Class 4 – Belief in the Books & Messengers of Allah

Class 4

‘Belief in the Books &

Messengers of Allah’

FAITH IN DIVINE SCRIPTURE

Believing in the Books that Allah revealed to His Messengers and prophets is another of the cornerstones of faith. As Muhammad ﷺ received the Qur’an from Allah, all the messengers who preceded him also received their Divine revelation.

From the Qur’an, we know the names of a number of those books, though there are others which we don’t know about. Those which Allah had told us about are:

1. THE TORAH REVEALED TO MOSES

(Verily, We did send down the Torah (to Moses), therein was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah’s Will judged the Jews. And the Rabbis and the priests for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s Book, and they were witnesses thereto) ‘ AI-Ma’idah – Aayah 44.

2. THE BIBLE REVEALED TO JESUS

(And in their footsteps, We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel); in which was guidance and light and confirmation of the Torah that had come before him a guidance and an admonition for AI-Muttaqeen (the pious) At-Ma’idah – Aayah 46.

3. THE PSALMS REVEALED TO DAVID

and to David We gave the Zabur (Psalms).  Al-Israa – Aayah 55.

4.  THE SCRIPTURES REVEALED TO ABRAHAM AND MOSES

(Or is he not informed of what is in the Pages (Scriptures) of Moses, and of Abraham who fulfilled all that (which Allah ordered him to do or convey), that no burdened person (with sin) shall bear the burden of another, and that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad), and that his deeds will be seen, then he will be recompensed with the fullest and the best recompense; and that to your Lord is the End) An-Najm – Al Aayaat 36-42. 

(Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success, and remembers the Name of his Loral and prays. Nay, you prefer the life of this world; although the Hereafter is better and more lasting. ` Verily! this is in the former Scriptures, the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses) Al A’laa – Al-Aayaat 14-19.

Though Allah did not inform us of the names of the books revealed to all the other messengers, He did tell us that each prophet carried the Divine message to his people.

(Mankind was one community, and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book of truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed) Al-Baqarah – Aayah 213.

We must believe in those unnamed books in general. However, it is not permissible to attribute any scripture to Allah if it was not named in the Qur’an.

We must also believe that those books contained the message of Truth, Light and Guidance; the Tawheed of Allah in His lordship, worship, names and attributes. Anything incorporated in them which contradicts those aspects has been added by man, it is no more than human trespass. Allah says about the Torah:

(Verily, We sent down the Torah (to Moses), therein was guidance and light) Al-Ma’idah – Aayah 44.

And about the Gospel:

(And in their footsteps, We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Torah that had come before him, and We gave him the Gospel in which was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Torah that came before it, a guidance and an admonition for Al-Muttaqeen (the pious) ) A1-Ma’idah – Aayah 46.

5- THE QUR’AN – LAST OF DIVINE REVELATION

Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, has distinguished the Qur’an with unique characteristics which set it apart from all its predecessors.

1. It contains a distillation of divine teachings

It verifies and supports the message contained in the previous scriptures: Tawheed of Allah and worship and obedience to Him. It brings together all the good and excellent features scattered between the other books. Furthermore, it serves as a sensor and verifier of its predecessors, asserting the Truth they contained and exposing the alterations and falsehoods effected upon them. Allah says:

(And We have sent down to you (0 Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’an) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it, and Muhayminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it) AI-Ma’idah – Aayah 48.

The Qur’an gives mankind general laws that encompass everything it requires for achieving happiness in this life and in the Hereafter. It abrogates all the practical legislation specific to past nations and reaffirms the fmal, eternal laws that are suited for every place and age.

2. The Qur’an is the only divine scripture that Allah has undertaken to preserve

Verily, It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur’an); and surely, We will guard it (from corruption) (Al-Hijr – Aayah 9).

This distinction stems from the fact that Allah has revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet ﷺ for mankind, and not to any specific nation as was the case with previous revelation. For this reason, Allah has guarded it from any corruption. In it, Allah has contained all His teachings to mankind, and it will remain the basis upon which they will be judged until the Day of Resurrection.

