“Has there not been over man a period of time when he was not a thing worth mentioning?” [Qur’an, 76: 1]
Abstract:
Allah purposefully harmonized the laws of nature—from the orbit of celestial bodies to the cycle of the rains—to sustain human life, placing man at the center of creation. However, this cosmic privilege is fundamentally paired with man’s profound mission. All people are equal in origin and dignity and are called to live according to divine guidance. By analyzing these core principles, this article explores how Islam frames the universe not as an indifferent vacuum, but as a purposeful stage meticulously designed to foster man’s physical and spiritual development enabling him to accomplish the purpose of his existence on earth. It ultimately locates human greatness not in domination or self-exaltation, but in conscious submission to One Supreme Allah, moral excellence, and faithful stewardship of the world entrusted to man for his humanity.
Introduction:
Visionary leaders of integrity and character not only touch the lives of millions, they change the destiny of their people forever. Those who recognize the altruism of a leader owe him more than just gratitude; they have moral obligations toward him in real tangible way. The foremost of them is a clear understanding of what he stands for. The ideology and values of the leader must be reflected in the personal lives of the followers. This is the primary aim of any genuine leader’s lifetime efforts and the best way to be grateful to him for the change he effects. For the common good, it is followers’ task to carry on his mission so that it can continue to advance and flourish.
Excessiveness:
With the passage of time, however, the followers become ideologues and factionalized. In an extreme case, for instance, those who reside on the fringes begin to see a diminished role for the leader in their daily lives. Their desire for pragmatism under contemporary pressures weakens their conscience and pledge to the once-cherished principles – now reduced to occasional lapses. On the contrary, the less intellectually inclined devotees are emotionally carried away, often abandoning human rationality and clarity of vision. Logic loses its meaning. It is hard to question the sincerity of their devotion, but the mystic view they develop about their leader unjustly tints his real position and the relevance of his manifesto to a momentous life with a deeper and wider appeal. Either attitude toward the celebrated leader is self-defeating and indecorous to his mission. An objective approach requires recognizing the leader as a unique individual with comparable assets and limitations, yet one who is disciplined, visionary, and mission driven.
This recurring trend of obsession and exaggerations has often caused misconceptions in the minds of followers about the true positions of even their prophets, corrupting their faith systems. Some of them have been condemned by Allah SWT, such as: “O People of the Book! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to Allah nothing except the truth…” [Q, 4: 171] Here the reference is to the Jews and the Christians who suffered from the tendency of exceeding limits of propriety in support of their own characterizations of Prophet Isa (Jesus). The Jews were insanely obsessed with rejecting and opposing him, whereas the crime of the Christians was that they had gone beyond the proper limits in their love for him by calling him the son of God.
The Christians were not the first to call a noble person ‘son of God,’ who they had known earlier as a normal human being. The Jews too had fallen in such deception earlier: “The Jews say: Ezra (Uzair) is Allah’s son, and the Christians say: The Messiah (Isa) is the son of Allah. These are merely verbal assertions in imitation of the sayings of those unbelievers who preceded them… How do they turn away from the truth? [Q, 9: 30] This does not suggest that all Jews were guilty of this deification. It only points to the erroneous Jewish concept of God which resulted in the surge of certain groups within the Jewish community itself that held Uzair to be the son of God.
Overzealous Muslims too have their own share of baseless deification of their role models, spiritual leaders, saints, and even the Prophet Muhammad SAW. Hyperbole and fabrication in the spiritual personification of their religious figures, and falsely ascribing divine attributes to them has been creeping in and infecting Islam’s defining ideology of Tawheed (monotheism) for centuries. Islam, the creed of every Prophet, is not a profession. Yet, over time, Islamic scholarship too has become a full-time profession, rather than a loyalty to advancing the mission of Islam for a nobler society and seeking higher rewards from Allah SWT. In fact, knowledge is considered a virtue in Islam, and scholars are held in high esteem by Allah SWT: “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah…” [Q, 35: 28] In contrast, gradually professionalism leads to utilitarianism at the expense of ethical discipline and purity of intention due to opacity and rationalizations. It becomes very tricky when there is a conflict of interest.
