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Lesson Belief in the Messengers
Meaning of belief in the Messengers
It is the firm belief that Allah has sent in every nation a messenger from among themselves, calling them to worship Allah alone, without associating partners. As the Almighty said: {And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid evil} (An-Nahl:36).
We believe that all of the Messengers are truthful, trustworthy, pious, faithful, guided, and that they conveyed all that Allah sent them with. They did not conceal, nor did they alter anything. They neither added or detracted so much as a letter from the message. As Allah Almighty said: {[Allah praises] those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him. They do not fear anyone except Allah. And Allah is a sufficient Accountant.} (Al-Ahzab:39).
People need a divine message to establish laws and guide them to the right path and the truth. The message is the spiritual light and life of this world. So what goodness is there in the world if it lacks a soul, life, and light?
That is why Allah called His message the spirit, and if the spirit is gone then life is lost. Allah Almighty said: {And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command [i.e., the Qur’an]. You did not know what is the Book or [what is] faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants} (Ash-Shura:52). This is because the intellect, even though it knows good from evil in general, it cannot know the details and its various aspects. Furthermore, the performance and modalities of worship are only known through revelation and the message.
There is no way to happiness and prosperity in the two worlds except at the hands of the Messengers. And there is no way to know in specifics the good and the bad except through them. Whoever turns away from the message will suffer from confusion, anxiety, and misery as much as he opposes it and turns away from it. Allah says: {We said, "Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs - those will be companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally."} (Al-Baqarah:38-39).
One of the pillars of faith is:
Belief in the Messengers is one of the six pillars of faith. Allah the Glorified said: {The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers."} (Al-Baqarah:285). The verse indicates the necessity of believing in all the Messengers, may blessings and peace be upon them, without distinction. We do not believe in some and deny some as the Jews and Christians do.
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding faith: “[It is] to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine decree, its good and its bad” (Muslim 8).
Signs and Miracles of the Messengers
Allah Almighty supported His Messengers (peace be upon them) with various proofs of their sincerity and prophethood. This includes supporting them with miracles and signs that are not within the ability of human beings. This was to establish their truthfulness and prove their prophethood. What is meant by miracles is the extraordinary things that Allah Almighty manifests at the hands of His prophets and messengers in a way that humans cannot do.
Among the miracles of the Prophets (peace be upon them):
What does belief in the Messengers entail?
1- Belief that their message is the truth from Allah Almighty and that the messages unanimously call them to worship Allah alone who does not have partners or associates.
God Almighty said, {And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid false idols”} (An-Nahl:36).
The laws of the Prophets may differ in the details in terms of what is permissible and what is forbidden as suitable to their respective nations. Allah Almighty said: {To each of you We prescribed a law and a method.} (Al-Ma’idah:48).
2. Belief in all of the prophets and messengers
Belief in all the prophets and messengers. Thus we believe in the prophets named by Allah, such as Muhammad, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, Jonah, etc. (peace and blessings be upon them). As for those whose names we do not know, we believe in them generally. And whoever disbelieves in the prophethood of one of them has disbelieved in all of them.
3. Affirming what is authenticated about them and their miracles
We affirm that which is true about the news of the messengers and their miracles in the Qur’an and Sunnah, such as the story of Moses (peace be upon him) parting the sea.
4- Acting on the law of the Messenger who was sent to us, and he is the best and last of them: Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace).
Characteristics of the Messengers include:
1. That they are human
The difference between them and other human beings is that Allah chose them specifically for revelation and the message. The Almighty said: {And We sent not before you, [O Muḥammad], except men to whom We revealed [the message]} (Al-Anbiya:7). And the Exalted said: {Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord - let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone"} (Al-Kahf:110). They do not possess characteristics of lordship or divinity. Rather, they are human beings who have reached the best of outward demeanor and inward morals. They are the best of people in their lineage. They have sound minds and a clear tongue that qualifies them to bear the consequences of the message and carry out the burdens of prophecy. Allah has made messengers from amongst human beings so they can serve as role models from their own kind, such that following and emulating them is within the limits of their human ability.
2. Allah gave them the message
Allah Almighty has singled them out with revelation from the rest of the people. As Allah Almighty said: {Allah chooses from the angels messengers and from the people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing} (Al-Hajj:75). The prophecy and divine message are not acquired through spiritual purity, intelligence, and rational logic. Rather it is a divine selection, for Allah chose the messengers from among all people as the Almighty said: {Allah knows best where He sends His message} (Al-An’am:124}.
3. They are infallible in what they relay on behalf of Allah
They do not err in communicating about Allah, and they do not err in implementing what Allah has revealed to them.
4. Truthfulness
The messengers (peace be upon them) are truthful in their words and actions, the Almighty said: {"This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."} (Ya-Sin: 52).
5. Patience
They called to the religion of Allah Almighty bringing good tidings and warnings, and they were afflicted with all kinds of harm and types of hardship. However, they were patient and endured in order to exalt the word of Allah. The Almighty said: {So be patient, [O Muḥammad], as were those of determination among the messengers} (Al-Ahqaf:35).
Fruits of belief in the Messengers include:
Allah said: {So whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray [in the world] nor suffer [in the Hereafter]. And whoever turns away from My remembrance will indeed have a depressing [i.e., difficult] life} (Taha: 123-124)
