Section 1 – The Prophet’s praiseworthiness and the multiplicity of his excellent qualities
Allah says, “Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from your own” 9:128. In this verse commentators draw our attention to the fact that the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, was already known as being both truthful and trustworthy. No one had any reason to suppose he would lie to them or not give them good counsel.
Each tribe of Arabia was linked to him either through kinship or ancestry and he was by far their most noble and excellent kinsman. Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, explained that the phrase in the preceding verse ‘from your own’ refers to either lineage, relationship by marriage or descent and that from the time of Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, there was neither an adulterer nor fornicator in the lineage of the Prophet, all were officially married.
Such was importance of the transmission of lineage to the Arabs that al Kalbi’s son was able to trace a line of no less than five hundred female ancestors of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him. He too verified that none had fornicated nor yet were the evils rampant during the ‘Age of Ignorance’ found in any of them.
Al Hussain, son of al Fadl points out that Allah honored him with two of His own Names – Rauf, the Kind and Raheem, the Merciful.
Referring to the verse “Whosoever obeys the Messenger, indeed he has obeyed Allah.” 4:80. Jafar, the son of Muhammad As-Sadiq said, “Allah was aware that His creation would be incapable of pure obedience to Him so He informed us in this order – the Messenger, then Allah – so it would be realized one would never be able to aspire to the achievement of pure obedience to Him. Therefore between Himself He placed a human, adorning him with His own attributes of the Kind and Merciful.
He made him a truthful ambassador for creation and decreed that when a person obeys him, they are in fact obeying Allah, and when someone complies with him, they are also complying with Allah.
Quoting the verse “and when you turn among those who prostrate themselves” 26:219, Abbas’ son explained that the meaning of this verse is that the seed of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, was implanted in Prophet Adam and thereafter implanted in succession from one prophet to the next until Allah finally brought him as a Prophet.
Abu Bakr, Tahir’s son, explained the verse “We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds.” 21:107 as meaning Allah endowed Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, with mercy so that his very being was mercy and
all his qualities and attributes were a mercy to all creation. When a person is touched by any portion of his mercy he is saved in both worlds from every hateful matter and reaches everything that is loved. He further explained that the
Prophet’s life and death were a mercy because the Prophet, praise and peace
be upon him, said, “When Allah decrees mercy for a nation He takes its Prophet to Him before them, and causes him to be the one to go ahead in order to prepare the way for them.”
As-Samarkandi further elaborated “as a mercy to all the worlds” saying it refers to both mankind and jinn, and that it has also been explained as being for all of creation. For believers he is indeed a mercy as he is their guide. As for the hypocrites he was also a mercy to them because of his granting their security by not killing them rather a fine was imposed. When it comes to those who did not
believe he was also merciful by deferring their punishment. Abbas’ son commented, “He is a mercy to both believers and unbelievers. In the case of the
unbeliever they are saved from the punishment that came upon other communities who belied their prophet.”
One day the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, asked the Archangel Gabriel, “Has any of this mercy touched you?” Gabriel replied, “Yes, I used to fear what would befall me, but I feel secure now because of the way Allah praised me when he said, “of power, given a rank by the Owner of the Throne obeyed, and honest.” 81:20-21
Jafar as-Sadiq said regarding the meaning of the verse “Peace be upon you, Companions of the Right!” 56:91 is because of Prophet Muhammad, and the cause of their peace is the great honor bestowed upon Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him.
“Allah is the Lighter of the heavens and the earth. The example of his Light is
a tube, in which there is a wick. The wick is in the lamp and the lamp is as a glittering planet kindled from a Blessed Tree, an olive that is neither of the East nor of the West. Its oil would almost shine forth though no fire touched it. Light upon light; Allah guides to His Light whom He will. Allah strikes parables for people. Allah has knowledge of all things.” 24:35. The scholars Ka’b Al Ahbar and Jubair’ son explained that “the second light in the phrase “Light upon light” refers to Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, and that “The example of his Light” refers to the light of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him.
Sahl, Abdullah At-Tustori’s son further explained that it means Allah is the Guide of both the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. He went onto say, “like the light of Muhammad when it is lodged in the loins like a tube and that
wick means his heart, and the lamp is his chest. It is as if it were a glittering planet because of the belief and wisdom contained therein, kindled from a Blessed Tree, meaning the light of Prophet Abraham, peace be upon him. Allah draws the comparison with the Blessed Tree saying ‘Its oil would almost shine forth though no fire touched it’ means the prophecy of the coming of Muhammad is evident to mankind before he speaks, just like the oil.” There are many other
the commentaries on this verse and Allah knows best its meaning.
There are many other references in the Koran that refer to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, as a ‘light’ or a ‘light shedding lamp’. Allah says, “A light has come to you from Allah and a Clear Book.” 5:15. And “O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, and to bear a warning, a caller
Allah by His permission and as a light shedding lamp.” 33:45-46.
Allah, the Almighty also says, “Have We not expanded your chest for you” 94:1. ‘Expanded’ means to widen, immense, and the word ‘chest’ in this verse refers to his heart. Abbas’ son explained that Allah expanded his chest with the light of Islam, whereas Sahl At-Tustori said it means with the light of the message and Hasan Al Basri said that Allah filled it with judgment and knowledge. It has also been explained as meaning “Did We not purify your heart so that it prevents any whispering of shaytan?”
In the same chapter it says, “and relieved you of your burden that weighed down your back?” 94:2-3. Commentators have explained this as referring to protecting him from any wrong actions prior to his calling to the Prophethood as he was in the status of pardoning and protected from sin, and that “burden” refers to the pre-Islamic days known as “The Time of Ignorance”. Both Al like
Mawardi and As Sulami are of the opinion that the meaning refers to the Message that weighed down upon his back before he delivered it. It has also been said by As-Samarkandi to mean Allah protected him otherwise wrong actions would have burdened his back.