None of the pioneer scholars who built the foundations of Islamic scholarship – by flawlessly preserving the Qur’an and meticulously documenting every word and action of the Prophet SAW – was a professional. Today, the global community benefits from the immense wealth of knowledge they created. They have secured an eternal legacy in Islamic history and earned their recognition from Allah SWT. Many today have established careers, building upon their selfless groundbreaking works. Admittedly, modern scholars face pressing material realities that must be addressed. It is our collective responsibility to resolve these challenges gracefully by developing sustainable institutional resource models that can secure the future of Islamic scholarship. This is an avenue that requires deeper exploration to ensure that sacred knowledge continues to prosper.
For a long time, the global Muslim community has faced fragmentation and deep-seated challenges, suffering from a sense of political and religious disenfranchisement at various levels of collective life. Artificial divides have been fostered to polarize communities—a harsh reality that must be reckoned with. Furthermore, an unchecked craving for power and wealth and commercialization of public service only intensifies over time, stepping over moral boundaries, shredding the social fabric, undermining core values, and diminishing the collective well-being.
The Qur’an warns against trading Allah’s revelations for temporary worldly gains: “So woe to those who distort the Scripture with their own hands then say, ‘This is from Allah’ -seeking a fleeting gain! So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they have earned.” [Q, 2: 79] It specifically warns religious authorities who conceal or alter truth for material or status benefits: “Indeed, those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price—those do not consume into their bellies except the Fire.”[Q, 2: 174] Not only such scholars and their followers conceal the truth, they even fabricate their own narratives to mislead people for personal gain: “Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their oaths for a small price – those will have no share in the Hereafter…” [Q, 3: 77]
The cumulative impact of fictitious tendencies, whether theological or material, is to diminish the enormity of the power projected in the bedrock concept of Tawheed and dilute the Supreme Authority of Allah SWT. Shirk (polytheism) is considered to be the most serious offence in Islam. While Tawheed views hegemony concentrated in One deity, Shirk diffuses subservience across many contenders, banishing the very stature of man in the universe. Shirk is a mind distortion against the vision of Tawheed and, consequently, against accountability – the other cornerstone belief in Islam. It is offensive to human intelligence and rational thinking and defeats the very purpose these assets have been granted to achieve. They are given to connect with the Creator and serve His cause of unifying humanity on the platform set by the concept of Tawheed.
Based on sound logic and rational thinking, it is intrinsically known that the power enjoyed by the human race on earth has not been handed down by any jinn or angel, or by any heavenly body, saint or Prophet. All the power that has been granted to man is from Allah SWT. There can be no more disgraceful act of ignorance for man than to prostrate himself before anyone other than his Creator Who granted him a uniquely exalted position in the universe: “Indeed, We have honored the children of Adam, and bore them across land and see and provided them with good things for their sustenance, and exalted them above many of Our creatures.” [Q, 17: 70] When a person is subdued by worldly desires ignoring moral code, his oath to Tawheed is compromised.
At the Center of Creation:
In the grand scheme of things, it is man (humankind) who Allah SWT has created the whole universe for and everything contained therein. The Qur’an confirms: “It is He (Allah) Who created for you all that is on earth…” [Q, 2: 29] In fact, it is clear from the conceptualization of man’s origin, as the Qur’an mentions, man is at the center of creation. At some point during the infinite period of pre-existence, Allah SWT envisioned and planned to create man: “Has there not been over man (humans) a period of time when he was not a thing worth mentioning?” [Q, 76: 1] Thus, man became the core purpose of creation and took the central stage in Allah’s grand plan. Subsequently, prior to physically constituting man, Allah SWT created the universe for man’s journey on earth, where he would live for a fixed period to realize the purpose of his life. Essentially, cosmos is an incubator for sustaining man’s existence and setting a platform for him in a physical environment to carry out his mission assigned to him by his Creator at conception.
Three conclusions are immediate and consequential in the Master design of Allah’s creation: First, all men are created equal without categorizing them in any form or shape. Whether a Prophet or non-prophet, believer or disbeliever, innocent or criminal, they all are equal at origin as humans. With their free will, they become what they choose to become in life, noble or evil. There is no trace of inborn prejudices: “O’ mankind! We have created you from a male and a female …” [Q, 49: 13] No one is born with arbitrary denomination. A saint and a vile are alike at birth. The Prophet SAW reinforced this purity of every soul at birth: “All of the people are the children of Adam, and Adam was created from dust.” [Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi] He shared this statement to dismantle tribalism, racism, and pride in ancestry. It underlines human equivalence
by reminding people that nobility comes only from righteousness and piety rather than lineage.
