTS OF HIMMSELF.At least seventeen times a day Muslims recite in their prayers:I BEAR WITNESS THAT MOHAMMED IS A SERVANT OF GOD AND IS HIS PROPHET.The QURAN leaves no doubt that the prophet is but a human being and has no SHARE whatever in DIVINITY.The prophet is neither SUPERHUMAN nor is he free of human weaknesses.He owns no treasure of GOD,nor does he possess knowledge of the unknown that he should become all knowing like GOD ALMIGHTY.Leave alone being able to benefit others or cause them harm,the prophet cannot do so even in respect of himself. The precise task of the prophet is to COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE OF GOD.He has no powers to make people RIGHTEOUS and FAITHFUL.Nor can he call to account those who refuse to believe,and he certainly has no power to punish them for their disbelief.Should the prophet himself choose to DEFY GOD,or FABRICATE things on behalf of GOD,OR MAKE ANY CHANGE IN THE MESSAGE REVEALED TO HIM,HE WILL INCUR DIVINE DISPLEASURE AND PUNISHMENT.MOHAMMED is one of the prophet of GOD,and above that he has no status.He cannot by himself PROHIBIT or PERMIT anything.Without a mandate from GOD he cannot legislate for the people.He has to strictly conform to Divine commandments.Islam ensured that the believers should not turn the prophet into a demi-god.Some of the earlier prophets suffered this fate at the hands of their followers.They attributed all kinds of supernatural powers to their leaders and made them into God`s equals or progeny or incarnation.By discouraging such exaggeration Islam has established the true position of the prophet as follows: NO ONE CAN CLAIM TO BE A BELIEVER WITHOUT BELIEVING IN THE PROPHET.HE WHO OBEYS THE PROPHET,IN FACT,OBEYS GOD.GOD has not designated any prophet exept to be obeyed according to His will.The path of the prophet is the path of Divine guidance.Whatever the prophet ordains must be accepted,and whatever he instructs to avoid,must be avoided.The prophet clarified this when he said:I AM A MORTAL LIKE YOU.IN MATTERS REVEALED TO ME BY GOD,YOU MUST OBEY MY INSTRUCTIONS.BUT YOU KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR OWN WORLDLY AFFAIRS THAN I DO.SO MY ADVICE IN THESE MATTERS IS NOT BINDING.The Sunnah of MOHAMMED is,in fact,an exposition of the purpose of the QURAN,AND THIS EXPOSITION TOO WAS CONVEYED TO THE PROPHET BY GOD HIMSELF,as the author of the QURAN.The prophet`s explanation of the QURAN enjoys divine sanction,and no one else can interpret QURAN which may be in conflict with or repugnant to the explanation given by the prophet.GOD declared the life of MOHAMMED AS A MODEL LIFE.No one can be true believer unless he accepts the decision of the prophet.Muslims have not an independent position in a matter Muslims must first ascertain whether any analogous matter was decided earlier by GOD and His prophet, and if a precedent exists they must follow it. I HOPE,I HAVE CLARIFIED THAT GOD CONVEYED,THROUGH THE PROPHET,TO MANKIND NOT ONLY A SUPREME LAW BUT ALSO A PERMANENT SCHEME OF VALUES.THAT WHICH IS GOOD,ACCORDING TO THE QURAN AND THE SUNNAH,IS GOOD FOR ALL TIMES,AND THAT WHICH IS EVIL,SHALL REMAIN EVIL FOREVER.THAT WHICH IS ENJOINED AS DUTY,IN THE QURAN AND THE SUNNAH,SHALL ALWAYS BE A DUTY.WHAT IS DECLARED PERMISSIBLE IS PERMISSIBLE FOREVER AND WHAT IS PROHIBITED IS PROHIBITED FOR ALL TIMES.IN THIS LAW NO AMENDMENT,DELETION,ADDITION,OR ABROGATION,IS POSSIBLE UNLESS SOME PERSON OR COMMUNITY DECIDES TO RENOUNCE ISLAM.SOLONG AS MUSLIMS REMAIN MUSLIMS,IT IS IMPOSSIBLE IN THEIR SOCIAL AND LEGAL SYSTEM THAT SOMETHING WHICH WAS EVIL YESTERDAY TURN INTO GOOD TODAY,AND REVERT TO EVIL TOMORROW. SEE YOU NEXT JUMMAH INSHA ALLAH.WASSALAAMU ALAIKUM.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 07:49:13 +0000
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