The previous scriptures, on the other hand, were each addressed to a specific nation. So, although they shared the common religious basis, they also contained laws and judgments relating to certain peoples and applicable only to certain historical periods. Allah says:

‘To each among you, We have prescribed a Law and a clear way (Al-Madiah Aayah 48).

That was why Allah had not undertaken to preserve any of them for eternity as He did with the Qur’an. Indeed, in His final Book (the Qur’an), Allah informs us of the alterations and tampering that had afflicted the previous nations.

The incontestable truth is that, with the exception of the Qur’an, there exists no book today that can be attributed to Allah. The Qur’an is the only book that is proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, to be entirely communicated by the Messenger to whom it was revealed, Muhammad ﷺ. It has been handed down from generation to generation, from the time of its revelation to this very day, in an intact state, with all its words, its structure and pronunciations unaltered in any way. Today, there is no doubt that the Qur’an that we recite is identical to that revealed to the Prophet ﷺ

In the light of the evidence of their corruption of the previous books, believing in ‘those books is to believe that they were originally revealed by Allah to His Messengers and had the same purpose as the Qur’an. Moreover, we believe that they no longer contain the words of Allah, except for what concurs with the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. As for the Qur’an, we should believe that it is purely the word of Allah, that it contains the Truth, that every letter in it is preserved by Allah, that we must follow its commands, avoid its prohibitions, believe its accounts and reject anything which contradicts it.

Please join our free online certificate course “MOST REPEATED AYAAT”, to learn more about the Quran and the most repeated messages/reminders in the Quran. https://learn-islam.org/most-repeated-ayaat (available online now, register and learn).

Note this is not part of the course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.

BENEFITS OF BELIEVING IN THE BOOKS

  1. Knowing that Allah takes care of His slaves by sending down Books for their guidance.
  2. Knowing Allah’s Wisdom in whatever He commands. He commanded each nation with what is suitable for them, “To each among you, We have prescribed a Law and a Clear Way.” [5:48].
  3. Thanking Allah for His bounties, because He sent down these Books to lead mankind to guidance.

FAITH IN THE PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS

This means believing in every one of the prophets and messengers Allah has named in the Qur’an, and the belief that Allah sent others besides them whose number and names only He knows. Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, says:

  • “And indeed We have sent messengers before you (0 Muhammad): of them there are some whose story We have related to you, and some whose story We have not related to you” (Ghaafar – Aayah 78.)
  • “And there never was a nation, but, a warner had passed among them” (Faatir – Aayah 24).
  • “And for every nation, there is a Messenger” (Yunus – Aayah 47).

Belief In The Messengers

To believe that the Messages are truly from Allah. Whoever disbelieves in one Messenger, will have disbelieved in all Messengers. Therefore, the Christians, who disbelieve in Muhammad ﷺ and do not follow him, are disbelievers in Jesus, the Son of Mary. Jesus gave the glad tidings of the coming of Muhammad ﷺ to the Christians. This glad tiding will be of no benefit to the Christians if they do not follow Muhammad ﷺ to guidance and the Straight Path.

To believe in the Messengers whom we were told about and we must also believe in all other Messengers and Prophets whom their names were not mentioned to us.

To believe in all what the Messengers have conveyed to us. We should also believe that every messenger has delivered the message that Allah had entrusted to him, and has expounded it clearly and satisfactorily.

To implement the Laws of the Messenger who was sent to us, Muhammad ﷺ, the final Messenger. Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ to all mankind.

We must also believe that, among men, the messengers are the most perfect in knowledge and deed, the most honest and the most perfect of character, that Allah has blessed them with excellent attributes unequalled before or since. We must believe that He has guarded them against sins and misdeeds, placed them above lying, treachery, holding back or neglect in communicating their message and delivering their trust. Though they might have made mistakes: small errors in comparison to their high status, such as happened to Adam when he absent-mindedly ate the fruit of the tree’. The messengers did not persist in their sins and have always repented.

We should also believe that all the messengers were human and male. They were not angels, nor female.

