الحَمْدُ للهِ ربِّ العالمينَ لهُ النِّعمةُ وله الفضلُ ولهُ الثَّناءُ الحسن صلواتُ اللهِ البَرِّ الرحيمِ والملائِكةِ المُقرَّبينَ على سيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أشرفِ المرسلينَ وحبيبِ ربِّ العالمينَ وعلى جميعِ إخوانِهِ منَ النَّبييّنَ والمُرسلينَ وءالِ كُلٍّ والصَّالحينَ وسلامُ اللهِ عليهِمْ أجمعينَ.

أمّا بعدُ، فقد وَرَدَ في الحديثِ عن النبيِّ عَلَيهِ الصلاةُ والسلام: “من أتى مسجدًا وكان هَمُهُ أن يَتَعَلَمَ أو يُعَلِمَ خيرًا كَانَ لَهُ أجرُ حَجٍ وَعُمرَةٍ تَامين”.

هذا الأمرُ يُعطيهِ اللهُ لمن قصد موضعًا نيتُهُ أن يتعلم الخير أو يُعَلِمَ الخير، والعلمُ، علم الدينِ واسعٌ جدًا إنما أهم الأمورِ تعلمًا وتعليمًا هو الاعتناء بعقيدةِ أهلُ السُنَّةِ والجماعةِ وهو عند الله مهمًا جدًا، لذلك قال العلماءُ يجب على الإنسانِ أن يتعلم الواجبات من علم الدِّينِ ويجب عليه أن يعلمها لغيره.

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds, to Him belongs the Everlastingness and the befitting attributes. May Allah raise the rank and increase the honor of our great Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam and protect his Muslim nation from that which he fears for it.

Thereafter, it was reported in the hadith of the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam that he said:

“من أتى مسجدًا وكان هَمُهُ أن يَتَعَلَمَ أو يُعَلِمَ خيرًا كَانَ لَهُ أجرُ حَجٍ وَعُمرَةٍ تَامين”

It means: “The one who comes to a mosque and his concern is to learn or teach the goodness of the Religion, would earn a reward similar to the reward of performing a complete Hajj (Pilgrimage) and ^Umrah.”

This reward is given to the one who goes to a place with the intention to teach or learn the goodness of the Religion. The Knowledge of the Religion is very vast and the most important matter, whether to learn or teach, is to take good care of the Creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama^ah. This Knowledge is very important to Allah and that is why the scholars said it is obligatory on the person to learn the obligatory matters of the Religion and to teach them to others.

ورد في الحديث المعروف بحديث جبريل أن الرسول كان مع أصحابه فدخل عليهم واحدٌ شَدِيدُ بَياضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيدُ سَوادِ الشَّعَرِ ولا يظهر عليه هيئة المسافر. من جملة ما سأل  جبريل النبي قال: “فأخْبِرني عَن الإيمَانِ”. قَالَ: “أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ باللهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ واليَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بالقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ” رواه مسلم.

It was mentioned in the hadith, which is known as the hadith of Jibril, that while the Prophet was with his Companions, a man  came and joined their session.  His clothes were so white and his hair was extremely black and did not have the appearance of a traveling person.

In fact that was Jibril, who came in the shape of a man to teach the Companions the matters of the Religion. Among the things which Jibril asked the Prophet was: “Tell me about ‘Iman (Belief).”

The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said:

“أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ باللهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ واليَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بالقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ”

It means: “To believe in Allah, His Angels, His Revealed Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in destiny (qadar)–both good and evil.” Narrated by Muslim.

أَمَّا قوله عليه الصلاة والسلامُ: “أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ باللهِ”:  معنى كلمة الإيمان لُغَةً التصديقُ، وشرعًا تصديقٌ مخصوص، وهو التصديقُ بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ النبيُّ صلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَسَلَم. إذًا الإيمانُ التصديقُ أن تُؤمِنَ باللهِ يعني أن تُصَدِق بوجودِ اللهِ أنَهُ مُوجودٌ قبلَ الموجوداتِ، موجودٌ لا يُشبِهُ الموجودات.

As for his saying: “To believe in Allah”, literally the meaning of the word “’Iman (Belief)” is to believe, and religiously it means a specific belief which is to believe in all what the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam came with.

So ‘Iman means to believe in Allah, it means to believe in the Existence of Allah, to believe that He existed before the creations and that He does not resemble the creations.

فانظر كيف بدأ النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام بالإجابة لما سأله جبريل عن أهم أمور الإيمان، كيف رتب الجواب عن مسائل الإيمان المهمة. قال أولاً: “أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ باللهِ”، لأن هذا هو أساس وأصل الإيمان وهو الإيمان بالله، الإيمان بأنَهُ مُوجودٌ وأنه لا يجري عليه زمان، موجودٌ بلا مكان لا يحتاج إلى المكان كسائر المخلوقات. واللهُ تعالى ليس جسمًا وليس له أعضاء، هو واحدٌ لا إله سواه لا شريك له وليس له أجزاء أو فروع. والإيمان بالله أيضًا يتضمن أنه موجودٌ بلا بداية فلم يكن أبدًا هناك زمان لم يكن الله به موجودًا ثم وجد. والله تعالى لا يلحقه فناء بل هو خالق الأشياء كلها بقدرته وعلمه وإرادته، لا يحتاجُ إلى أحَدٍ من خلقه ولا يشبه شيئًا من خلقه، متصفٌ بالسمع والبصر يرى المبصرات بلا حدقه أو ضوء أو ءالة أُخرى، ويسمع المسموعات من غير أُذُنٍ أو ءالَةٍ أُخرى.  

In the response to Angel Jibril’s question about the most important aspects of belief, notice how Prophet Muhammad replied, in order of priority, about the most important matters of the belief. He said the belief is (first) to believe in Allah, because this is the basis of the belief. To believe in Allah includes believing that Allah exists and that His Existence is without time and without place; unlike the existence of the created things, He does not need a place. Allah is not a body and does not have body parts. He is One and there is no God except Allah. He does not have a partner, parts or branches.

The belief in Allah includes believing that He is eternal; there was never a time when Allah did not exist and then He came into existence. He is everlasting; there will never be a time when He will cease to exist. Rather, Allah is the Creator of everything. He created everything by His Power, Knowledge, and Will. He does not need any of His creations, nor does He resemble any of His creations. Allah is attributed with Sight and Hearing; He sees and hears all seeable things without a pupil or light or any other instrument; He hears all hearable things without an ear or any other instrument.

الإيمان الصحيح يتضمن الإيمان بكل هذه الأمور، فمن ءامن بالله يؤمن بأن الله هو خالق كل شئ، هو المالك الحقيقي للأشياء كلها وأنه يستحق العباده والطاعة. فمن ءامن بأن الله يستحق العبادة والطاعه فعليه أن يعرف كيف يعبده وكيف يطيعه. فالله تفضلاً منه ورحمة أرسل رسلاً ليبلغوا الناس ويدعوهم لعبادته ويعلموهم كيف يعبدونه وكيف يطيعونه، فمن ءامن بالله يؤمن برسله وبالوحي المنزل على الأنبياء.

The proper belief in Allah includes believing in all these matters. The one who believes in Allah believes that Allah is the Creator of everything and the True Owner of everything, and that He deserves to be worshipped, and that He deserves to be obeyed. The one who believes that Allah deserves to be worshipped and to be obeyed needs to know how to worship Him and how to obey Him. Allah, by His great Generosity and Mercy, sent prophets to call people to worship Him and to believe in Him and to teach them how to worship Him and how to obey Him. The one who believes in Allah, believes in His Messengers and the Revelation revealed to the Prophets.

الاعتقَادُ الصَحيحُ هو أساسُ الأعمالِ هُوَ رَأسُمَالِ المُسْلِمِ، بدونِ الإيمانِ لا تُقبَلُ أعمالُ الإنسان؛ المؤمن لو عَمِلَ ذَرَةً مِنْ عَمَلٍ تُقبَلُ عِندَ اللهِ تعالى.

The True Belief is the basis of the deeds and it is the foundation for the Muslim. Without the belief, the deeds of the person are not accepted. If the believer does as much as a speck of a good deed, it will be accepted by Allah the Exalted.

أَمَّا قوله عليه الصلاة والسلامُ: “وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ”: معناهُ الاعتقادُ بِأَنَّ الملائِكَةَ عِبَادُ اللهِ خَلَقَهُم اللهُ مِن نور من النورُ الصافي، الجِنُّ خُلِقوا من نار والبَشَرُ خُلِقوا من تُرَاب. الملائِكَةُ اللهُ جَعَلَ مَسكَنُهُمْ السموات، هَذِهِ السَموات الضخمةُ التي الأرضُ بالنِسبَةِ إِلَيها كلا شئ اللهُ جَعَلَهَا مسكنًا للملائكَةِ. حتى أَنَّ النبيَّ عَليهِ الصلاَةُ والسلام وَصَفَ السماءَ أطتِ السماءُ، الأطيطُ إذا الشئ حُمِّلَ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّا يَحتَمِلْ. معناها أنََّّّّّ السماءَ امتلأت وَحُقَّ لها أن تمتلأ. ثُمَّ قَالَ عليهِ الصلاةُ والسلام: “ما في السماء مَوضِعُ أربع أصابع إلا وفيها مَلَكٌ قائِمٌ أو ساجِدٌ أو راكِع”.

