Islamic Culture and Religious Studies Book - 1

Lesson 6 : Prophets : the Only Perfect Guides On the Secret Journey

We all know that we are alive and that the time spent between our birth and death is our life. But do we know the purpose for this period called life ? Do we have the knowledge of the unseen? Or were we born with the guidelines that are required on this journey?

The answer to these questions is quite obviously, No. If we knew these things naturally then we would not be having all the problems we do and the most asked question in the world would not be "Why are we here?" Having established that we are not born with this knowledge, the next most natural question would be 'Who then, is there to show us the way and teach us the things we need to know?'

To better understand this let us take the example of Jameel. Jameel is at point A and wants to reach point B a certain distance away. He has never been there and has the choice of number of different roads to take. He also knows that one of those many roads is slightly longer but it is the safest and would allow him to reach his destination without any problems.

The question is, how is he to know which road that is? Who can guide him in his choice? Does it not make sense that it would have to be someone who knows the roads and is familiar with them?

In the same way, our prophets are chosen, trained and taught by Allah (S.W.T.) so that they are familiar with the road to the Aakhera. Having this knowledge and being travellers on the same path, they are the only people capable of answering our questions and removing our doubts.

Allah (S.W.T.) has created this universe in the most perfect way. There is no disorder in it and even scientists who do not want to believe in a God are forced to admit that they cannot explain how the universe works in such an orderly fashion! Can you imagine a perfect well-designed world without any perfect guides to show us around? Living without the Mercy and Guidance Allah (S.W.T.) is like living in total darkness!

Allah (S.W.T.) in His absolute Wisdom created human beings for a very noble aim in life. We should understand that, it is we who need Allah (S.W.T.) and not the other way around. Knowing this, He, in His Mercy, sent down the prophets to help us fulfill this need. These prophets convey Allah (S.W.T.)'s divine message and give us guidelines on how to succeed in this world and in the hereafter.

UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF PROPHETS

The prophets who are sent down come as spiritual guides. They can do this because they are already aware of the secret path. They have already proven themselves worthy of this status through their total submission and obedience to Allah (S.W.T.). Because they have maintained purity and protected themselves from sin, they are known as Ma'soom (infallible ones).

The divine revelation - WAHY - comes down to them from Allah (S.W.T.), while they deliver His message to the people. As we have mentioned throughout, prophets are chosen by the Merciful Creator. They are the 'Living Qur'an' for they showed total devotion to the divine system and implement its laws in the most perfect manner. Hence, they become our role models.

DA'WAH OF PROPHETS

Since the beginning of creation, prophets came to safeguard the school of Monotheism (Tawheed). As young children, you must have read numerous stories about the various prophets since the creation of Prophet Adam (a.s.).

Prophets were just like the human beings. They lived amongst the people and in the community. But the important point to mention is that no matter what community they were sent to they lived their lives according to the message of Absolute Oneness of Allah (S.W.T.). This was to show that Islam - as a way of life - suits all times and all communities.

Through their actions, they were able to show mankind the path to worshipping Him alone. Through their total love and commitment to Him, they attracted others to seek a similar path.

The human soul has a natural desire to love Good and Truth. Deep inside every person's mind is the urge to seek the right path. In order to successfully achieve this quest, it was necessary for prophets to act as Beacons of Guidance lighting the way for us.

As we look at their lives we will realise that despite all the struggles and hardships they faced, they always conveyed the message of truth against falsehood. In the past nations and tribes, the greatest forces of Evil were Shirk (Polytheism), Kufr (Disbelief), Dhulm (Injustice) and Fasaad (Corruption). All these united in one form - The Violation of Human Rights. To date, such evil forces prevail and require constant fighting against.

Akhlaq or 'Moral Excellence' was what the prophets basically practised. The people they were sent to were attracted to their message through their manners. In particular, our Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.) was the perfect example of akhlaq. He was also known as USWATUN HASANAH (The Best Example).

