The Prophets and Revealed Religion
What the prophets of God received through revelation and as a message from God and conveyed to mankind was religion (Din),
3 that is, a way of life and human duties which guarantee the real happiness of man.
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3 Editor's note: As we have already indicated, din is a most universal term
in Arabic and Persian and should be translated as religion only only if we
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Revealed religion in general consists of two parts: doctrine and practice or method. The doctrinal part of revealed religion consists of a series of fundamental principles and views concerning the real nature of things upon which man must establish the foundations of his life. It is comprised of the three universal principles of unity (tawhid), prophecy (nubuwwah), and eschatology (ma 'ad). If there is any confusion or disorder in one of these principles, the religion will not be able to gain any following.
The practical part of revealed religion consists of a series of moral and practical injunctions covering the duties man has before God and human society. That is why the secondary duties which have been ordered for man in different Divine laws are of two kinds: morals (akhl?q) and action, (a'mal). The morals and actions related to the Divine are of two kinds, such as: first, the quality of faith, sincerity, surrender to God, contentment and humility; and second, the daily prayers, fasting, and sacrifice (called acts of worship and symbolizing the humility and servitude of man before the Divine Throne). The morals and actions related to human society are also of two kinds, such as: first, the quality of love for other men, wishing well for others, justice and generosity; and second, the duty to carry out social intercourse, trade and exchange, etc. (called transactions).
Another point that must be considered is that since the human species is directed toward the gradual attainment of perfection, and human society through the passage of time becomes more complete, the appearance of a parallel development must also be seen in revealed laws.
1 The Holy Qur'an affirms this gradual
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understand the latter term in the widest sense possible, not as one thing among others, but as a total way of life based upon transcendent principles, or a tradition in the true sense of the word.
1 Editor's note: Islam bases its argument upon the gradual development of man and therefore "perfection" of successive revelations although from another point of view it considers all prophets as equal. In any case, this
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development, which reason has also discovered. It can be concluded from its verses that each Divine Law (Shari' ah) is in reality more complete than the Shari' ah before; for instance, in this verse where He says, "And unto thee have We revealed the Scripture with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it." (Qur'an, V, 48)
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Of course, as scientific knowledge also confirms and the Qur'an states, the life of human society in this world is not eternal and the development of man is not endless. As a result, the general principles governing the duties of man from the point of view of doctrine and practice must of necessity stop at a particular stage. Therefore, prophecy and the Shari ah will also one day come to an end when in the perfection of doctrine and expansion of practical regulations they have reached the final stage of their development. That is why the Holy Qur'an, in order to make clear that Islam (the religion of Muhammad) is the last and most complete of the revealed religious, introduces itself as a sacred book that cannot be abrogated (naskh), calls the Prophet the "Seal of the Prophets" (Khatam al-Anbiy?), and sees the Islamic religion as embracing all religious duties. As He says, "And Lo! It is an unassailable Scripture. Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or behind it." (Qur'an, XLI, 41-42)
2 And also, "Muhammad is not the father of any man among you but he is the messenger of Allah and the Seal of the prophets." (Qur'an, XXXIII, 40).
3 And, "We reveal the scripture unto thee as an exposition of all things" (Qur'an, XVI, 89).
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argument should not he confused with modern evolutionism and belief in indelicate historical progress which are the very antithesis of the Islamic conception of time and history.
1 The Scripture at the beginning of the verse refers to the Holy Qur'an, while the second Scripture copses to such sacred books as the Torah and the Gospels.
2 The "Unassailable Scripture" is the Holy Qur'an.
3 The he idea of the finality of the Qur'an as a sacred book which cannot be abrogated and the aspect of the Prophet as the "Seal of prophecy" are essentially aspects of the same truth.
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The Prophets and Proof of Revelation
and Prophecy
Many modern scholars who have investigated the problem of revelation and prophecy have tried to explain revelation, prophecy and questions connected with them by using the principles of social psychology. They say that the prophets of God were men of a pure nature and strong will who had great love for humanity. In order to enable mankind to advance spiritually and materially and in order to reform decadent societies, they devised laws and regulations and invited mankind to accept them. Since people in those days would not accept the logic of human reason, in order to make them obey their teachings the prophets, according to such modern scholars, claimed that they and their thoughts came from the transcendent world. Each prophet called his own pure soul the Holy Spirit; the teachings which he claimed came from the transcendent world were called "revelation and prophecy"; the duties which resulted from the teachings were called "revealed Shari'ah"; and the written record of these teachings and duties were called a "revealed book."