ثُمَّ هؤلاء الملائكة الكرام واجبٌ على المسلمِ أَن يَعتقِدَ أنهم لا يعصون الله، قال اللهُ تعالى:

﴿لاَّ يَعصُونَ اللهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُم وَيَفعَلُونَ مَا يُؤمَروُنَ﴾
معناهُ أنهم في الطاعة منذ خلقهم الله تعالى.

The saying of the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam: “In His Angels” means to believe in the Angels that they are slaves of Allah, whom Allah created from pure light; the jinn were created from fire and the humans were created from soil. Allah ta^ala made the skies the dwelling places of the angels; these huge skies to which the earth is compared as nothing, Allah made them the dwelling places of the angels. The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam described the sky with producing the squeaking noise of carrying a heavy load reflecting that it is full of angels . Thereafter, the Prophet said:

“ما في السماء مَوضِعُ أربع أصابع إلا وفيها مَلَكٌ قائِمٌ أو ساجِدٌ أو راكِع”

It means: “There is no distance (space) greater than four fingers in the sky where there is not an angel standing or bowing (making ruku^), or prostrating (making sujud).”

It is also an obligation on the Muslim to believe that the angels never disobey Allah, Allah ta^ala said:

﴿لاَّ يَعصُونَ اللهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُم وَيَفعَلُونَ مَا يُؤمَروُنَ﴾

Verse 6 of Surat at-Tahrim means: “They do not disobey Allah in what He orders them (to do), and they do exactly what they were ordered.”

It means that they are engaged in obedience ever since Allah ta^ala created them.

أما من حيث الصورةِ فهم ذوي أجنحة، قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالى: ﴿الْحَمْدُ للهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ الْمَلآئِكَةِ رُسُلاً أُولِي~ أَجْنِحَةٍ مَّثْنَى وَثُلاَثَ وَرُبَاعَ يَزِيدُ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَآءُ إِنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلٍّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾ فاطر / ۱.

ثم من شأن الملائكة أنهم إن تصوروا بصور بني ءادم يظهرون بصور الرجال من غير ءالة الذكورة لا يتشكلون بصور الإناث، والملائكة ليسوا إناثًا ومن قال عنهم إنهم إناث فقد كفر. العرب القدماء كانوا يقولون الملائكة إِناث، كانوا يقولونَ لنا الذَكَرُ وَلَهُ الأُنثى لا يجوزُ تصويرُ الملائِكَةُ بِشَكلِ الإِناث كما يُصَّوِرُ البَعضُ فوق صورةِ سيدنا عيسى عليهِ السلام،  قال الله تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤمِنُونَ بِالأَخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ المَلآئِكَةَ تَسمِيَةَ الأُنثَى﴾ النجم / 27.

The Angels, in form, have wings. Allah said in surah Fatir 1,

﴿الْحَمْدُ للهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ الْمَلآئِكَةِ رُسُلاً أُولِي~ أَجْنِحَةٍ مَّثْنَى وَثُلاَثَ وَرُبَاعَ يَزِيدُ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَآءُ إِنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلٍّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾ فاطر / ۱.

The Ayah means: Praise be to Allah, Who created the skies and the earth, Who made the angels, messengers with wings, – two, or three, or four pairs: He adds to Creation as He wills: for Allah has power over all things.

Moreover, if the angels take the shape of a human, they would appear in the shape of men, however, without the genital organ. Angels do not take the form of females; the one who believes that the angels are females commits blasphemy. The ancient Arabs used to say: The angels are females. They used to say: We got the males and God got the females. It is not permissible to make images of females and say that they are the angels as some people do when they put such images above what they say that it is the image of our Master ^Isa (Jesus). Allah said in Surat an-Najm, Verse 27:

﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤمِنُونَ بِالأَخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ المَلآئِكَةَ تَسمِيَةَ الأُنثَى﴾

It means: “Those who do not believe in the hereafter are those who name the angels with feminine names, (i.e., believe that they are female.)”

المَلَكُ قَدْ يَتَشَكَلُ بِصُورَةٍ غير صُورَتِهِ الحَقيقيَة، يَتَشَكَلُ بِصورةٍ حَسَنَةٍ كما جبريلُ كانَ يتشكلُ للنبيِّ عَليهِ الصلاةُ والسلامُ كما في الحديثِ الذي نَحنُ بِصَدَدِ شَرْحِهِ “شَدِيدُ بَياضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيدُ سَوادِ الشَّعَرِ” هذا يَجوزُ أن يَحصُلُ للملائِكَةِ.

وَكما جاءَ جِبريلُ عَلَيهِ السَّلاَمُ لِمَريَمَ لَمَّا جَلَبَ لها روح عيسى عليهِ السَّلاَمُ، قَالَ اللهُ تعالى: ﴿ فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا﴾ مريم / ۱٧. وَهُوَ لَيسَ بَشَرًا فقالت لَهُ مريم: ﴿قَالَتْ إِنِّي~ أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَن مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا﴾ مريم / 18. ثُمَّ أَخبَرَهَا: ﴿إِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلامًا زَكِيًّا﴾ مريم / 19. 

مِنْ هُنَا قَالَ الفُقَهَاءُ أَنَّهُ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَتَشَكَلَ المَلَكُ بِصورةِ الرِجَال مِنْ دُونِ ءَالَةِ الذُكُوريَةِ.

The angel might take a form other than his original form as when Jibril used to change his form when he used to come to the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam and as in the hadith which we are explaining right now; It was mentioned in the hadith that Jibril came with an extreme white dress and extreme black hair; this is permissible to happen to the angels.

Also it was mentioned about Jibril, when he brought the soul of ^Isa to Maryam, in Allah’s saying in Verse 17 of Surat Maryam:

﴿ فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا﴾

This means that Jibril came to Maryam in the shape of a human and he is not human. Maryam said to him what Allah mentioned in Verse 18 of Surat Maryam:

﴿قَالَتْ إِنِّي~ أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَن مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا﴾

Which means: “I seek refuge with Allah from you, if you are a pious one, and then do not harm me.” Jibril said to her: “Allah sent me to give you the news about having a son who is pious, pure, and free of sins.”

That is why the scholars said that it is permissible that the angel would take the shape of men; however, without the genital organ.

أَمَّا هُو جِبريلُ فقد رَءاهُ النَبيُِ على هَيئَتِهِ الأصلية، مرةً كان الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم في مكة بمكان يقال له “أجياد” فقال له جبريل: أطلب من ربك أن تراني في صورتي الأصلية، فطلب فظهر له من المشرق فسدَّ ما بين المشرق والمغرب فَصُعِقَ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم (أي غُشي عليه) ثم أخذه جبريل وقد تحوَّل إلى الصورة البشرية فضمّه إليه، ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “يا جبريل ما ظننت أن الله تعالى خلق أحدًا على مثل هذه الصورة” فقال جبريل:  “إنَّ اللهَ خلقني على ستمائة جناح وما نشرتُ منها إلا جناحين وإن الله خلق إسرافيل على ستمائة جناح، الجناح الواحد منها مثل كل أجنحتي”.

قالَ لَهُ جِبريلُ: أدعوا اللهَ أن تَراني مَرَةً ثَانِيَةً. وَلَمَّا عُرِّجَ بِهِ عَليهِ الصَّلاةُ والسَّلامُ رَءَاهُ مَرَةً ثَانِيَةً، قَالَ اللهُ تَعالى: ﴿وَلَقَد رَءَاهُ نَزلَةً أُخرَى عِندَ سِدرَةِ المُنتَهَى عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ المَأوَى﴾ النجم 13- 15.

وورد في الحديث الصحيح “إن جبريل عليه السلام خُلق على ستمائة جناح يتناثر منها تهاويل الدر والياقوت”. التهاويل هو شئ يهول المنظر أي يبهر الأنظار كالدّر والياقوت، يسقط من أجنحته شئ يبهر الأنظار.

Once the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was in Makkah in an area called “Ajyad” when Jibril said to him: “Ask your Lord to enable you to see me in my original form.”  He did, then Jibril appeared from the east, he blocked what is between the east and west and as a result the Messenger of Allah fainted. Jibril embraced him and his shape had changed to that of a human. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said: “I did not think that Allah has created a creation in this image.” Jibril then said: “Allah has created me with 6oo wings and I spread open only two wings of them, and Allah created Israfil with 6oo wings each one of them is as big as all of my wings.”

Jibril said to the Prophet: Make a Supplication to your Lord to enable you to see me again. Allah said in Surat an-Najm verses 13-15:

﴿وَلَقَد رَءَاهُ نَزلَةً أُخرَى عِندَ سِدرَةِ المُنتَهَى عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ المَأوَى﴾

It means that Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam saw Jibril another time at Sidrat al-Muntaha, where Paradise is.

It was narrated in the sahih hadith that Jibril was created with 600 wings with pearls and rubies sparkle from them that dazzle the sight.