We should believe that Allah bestowed no non-human attributes upon His messengers. He, the Mighty and Glorious, chose them from among men. They ate and drank, walked in the markets, slept, laughed, married and had children, were subject to harm and oppression by the unjust among their people. They died, perhaps murdered unjustly, fell ill, and so on. They had normal human lives, a fact that does not in any way reduce their high status among mankind. Allah says:

  • “Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and indeed many Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah” Aal-Imraan – Aayah 144
  • “The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that passed away before him. His mother (Mary) was a Siddiqah (that is, she believed in the Words of Allah and His Books). They both used to eat” (Al-Ma’idah – Aayah 75)

The Prophet ﷺ said: “… But I observe fast and also do not observe fast, I offer prayer, and I also sleep and I also marry women.” (Reported by Al-Bukhaaree in “the book of Wedlock”). He ﷺ used to fall ill, suffer pain, heat, cold, hunger, thirst, experience anger, annoyance, fatigue, and other human weaknesses that do not in any way detract from his status.

We must also believe that the messengers do not enjoy any of the characteristics of Allah. They do not have any control over the universe, nor do they possess any power of benefit or hurt, not do they effect any changes on Allah’s Will. They do not have the knowledge of the Unseen (Ghaib) except that which Allah has revealed to them. Allah says:

  • “Say (0 Muhammad): I possess no power of benefit or hurt to myself except as Allah Wills. If I had the knowledge of the unseen, I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those people who believe”. (Al-A’raaf – Aayah 188)
  • “He alone is the All-knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His -, unseen, except to a Messenger whom He has chosen” (Al-Jinn – Al Aayataan 26-27)

Allah has only bestowed upon the messengers characteristics, standards and morals that qualified them for receiving revelation and carrying the burden of the divine message, as well as to be an example for their people to follow in both religion and temporal matters.

We must believe that the messengers are safeguarded against any faults that adversely effects their faith and obedience to Allah, or their ability to communicate the message entrusted to them.

Allah has given the messengers the perfection of trustworthiness, honesty, insight and other qualities necessary for the completion of the mission and delivery of the burden He put in their hands. Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, attested to their truthfulness in the Qur’an in references, among others, to Ismail and Abraham.

We must believe that Allah gave the messengers dazzling miracles and clear proofs to support the truth of the messages they delivered to mankind. Miracles are supernatural acts given by Allah to His messengers and prophets and carried out by the messengers. The miracles are used to challenge people. Our conviction should include every one of those miracles mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.

The Prophets & Messengers mentioned in the Qur’an

There are twenty five prophets and messengers whose names appear in the Qur’an. They are…

  1. Adam 
  2. Nuh (Noah)
  3. Idris (Idris or Enoch)
  4. Salih (Salih or Methusaleh)
  5. Ibrahim (Abraham) 
  6. Hud (Hud or Heber)
  7. Luut (Lot)
  8. Younus (Jonah)
  9. Isma’il (Ishmael)
  10. Ishaq (Isaac)
  11. Yaqoub (Jacob)
  12. Yousuf (Joseph)
  13. Ayyub (Job)
  14. Shu’ayb (Shoaib or Jethro)
  15. Musa (Moses)
  16. Haroon (Aaron)
  17. Al Yasha (Eleysha)
  18. Dhul Kifli (Dhulkifli or Ezekiel)
  19. Dawood (David)
  20. Zakariyya (Zachariah)
  21. Sulayman (Solomon)
  22. Ilyas (Elias)
  23. Yahya (John the Baptist)
  24. Isa (Jesus) and 
  25. Muhammad ﷺ, Ahmed  (Meaning – Praised One); May the prayers and blessings of Allah be upon them all. 

(English names are mentioned in the Brackets)

We must believe in the message and prophethood of each and every one of those messengers and prophets. To deny this status to any of them is tantamount to kufr (disbelief). As for the ones who were not specifically mentioned in the Qur’an, we have been instructed to believe in them generally, bearing in mind that we must not maintain that a certain human being is a prophet or a messenger if the Qur’an and the Prophet ﷺ did not refer to him in this capacity.

Please join our free online certificate course (with open book tests) “STORIES OF THE PROPHETS”, to read the stories of the Prophets and the important lessons that are to be taken from them. https://learn-islam.org/stories-of-the-prophets (available online now, register and learn).

