On this third day of Ramadan, I choose to focus on the second part of the first pillar of Al Islam, which is to believe in one’s heart and testify through one’s speech and actions that “there is no God worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is His Last Prophet and Messenger.”
When it is clearly explained that Allah means the Creator of all things we know and do not know as simply an Arabic name that just means God in English, most people unfamiliar with Al Islam have no problem agreeing. with the first part of this statement. . However, it is the second part that these same people find extremely problematic. What makes Muhammad (peace be upon him) so unique? Why should it be included in this statement? Why not Abraham or Jesus (peace be upon both)? All of these questions are usually asked when the above statement is uttered.
Generally speaking, one must understand that the emphasis in the belief in a God without partners or associates is that the word ONE means only one Message and that there is only one way that a God wants to be worshipped. Once the worship of one God who is free of any associate is clear, the question then becomes how does a person come to know that one God?
The answer is in two parts. First, realizing that Allah has no associates, we can understand His directives to mankind from what He says about Himself in the divinely revealed scriptures that have remained unedited and free from manipulation by mankind since the original time. of the revelation. The second way is to understand what He has revealed about Himself to any or all of His chosen prophetic messengers. Since we focused on the particular concept of ONE discussed above, we know that all of his chosen prophets had to have declared ONE similar Message, with no contradictions between any of them, as this would introduce more than one message. So some ask, if Allah is as he says everything in the Qur’an, almighty, all-knowing, etc., then why would he choose prophets to convey his message to man? The reason for this is that Allah states in the Qur’an that “He, the Most Merciful, is above the throne (He) established.” Qur’an 20:5 and “Excellent is He above what is associated with Him.” Koran 16:3.
Since Allah is not a part of His Creation, it is fitting that He choose members of His creation to show mankind the only way to worship this one God, Allah. Over time, different communities had different prophets, including but not limited to Adam, Noah, David, Jesus, and eventually Muhammad (peace be upon all of them). A main characteristic of a true prophet was that he never committed any sin. A sin means anything that was done with full knowledge and understanding that it was against the commandments of Allah. This is one of the most important defining factors, because if Allah did not set this standard, anyone, including con artists, criminals, and religious pimps, could claim to be a prophet speaking in the name of Allah and easily lead people into falsehood. . Since one person’s actions are the only way for man to determine the sincerity, dedication, and commitment of others, it is reasoned that anyone who teaches others how to abstain from sin and perfect their worship of this one God , based on His Revelations, should be able to do it too.
That is why all prophets must be respected and revered. Hence the designation peace be upon him. Therefore, it is not in the characteristics of any true prophet or messenger of Allah to commit acts of incest, adultery or drunkenness. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioned as the second half of this earlier statement in order for man to recognize that he was the last prophet and messenger in a series of others who passed the baton to him for that same message and model of worship. . When one makes this statement, he not only acknowledges this understanding, but expresses the intention to try to reach the level of always enjoying what is right and abstaining from what is wrong based on his revelations and commandments.
© – Amir Makin. All rights reserved throughout the world.