ثُمَّ الملائِكَةُ الكِرَامُ اللهُ تعالى جَعَلَ لَهُم وَظائِفَ خَصَّصَ لَهُم وظائف  هم طائِعونَ لِلهِ مِنهُم مَن في السماءِ يَتَصَرَّفُ بِمَا أَمَرَهُ اللهُ. مِنهُم في الجَنَّةِ يَقولونَ لأَهلِ الجَنَّةِ كَمَا قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالى: ﴿وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ﴾ الزُمَر / 73. وَمِنهُمْ في النَّارِ وعلى رأسِهِم مَلَكٌ يُسَمَى مَالَكٌ والذينَ مَعَهُ يَسَّمَونَ الزَبانية يتلذذون بِطَاعَةِ اللهِ لا يتعذبونَ هُم يُعَذِّبُونَ الكُفَارَ كَمَا أُمِرُوا.

Allah ta^ala has given the angels specific assignments and they are obedient to Allah. Some of them are in the sky carrying out what Allah has ordered them to do. Some of them are in Paradise, they would say to the people of Paradise as Allah said in surah Az-Zumar, Verse 73:

: ﴿وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءُوهَا وَفُتِحَتْ أَبْوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ طِبْتُمْ فَادْخُلُوهَا خَالِدِينَ﴾

It means: “And those who feared their Lord will be led to Paradise in crowds: until behold, they arrive there; its gates will be opened; and its keepers among the Angels will say: “Peace be upon you! Well have you done and have you earned! Enter you here to Paradise, to dwell everlastingly therein.”.”

Some of them are in Hellfire headed by an Angel called Malik; the angels who are with him are named the Zabaniyah; they enjoy obeying Allah; they do not get any torture; rather they torture the blasphemers as they were ordered to.

وَهُنَاكَ مَلاَئِكَةٌ وَظيفَتُهُمْ في أَشياءَ لأجلِ بَني ءِادَمَ كإنبَاتِ الزَرْعِ وإِيصَالِ الأَرواحِ إِلى الأَجِنَّةِ، اللهُ تَعَالى يُرْسِلُ مَلَكٌ في ساعَةٍ مُحَدَدَةٍ في وَقتٍ مُحَدَدٍ. مَلَكُ الرَّحِمِ في الوَقتِ الذي شَاءَ اللهُ لِلمَرأَةِ أَن تَحمِلَ يُلقي الرُّوحَ في الجنين وكذلِك هذا المَلَكُ يُصَّوِرُ الجنينَ ذَكَرًا أو أنثى والصِّفَةُ التي شَاءَهَا اللهُ، يَنْفُخُ الرُوحَ بعد مائةَ وعشرين يومًا كما وَرَدَ في الحَديثِ.هؤلاءِ الملائِكَةِ المُسَمَّوْنَ في القُرءَانِ المُدَبِرَات قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْرًا﴾ سورة النازعات / 5.  يُدَبِرونَ أُمورَ بَني ءَادَمَ مِنْ غَيرِ أَنْ يَشْعُرَ.

There are angels who are assigned to do things for the Children of Adam (the humans) like growing the plants, and putting the soul in the fetus. Allah ta^ala sends the angel in a specified time. The angel of ar-Rahim (womb), after the time when Allah willed for the woman to get pregnant, puts the soul in the fetus. This angel will blow the soul in the fetus after one hundred twenty days. Also that angel will give the fetus the form of either a male or a female, and the characteristic in which Allah willed for it to be. Moreover, there are the angels, whom were named “al-Mudabbirat” in the Qur’an, they manage the matters of the Children of Adam without them feeling that.     

ثُمَّ هُنَّاكَ الحَفَظَة، هم ملائكة وَكَلهُم َ اللهُ ليحفظوا الإنسان، لولا هؤلاء لتقاذفت الجِنُّ بني ءَادَمَ كما تَتقَاذَفُ النَّاسُ الكُرَةَ، قال اللهُ تعالى: ﴿وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ، كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ﴾ الإنفطار / 10 – 11. 

There are also the “Hafadhah”, they are angels whom Allah ta^ala has assigned to protect the human being; without them, the jinn would haven thrown the children of Adam around as people normally throw the ball. Allah said in surah al-Infitar, 10 & 11: 

﴿وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ، كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ﴾

The verse means: But verily over you are appointed angels to protect you, kind and honorable, writing down your deeds.

ثُمَّ هُنَّاكَ مَلاَئِكَةٌ وَظيفَتُهُمْ سُؤالُ النَّاسِ في القُبُورِ مُنكَرٍ وَنَكير مَنظَرُهُم مُخيف أسوَد وأزرق يأتون الأموات يَخرِقَانِ القَبْرَ بأنيابِهِمْ إِنْ كَانَ مُؤمِنًا مع شِدةِ مَنظَرِهِمْ اللهُ يُثَبِتُ قَلبَهُ. لا يجوز الاستهزاءُ بهم؛ الاستهزاءُ بِهِمْ وَبِغَيرِهِم من الملائكةِ كُفرٌ والعياذُ بِاللهِ.

ومن الملائكة من يكتب حسنات وسيئات العباد، فالملك رقيب مأمور بكتابة الحسنات والملك عتيدٌ مأمور بكتابة السيئات، وهؤلاء الملائكة ليسوا على الأكتاف كما شاع بين الناس.

Also there are the angels, whose task is to question people in the graves, Munkar and Nakir, they have a scary image, dark navy in color, they come to the dead person in his grave and question him; they crack open the graves with their canines. Allah would make the heart of the believer firm despite of their strikingly frightening image.

It is not permissible to mock them and to mock the other angels, for this is blasphemy; we seek refuge with Allah from that.

There are also angels who record the good deeds and the bad deeds of the slaves. Raqib is the one who records the good deeds, and ^Atid is the angel who records the bad deeds. They are not on one’s shoulders as some people say.

كذلك هناك ملائكة الله خصصهم لحمل السلام إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، هؤلاء يوصلون السلام بالإسم مهما كَثُرَ المُسلِمونَ هذا لَيسَ بِعزيزٍ على الله، إِيصالُ سلامهم إِلى النبيِّ صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم هذا فيه تَحريضٌ للإكثارِ من السلامِ على رسولِ الله.

There are also angels who are in charge of delivering the salam (salutations) to the Messenger of Allah in his grave of the one not present at the grave of the Prophet who says salams to him. No matter how many Muslims say salam to him, it is not a difficult matter for Allah to make the salam delivered to the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. This is an encouragement to say lots of salam to the Messenger of Allah.

وهناك سبعون ألفَ مَلَكٍ ينزلون كل يومٍ على حجرة النبي عليه الصلاة والسلامُ.

ثُمَّ الملائكة منهم من يعينون العباد كما جاء في الحديث الَّذي أَخرَجَهُ الحافظ ابن حجر في الأمالي عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “إن لله ملائكة سوى الحفظة سيّاحين في الفلاة يكتبون ما يسقط من ورق الشجر فإذا أصاب أحدكم عرجة في فلاة فلينادِ يا عباد الله أعينوا” قد يتشكلون للعبدِ ويعينوه على ما هو فيهِ.

الله تعالى يُسْمِعُ هؤلاء الملائكة الذين وكّلوا بأن يكتبوا ما يسقط من ورق الشجر في البرية نداء هذا الشخص لو كان على مسافة بعيدة منهم ، فهذا الحديث فيه دِلالة واضحة على جواز الاستغاثة بغير الله لأن فيه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم علمنا أن نقول إذا أصاب أحدنا مشكلة في فلاة من الأرض أي برية  “يا عباد الله أعينوا” فإن هذا ينفعه بإذن الله تعالى.

There are also 70,000 angels who descend every day to the chamber of the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. There are also the angels who help the slaves as in the hadith which was related by Hafidh Ibn Hajar in “al-Amali” from the route of Ibn ^Abbas that the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

“إن لله ملائكة سوى الحفظة سيّاحين في الفلاة يكتبون ما يسقط من ورق الشجر فإذا أصاب أحدكم عرجة في فلاة فلينادِ يا عباد الله أعينوا”

It means: “Allah has angels, other than the Hafadhah (angels who record one’s deeds) who roam (on Earth) writing what falls of tree leaves. If any of you fell in a calamity in a desert let him call: O slaves of Allah help.”

Allah ta^ala makes these angels, who are assigned to write what falls of tree leaves, hear the call of the person even he was in a far distance away from them. This hadith is a clear evidence that it is permissible for one to ask help by other than Allah, because this hadith states that the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam taught us to say: “O slaves of Allah help.”  For this would help the person by the Will of Allah. 

وهناك ملائكة موكّلون بزيارة المؤمنين الصالحين لينفحوهم بنفحات خير؛ كان رجلّ من أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يسمّى “العرباض بن سارية” كبر سنه بعد وفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فصار يشعر بضعف وانحطاط في جسمه فكان يتمنى الموت فيقول: “اللهم إنه كبر سني ورقَّ عظمي فاقبضني إليك غير مفتون”. فبينا هو ذات يوم في مسجد دمشق رأى شابًا جميل الشكل يلبس ثوبًا أخضر على ثوب أخضر فقال له: لا تقل هكذا، قال له: ماذا أقول؟ قال: قل “اللَّهُمَّ حسِّن العمل وبلِِّغ الأجل” فقال: جزاك الله خيرًا، يا ابن أخي من أنت (هو ظنه من البشر) فقال: أنا “رتائيل” الذي يسُلُّ الحزن من صدور المؤمنين.