Note this is not part of the course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.

FAITH IN THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD ﷺ

We believe that the best of all creation was the Prophet, Muhammad Ibnu Abdullah ﷺ. Some early scholars interpreted Allah’s saying (others He raised to degrees (of honour)) to be reference to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Further evidence to this view is to be found in a number of Ahaadeeth, including the one narrated by Abu Hurayrah who reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “I am the master of the sons of Adam on the day of judgement, the first to appear from the grave, the first interceder, and the first to be the subject of intercession”(Reported by Muslim and others).

We must also believe that Muhammad ibnu Abdullah ﷺ is the Prophet and Messenger of Allah, His servant and chosen one; that he ﷺ never worshipped idols, nor associated anything with Allah for one single moment, nor committed a single sin or vice of any kind`.

We must also believe the he ﷺ is the seal of the prophets. This is explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an in the verse:

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets” (Al-Ahzaab – Aayah 40)

It is also attested by the Ahaadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ who said: “My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house excellently and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a comer. The people went around about it and wondered at its beauty and said: `Would that this brick would be put in its place!’ So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets”(Muslim).

We firmly believe that there is no prophethood following that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, that any person claiming to be a prophet is a perverted liar. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The Hour will not be established till about thirty Dajjaals (liars) appear, each claiming to be a prophet. I am the seal of the prophets; there is no prophet after me” Muslim

We also believe that the Prophet ﷺ is the Imam of the pious, their guide to all good and virtue, and that he ﷺ alone is worthy of following and emulating – the ideal model. Allah says:

“(Say (0 Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah, then follow me: Allah will love you” Aal-Imraan – Aayah 31

We must believe that the Prophet ﷺ was sent by Allah to all of mankind and the jinn, with the Truth and Guidance. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“(0 our people! Respond to Allah’s Caller (Muhammad), and believe in him: He (Allah) will forgive you your sins, and will save you from a painful torment “Al Ahqaaf – Aayah 31

We must put our love for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before love of self, parents or offspring. Anas (R.A.) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you is a true believer unless I become more dear to him than his own father, his son and all the people”Agreed upon.

We must also believe that Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, has provided the Prophet ﷺ with miracles which clearly support everything he communicated to his fellow human beings. The Qur’an itself is his most prominent miracle. Allah challenged mankind to produce anything like it or even similar to parts of it. Allah says:

(And if you are in doubt as to what We have sent down (the Qur’an) to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a Surah of the like thereof; and call your witnesses besides Allah, if you are truthful. But if you do it not, and can never do it, then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers. (Al-Baqarah – Al-Aayataan 23-24.)

We must believe that Allah has supported the Prophet ﷺ with tangible miracles, which were mentioned in the authentic Ahaadeeth. For example: the splitting of the moon, the stones greeting him, the crying of the stem of the date-palm tree in the Prophet’s mosque, the flowing of the water from his finger, the increase in the amount of food for his Companions, Allah’s answering to his invocation, and so on. Those ‘tangible miracles give extra support to the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ.

We must also believe that Allah supported the Prophet ﷺ with strong arguments and clear evidence, embodied in his character, his attributes and his moral disposition. We believe that Allah bestowed upon the Prophet ﷺ a constitution and appearance that made his prophethood and truthfulness clear to anyone looking at him.

Furthermore, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was extremely generous. He was also ascetic towards worldly possessions, content with very little, and he never saved or hoarded anything. He was eloquent, patient, forgiving, angered only for the sake of Allah, humble with the believers, seeing only Allah, fighting in His way and relying on Him.

The Prophet ﷺ was the perfect example in each of his excellent attributes and characteristics. The coming together of all those great qualities is not possible in any single human being, except those whom Allah protects.