The chapter continues “Have We not raised your remembrance?” 94:4. This verse has been explained by Yahya, Adam’s son to refer to the bestowal of the Prophethood to Muhammad. It is also said that the meaning of this is found in the Divine Hadith, “When I am mentioned, you are mentioned with Me in the statement, ‘there is no god except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Our attention is also drawn to the point that it is mentioned and repeated in each Call to Prayer.
It is now very clear that these words of Allah confirm the enormity of the favor He
bestowed upon Prophet Muhammad, together with the exalted rank he has before Him together with his honorable place. Allah expanded his chest to belief
and guidance making it wide enough to contain both the knowledge and wisdom. Allah protected His Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, the burden of everything prevalent in “The Age of Ignorance” (Jahiliyya) thereby making them repugnant to him giving victory to His Religion over all previous religions.
The weighty responsibility of the message and Prophethood was lightened for him so that he was able to present the entrusted message sent down to him, to mankind. Allah accentuated the Prophet’s superlative position, his tremendous rank, and great prominence by raising his name in the company of His Own Name. Of this Katada said, “Allah exalted his fame in the world and in the Hereafter. There is no one, who offers the prayers who does not say, ‘There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
Abu Sayeid al Khudri narrated that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said, “Gabriel came to me and said, ‘My Lord and your Lord says: Do you know how I have exalted Muhammad’s fame? When My Name is mentioned, he is mentioned.”
Ata’s son quoted a Divine Hadith saying, “I completed belief with your being mentioned with Me.” And, “I have made your mention next to My mention and whosoever mentions Me, mentions you thereafter.”
Allah says, “Obey Allah and His Messenger.” 3:32 and “Believers, believe in Allah and His Messenger.” 4:136. Note how Allah added the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, after Him with the word “and”. It is evident and stresses the
importance of his favored, prominent status which was not bestowed upon any other of His prophets or messengers,
Hudhayfa informs us that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said, “No one should say ‘What Allah wills and (wa) so-and-so wills,’ rather one should say, ‘What Allah wills.” Then pause and say, ‘then so-and-so wills.”
Al Khattabi draws our attention by saying, “The Prophet has guided you to correct behavior by putting the will of Allah then the will of others.” Al Khattabi chose the word ‘then’ as opposed to the word ‘and’ because ‘and’ denotes sequence.
At a gathering in which the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, was present, someone spoke saying, “Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has been rightly guided, and whosever disobeys them both…” Whereupon the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, stopped him and said, “What a bad speaker you are, get up” or in another rendering “leave”. This was on account of his joining Allah and His Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, by using a dual pronoun.
Abu Sulayman commented it was because, “He disliked the two names being joined together in that way because of the implication of equality.” Whereas as someone else was of the opinion that what he disliked was his stopping at ‘whosever disobeys them both.’ However, Abu Sulayman’s statement is considered to be more correct because it is in compliance with another authentic prophetic saying that reads “Whosoever disobeys them has erred,” without
pausing after “. whosoever disobeys them.”
Allah says, “Allah and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet.” 33:56. Some have commented on whether the word “praise” refers to Allah and His angels or not. Some hold it permissible to refer to both whereas it is forbidden by others on account of the notion of partnership. They consider the pronoun refers to the angels alone and conclude that the verse means “Allah praises and venerates the Prophet, and His angels praise and venerate the Prophet.” The Caliph Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, said to the Prophet, praise
and
peace be upon him, “Part of your excellence is that He made obedience to you,
obedience to Him.” Allah says, “Whosoever obeys the Messenger, indeed he
obeyed Allah.” 4:80, and “Say (Prophet Muhammad), ‘If you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you.”” 3:31. When this verse was sent down the unbelievers said, “Muhammad wants us to take him as being a mercy to us in the same way the Christians took Jesus as a mercy!” Thereafter Allah sent down the verse, “Say, ‘Obey Allah and the Messenger.” 3:32. Allah linked obedience to Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, with obedience to Himself thereby negating the claim of the unbelievers.
Some scholars of Islam differ in the explanation of the verses “Guide us to the Straight Path, the Path of those upon whom You have favored.” 1:6-7. Abul Aliyyah and Al Hasan Basri are of the opinion that the Straight Path is the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, who is the best of the
People
of his House and his Companions. Referring to “the Path of those upon whom You have favored” Al Hasan Basri also commented, “By Allah, it is true, and it is
good advice. Makki was of a similar opinion and said, “This refers to the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, and his two Companions, Abu Bakr and Omar, may Allah be pleased with them.”
Abu Abdur Rahman As-Sulami quoted a scholar of Islam as saying in reference to the “firmest tie” in the following verse, “and believes in Allah has grasped the firmest tie” 2:256 that it is Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, It
has also been said that it is Islam or the witnessing of the Oneness of Allah “There is no god except Allah.”
Allah says, “If you count the blessings of Allah, you will never number them.” 4:34. Sahi At-Tustori explains this verse as referring to the blessings we receive on account of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him.
The consensus of Islamic scholars upon the verse of Allah that reads, “And he who comes with the truth, and confirms it” 39:33 refers to Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, who brought the truth. Another scholar added, “It s he who confirmed it.” The Arabic word in the verse is read in two ways one of its meanings being ‘spoke the truth’ and refers to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and the other meaning ‘confirmed it’ refers to believers. Amongst other commentaries it is said that the word “confirmed” refers to Abu Bakr or Ali.
Mujahid said explaining the words of Allah “and whose hearts find comfort in the has
remembrance of Allah.” 13:28 are in reference to Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, and his Companions.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 