فهذا الملك الذي ظهر للعرباض بن سارية صاحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بهذا الشكل البشري من ملائكة الرحمة الذين هم مأمورون بأن يدوروا في الأرض لزيارة المؤمنين الصالحين ليفرجوا كربًا أو يعلموا فائدة دينية أو ينشطوهم على طاعة الله. هذا من جملتهم ويقال لهم ملائكة الرحمة.

There are angels who are assigned to visit the righteous believers to give them beneficences of goodness. There was a companion of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, his name was al-^Irbad Ibn Saryah, he got older after the death of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. He started to feel weakness in his body and wished to die, he said one day: “O Allah I got older and my bones became fragile (weaker), so take my soul and make me die clear of the temptations.”

One day while he was in the mosque of Damascus, he saw a young man who had a green dress on, which he wore on top of another green dress that young man said to him: “Do not say that”. He said to him: “What shall I say?” He said: “Say: O Allah guide me to the good deeds until I die.” He said to him: “May Allah reward you; who are you, O the son of my brother <he thought that he was a human>.” He said: “I am Rata’il, the angel in charge of relieving sadness of the believers.”

So that angel who appeared to al-^Irbad Ibn Saryah in that human shape is among the angels of mercy, who roam the earth to visit the righteous believers to relieve their stress, or to teach them a beneficial knowledge; or to energize them to obey Allah. That angel was one of them, and they are called the Angels of Mercy.

كما أَنَّهُ يَجبُ تَحذيرُ النَّاسِ أَنَّهُ لا يَجوزُ الاستهزاءُ بِمَلَكِ المَوتِ عَزرائيل بعضهم يَسِبُونَهُ وبعضهم  يقولونَ: “جاءَ ليَقْبِضَ روح فلان فضَيَّعَ العُنوان” وهذا كُفرٌ والعياذُ بالله، قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالى: ﴿لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلاَ يَسْتَئْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً وَلاَ يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ﴾ سورة يونس / 49.

مَنْ سَبَّ واحدٌ من الملائكةِ أو استخف به فليس بمؤمن عند الله.

Also, we must warn people against mocking the Angel of Death ^Azra’il, for some would cuss him, and others say: He came to take the soul of so and so; however, he lost his address. This is blasphemy and we seek refuge with Allah from that. Allah ta^ala mentioned in Verse 40 of Surat Yunus that every nation has an appointed time of death, and every self would die at the exact moment that Allah willed for it to die, not an hour late, and not an hour earlier.

The one who cusses one single angel or mocks him is not a believer.

كذلك واجِبٌ التحذيرُ وَتَعليمُ النَّاسِ أنَّهُم لا يَعصونَ اللهَ، فالشيطان قد يأتي لإنسانٍ وَيَقولُ لَهُ أنا مِنَ المِلائكَةِ من السماء السادسة مثلاً، فإن عَمِلَ الشيطان عملاً حرامًا واعتقد الشخصُ أن هذا الشيطان هو مَلَكًا فقد كفر.

الإنسانُ عَليهِ أن يتعلمَ صفاتُ الملائكَةِ إن لم يعرف ذلك يهلك، الشيخُ عبد الله قالَ في بِلاَدِ الحَبَشَةِ شَخصٌ يَجْمَعُ الناس عنده يقول: أنا تأتي لعندي الملائكة. صاروا يسمعون صوتًا من بعيد، يسألُ ثُمَّ  يُجابُ من بعيد. ذَهَبَ شَخصٌ مِن أَهلِ العِلمِ قَالَ: أنا أُريدُ أَن أُكَلِمَهُ. قَالَ: مَنْ أنت؟ قَالَ بَيتٌ من الشعر عن الملائكة. سأله عن صفات الملائكة ثُمَّ قال له: ما اسمُكَ، قال: فلانٌ ابن فلان. قال له: كذبت يا عَدوَ الله. فانقطع وَلَم يَظهر ثانيةً. نعم فالملائكة ليس لهم أبٌ ولا أُمٌّ.

Also it is an obligation to warn people and to teach them that the angels do not disobey Allah, because the devil might come to a person and say: I am an angel from the sixth heaven (for example), and then the devil would do something unlawful and that person would believe that this devil is an angel and he would blaspheme for that.

The person must learn the attributes of the angels. If he does not learn that, he would fall in perdition. Shaykh ^Abdullah said that there was in Abyssinia (al-Habashhah) a man who used to gather people at his place and he used to tell them: The angels come to me and visit me. The people started to hear a voice coming from far away that would ask a question and would be answered from a distance. A man from the people of Knowledge went to him and said to him: I want to talk to that one. He said to the one whose voice was heard by people: Who are you? He answered him with a verse of poetry about the angels, he then asked him about the attributes of the angels and then he asked him: What is your name? To that he answered: So and so the son of so and so. The knowledgeable man said to him: You are a liar, o enemy of Allah. He then quit doing that and did not appear again. That knowledgeable man said that to him because the angels do not have a father or a mother. 

ثُمَّ الملائكة تحب الهبوط إِلى مجالس العلم، اللهُ تعالى يأمرهم بالهبوط إِلى مجالس العلم يحفونها بالرحمة ويستغفرون للجالسين لذلك الشخص الذي يذهب مرات كثيرة يشعر بتغيير. قال اللهُ تعالى ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكُمْ وَمَلآئِكَتُهُ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَكَانَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَحِيمًا﴾ سورة الأحزاب / 43.

ففي حضور مجالس العلم بَرَكَةً لاَ يُعرَفُ قَدرُها إِلا يَومَ القِيامَةِ فلا تُفَوِتوا هذا الخيرَ إِخوةَ الإيمان فقد قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: “لا يَشبَعُ مُؤمِنٌ مِنْ خَيرٍ يَسْمَعُه حتى يكون منتهاهُ الجَنَّةَ”، النَّاس اليوم حال أكثرهم أنَّهُم لاَ يَشبَعونَ مِنَ الدُنيا.

الإِنسانُ مِنا يَعيشُ فترةً من الزَمَنِ لا يَعرِفُ قد تَكونُ قصيرةً أو طويلَةً عندما تنتهي تَظْهَرُ لَهُ الملائكة عندما يحتضر، إِمَّا يقولوا لَهُ: أبشِر برحمةِ الله، فلا يكون له أسعَدُ شئٌ على قَلبِهِ مِنهُ؛ وإِمَّا أن يَقولوا لَهُ: أبشِر بِسَخَطِ اللهِ، فَلا يَكونُ شيئًا أَتعَسُ عَلى نَفسِهِ مِنهُ. فلينصَرِفْ الوَاحِدُ منا لتعليم الخير.

Moreover, the angels love to descend to the circles of Knowledge, Allah ta^ala orders them to descend to the circles of Knowledge, they would bring mercy to these circles and ask Allah to forgive those who are attending them; that is why the person who goes many times to the circles of Knowledge feels some change in his status.

Attending the circles of Knowledge is a blessing; one does not know its value until the Day of Judgment. So do not miss this opportunity; the Messenger of Allah sallallahu  alayhi wa sallam said:

“لا يَشبَعُ مُؤمِنٌ مِنْ خَيرٍ يَسْمَعُه حتى يكون منتهاهُ الجَنَّةَ”

This hadith means that the believer is keen on listening to good things until he enters Paradise.

The one of us would live a period of time in this world and does not know if it will be short or long. When one dies the angels would appear to him either they would say to him: Take the good news that Allah will have mercy on you, and nothing would be more beloved to him than hearing that, or they would say to him that he will be in a bad status and that he will be inflicted with torture from Allah, and this would be the worst thing to him; so let the person work on teaching the good to people.

ومن جملة الأشياء التي يجب معرفتها في حَقِ الملائكةِ الكرامِ أيضًا أَنَّهُ وَرَدَ في الحديثِ عَنهُ عليهِ الصلاةُ والسلامُ أَنهُم لا يَحضُرونَ بيتًا فيهِ صورة أو تمثال أو كلب. والمقصود بالصورة هنا ما كان على شكل ذي روحٍ مجسمًا ليس الَّذي على الورق إنمَّا إِن كان مجسمًا نافرًا بصورةٍ كامِلَةٍ هذا وجوده في البيت يمنع دخول الملائكة.

أمَّا إذا لم يكن على هيئةِ صورَةٍ كامِلَةٍ فهذا لا دخل لهُ في الحديثِ كأن كان رأسًا أو جسمًا بدون راس هذا لا يدخُلُ في الحَديثِ.

ويستثنى لعبة البنات الصغار التي هي خاصةً للبنات وهذا ورد في الحديث، وكذلك يستثنى من قوله عليه الصلاة والسلام في وصف الكلب، الكلب ما كان للحراسة والصيد، أمَّا ما كان لغير الصيد والحراسة هذا حرامٌ اقتناؤه وإدخاله البيت.