Second, and equally significant, each person is born with the same purpose of life: “… I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Q, 51: 56] Broadly, worship means obedience to Allah SWT. Every aspect of life must be governed by His rules. This gold standard of judging character will eventually define individuals what they actually become in the sight of Allah SWT. One day, they will stand answerable to Him for the deeds they committed willfully.
Third, in Allah’s infinite wisdom, man is the first conceptualized in the Divine Scheme of creation, making him the focal point of creation. However, his conceptualization was transformed into his physical existence as Almighty’s last creation. This universe was framed for him even before his arrival on the stage as Allah’s masterpiece. The status of man in the universe and how this universe relates to him is an important concept to be explored. The universe, with all its provisions, has been created to serve man and support his existence, activities, and plans; but man is not for the universe. While benefiting from everything in it, he is not allowed to ruin it either: “…Do not make mischief in the earth after it has been set in order…” [Q, 7: 56] The Qur’an says that man began his journey on earth in perfect order. He needs to keep it that way.
At its core, the universe operates as a profound, interconnected system governed by absolute physical laws and woven into the fabric of time and space. Every cosmic event is bound by the strict rules of logic and reasoning, ensuring that the cosmos is not a chaotic accident, but a structured reality. Within this framework, the principle of cause and effect reigns supreme, dictating that every action triggers a definitive reaction, allowing us to comprehend, predict, and marvel at the orderly nature of existence. Man capitalizes on these dynamics, cause and effect relations, and properties of each unit in his research activities for innovation and development.
Anthropocentric:
Universe is anthropocentric. As a catalyst, it revolves around man’s purpose of life and facilitates him achieve his planned goals. Allah SWT has subjected the cosmic system to human use. He calibrated the vast systems of astronomy, gravity, and time explicitly to accommodate human existence: “It is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth, Who sent down rain from the sky and thereby brought forth a variety of fruits as your sustenance; Who subjected for you the ships that they may sail in the sea by His command; subjected for you the rivers; Who subjected for you the sun and the moon and both of them are constant on their courses; and Who subjected for you the night and the day.” [Q, 14: 32-33] He has bound all these objects and elements to laws which are beneficial for mankind. Most of them are not even visible. The Qur’an hints: “Have you not seen that Allah has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and on earth and has lavished upon you His favors, both visible and invisible?” [Q, 31: 20] He has created for your benefit what you do not even know: “… He creates that which you do not know.” [Q, 16: 8]
Since man’s primary existence is on earth and his basic needs are connected with it, he is reminded of the subjection of earthly environment to his comfort. The immediate earthly ecosystem, wildlife, vegetation, and natural resources have been engineered to submit to human cultivation and utility: “And He who created the pairs, all of them, and made for you of ships and animals those which you ride. That you may settle yourselves upon their backs and then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled upon them and say, ‘Exalted is He who has subjected this to us, and we could not have, otherwise, subdued it.” [Q, 43: 12-13]
Synthesizing what Allah SWT has created for man’s service in the universe, the Qur’an makes it is absolutely clear that humanity stands at the geometric center of divine focus: “And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, all from Him…” [Q, 45: 13] The entire universe, with all its systems and operating forces in it, has been designed by the Creator for the sole support and enablement of man – being the focus and purpose of creation.
Compatibility:
Thus, everything in the universe and all its functional dynamics are compatible with human nature, conscience, rationality, logic, and intellectuality. Innately, man and the universe around him are in perfect harmony. Man’s conscience discerns between right and wrong and navigates his journey across land that accomplishes his mission envisioned at his creation. Namely, it is to be subservient to his Creator by striving to establish His Supreme Rule in every aspect of life. When his conscience is active, virtues become easy to follow, whereas bad things (prohibitions) appear to be repulsive. However, when the sensor is turned off, reverse occurs. Righteousness is subdued by the forces of evil craves. Man’s final fate will depend on his demonstrated conduct.
