FUNDAMENTALS OF THE MESSENGERS’ MISSION
All Prophets and Messengers were unanimous in their call to general fundamentals (These general fundamentals are indicated in Suratul Baqarah 2:285, 286; and Al-An’am 6:151, 153; Al-A’raf 7:33; Al-Israa 17:23, 37.) like belief in Allah, His angles, His Books, His Messengers; belief in the Last Day and in pre-decree, its good and bad; and like command to worship Allah alone without ascribing any partner to Him, to follow His path and not to follow dissenting paths; like prohibiting the four kinds of sins: all evil deeds, the apparent and the hidden; sins; unjust oppression; associating partners with Allah in worship and worshipping idols. They also agreed on deeming Allah far from having a wife, children, associate or equal as they agreed on prohibition of saying about Him what is not true; on prohibition of infanticide, killing unjustly; eating usury; usurping of orphan’s wealth. They were unanimous on enjoining the fulfilment of covenants and giving full scale and weight, being dutiful to parents; doing justice between people; being truthful in sayings and deeds; prohibition of squandering and arrogance as well as eating up people’s wealth unjustly.
Ibn Al-Qayyim (His name is Muhammad bin Abee Bakr bin Ayoub Az-Zar‘ee. He was born in 691 A.H. and died in 751 A.H. He was one of the great Islamic scholars and he authored many great books.) said, “All Divine Laws are unanimous in their fundamentals – even if they differ in any other things. The goodness of these laws is firmly rooted in the human intellect and had the laws not come in this form, they would have been unwise, unbeneficial and merciless though it is impossible that they should come in any other form. Allah says,
“And if the truth would have been in accordance with their desires, verily, the heavens and the earth, and whosoever is therein would have been corrupted.” (Al-Mu’minoon 23:71.)
How can a wise man deem it permissible that the Law of Allah Who is the Best of judges should come in a form different from its present form?” (Miftaahu daaris-Sa’aadah Vol. 2, p. 383. See also: Al-Jawaabus-Saheeh Vol. 4 p. 322; Lawaami ‘ul-anwaar by As-Safaareenee Vol. 2, p. 263.)
This is why that all Prophets practiced one religion as confirmed by Allah when He says,
“O (you) Messengers! Eat of the food that Allah has made lawful and do righteous deeds. Verily, I am Well-Acquainted with what you do. And verily, this your religion (of Islamic Monotheism) is one religion and I am your Lord, so keep your duty to Me.” (Al- Mu’minoon 23:51-52.)
He also says,
“He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islamic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nooh (Noah) and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad) and that which We ordained for Ibrahim (Abraham), Mousa (Moses) and ‘Eesaa (Jesus), saying: you should establish religion (i.e., to do what it orders you to do practically). And make no divisions in it.” (Ash-Shooraa 42:13.)
The purpose of religion is to make mankind attain what they are created for: to worship their Lord alone without associating any partner with Him. (Majmoo ‘Fatawa Vol. 2, p.6.) He ordained for them rites which they must fulfil and guaranteed for them obligations. He also gave them means that can make them attain that good, so that they can achieve the pleasure of their Lord and happiness in this world and the Hereafter according to a Divine Way that does not tear up man or afflict his person with deadly diseases that can cause a clash between his nature and soul and the world around him.
All Messengers called to the Divine Religion that presents man with creedal foundation in which he should believe, and the law which he should follow in his life. That is why Torah was a creed as well as a law and its followers were required to make it judge between them. Allah says,
“Verily, we did send down the Tauraat (Torah), therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets who submitted themselves to Allah’s Will judged for the Jews and the rabbis and the priests.” (Al-Maidah 5:44.)
Then came the Christ who brought with him the Gospel in which there was guidance and light and in confirmation of the Torah that preceded it. Allah says,
“And in their footsteps, we sent ‘Eesaa (Jesus) son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel) in which there was guidance and light.” (Al-Maidah 5:46.)
Then Muhammad came with the final Divine Law and the complete religion as a witness over the laws that had come before it and to abrogate them. Allah gave him the Qur’an as a confirmation of the Divine Books that had come before it. Allah says,
“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’an) in truth confirming the Scripture that came before it and a watcher over it (old Scriptures). So, judge among them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you.” (Al-Maidah 5:48.)
Allah also explains that Muhammad and the believers who were with him believe in Him as all Prophets who were before them had done. He says,
“The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His angels, His Books and His Messengers. They say: We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers. And they say: We hear and obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord and to you is the return.” (Al-Baqarah 2:285.)
By Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym
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