Among the things which one must know about the angels is that which the Prophet mentioned in the hadith that the angels do not enter a house which has a picture, or a statue, or a dog. What we mean here by the picture is what depicts the shape of a body which is embossed; we do not mean here what is pictured flat on a surface. So having these three things would prevent the angels from entering the house.

As for the shape of the body, which is embossed, if it is not complete–like if it was only a head, or a body without a head– then this is not included in the hadith.

It was mentioned in the hadith that the young girls’ toys are excluded; also the dog which is used as a guard dog or a hunting dog is excluded from this hadith. It is prohibited to acquire or to let in one’s house the dog for other than guarding and hunting purposes.

يبقى هناك معرفة أَنَّ هُناكَ فَرقٌ بَينَ الملائِكَةِ والجِنِّ لأَنَّ الجِنَّ يُتَوقَعُ مِنهُم أَنْ يُطيعوا وأَن يَعصوا أمَّا الملائكة لا يعصون، قال تعالى: ﴿لاَّ يَعصُونَ اللهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُم وَيَفعَلُونَ مَا يُؤمَروُنَ﴾ سورة التحريم / 6. لذلك لا يجوز الاعتقادُ أَنَّ إِبليسَ هُوَ زَعيمُ الملائِكَةِ فإبليسُ مِنَ الجِنِّ.

قال تعالى: ﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ﴾ سورة الكهف / 50.

هُوَ كَانً في الجَنَّةِ يَعْبُدُ اللهَ مع الملائِكَةِ لكن لا يُقالُ ما يَقولُهُ البَعضُ أَنَّهُ كانَ طاووس الملائكة أو زعيمُ الملائكةِ. إِبليسُ هو أبو الجِنِّ، الجِنُ من ذُريَتِهِ أصلُهُم مِنَ لهيب النار الصافي فيهُم المؤمن والكافر، فيهُم التَقيُ والصالِحُ والفاسِقُ والعَالِمُ والجَاهِلُ والذَكَرُ والأنثى. أما الملائِكَةُ صِنفٌ وَاحِدٌ كلهم مؤمنين، كلهم أولياء الله ليسوا ذكورًا ولا إِناثًا.

اللهُ اخبرنا في القرءانِ بوجودِ الجِنِّ لا يَجوزُ إنكَارُ وجودهم هناك سورة في القرءانِ اسمها سورة الجِن فيها عن نَفَرٍ مِنَ الجِنِ استمعوا إِلى القرءانِ من النبيِّ صلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَسَلَّمَ. قال اللهُ تعالى: ﴿قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُو~اْ إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْءانًا عَجَبًا﴾ سورة الجن / 1.

One should also know that there is a difference between the angels and the jinn, because it is expected from the jinn to obey and to disobey, however, the angels never disobey Allah. Allah ta^ala said:

﴿لاَّ يَعصُونَ اللهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُم وَيَفعَلُونَ مَا يُؤمَروُنَ﴾

Verse 6 of Surat at-Tahrim means: “They do not disobey Allah in what He orders them (to do), and they do exactly what they were ordered.”

That is why it is not permissible to believe that Iblis (the devil) is the leader of the angels, Allah said in the Qur’an:

﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ﴾

Verse 50 of Surat al-Kahf means that Allah ordered the angels to prostrate to Adam (not out of worship) and they did except Iblis, who was a jinn, and he objected to Allah and his order.

Iblis was in Paradise worshipping Allah with the angels; however, it is not permissible to say as some say that he was the peacock of the angels or the leader of the angels. Iblis is the father of the jinn, the jinn are from his off-spring; they were created from the pure flames of fire (which does not produce any smoke); among them there is the believer and the blasphemer; the pious; the righteous and the sinner; the knowledgeable and ignorant; the male and the female. As for the angels, they are of one type, all of them are believers, all of them are awliya’ (upright righteous Muslims), they never disobey Allah, they are neither males nor females.

Allah told us in the Qur’an about the existence of the jinn; it is not permissible to deny their existence. There is a Surah in the Qur’an its name is “al-Jinn”. Verse 1 of this Surah states:

﴿قُلْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ أَنَّهُ اسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ فَقَالُو~اْ إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْءانًا عَجَبًا﴾

It means that a group of the jinn listened to the Qur’an being recited by the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.     

قال عليه الصلاة والسلام: “وَكُتُبِهِ”: معناهُ أنَّهُ يَجِبُ الإيمانُ بالكُتِبِ السماويةِ التي كانت تنزل على الأنبياء والرسل من حيثُ العدد هي مائة وأربعة، واجِبٌ على الإنسانِ أن يُؤمِنَ بالكتب السماوية. 

المشهورُ مِنهَا هَذِهِ الأربَعَةُ: التوراة أُنزِلَت على موسى بِالعِبرية والزَبور أُنزِلَ على دَاوُدَ بالعِبرية وأُنزِلَ الإنجيلُ على عيسى بالسُريانيَةِ وأُنزِلَ القُرءَانُ على مُحَمَّدٍ صلى اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالعَربِيَةِ. وهناكَ أيضًا صُحُفًا أُنزِلَت على إبراهيم وموسى وشيث.

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said:

“His Revealed Books”:  It means to believe in the Divine Books, which were revealed to the prophets and messengers. There are 104 Divine Books, It is obligatory on the person to believe in the Divine Books.

The most famous Divine Books are four:

1-   The original Tawrah that was revealed to our Master Musa, peace be upon him, in Hebrew.

2-   The Zabur that was revealed to our Master Dawud, peace be upon him, in Hebrew.

3-   The original Injil that was revealed to our Master ^Isa, peace be upon him, in Syriac.

4-   The Qur’an that was revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Arabic.

There are also journals, which were revealed to Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Shith (Seth).

هذه الكتب نُؤمِنُ بإنَّهَا كُلَهَا نَزَلَت على الرُسُلِ، فيها عقيدة واحدة وهي الإيمانُ بوجود اللهِ وأنَّهُ لا يُشبِهُ شيئًا مِنَ المَخلوقَاتِ، كُلها واحدة في العقيدةِ إِنما الذي يختلف هو الشرائع.

We believe that these Books were revealed to the messengers, all of them have one creed, which is to believe in the Existence of Allah and that He does not resemble any of the creations. All of these Books are one and the same in the creed; however, what differs is the laws of application  (shara’i^). 

ثُمَ هَذِهِ الكتب كلها كلامُ اللهِ والمعنى أنَّ ما فيها ليس من تأليفِ مَلَكٍ أو بَشَر ولا جبريل بل هُوَ كَلاَمُ اللهِ تعالى أنزلَهُ على رُسُلِهِ وأنبيائِهِ. كَلاَمُ اللهِ تَعَالى لَيسَ كَكَلاَمِ البَشَرِ لاَ يُقَالُ يَتَكَلَمُ بِالعَرَبِيَةِ أَوالعِبريَةِ أو السريانية، إِنَمَّا أُنزِلَت هَذِهِ الكُتُبُ بهذه اللغات كي يفهمها النَّاسُ. أُنزِلَت هَذِهِ الكُتُبُ كَي يُعرَفُ ما أُحِلَّ وما حُرِّمَ. كَلاَمُ اللهِ لَيسَ بِحَرفٍ ولا صوتٍ ولا لُغَةٍ ولا إطبَاق شفتين ولا هواء من الصدر، كذلك يقالُ القُرءانُ كَلاَمُ اللهِ ويقالُ كلام الله بلا حرف ولا صوت فإن قيل: كَيفَ الجَمْعُ؟ يقال لهم: هذا كلام بِحَرفٍ يَدُلُ عَلَى كلام الله الذاتي الذي لَيسَ بِحَرفٍ وَلاَ صوتٍ، العِبَارَةُ غَيرُ المُعَبَرِ عَنْهُ، كَلاَمُ اللهِ بِلا ابتداء بلا انقطاع بلا انتهاء لا يُشبِهُ كَلاَمَ المَخلوقَاتِ.

All of these Books are the Speech (Kalam) of Allah, it means that what is in it is not authored by an angel or a human, or by Jibril; however, it is the Speech of Allah ta^ala which He revealed to His messengers and prophets. The Speech of Allah ta^ala is not like the speech of the humans, it is not permissible to say that Allah speaks Arabic, Hebrew, or Syriac. Rather, these Books were revealed in these languages so that people would understand them, and would know the lawful (halal) and the unlawful (haram). The Speech of Allah is not letters, or a language, or something which is uttered by closing the lips, or through air from the lungs.

Also, it is said that the ‘Qur’an’ is the Speech of Allah and at the same time it is said that the Speech of Allah is not a letter or a sound. If someone said: How can we combine between these two?

We would say to him: The Arabic letters in the Qur’an are expressions referring to the eternal Speech of Allah, which is not a letter or a sound. The expression is not the self of what it is referring to. The Speech of Allah is without a beginning, without interruption, without an end; it does not resemble the speech of the creatures.

وَتَقريبُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الإنسانَ لَو كتب على الحَائطِ لَفظَ الجلالة “الله” ثُمَّ لو سُئِلَ ما هذا يقول: “الله” لا يعني بذلك أن هذا اللفظ هو الذات المقدس الذي نَعْبُدُهُ إنما هذا اللفظ هو عبارة عن الذت المقدس يدل على الذات المقدس الذي نَعْبُدُهُ. وكذلك اللفظ المنزلُ على سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم عبارة عن الكلام الذاتي الذي ليس حرفًا ولا صوتًا، وكلٌّ يطلق عليه كلام الله، وكلٌّ يطلق عليه القرءان.

أَيضًا كلمةُ النَّارِ لو كتبها الإنسان لا تحترق الورقة؛ لما نقرأ القرءان باللغة العربية هذا يُعَبِرُ عن كلام الله الذاتي الأزلي.

To make this clearer, if someone wrote the word ‘Allah’ on the wall and was asked what it was he wrote, he would answer, ‘Allah’. His response does not mean those letters he wrote, i.e., the A, L, L, A, and H are the Self whom we worship (Allah). Rather he means that this term is an expression referring to the Self Whom we worship –Who is Allah, the Self Who does not resemble anything. Likewise, the terms revealed to Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam are expressions of the Speech of Allah, the attribute of His Self. Both the attribute of the Self of Allah and the revealed expressions are referred to as the ‘Speech of Allah’ and both are referred to as the ‘Qur’an’. 

Also, if someone writes the word ‘fire’ on paper it does not burn the paper, when we read the Qur’an in Arabic, we read the expression about the eternal Speech of Allah.

ثُمَّ سيدنا موسى عليه السلام يسمى “كَليمُ اللهِ” مَعناهُ سَمِعَ كَلامَ اللهِ الذي ليسَ حرفًا ولا صوتًا. قال اللهُ تعالى: ﴿وَكَلَّمَ اللهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا﴾ سورة النساء / 164. أي أسمَعَهُ اللهُ كلامَهُ الأزليَّ الأبديَّ الذي لا يشبه كلام المخلوقين.

Moreover, our Master Musa, peace be upon him, is named the “kalim of Allah”, it means that he heard the Speech of Allah, which is not a letter or a sound, and does not resemble the speech of the creatures,  Allah ta^ala said in Verse 164 of Surat an-Nisa’:

﴿وَكَلَّمَ اللهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا﴾

فلا يجوزُ ان يعتقد إنسانٌ أن كلام الله الذاتي الذي هو صفة ذاته الذي سمعَه سيدنا موسى أنه لغة عربية أو غيرها من اللغات، هذا ضلال لأن فيه تشبيهًا لله بالمخلوقين. والله مباينٌ أي غير مشابهٍ للمخلوقات لا في الذات ولا في الصفات ولا في الأفعال.   

So it is not permissible for one to believe that the Speech of Allah, which is the attribute of His Self, the Speech which Prophet Musa peace be upon him heard, is a language –Arabic or otherwise. Such a belief is a misguidance, because it entails likening Allah to the creatures. Allah is absolutely unlike all the creations in His Self, in His Attributes, and in His Actions.

وَمِن أوضَحِ الأدلة أَنَّ كَلاَمَ اللهِ لَيسَ حَرفًا ولا صوتًا قَولُهُ تعالى ﴿ثُمَّ رُدُّو~اْ إِلَى اللهِ مَوْلاَهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلاَ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ﴾ سورة الأنعام / 62.

اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَنتَهي مِن حِسَابِ العِبَادِ فِي لَحظَةٍ مِنْ مَوقِفِ من مواقِفِ القيامةِ، ويومُ القيامَةِ كُلُهُ خَمسونَ أَلفَ سَنَةٍ. حِسَابُ النَّاسِ أي توقيفُهُم على أعمالهم.

فلو كان حسابُ اللهِ لِخَلقِهِ مِنْ إِنسٍ وَجِنٍّ بِالحَرفِ والصوتِ ما كَانَ  ينتهي من حِسَابِهِم في مائةِ أَلفِ سَنَةٍ لأَنَّ الخَلقَ كَثيرٌ ويأجوجُ ومأجوجُ  وحدهم يوم القيامة البشر كلهم بالنسبةِ لهم كَوَاحِدٍ مِن مَائةٍ، وفي روايةٍ كَوَاحِدٍ من ألفٍ، وَبَعضُ الجِنِ يَعيشونَ ءالافًا من السنين، فلو كَانَ حِسَابُ الخًلقِ بالحَرفِ والصوتِ لكانَ إبليسُ وَحْدَهُ يأخُذُ حسابه وقتًا كثيرًا لأَنَّ إِبليسَ عَاشَ نحو مائة ألف سنة أو أكثر أو أقلَ ولا يموتُ إلا يوم النفخة، وحسابُ العباد ليس على القول فقط بل على القَولِ والفِعلِ والاعتِقَادِ وكذلك الإنسُ منهم من عاش ألفي سَنَةٍ ومنهُم من عاشَ ألفًا وزيادة، ومنهم من عاش مئات من السنين فلو كان حِسَابُهُم بالحَرفِ والصوتِ لاستغرقَ حسابُهُم زَمَانًا طويلاً جدًا ولم يكن اللهُ أسرَعُ الحَاسِبينَ بَل لكان أبطأ الحاسبينَ، والله تعالى يقول: ﴿وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ﴾، ثُمَّ الحُروفُ تَتَعاقَبُ مهمَا كَانَت سريعةً لأخَذَ شَيئًا مِنَ الوَقتِ. أمَّا الله تعالى فكلامُهُ أزليٌّ أبَديٌّ لَيسَ حَرفًا ولا صوتًا ولا يُبتدأُ ولا يُختَتَمُ ولا يَزيدُ ولا يَنقُصُ، فمعنى قَولِنا القُرءانُ كَلاَمُ اللهِ لَيسَ بمعنى أن اللهَ نَطَقَ بِهِ كما نَحنُ نقرؤهً، إِنما معناهُ أنَّهُ يَدُلُ على كلامِ الله الذي لَيسَ حرفًا ولا صوتًا، على هذا المَعنى نَقولُ القرءانُ كَلاَمُ اللهِ.

Among the clearest proofs that the Speech of Allah is not a letter or a sound is the saying of Allah ta^ala in Verse 62 of Surat

al-An^am:

﴿ثُمَّ رُدُّواْ إِلَى اللهِ مَوْلاَهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلاَ لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ﴾

Allah ta^ala finishes from questioning the slaves in one instance of the posts (mawaqif) of the Day of Judgment. The Day of Judgment is 50,000 years long. The Questioning (Hisab) of the slaves is presenting them with their deeds; they will be brought to account for their deeds.

So had the questioning of the creatures –the humans and jinn been with letter and sound, Allah would not finish from questioning them in one hundred thousand years. This is because the creatures are numerous; the ratio of Ya’juj and Ma’juj (Gog and Magog) compared to the common humans will be hundred to one (100:1) on the Day of Judgment; and in another narration one thousand to one (1000:1). Some of the jinn would live thousands of years, so had the Questioning been with letter and sound, then the Questioning of Iblis alone would take a long time. This is because Iblis has lived about one-hundred- thousand years, maybe more or maybe less; he will not die until the day when Israfil sounds the Horn (as-Sur). The Questioning of the salves will not be only for their sayings; rather it will be for the sayings, acts, and beliefs (convictions).

Also, some of the humans have lived two-thousand years, some of them have lived one-thousand years or more; and some of them have lived hundreds of years. So had their Questioning been with letter and sound, it would take very long time to finish it; this would entail that Allah will not be the fastest One in questioning; He would be the slowest one. This is impossible of course; Allah told us in the Qur’an that He is the fastest One in questioning. Allah ta^ala said:

﴿وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ﴾

Also, the letters are successive; no matter how fast one says them they would take time to utter. However, the Speech of Allah is eternal and everlasting, it is neither a letter nor a sound which has a beginning and an end; it does not increase or decrease. The meaning of our saying that the Qur’an is the Speech of Allah is not that Allah uttered it as we read it; rather it is an expression about the Speech of Allah which is not a letter or a sound; this is the interpretation of our saying that the Qur’an is the Speech of Allah.

واللهُ تعالى أسمَعَ جِبريلَ عليه السلام قبل أن يَنزِلَ بالقرءانِ على سَيدنا مُحمَّد كلامًا غير كلامه الأزلي الذي ليس حَرفًا وَلاَ صَوتًا، أسمعَهُ كلامًا مخلوقًا بصوتٍ وحروفٍ متقطعةٍ على ترتيبِ اللفظِ المُنزَلِ وَفَهِمَ مِنهُ هذا اللفظَ المُنزَل، اللهُ تعالى خَلَقَ صوتًا بَحروفِ القُرءانِ فأسمَعَ جِبريلَ ذَلِكَ الصوت وجبريلُ تَلقاهُ وَنَزَلَ بِهِ على سيدنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، وكذلك وَجَدَ جبريلُ هذا الصوت الذي سَمِعَهُ مكتوبًا في اللوحِ المحفوظِ.