NUMBER OF PROPHETS The first Prophet who came down on the face of this earth was Prophet Adam (a.s.) and the last was the Seal of Prophethood - our Holy Prophet Muhammad Ibn Abdullah (s.a.w.w.).

Allah (S.W.T.) in His Mercy and Kindness sent down 124,000 Prophets for the salvation of human beings. They served various tribes, nations, groups of people and communities. Finally, a universal message came to complete this divine mission. This was during the time of our last Prophet who was sent as the 'Mercy to the Universe'.

Each and every prophet from the 124,000 prophets was allocated for a certain period of time to a particular village, or tribe. Sometimes there was more than one prophet on the earth but in different areas.

Among the many, a few were given heavenly books and divine laws to impart and implement. According to our Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w.) there were a total number of 104 heavenly books.

Some prophets brought the Divine Laws (sheriat) to the people, while others revised the previous laws that had come down.

There is a special group of prophets who are called the 'Ulool-Adham' Prophets, well known for the special laws they conveyed. They are the following:

Prophet Nuh (a.s.) Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) Prophet Musa (a.s.) Prophet Issa (a.s.) Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.)

AKHLAQ OF AMBIYAH

As Muslims who accept the prophets sent by the Almighty, we must respect and appreciate the sacrifices they have made to bring the true Message to us. It is our duty to imitate them and follow their instructions and take lessons from their stories. Lives of prophets such as Musa (a.s.) and Issa (a.s.) teach us how to resist the environment of Kufr in all times. In both their cases, they were challenged with extreme difficulties during the course of conveying the message of Allah (S.W.T.).

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…

  1. Allah (S.W.T.), the Creator of the Universe sent down a divine system and to teach us that divine system, He sent down the prophets. The prophets were the carriers of His heavenly message.

  2. Prophets brought a special programme for human beings. Through their teachings, people became familiar with the right path - that of submission and total devotion to Allah (S.W.T.). The core element in their teachings was the training of the Nafs (Soul) in order to know Allah (S.W.T.). They resisted all sorts of mischief and various forms of tyranny, impurity, disbelief, injustice and polytheism to bring this programme to us.

Think and Answer

  1. The perfect system in the universe is a sign of what thing?
  2. Why can only Allah (S.W.T.) choose perfect guides and a special divine system while we, as human beings, cannot do so?
  3. Describe the characteristics of prophets?
  4. When did the heavenly call of prophets begin?
  5. What were the goals of all prophets?
  6. Who are the ULOOL-ADHM prophets?
  7. How can one show belief in and respect towards prophets? (Try to analyze this and give an answer based on your own opinions.)

Lesson 7 : If You Do Not Value Allah (S.W.T.)'S Blessings

Have you ever heard of YEMEN? We are told in our history that long before the time of our Holy Prophet, a tribe called 'The Children of Saba' occupied this land.

They lived in a beautiful city with excellent houses and an advanced system of roads. Allah (S.W.T.) had blessed them with a pleasant climate, rich soils and plenty of fresh water so that their orchards were always full of fresh fruit and beautiful flowers added colour to their gardens.

The Qawm (Tribe) of SABA were aware of the favours and blessings of Allah (S.W.T.) on them and appreciated His Mercy. The people worked very hard to develop their city and the most common occupation was farming. They were very kind, loyal and lived with peace, dignity and honour. Due to these good habits, equality and justice prevailed.

As time passed however, the people started taking their gifts for granted. Slowly, they began to forget that it was Allah (S.W.T.)'s Kindness that gave them all they had. They got so involved in worldly pleasures that they abandoned all Islamic values and forgot their purpose in life. As their sins grew in quantity, they became immersed kufr and forgot Allah (S.W.T.) completely!

GUIDANCE FROM PROPHETS

This is an excellent instance of why we need Prophets to guide us. Without a guide, the people of Saba had lost their perspective and turned from God-fearing individuals to idol-worshippers! Thus, Allah (S.W.T.) sent down a man to guide the tribe back to Him - this was Prophet Saleh (a.s.).