Superiority:
Against this backdrop, man is the essence of creation. Generically and inherently, no person has any distinction over the other. He is installed on Earth as an Exalted species with enormous capabilities commensurate with the gravity of his mission. His superiority over everything in the universe is due to his intellectual capability, creative genius, freedom of choice and action, freedom to channel his potentials in any direction he chooses, and a conglomerate of resources in boundless amounts placed at his disposal to carry out his preferred plans. The rank corresponds to individual’s assignment. Redefined, man’s mission is to transform his perceived intellectual, physical, material, racial, and cultural superiority into moral superiority under the Rule of his Creator. Explicitly, live in this physical world with moral excellence and rise to the exalted status in the universe as nature’s best creation. He would be judged based on how he used his freedom.
In pragmatic terms, man is in this world for a test, as the Qur’an implies: “Verily, We have created man…in order to test him…” [Q, 76: 2] His life tenure is the duration of his test. Everyday encounters, whether religious, social, political, financial, family, or community, are his daily test questions. What is to be seen is how he responds in each scenario. If he responds with fairness, integrity, morality, and fear of accountability by his Master, he will be graded favorably. If he lacks such qualities in his encounters with others and ignores to be answerable, he fails the test. His cumulative grade will depend on his overall life-time deliberate behavior.
Guidance:
In all fairness, before subjecting a person to any test instrument, it is the responsibility of the testing authority to provide him guidance, instructions, learning material, and orientation lessons to prepare for the test. The Most Just Allah SWT has taken upon Himself the responsibility of guiding man for his test: “Surly it is for Us to show the right Way.” [Q, 92: 12] Since Allah SWT is man’s Creator, He has arranged for man’s guidance in this world so that he knows what will win His pleasure and what constitutes disobeying Him. Rationale has also been provided as to why Allah SWT has assumed this responsibility for there is a myriad of false and contradictory postulations and conjectures beyond human capability to sort them out and find the right way: “It rests with Allah alone to show the right way, even when there are many crooked ways…” [Q, 16: 9] The only right path of action is the one rooted in the right worldview. To know the right way that would ensure sound intellectual orientation and right behavior is man’s greatest need. This is critical if man is to fulfill his need as a mission-oriented deputy of Allah SWT on earth.
Initially, toward this end, Allah SWT has gifted man means to acquire knowledge. It includes inborn knowledge, moral conscience, intellect, wisdom, human rationality, intuitive inclinations; means of acquiring knowledge – such as ears, eyes and the brain; the signs spread across the cosmos and within human inner-self; historical events; and the innate sense of justice embedded in every human soul. The knowledge beyond man’s reach is provided through divine guidance: “We said: Get you down from here…, and guidance shall come to you from Me…” [Q, 2: 38]
Though Allah SWT has taken the responsibility of providing guidance, He does so through His appointed Messengers who are established individuals in their respective communities known for the integrity of their character. Allah SWT uses the office of prophet-hood to deliver His guidance for two gripping reasons: First, He does not communicate with human beings directly due to their limitations: “And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation (inspiration) or from behind a partition (veil) or that He sends a messenger (angel) to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High and Wise.” [Q, 42: 51] Hence, the divine communication to humans takes one of the three forms: Direct casting of an idea into the heart of a person (inspiration); hearing the voice of Allah SWT without seeing Him from behind a veil; and sending an angel to deliver the message. Second, only a member of the same species can be an effective guide for that species. Genetic correlation with any population is a necessary condition to be a teacher and role model for that group. There must be a synergy between teacher and the pupils. For these reasons plus the Divine Wisdom, all Messengers were men to guide their fellow humans: “The Messengers whom We raised…and to whom We sent down revelations, were only human beings, and were from among those living in earthly habitations…” [Q, 12: 109] It is made clear: A Prophet is no more than any other human being.