فَيُفهَمُ مِن هذا أنَّ جبريلَ لَم يَسمَعِ القُرءانَ مِنْ كَلاَمِ اللهِ الأزلي الذي ليس حرفًا ولا صوتًا.

Before Jibril brought down the Qur’an to our Master Muhammad, Allah ta^ala made Jibril, peace be upon him, hear a speech which is not His eternal Speech the one which is not a letter or a sound. Allah made Jibril hear a created speech with a sound and interrupted letters according to the Revealed terms and Jibril understood the Revealed terms from that. Allah ta^ala created a sound encompassing the letters of the Qur’an, so He made Jibril hear this sound; he received it and brought it down to our Master Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam; also Jibril found this sound which he heard written in the Preserved Tablet ( al-Lawh al-Mahfudh).

So it is understood from this that Jibril did not hear the Qur’an through the eternal Speech of Allah, which is not a letter or a sound.  

وَلَيسَ معنى ذَلِكَ أَنَّ جِبريلَ لا يَسمَعُ كَلاَمَ اللهِ، بَل جِبريلُ من الملائِكَةِ الَّذينَ يَسمعونَ كَلاَمَ اللهِ ويفهمونَ مِنهُ الأوامر، فَسَمِعَ جِبريلُ كَلاَمَ اللهِ وَفَهِمَ مِنهُ أنَّ اللهَ يأمُرُهُ بأن يَقرأَ ذَلِكَ الصَوتَ الذي سَمِعَهُ مُرتَّبًا بِحُروفِ القرءان على سيدنا محمد، فأنزله على سَيِّدنَا مُحَمَّدٌ مُفَرًقًا على حَسَبِ ما أمَرَهُ الله.

This does not mean that Jibril does not hear the Speech of Allah, rather Jibril is one of the angels, who hear the Speech of Allah and understand from it the orders. Jibril heard the Speech of Allah and understood from it that Allah orders him to recite that sound, which was in the order of the letters of the Qur’an, to our Master Muhammad. So he brought it down to our Master Muhammad according to the order of Allah.

أمَّا الدليلُ على أن العبادَ يَسمَعون كلاَم الله يومِ القِيامَةِ فَمأخوذٌ من حَديثِ رَسولِ الله صلى اللهُ عَليهِ وسلم: “ما منكم من أحَدٍ إلا سَيُكَلِمُه رَبُّه يومَ القيامة ليس بينه وبينه تَرجمانٌ ولا حَاجِبٌ يَحْجُبُهُ” رواه البخاري.

The proof that the slaves will hear the Speech of Allah on the Day of Judgment is taken from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam:

“ما منكم من أحَدٍ إلا سَيُكَلِمُه رَبُّه يومَ القيامة ليس بينه وبينه تَرجمانٌ ولا حَاجِبٌ يَحْجُبُهُ”

It means: “All of you will hear the Speech of Allah on the Day of Judgment, there will not be an interpreter to interpret it for you, or a barrier that will veil it from you.” (Narrated by al-Bukhariyy).

ثُمَّ الذي نُؤمِنُ بِهِ هِيَ الكُتُبُ السماوية الأصلية ليس المُحَرَّفَة، اليوم يوجَدُ مع اليهودِ كتابًا يسمونه “التوراة” ومع النصارى كتابًا يسمونه “الإنجيل” هذه لا نُؤمِنُ بِهَا. نُؤمِنُ بِما أُنزِلَ على موسى وعيسى. التوراةُ الأصليُ فيهِ: لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله موسى رسولُ الله، فيهِ أن اللهَ لاَ يُشبِهُ شيئًا.

What we believe in, is the original Divine Books not the perverted ones. Today the Jews have a book which they call

“Torah”, and the Christians have a book which they call “the Bible”. We do not believe in these books, rather we believe in what was revealed to Musa and ^Isa. The original Tawrah contains:

“There is no God except Allah, Musa is the Messenger of Allah”, it has the belief that Allah does not resemble anything.

اليوم التوارةُ الأصليَةُ لا تُوجَدْ، المُحَرَّفُ الموجود مع اليهود اليوم فيهِ أن عُزيرٌ ابنُ الله وأنَّ موسى ءاخر رسول، كذبوا وافتروا على نَبيِّ اللهِ مُوسى عَلَيهِ السلامُ، اليهود بعد موسى عَلَيهِ السلامُ حَرَّفُوا في اللفظِ صاروا يُحَرِّفُونَ ثُمَّ حَرَفوا بأيديهم، وهذا لا تَخلو صَفحَةٌ مِنهُ مِنَ الكُفرِ، كَتَبوا فيهِ والعياذُ باللهِ تعالى أنَّهُ نَزَل على موسى أنَّ عُزيرٌ جُزءٌ مِنَ اللهِ، عُزيرٌ هُوَ صَالِحٌ لَمْ يَرِد إِنْ كَانَ نَبِيًا أو وَليًا. حَصًل في زَمَنِ بني إِسرائيل خَرابٌ في بيتِ المَقدِسِ  فلم رأى ذلك عزير قال: ” أَنى يُحيِ هذَِهِ بَعْدَ مَوتِهَا؟ “، لَم يَشُكُ في قُدرَةِ اللهِ إنَما قَالَ في نَفسِهِ “كم سيستغرِقُ بناؤها؟”. أماتَهُ اللهُ مائةَ عَامٍ ثُمَ أحياهُ، كَانَ مَعَهُ زادٌ وحَمارُهُ؛ زَادهُ بقي كما هُوَ أما الحمار فَصَارَ عِظَامًا. ثُم أَحيا اللهُ له حماره أمام عينيه فقال: “أعلَمُ أنَّ اللهَ على كل شئ قدير”. خلال تلك المائة عام بنو إسرائيل لم يكن بينهم من هو حافِظٌ للتوراة فَقَامَ يَتلو التوراة، فقالوا: هذا كان عند أبيهِ الله فعبدوه وكفروا بالله.

The original Tawrah is not available nowadays, what the Jews have nowadays is the perverted Tawrah, it contains the belief that ^Uzayr is the son of Allah and that Musa is the last messenger, they have lied and fabricated and said what the Prophet of Allah Musa did not say.

The Jews perverted the speech, which was revealed to Musa, they perverted it while uttering and then they perverted it with their own hands. Not a single page of the book which they have nowadays with them is free of blasphemy. They wrote in it that it was revealed to Musa that ^Uzayr is a part of Allah; we seek refuge with Allah from that.

In fact, ^Uzayr is a righteous man, it was not mentioned whether he was a prophet or a waliyy (upright Muslim). During the era of the Children of Israel (Isra’il) it happened that Bayt al-Maqdis (the Holy House) was ruined, when ^Uzayr saw that he said to himself: “How could this be re-built”, he did not have doubt in the Power of Allah at all. Allah willed for him to die for one hundred years and at the time he died he had with him his food and his donkey. His food remained as it was when Allah brought him back to life, however, his donkey had transformed to bones. Then Allah brought his donkey back to life in front of his eyes, he then said: “I know that Allah has the power over everything”. The Children of Israel did not have anyone among them during that one hundred years who was memorizing the Tawrah, and when ^Uzayr was brought back to life he started recited the Torah from memory, so they said: He was with his father –Allah–, so they worshipped him and blasphemed.    

ثُمَّ هذا التوراة الذي كتبوهُ جعلوا فيه الفواحش، حَرَّفُو فيه، جعلوا فيهِ تَشبيهَ لِلَّهِ، قالوا إِنَّ يعقوب صعد إِلى السماء فوجَدَ مخلوقًا ضخمًا وَصارَعَهُ فَغَلَبَهُ يعقوب فقال له: ما اسمك، قال: يعقوب، قال: اسمك اسرائيل أنت تأسر العالم، أنا رَبُكَ؛ وهذا كُفرٌ فيه تشبيهٌ.

يقولون أنَّ موسى مَرَّ بقومٍ من بني إِسرائيل فلم يكلموهُ فقال لهم: “أنتم حمير”، قالوا: فأوحى اللهُ لَهُ: “كَيفَ تَقولُ حَميرٌ لمن خلقتهم على صورتي؟” هذا في تشبيهٌ وَكُفرٌ.

The Jews put many obscenities in the Torah which they wrote, they perverted it and said in it that Ya^qub (Jacob) ascended to the sky and found there a huge creature, he wrestled with him and defeated him. They mentioned in it that the creature said to him: “What is your name?” He said: “Ya^qub.” He said to him: “Your name is Isra’il, the world would be under your control, and I am your Lord” This is clear blasphemy because it contains likening Allah to His creations.

They also mentioned in it that Musa passed by some people from the Children of Israel and they did not talk to him, so he said to them: You are donkeys. They said that Allah revealed to him: “How would you say donkeys to whom I created resembling my image?” This is also blasphemy because it contains likening Allah to His creations.

وفيهِ من الفظائِعِ والبَشائِعِ الشئَ الكثير. يقولون أن شعيب عَلِمَ بأمرٍ مُعَينٍ ثُمَ دَعَا بناته الأربع فجامعهم ثُمَ ضَرَبَ على ظهورهم وقال: حتى يبقى النسب الشريف لبني اسرائيل؛ والعياذُ باللهِ تعالى الأنبياء لا يفعلون هذا.