He struggled very hard for many days and nights to guide Qawm-e-Saba but his efforts were in vain. At one time, he addressed the nation:

"O people! Value the blessings that are available and around you. Adopt piety and belief in One God, seek guidance from me and use it in your daily lives. Be just and work hard!

"O people, if you do not follow the right path and continue in your ways - drowned in sins - in the end, you will face great loss and will be answerable to your Lord. "O people do not busy your selves in mundane activities - eating and drinking and involving yourselves in the worldly desires. Don't you realise that you have a much higher goal in life? Remember that the life in the hereafter is everlasting so do not be negligent. Be conscious and protect yourselves from the worldly attractions and temptations, avoid carelessness and selfishness. Rid yourselves of laziness in worshipping Him.

"Stop living in self-centredness and self-indulgence! Know your Lord, so that you may attain happiness. Be God-Conscious! Do not envy others; appreciate the blessings of the Lord of the Universe. O people, why do you remain so negligent of your deeds, why have you turned away from Tawheed?"

How shameful it was that these people who had known the truth had turned so completely against it! And what a pity that they had willingly chosen to enjoy pleasures in this temporary world rather than eternal happiness in the next! When they refused to listen to the prophet, Allah (S.W.T.) sent down a great Adhaab (Punishment) on them that has served as a lesson to all times since, including us. All their worldly effort, in constructing huge buildings and farms, was destroyed by heavy floods. Most certainly the wrath of Allah (S.W.T.) had befallen them!

Now think about us today? Do we justly appreciate all that we get as blessings from our Merciful Creator? Do we follow His commands or are we negligent like the people of Saba? How many of us perform AMR BIL MAAROOF and NAHY ANIL MUNKAR? Do such practices even exist anymore within our Muslim communities?

The punishment for our ungratefulness may not come to us in this world as it did with the people of Saba but it will surely await us in the hereafter, which is worse in its tortures.

A Holy Verse The Qur'an says: " There was indeed a sign for the children of Saba in their dwelling-place: two gardens on the right and the left; (and it was said unto them) 'Eat of the sustenance of your Lord and give thanks unto him', a good land (it was, in this world) and (God is the) Lord oft-forgiving! …" Sura Saba, Verse 15

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…

  1. A Muslim must show obedience to Allah (S.W.T.) and His eternal message. We have to try to adopt Taqwa, which actually means to remain God-conscious at all times. The best way to do this is to seek guidance from prophets.

  2. In one of his sermons to the people, Prophet Saleh (a.s.) told them, 'O people!

Do not indulge yourselves in food and drinks; you have a higher goal in life, remind yourselves of the hereafter. O people! Why aren't you combating evil and refraining from sins …?' How can we adopt this important message?

Think and Answer

  1. How would you describe the people of SABA?

  2. What was their prophet's message to them?

  3. Why do you think they choose not to listen to the wise counsel of the prophet of their time?

  4. What lessons can we derive from the events that unfolded with the QAWME SABA? Explain your answer in detail.

ANECDOTE THE FIRE AND THE FIREWOOD

There is a story told of a tyrant king who used to take firewood from the poor by force and sell it to the rich at a great profit.

A Holy man went up to him and said: "You are a snake that bites everyone it sees; or an owl, digging up and ruining the very place you live in. Your injustices may pass unpunished among us, but they cannot escape God, the Knower of the secrets. Be not unjust to the people of this earth so that their complaints are not raised up to Heaven."

The tyrant got angry at these words and threw him out of his court. Days passed by and the king continued in his unfair practices. Then one day, the palace of the king caught fire and was reduced to ashes.

At that time, the Holy man, happened to pass by and heard the tyrant moan, "Why did this tragedy befall me?"

The Holy man replied, "This is the result of the sighs of grief from the hearts of the poor." He then said, "Guard against the smoke of an afflicted heart, for it will undoubtedly start a fire one day. Give nobody's heart pain as long as you can avoid it, for a single sigh may set the whole world into flames!"