All Prophets shared the same features. First, all of them – from Prophet Adam to Prophet Muhammad SAW – were human beings, and they were appointed by Allah SWT from their own communities. Second, they were all divinely chosen and guided; there is no variation among them: “…We make no distinction between any of His messengers…” [Q, 2: 285] Third, without any conflict or contradiction, their message has been consistent and universal. Their mission was the same and the message was the same: “All that they (Messengers) had been commanded was that they serve Allah, with utter sincerity, devoting themselves exclusively to Him, and that they establish Salat and pay Zakah. That is the Right Faith.” [Q, 98: 5] To Allah SWT, Islam is the only true way to direct human life: “Truly, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” [Q, 3: 19]
Messengers:
Pursuant to His plan of providing guidance, Allah SWT sent a chain of Messengers who periodically came with Divine Scriptures to guide fellow humans: “Children of Adam! If Messengers come to you from amongst yourselves who rehearse to you My signs, then those who shun defiance and mend their ways shall have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve.” [Q, 7: 35] This series of Prophets concluded in the early 7th century with the advent of the Prophet Muhammad SAW. The Qur’an was revealed to him as the Final Scripture of guidance: “And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’an that you may warn the Mother of Cities (Makkah) and those around it and warn of the Day of Assembly, about which there is no doubt. A party will be in Paradise and a party in the Blaze.” [Q, 42: 7] A logical lingual linkage is being made here. The Qur’an in Arabic is sent through a person from among them, all speaking the same language.
All revealed Scriptures were absolutely true and unerring. With the exception of the Qur’an, however, all were distorted or modified or simply vanished. The Qur’an is intact in its original form and remains in the public arena ever since. Its integrity is promised: “…We have revealed it and We are its guardians.” [Q, 15: 9] For Allah SWT stands guard over it, no one can destroy it. As a conscience-piercing guidance, it will continue to exist for those who yearn to for direction.
Since all previously revealed Scriptures were from Allah SWT, one might wonder why none of them was protected like the Qur’an. Pursuant to earlier discussion, of course, Allah SWT has the power to have things happen at Will with or without means, reasons, or logic. Yet, in this physical world, He has decreed things to happen logically, not magically, consonant with human understanding and facts on the ground. The dynamics of this world and human experiential intelligence constantly reshape civilizational conditions favorable to new possibilities. Given the state-of-the-art, for instance, what may be unthinkable today, may become a reality tomorrow. Since it is with His granted talents that man is able to realize things, Allah SWT refers those to Himself. We work hard, for instance, to make our living, yet He rightly claims to be the Razzaq – the Sustainer: “It is Allah Who created you, then provided you your sustenance…” [Q, 30 40]
Historically, a Prophet was sent to a region simply because the teachings of the previous Prophet were lost or had not yet reached there. The chain of Prophets and Scriptures continued for thousands of years. Over this period human civilization had phenomenally advanced, especially in science and technology, resulting in the globalization of transportation and communication. This allowed the word to spread fast, far and wide. During the Prophet’s life, the Qur’an had already begun to reach beyond the Arabian Peninsula as his companions traveled across its borders. So, just as Allah SWT did not intervene in the natural process of events to preserve the earlier Scriptures, He did not do so in protecting the Qur’an either. He rather let the conditions on the ground take their course and determine the outcome. Moreover, and more notably, Allah SWT has made the Qur’an easy to memorize: “…We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember…” [Q, 54: 17] The unlettered Messenger was the first person to memorize it. Since, millions across the world, in every generation, every race, and every society have memorized its original text – most of them having no clue of Arabic. Indeed, the Qur’an is a living miracle.