Also among those who were impressed by the reputation of the Prophet ﷺ was Caesar who, upon receiving the letter in which he ﷺ invited him to embrace the faith of Islam, called to his presence all the Arabs that were in his country at the time. Abu Sufyaan and a number of merchants from Quraysh were in Syria on business at the time and they were all summoned to the royal court. Caesar asked them, through an interpreter, about the Prophet ﷺ. What he heard lead him to a clear conclusion: that what he learned about Muhammad ﷺ, his circumstances, characteristics and life were ample proof to his sincerity and to the truth of his prophethood – that he was indeed a Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

The conversation that took place between Caesar and Abu Sufyaan was reported by al-Bukhaaree as follows: Ibn Abbas narrated that Abu Sufyaan bnu Harb had told him that when he was with a number of merchants from Quraysh, while in Syria during the period of the truce between the Prophet ﷺ and the disbelievers of Quraysh, Caesar asked for him. They met him in Ilia and he invited them into his court where the Roman notables were gathered. He brought his interpreter and asked:; “Which one of you is the closest relative of this man who claims to be a prophet?” When Abu Sufyaan said that it was he, Caesar said: “Bring him (Abu Sufyaan) over to me and bring his companions to stand behind him.” Then he told the men of Quraysh: “I shall interrogate this man, so expose him if he lies to me.” (Abu Sufyaan later said that had he not feared the embarrassment of being branded a liar he would have surely lied to Caesar)

Caesar said: “What is his (the Prophet’s) lineage among you?”

Abu Sufyaan replied: “He is of fine lineage.”

Had any of you before said as he is now saying?”

“No.”

“Do the honourable among you follow him or do the weak?”

“The weak.”

“Are they on the increase or are they decreasing?”

“They are increasing.”

“Do any of them turn back on their faith in disillusionment after having embraced it?”

“No.”

“Did you used to accuse him of lying before he started saying what he is now saying?”

“No.”

“Is he treacherous?”

“No. We have a truce with him, but we do not know what he will do about it.” (Abu Sufyaan later said that this was the only opportunity he had for lying.)

“Have you fought him?”

“Yes we have.”

“How is the war between you and him?”

“It is equal. We beat him and he beats us.”

“What does he command you?”

“He tells us to worship only Allah, not to associate anything with Him, and to abandon the faith of our fathers. He commands us to perform prayers, to be sincere and sanctified and to maintain our ties of kinship.”

Caesar then said: “I have asked you about his lineage and you said it was noble, and messengers are indeed sent from among the noble of their people. I asked you if any of your people had made similar claims and you said no, but if your answer had been ‘yes’ I would have assumed he is merely repeating old claims. I asked you if any of his ancestry had been a king and you said no, but if your answer had been ‘yes’ I would have thought he was merely claiming his royal heritage. I asked you if you used to accuse him of lying before this and you said no, and I know he couldn’t be lying to God while refraining from lying to his fellow man. I asked you if the noble among you follow him or . is it the weak who do so and you said it was the weak, and they are indeed the followers of the prophets. I asked you if their numbers were increasing or decreasing and you said they were on the increase, and this is verily the condition of a new faith. I asked you if any of them turns away from him in disillusionment and you said no, and this is exactly what happens when the light of faith mingles with the heart. I asked you if he was treacherous and you said no, and same is true of all the prophets. I asked you what he is telling you and you said that he commands you to worship Allah, associating nothing with Him, forbids you from worshipping idols and instructs you to perform prayers, be truthful and sanctified. If all what you say is true, he will possess the land on which I stand now. I had known he was going to come forth, but I never suspected he will be from among you. If I knew I would be faithful to him I would have wanted to meet him, and if I were with him I would have washed his feet”

(BUKHARI)

Please join our free online certificate course, “LOVE THE PROPHET ﷺ”, to learn more about the Prophet , his characteristics, his teachings, how to proclaim our love & what he warned us against. https://learn-islam.org/love-the-prophet (available online now, register and learn).

Note this is not part of the course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.


اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ كَمَا بَارَكْتَ عَلَى آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

“Allaahumma salli ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala Aali Muhammad kama salayta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem, wa baarik ‘ala Muhammad wa ‘ala aali Muhammad kama baarakta ‘ala aali Ibraaheem innaka hameedun majeed

O Allaah, send prayers upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad as You sent prayers upon the family of Ibraaheem, and send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibraaheem, You are indeed Worthy of Praise, Full of Glory.



TIPS OF TEST

  1. Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
  2. The names and tasks of Angels.
  3. Remember the benefits.