The Relevance of his Prophethood 7 1 6 7 3 5 4 7 b b D u e R e n Sal’lal’laahu a’laihi wa sal’lam BOOKLET 7 This booklet is the seventh in a series of publications based on a book titled, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah. Each booklet covers an aspect of the Prophet’s life, deeds and teach- ings and aims to provide a better understanding of Islam. This booklet also includes the conclusion of the substantive argument in this series about the Prophet Muhammad . Terms Terminology used in this series of booklets. (Taken from Sheik Mahmoud Murad’s book, Common Mistakes in Translation). Rubb: Some prefer to translate the term “Rubb” into “Lord”. Beside the fact that the latter is a Biblical term referring to the al- leged lordship of the servant of God, the Prophet Jesus, the word lord, which is lim- ited to mean: master, chief, proprietor, or ruler, can never convey the conclusive sig- nificance of the term “Rubb”. Among oth- er meanings, the term “Rubb” means: the Creator, the Fashioner, the Provider, the One upon Whom all creatures depend for their means of subsistence, and the One Who gives life and causes death. Deen: The word translated as religion is “Deen”, which in Arabic commonly refers to a way of life, which is both private and public. It is an inclusive term meaning: acts of worship, political practice, and a detailed code of conduct, including hy- giene or etiquette matters. Sal’lal’laahu a’laihi wa sal’lam : This Arabic term means, “may God praise him and render him safe from all evil.” MUHAMMAD The Messenger of Allah 7 INTRODUCTION All praise is due to Allah, the Rubb of the worlds, and may Allah exalt the mention of His Prophet, and render him and his house- hold safe and secure from all derogatory things. This Booklet sheds light on the requirements of the testimony, that Muhammad is the true messenger of Allah, which people make in order to enter into Islam. In specific, sixteen principles should be understood by anyone who embraces Islam, in order to fully commit to the religion, and to be considered a proper Muslim who truly believes that there is noth- ing worthy of being worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Al- lah. Finally, the booklet concludes with an important discussion of the relevance of the Prophet in our current times; the twenty- first century. It addresses the important ques- tion of how the Prophet Muhammad re- mains both relevant and influential in the lives of humanity as a model of how best to live one’s life and how best to worship the Creator. 7 7 MUHAMMAD The Messenger of Allah 7 7 8 MUHAMMAD The Messenger of Allah 7 The Testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah Just as it is important to fully understand the meaning and the implications of the testi- mony that there is nothing worthy of wor- ship except Allah, it is equally important to understand the second part of the testimony of faith, namely that Muhammad is the Mes- senger of Allah. Indeed, some will stray from Islam simply by their disregard for the sec- ond part of the declaration of faith. When one testifies that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he is stating his be- lief that the Prophet Muhammad was chosen by Allah to be His Messenger and to convey His Message. Allah specifically chose the Prophet Muhammad to be His Messenger. Allah says, “Allah knows best with whom to place His Message.” (6:124) This is understood to mean that the Proph- et Muhammad possessed the most ap- propriate characteristics for prophethood as obviously Allah, due to His justice, wis- 7 9 MUHAMMAD The Messenger of Allah 7 dom and mercy, would not choose one who is treacherous to be His Messenger. Allah would not choose for such a mission any- one who would not convey the message or who would use the position to his own ad- vantage. If anyone claims that the Prophet did not actually convey the entire mes- sage, or that he distorted it in any way, he is actually saying that Allah did not know, and did not choose, the best person to be a messenger. This is obvious disbelief. 7 10