Consequently, neither surprisingly nor magically, in today’s cyber age the presence of the Qur’an in its original form is secured in every land with translation in every spoken language of the world. Logically and sensibly, this concludes the need of divine guidance for navigating man’s journey on earth for the rest of the time, making the Prophet SWT the Last in the chain of Prophets: “…He (Muhammad) is the messenger of Allah and the seal (last) of the Prophets…” [Q, 33: 40] He pointed to the universal aspect of his charge: “I have been sent to all men, the white and the black. [Muslim, Ahmad] Consistent with this assertion, Allah SWT asks His Messenger to declare his universal status: “Say, O Mankind! I am Allah’s Messenger to you all…” [Q, 7: 158] and firmly makes it clear that the Qur’an is His Last Word and the Prophet SAW is a warner for all of mankind: “Most Exalted is He Who has sent down this Furqan (Criterion/Qur’an) on His Servant (Muhammad), to be a warner to all mankind.” [Q, 25: 1]
Qur’an:
Thus, reviewing the history of all revealed Scriptures, the Qur’an is the only document whose text remains intact in its original form; and there is no argument about it. It continues to be in public domain since its beginning dating back over 14 centuries, with no interruptions, disruptions, or assertions even by its deniers. Any claim otherwise would be an utter insanity. The true faith reinstituted through the Qur’an is the same as presented by the earlier Scriptures: “…This Qur’an… is a confirmation of the revelations made before it…” [Q. 10: 37] The core structure of their universal message was anchored into the bedrock concept of Tawheed, that the Qur’an reinforces: “This is a proclamation for all mankind that they may be warned by it, and that they may know that their god is none but the One True Allah, and that men of understanding may take heed.” [Q, 14: 52] This concept inspires a person of conscience to live a disciplined life to the liking of his Creator. Righteous conduct includes serving Allah SAW alone, shunning any association with Him, obeying His code of conduct, and fulfilling obligations towards fellow humans. The believers of all generations have been promised by Allah SWT the same reward for doing their duty the same way: “Surely Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their belongings and in return has promised that they shall have Paradise…Such is the promise He has made incumbent upon Himself in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Qur’an…” [Q, 9: 111]
Obviously, the most fundamental need of man is the guidance to organize his life on earth in pursuit of his mission. Without this guidance he would be stumbling in bewilderment – disarrayed and disoriented in every abyss of darkness cast by a range of extraneous factors, and utterly reduced to unworthiness. Hence, after creating man, the greatest favor of Allah SWT to mankind is the guidance of the Qur’an. The statement that: “The Most Merciful has taught (you mankind) the Qur’an.” [Q, 55: 1-2] is a reminder that the revelation of the Qur’an is nothing but Allah’s mercy to mankind. It provides a road map to people to trace their path in this world: “We have bestowed upon you a Book that talks about you…” [Q, 21: 10] It spells out what constitutes the basic reality, explains the attitude that man ought to adopt, and lays down the way of life that ought to be followed. These details are based on sound knowledge rather than on conjectures and fancy: “Surely We have brought them a Book which We expounded with knowledge; a guidance and a mercy to those who believe.” [Q, 7: 52] Its contents are perspicuous enough to show one the right way. Thus, shaping conduct by the moral principles of the Qur’an is a sure way to success in this life and the next: “Whosoever acts righteously – man or woman – and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a life of purity, and will surely grant such persons their reward according to the best of their deeds.” [Q, 16: 97] This is how true success is measured in Islam.
Prophet Muhammad:
The Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet SAW over a period of 23 years. Reflecting on his life, one can find magnificent glimpses of his humanity and his status as a Messenger. If the Qur’an is a Mercy of Allah SWT to mankind, then the one who has received it and communicated it to his fellow humans ought to be Allah’s Mercy to mankind as well. This is how Allah SWT introduces His Messenger: “And We have sent you but as a mercy to mankind.” [Q, 21: 107] His exemplary life and his mission was the merciful fulfillment of Allah’s promise. Multiple places Allah SWT reminds that the Prophet SAW is a transmitter of good tidings and a warner to mankind, such as: “And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner…” [Q, 34: 28] He was a well-established person in his community known for the integrity of his character and compassion for his people. Allah SWT reflects on these attributes of the Prophet SAW as He breaks the news of his appointment to his people: “There has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves; one who grieves at your sufferings, who is ardently desirous of your welfare, and who is tender and merciful toward the believers.” [Q, 9: 128]
The role of the Prophet SAW was not just to be a conduit for channeling information, rather to be an expounder of Allah’s message to His people. His primary job was to elucidate the Qur’anic code to people so that they could clearly understand the meaning of the message in letter and spirit and follow it through: “We raised earlier Messengers with clear signs and divine Books, and We have now sent down this reminder (Qur’an) upon you (O Muhammad) that you may elucidate to people the teaching that has been sent down for them, and that the people may themselves reflect.” [Q, 16: 44] He was instructed to communicate and explain the teachings embodied in the Qur’an, not simply by word of mouth; rather by being a role model of his teachings, by fostering an environment culminating in an Islamic society under his supervision, and by launching and operating a complete human order of life consonant with that admonition. This precisely and firmly explains the wisdom behind choosing a human to serve as Messenger.
