al-It’ibaa’a And The Principles Of Fiqh Of The Righteous Predecessors (Part 2)

[Shehzad Sattar]

Part Three: What Is Obligatory Upon The Nations With Regards To The Messengers

It was obligatory upon every nation to obey and follow their Prophets in everything they brought their people from the divine revelation which Allah sent to them. Regardless of whether it was in book form or not in book form. Allah says: “We sent no Messenger except that he be obeyed, by Allah’s will” (An Nisa 4:64)

Allah also says: “O Children of Adam! If there comes to you Messengers from amongst yourselves, reciting to you My ayaat, then whomsoever becomes pious and righteous then they shall have no fear nor shall they grieve.-But those who rejected our ayaat, proofs, evidences, revelations and treat these things with arrogance, then they are the dwellers of the Hellfire and will abide therein forever.” (al A’raaf 7:35-36)

Allah also mentions: “And We didn’t send any Messenger except with the language of his people, so that he might explain and make the message clear for them. Then Allah misleads whom He wills and guides whom He wills, and He is the All Mighty the All Wise.” (Ibrahim 14:4)

Allah also says: “Verily, We have sent the revelation to you O Muhammad just as We sent the revelation to Nuh and the Prophets after him. We also sent the revelation Ibrahim…” (an Nisa 4:163)

It is well known that many of the Prophets did not have a book of divine revelation nor was the revelation revealed to them in book form. Furthermore, it was still obligatory upon their nations and followers to obey their Messengers in everything they came with- without differentiating between the type of divine revelation which was sent to them. They made no distinction whether the revelation was recited in book form or not in book form. The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad is considered as the second type (non-book form) which contains his sayings, actions and approvals.

The understanding of this is made clear by observing the story of Musa when he encountered and disputed with Firoun (Pharoah) and his people, which is a prime example of the type of revelation which was not recited nor was it in book form. In addition, the destruction of Firoun and his nation happened before Musa received the Torah, as Allah says: “And indeed We gave Musa-after We destroyed the old generations-the Scripture (Torah) as an enlightenment for mankind and a guidance and a mercy that they might remember and receive admonition.” (Al Qasas 28:43)

The domination and reign of humiliation and shame upon the nations was the result of them differing and disobeying what their Messengers came with from the divine revelation.

Allah said about the Children of Israel: “And they were overwhelmed and covered with humiliation and misery and they earned for themselves the wrath and anger of Allah. That was because they used to disbelieve in the proofs, evidences, ayaat, revelation from Allah and they also killed the Prophets wrongfully. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress the limits by disobeying Allah and committing sins.” (al-Baqarah 2:61)

Allah also says: “Such were Ad’s people who rejected the ayaat, proofs, revelation of their Lord and disobeyed His Messengers and followed the command of every proud, obstinate oppressor of truth from their leaders.-And a curse was made to pursue and follow them in this world and also on the Day of Resurrection. No doubt! That verily, Ad’ disbelieved in their Lord, so away with Ad’, the people of Hud. ” (Hud 11:59-60)

The destruction of some of the nations was due to the lack of obedience to their Messengers in what they brought of divine revelation from Allah. Allah says: “And those towns of Ad and Thamud, We destroyed them with they did wrong. And we appointed a fixed time for their destruction.” (al Kahf 18:59)

Amongst the most common things which the nations and people disobeyed their Lord and their Messengers in- was their division, separation, disunity and differing in Allah’s religion. Verily Allah condemned, reviled and censured the Children of Israel and the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) in general because of their disputing and differing regarding Allah’s religion.

Allah says: “A Messenger-Muhammad- sent from Allah reciting the purified pages (Quran)-Wherein are correct and straight laws from Allah-And the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ until after there came to them clear evidence from the Prophet Muhammad.” (al Bayyinah 98:2-4)

Allah The Most Gracious warned the Muslims from dissension, splitting and differing as He said: “And do not be like those who split up and differed amongst themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is them who will receive an awful torment.” (Al Imran 3:105)

Then Allah sent the last of the prophets and messengers-Muhammad after a pause in the sending of the messengers.

Source: http://researchcenterforhadith.wordpres ... ah-abbaas/