Anyone who views with depth and impartiality the revealed books and especially the Holy Qur'an, and also the lives of the prophets, will have no doubt that this view is not correct. The prophets of God were not political men. Rather, they were "men of God," full of truthfulness and purity. What they perceived they proclaimed without addition or diminution. And what they uttered they acted upon. What they claimed to possess was a mysterious consciousness which the invisible world had bestowed upon them. In this way, they came to know from God Himself what the welfare of men was in this world and the next, and propagated this knowledge among mankind.
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1 The Qur'an, according to the Islamic view, contains the principle of all knowledge, and through it every domain can be clarified and elucidated.
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It is quite clear that in order to confirm and ascertain the call of prophecy there is need of proof and demonstration. The sole fact that the Shari' ah brought by a prophet conforms to reason is not sufficient in determining the truthfulness of the prophetic call. A man who claims to be a prophet, in addition to the claim of the truth of his Shari ah, claims a connection through revelation and prophecy with the transcendent world, and therefore claims that he has been given by God the mission to propagate the faith. This claim in itself is in need of proof. That is why (as the Holy Qur'an informs us) the common people with their simple mentality always sought miracles from the prophets of God in order that the truthfulness of their call might be confirmed.
The meaning of this simple and correct logic is that the revelation, which the prophet claims is his cannot be found among others who are human beings like him. It is of necessity an invisible power which God miraculously bestows upon His prophets, through which they hear His word and are given the mission to convey this word to mankind. If this be true, then the prophet should ask God for another miracle so that people would believe the truth of his prophetic call.
It is thus clear that the request for miracles from prophets is according to correct logic and it is incumbent upon the prophet of God to provide a miracle at the beginning of his call, or according to the demand of the people, in order to prove his prophecy. The Holy Qur'an has affirmed this logic, relating miracles about many prophets at the beginning of their mission or after their followers requested them.
Of course many modern investigators and scientists have denied miracles, but their opinions are not based upon any satisfactory reasons. There is no reason to believe that the causes which until now have been discovered for events through in vestigation and experiment are permanent and unchanging, or that no event ever occurs for reasons other than those which usually bring it about. The miracles related about the prophets of God are not impossible or against reason (as is, for example,
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the claim that the number three is even). Rather they are a "break in what is habitual" (kharq al- ?dah)
1 an occurrence which, incidentally, has often been observed in a lower degree among people following ascetic practices.
The Number of the Prophets of God
It is known through tradition that in the past many prophets appeared, and the Holy Qur'an affirms their multitude. It has mentioned some of them by name or by their characteristics, but has not given their exact number. Through definitive traditions also it has not been possible to determine their number except in the well-known saying which Abu-Dharr Ghifari has recited from the Holy Prophet, according to which their number has been set at 124,000.
The Prophets Who are Bringers of Divine Law
From what can be deduced from the Qur'an, it can be concluded that all the prophets of God did not bring a Shari' ah. Rather, five of them—Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad-"possessors of determination" (ulu'l- azm), those who have brought a Shari' ah. Other prophets follow the Shari' ah of those who "possess determination." God has said in the Qur'an, "He hath ordained for you that religion which He commended unto Noah, and that which We inspire in thee (Muhammad), and that which We commended unto Abraham
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1 Editor's note: Miracle in Persian as in Arabic is in fact called khariq al-'Adah that is, that which breaks the habitual relation between causes and effects in this world which because of its recurrence and persistence appears to us as a closed and unbreakable net of causality. The miracle represents the intrusion into this habitual world of a cause from another world or state of being with naturally different effects from what we have been accustomed to in our everyday experience. It is therefore the "break of habit" or of what has been habitual.
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and Moses and Jesus" (Qur'an, XLII, 13).
1 He has also said, "And when We exacted a covenant from the Prophets, and from thee (0 Muhammad) and from Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus son of Mary, We took from them a solemn covenant" (Qur'an, XXXIII, 7).