For those who decided to accept the admonition he presented, the Prophet SAW was required to provide them with directives relating to every aspect of their lives, and to present before them a shining embodiment of these directives through his own life. In reality, his exemplified life became an illustration of the Qur’an in practice that the believers were instructed to follow: ““Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who looks unto Allah…” [Q, 33: 21] The life of the Prophet SAW is the best model that Muslims must emulate in their daily life and manners as verbatim as possible to seek Allah’s pleasure. From a more practical standpoint, however, the life example of the Prophet SAW is the sole criterion by which all business pertaining to a Muslim’s life must be conducted. His judgement must be accepted as final in all disputes, being a prerequisite for faith: “…they cannot become true believers until they seek your arbitration in all matters on which they disagree among themselves…” [Q, 4: 65]
Full realization of these virtues, however, is contingent upon unconditional love for the Prophet SAW, without which Iman (faith) is not complete. He says: “None of you will believe until I am dearer to you more than your children, your fathers and all people.” [Bukhari] In an eventual situation, the examples of which are many, a Muslim may have to risk his own life in order to defend the Sovereignty of Allah SWT and the honor of His Messenger. This kind of Iman founded on pure love for the Prophet SAW is essential for a wholehearted adoption of his model life and advancing his teachings universally. Without this level of enthusiasm, the call of Islam that demands upholding its message and influencing the course of history through Islamic thoughts and values cannot be answered. Love is the ultimate state of emotional connection and admiration for a figure one idolizes for his virtues and character that overcomes all resistances against adopting his values and lifestyle without reservation. In Islam, that connection needs to be translated into action. The best way to love the Prophet SAW is to advance his mission: “O Believers! Respond to Allah, and respond to the Messenger when he calls you…” [Q, 8: 24]
Allah SWT has put it very plainly. Obedience to the teachings of the Prophet SAW amounts to obedience to Allah SWT Himself: “He who obeys the Messenger thereby obeys Allah…” [Q, 4: 80] The obedience to Allah SWT is simply conditioned upon obedience to the Prophet SAW. This piece links the commitment to the teachings of the Prophet SAW directly to the fulfillment of the divine Will and displays the central role of man in the universe. This correlation is a confirmation that the Prophet SAW conveys to people nothing but what he is divinely instructed. The significance of this relationship is further enhanced by Allah SWT, Who even ties His love for His people to obeying His Messenger: “(O Muhammad!) Tell people: If you indeed love Allah, follow me; and Allah will love you…” [Q, 3: 31] In core, one who truly obeys the Prophet SAW, is not only obeying Allah SWT, he is also earning Allah’s love and His close association.
As argued earlier, the Qur’an, as Allah’s Last Word, is protected and will remain intact until the end of the time for those who crave for guidance. As the Prophet’s role model is essential for understanding and practicing the injunctions of the Qur’an, his illustrious life too will remain protected along with the Qur’an for it to be realistically meaningful. The Prophet SAW himself alluded to this surety in his Final Sermon: “…I leave behind the Qur’an and my Sunnah (word and practice); if you follow them you will never go astray…” The Islamic scholarship has spared no effort to preserve the authenticity of each word the Prophet SAW spoke or the step he took in explaining the Qur’an. In other words, his exemplified life is the companion study-guide for the Qur’an. The two are inseparable for guidance and are safely guarded, explicitly and implicitly.
By Allah’s permission, the Prophet SAW delivered Allah’s message to people in word and practice with sensitivity, love, care, and diplomacy. In little over two decades, he transformed the most corrupt people on earth into the moral leaders of the world, injected Islam’s worldview of humanity, and established the first pluralistic Islamic state in Medina. Thus, he became the only Prophet in Islamic tradition to establish a sovereign political and legal state from scratch. His words continue to resonate around the globe and illuminate every corner of the land. He branded his mission in just a line: “I have been appointed to perfect your manners.” [Bukhari] Then he zeroed in on conduct:” The best of you is the one who is the best in conduct.” [Bukhari, Muslim] Briefly, good manners and noble conduct are the key to securing the fellowship of the Prophet of humanity. Politeness without honorable character is merely a beautifully decorated empty box.
After he had accomplished his mission, globalized the code of Islam enshrined in the Qur’an, and completed the term of his life by Allah’s Will, he passed away like any other man or Prophet before him: “Muhammad is no more than a Messenger, and Messengers have passed away before him…” [Q, 3: 144] All human beings are subject to demise. The only immortal is Allah SWT. The Prophet SAW is memorialized, however, through his teachings that will continue to reshape the global society until life on earth. Nobody can praise him or honor him more appropriately than Allah SWT for his services rendered in uplifting humanity as a family of Allah SWT. Rhetorically, Allah SWT assures His Messenger: “And did We not exalt your fame?” [Q, 94: 4] Allah SWT gave him this glad tiding, which did come through in a miraculous fashion. He even made the Prophet’s enemies exalt his name. During the Rightly Guided Caliphate the Prophet’s renown scaled new heights throughout the world. His acclaim has been growing since then and will go on unabated until the Last Day. In every town of the world his name as Allah’s Messenger is proclaimed five times daily as the adhan (call to Prayer) is called. Every day in every nook and corner of the world he is constantly saluted, studied, and followed.
It does not get any better or higher than the status Allah SWT has already granted to His Messenger. Nothing adds further to his honor that Allah SWT has already recognized. He never presented himself an iota higher than what he actually was as a human being and a Messenger.
He forcefully warned against this by saying: “Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Maryam. I am only a slave, so say: ‘The slave of Allah and His Messenger.” [Bukhari] Any attributes baselessly assigned to him in reverence is a fabrication against his teachings, misplaced affection for him, injustice to him, and against his honor. Allah SWT preemptively asked His messenger to issue a disclaimer so that his followers would not run into the same pitfall as did people of his predecessor: “(O Muhammad!) Say: I do not say to you I have the treasures of Allah. Nor do I have knowledge of what is beyond the reach of human perception. Nor do I say to you: I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me…’ [Q, 6: 50]
Feeble-minded people have always entertained the foolish mystical illusions and misconceptions that a godly man or a Prophet should be liberated from human limitations, should be able to do wonders, should have angelic qualities, should have the knowledge of the unseen, and the like. This disclaimer seeks to remove such errors from the minds of the believers. They must respect the Prophet SAW as a human being, like anyone else, with all his gifted qualities and human limitations, except that Allah SWT, in His infinite Wisdom, had appointed him as His Messenger to receive His admonition to adopt and convey to His people. That is the best attribute to him.
Real Position:
The series of the messengers concluded with the advent of the Prophet SAW, who was sent with the divine guidance from Allah SWT as contained in the Qur’an. The Qur’an remains in public domain, secure and in its original form. In addition, the teachings of the Prophet SAW, as essential illustration of the Qur’an by example, are preserved for those seeking guidance. Like all his predecessors, the basic qualification of the Prophet SAW was his humanity with all its strengths and limitations, dominated by the integrity of his character. In His infinite Wisdom, Allah SWT appointed him as a Messenger to specifically remind people that their Lord is One Lord, submit to Him. This is so eloquently captured by Allah SWT in just a few words, defining precisely the real position of the Prophet SAW and his universally resounding monotheistic message: “Say: I am no more than a human being like you; one to whom revelation is made: Your God is the One and Only God. Hence, whoever looks forward to meeting his Lord let him do righteous works, and let him associate none with the worship of his Lord.” [Q, 18: 110]
Recapping:
Man is at the center of creation. Universe, with all its contents, has been designed to sustain his existence for a period of time during which he is expected to accomplish the purpose of his life. The universe is based on physical laws, sound logic, and reasoning following the principle of cause and effect. Everything in the universe is compatible with human innate, conscience, and rationality, fulfilling his physical, spiritual, and intellectual needs. As humans, all men at creation are equal without any markings and have the same purpose of shaping their lives in accordance with the code of conduct provided by their Creator. To facilitate the realization of man’s mission on earth, Messengers were sent with guidance, the Prophet SAW being the Last. All Messengers were human beings, equal, and conveyed the same message from Allah SWT in diverse periods and surroundings conditions that: “Your God is One God… Submit to Him…” [Q, 22: 34]