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The Prophecy of Muhammad
The last prophet of God is Hadrat Muhammad
3 —upon whom be blessings and peace— who possesses a book and a Shari' ah and in whom Muslims have placed their faith. The Prophet was born fifty three years before the beginning of the hegira calendar
4 in Mecca in the Hijaz amidst the family of Banu-Hashim of the Tribe of Quraysh, who were considered the most honored of the Arab families. His father was called 'Abdull?h and his mother, Aminah. He lost both parents at the beginning of childhood and was placed under the care of his paternal grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib, who also soon passed away. At this time, the Prophet's uncle, Abu-Talib, took charge of him and became his guardian, taking him into his own house. The Prophet grew up in his uncle's house and even before reaching the age of adolescence used to accompany his uncle on journeys by caravan.
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1 This verse is in the form of an obligation. It is clear that in this case if there were prophets other than the five mentioned in this verse who had brought a new Shari'ah, they would have been mentioned.
2 There is again reference to the same Prophets who brought new Shari'ah into the world.
3 Editor's note: In Persian and other Muslim languages, the name of the Prophet is usually preceded by the honorific title Hadrat and followed by the formula, "upon whom be blessings and peace" (sail Allalau 'alayhi wa sallam). Had rat is also used for other prophets, for Shiite Imams and even for some very eminent religions authorities.
4 Editor's note: The Islamic calendar begins with the migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina and is thus called the Hegira Calendar, from the Arabic word hijrah, meaning emigration.
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The Prophet had not received any schooling and therefore did not know how to read and write. Yet, after reaching the age of maturity, he became famous for his wisdom, courtesy and trustworthiness. As a result of his sagacity and trustworthiness, one of the women of the tribe of Quraysh, well-known for her wealth, appointed him as the custodian of her possessions and left in his hands the task of conducting her commercial affairs.
The Prophet once journeyed to Damascus with her merchandise and as a result of the ability he displayed was able to make an outstanding profit. Before long, she asked to become his wife and the Prophet accepted her proposal. After the marriage, which occurred when he was twenty five years old, the Prophet began the life of a manager of his wife's fortunes, until the age of forty, gaining meanwhile a widespread reputation for wisdom and trustworthiness. He refused, however, to worship idols, as was the common religious practice of the Arabs of the Hijaz. And occasionally he would make spiritual retreats (khalwah) in which he prayed and discoursed secretly with God.
At the age of forty, in the cave of Hira', in the mountains of the Tihamah region near Mecca, when he was in spiritual retreat, he was chosen by God to become a prophet and was given the mission of propagating the new religion. At that moment, the first chapter of the Qur'an (`The Blood-Clot' [Surah 'Alaq]) was revealed to him. That very day, he returned to his house and on the way met his cousin, 'Ali ibn Abi-Talib, who after bearing the account of what had occurred declared his acceptance of the faith. After the Prophet entered the house and told his wife of the revelation, she likewise accepted Islam.
The first time the Prophet invited people to accept his message, he was faced with a distressing and painful reaction. Of necessity he was forced henceforth to propagate his message in secret for some time until he was ordered again by God to invite his very close relatives to accept his message. But this call was also fruitless and no one heeded it except 'Ali ibn Abi-Talib, who in any case had already accepted the faith. (But in accordance with documents transmitted from the Household of
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the Prophet and extant poems composed by Abu-T?lib, Shi'ites believe that Abu-Talib had also embraced Islam; however, because he was the sole protector of the Prophet, he hid his faith from the people in order to preserve the outward power he had with the Quraysh.)
After this period, according to Divine instruction, the Prophet began to propagate his mission openly. With the beginning of open propagation, the people of Mecca reacted most severely and inflicted the most painful afflictions and tortures upon the Prophet and the people who had become newly converted to Islam. The severe treatment dealt out by the Quraysh reached such a degree that a group of Muslims left their homes and belongings and migrated to Abyssinia. The Prophet and his uncle, Abu-T?lib, along with their relatives from the BanuHashim, took refuge for three years in the "mountain pass of Abu-Talib," a fort in one of the valleys of Mecca. No one had any dealings or transactions with them and they did not dare to leave their place of refuge.
The idol-worshippers of Mecca, although at the beginning they considered inflicting all kinds of pressures and tortures such as striking and beating, insult, ridicule and defamation on the Prophet, occasionally would also show kindness and courtesy toward him in order to have him turn away from his mission. They would promise him great sums of money or leadership and the rule of the tribe. But for the Prophet their promises and their threats only resulted in the intensification of his will and determination to carry out his mission. Once, when they came to the Prophet promising him wealth and power, the Prophet told them, using metaphorical language, that if they were to put the sun in the palm of his right hand and the moon in the palm of his left hand he would not turn away from obeying the unique God or refrain from performing his mission. About the tenth year of his prophecy, when the Prophet left the mountain pass of Abu-Talib," his uncle Abu-Talib, who was also his sole protector, died, as did also his devoted wife. Henceforth, there was no protection for his life nor any place of refuge. Finally the idol-worshippers of Mecca devised a secret plan to kill him. At
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night they surrounded his house from all sides with the aim of forcing themselves in at the end of the night and cutting him into pieces while he was in bed. But God, the Exalted, informed him of the plan and commanded him to leave for Yathrib. The Prophet placed 'Ali in place of himself in his bed and at night left the house under Divine protection, passing amidst his enemies, and taking refuge in a cave near Mecca. After three days when his enemies, having looked everywhere, gave up hope of capturing him and returned to Mecca, he left the cave and set out for Yathrib.
The people of Yathrib, whose leaders had already accepted the message of the Prophet and swore allegiance to him, accepted him with open arms and placed their lives and property at his disposal. In Yathrib for the first time the Prophet formed a small Islamic community and signed treaties with the Jewish tribes in and around the city as well as with the powerful Arab tribes of the region. He undertook the task of propagating the Islamic message and Yathrib became famous as "Madinat al-Rasul: (the city of the Prophet).
Islam began to grow and expand from day to day. The Muslims, who in Mecca were caught in the mesh of the injustice and inequity or the Quraysh, gradually left their homes and property and migrated to Medina, revolving around the Prophet like moths around a candle. This group became known as the "immigrants" (muhajirun) in the same way that those who aided the Prophet in Yathrib gained the name of "helpers" (ansar).
Islam was advancing rapidly but at the same time the idol-worshippers of Quraysh, as well as the Jewish tribes of the Hijaz, were unrestrained in their harassment of the Muslims. With the help of the "hypocrites" (manafiqun) of Medina who were amidst the community of Muslims and who were not known for their holding any particular positions, they created new misfortunes for the Muslims every day until finally the matter led to war. Many battles took place between the Muslims and the Arab polytheists and Jews, in most of which the
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Muslims were victorious. There were altogether over eighty major and minor battles. In all the major conflicts such as the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, Khaybar, Hunayn, etc., the Prophet was personally present on the battle scene. Also in all the major battles and many minor ones, victory was gained especially through the efforts of 'Ali. He was the only person who never turned away from any of these battles. In all the wars that occurred during the ten years after the migration from Mecca to Medina, less than two hundred Muslims and less than a thousand infidels were killed.
As a result of the activity of the Prophet and the selfless effort of the muhajirun and ans?r during this ten-year period, Islam spread through the Arabian peninsula. There were also letters written to kings of other countries such as Persia, Byzantinum and Abyssinia inviting them to accept Islam. During this time the Prophet lived in poverty and was proud of it.
1 He never spent a moment of his time in vain. Rather, his time was divided into three parts: one spent for God, in worshipping and remembering Him; a part for himself and his household and domestic needs; and a pare for the people. During this part of his time, he was engaged in spreading and teaching Islam and its sciences, administrating to the needs of Islamic society and removing whatever evils existed, providing for the needs of the Muslims, strengthening domestic and foreign bonds, and similar matters.
After ten years of stay in Medina, the Prophet fell ill and died after a few days of illness. According to existing traditions, the last words on his lips were advice concerning slaves and women.
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1 In a famous hadith the Prophet, he has said, "Poverty (faqr) is my glory." concerning the material of this section, see the Sirah of Ibn Husham, Cairo, 1355-56; Sirah of Halabi, Cairo, 1320; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. VI, and other traditional sources of the life of the Holy Prophet.