This book has many horrible and ugly things, they say in it that Shu^ayb knew about a certain matter, he then called upon his four daughters and had sexual intercourse with them. They said that when he finished he patted on their backs saying: This was done so that the honored lin eage would stay within the Children of Israel, we seek refuge with Allah ta^ala from that; the prophets do not do such a thing.

كذلك المسمى “الإنجيل” الذي يَدَّعي النصارى أنَّهُ أُنزِلَ على عِيسى لا تخلو صفحةٌ فيهِ من الكفرِ فيهِ نِسبَةُ الزَوجَةِ للهِ والإبن وهذا كُفرٌ، ثُم فيهِ من التناقض والتعارض ما يَدُلُ على أنهُ من فعلِ البَشَر. فيهِ يقولونَ أنَ كُلُ فَردٍ من بني ءادم فيه لطخةٌ مما فعله ءادم من خطيئته كما قالوا. قالوا: أتى عيسى (يسمونه المُخَّلِص) وَصُلِبَ على خَشَبَة حتى خَلَصَ البشر من خطيئَةِ ءَادَمَ.

As for what is called nowadays “the Bible”, the Christians claim that it was revealed to ^Isa, not a single page in it is free from blasphemy. In it, they ascribe to Allah the wife and the son, and this is blasphemy. It has also lots of contradictory and opposing things, which proves that it is the work of humans.

They say in it that every individual of the sons of Adam (human) has a stain in him due to the sin which Adam did as they claim. They say that Jesus (^Isa), whom they call the savior, came and was crucified on a piece of wood in order to save the humans from the sin of Adam. 

ءَادَمُ عَليهِ السَلامُ تَابَ اللهُ عَليهِ قال تعالى ﴿فَتَلَقَّى~ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾ سورة البقرة / 37.

هُم يَقولونَ في دينهم  إذا شَخصٌ عَصى اللهَ وأتى إلى ما يسمونه “خوري” يقولُ لهُ: “اغفر لي” فيقولون إذا قال له: “غَفَرتُ لَكَ” وَيُغلِقُ النافِذةَ، يقولون: ذهبت الخطيئة. ولا يَقبَلونَ أن الله غَفَرَ لآدم. ءادمُ عليهِ السَلامُ تَابَ. أهذا جَزاءُ الأبِ إنْ أكَلَ من تِلكَ الشجرةِ أن يُقالَ عَنهُ أنَ كُلُ وَاحِدٍ مِنَ البَشَرِ يَتَحمَلُ خَطيئتهُ.

Adam, peace be upon him, repented as mentioned in Verse 37 of Surat al-Baqarah:

﴿فَتَلَقَّى~ ءَادَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾

His repentance was accepted.

The Christians say in their religion that if someone disobeyed Allah, he would go to a priest and say to him: Forgive me; they say: If he would say to him, I have forgiven you and shut the window then the sin would go. This is accepted to them, yet they do not accept that Adam has repented. So is this what the father of the humans deserves because he ate from that tree? To be said about him that every single individual suffers in this world because of what he did?

هذا التناقُضُ واضِحٌ ودليل أنه كلام بشر انهم حَرَّفوا الكلام ثُم يصورون فيه عيسى عليه السلام الإنسان المدمن على الخمرِ قالوا عنهُ انهُ كان يتردد إلى أَماكن يُعصىَ اللهَ فيها.

يقولونَ أنَّهُ اتى مع تلامذته شَرِبَ جرن خمرٍ ثُم لما شربهُ كُلُهُ قال لأُمِهِ: “اجلبي لنا الخمر أيتُها الحمقاءُ”. فقالت لَهُ: “أظهر لنا معجزةً”، قالوا: ضَرَبَ الجُرنَ  فنبع الخمر.

من يَقبَلُ هذا الكلام، هم شاربوا الخمر قالوا هذا الكلام كي يحللوهُ قالوا هذا وعيسى عليه الصلاةُ والسلامُ مُبرأٌ مِنْ كُلِ هذا.

في مواضع أُخرى يقولونَ أنهُ كان يأوي في الليلِ إِلى بيوتِ الزناةِ يأكُلُ قتات طعامهم  ويتدفأ بشعورهنَ ويشربُ من خَمرتِهِم، هذا أيُ عَقلٍ يَقبَلُهُ.

This contradiction is clear. The proof that it is made up by humans is that they perverted its words; they say in it that ^Isa peace be upon him was alcoholic; they say in it that he used to go to places were Allah is disobeyed; they say that he drank from a font of wine with his students and when he drank all of it, he said to his mother:

“O stupid, go and bring us more wine.” They say that she said to him: “Show us a miracle.” They said: He hit the font and wine sprang out.

Who would accept these words? Those alcohol drinkers said these words– and ^Isa is clear of all of that– so that they would make drinking alcohol permissible for them.

In other pages they say that he used to spend the night at the houses of the fornicators and eat the left-over of their food, warm his body with their hair, and drink from their wine; so what kind of a mind would accept that?     

الحمد اللهُ الذي حَفِظَ القُرءانَ مِن أن يُحَرَّفَ، قال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾ سورة الحِجِر / 9.

القُرءانُ كُلُهُ من كَلاَمِ اللهِ تَعالى محفوظٌ إلى يَومِ القيامَةِ, ءاياتُ القُرءانِ وأحكَامِهِ لا تَتعارض يُصَدِّقُ بَعضُهُ بَعضًا. ثُمَّ القُرءانُ اللهُ تعالى جَعَلَ فيهِ ءاياتٌ وَاضِحَةُ المَعاني وأُخرى معانٍ متشابهة. بَعضُ النَّاسِ يقرأونَ القُرءَانَ ويضلوا بتفسيرهم الفاسد والبعضُ مُوَفَقٌ للمَعنى الصَحيحِ.

Praise be to Allah, who preserved the Qur’an from being perverted, Allah said in the Qur’an:

﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾

Verse 9 of Surat al-Hijr means that Allah revealed the Qur’an and that He will preserve it.

All of the Qur’an is preserved until the Day of Judgment, the verses and the judgments of the Qur’an do not contradict one another, rather they agree with one another. Moreover, Allah ta^ala has revealed the Qur’an with verses (ayat) of clear meanings, while other verses have many meanings according to the rules of the Arabic language. Some people would read the Qur’an and get misguided by their invalid and wrong interpretation, while others are guided to the true and valid interpretation.

قال عليه الصلاةُ والسلام: “وَرُسُلِهِ”: فيجبُ الإيمان بكُلِ أنبياءِ الله عزّ وجلّ والإِيمَانُ بِالرُسُلِ هُوَ التَصديقُ بِكُلِ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ الأنبياء وَكُلُ المُرسَلين، من عَرَفْنَا منهم ومَنْ لَم نَعرِف. وقد أرسل اللهُ عزّ وجلّ أنبياءَ كثيرين، أولُهُم ءادم، وكان نَبيًا رَسولاً، وءاخرُهُم سيدُنا محمّدٌ عليه الصلاة والسلام. منهم من كان نبيًا رسولاً ومنهم من كان نبيًا غير رسول. فالنَّبِيُّ الرسول هو من أَوحى اللهُ إليهِ بِشَرعٍ جَديدٍ فيه اختلاف عن شرعِ الرسول الذي قَبْلَهُ، وأما النبيُّ غيرُ الرسول فأنه أُوحيَ إليه باتباع شرع الرسول الذي قَبْلَهُ وَكُلٌّ أُمِرَ بالتبليغِ. ومَا قالَهُ بعضُ  العلماء مِنْ  أنَّ النبيَّ غيرَ الرسول هو من أُوحيَ إليه بشرعٍ ولم يؤمر بتبليغه هو غلَطٌ شَنيعٌ  لا يُؤخَذُ بِهِ.كيفَ يُنَبَّأ ثُم لا يؤمر بالتبليغ وكيف يصح أن يُنبأ النبيُّ لنفسه فقط، فما أشنع هذه الغلطة، وهذه الغلطة موجودة في تفسير الجلالين وفي كتب عديدة.

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said:

“His messengers”:

We must believe in all the prophets and all what they came with, those whom we know and those whom we do not know.

They were numerous. The first of them was Adam peace be upon him. The last one was our Prophet, Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. Some of them were prophets and messengers and others were prophets not messengers. The prophet who is a messenger is one to whom Allah revealed new laws different from the Laws of the messenger before him. The prophet who was not a messenger also received the Revelation from Allah, in which he was ordered to follow the Laws of the messenger before him. Both the prophets and the messengers were ordered to convey their message. Some falsely defined the prophet who is not a messenger as: “The one who received the Revelation of a new set of laws, but was not ordered to convey them to others.” This is a serious error which one categorically must not adopt.  

How the prophet would receive Revelation and then not ordered to convey it? Would a prophet be a prophet just for himself?

This mistake is so ugly, it is found in “Tafsir al-Jalalayn” and many other books.

والدليل أن كل نبي كان يُبلغُ  هو قولُ اللهِ تعالى: ﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلا نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ إِذَا تَمَنَّى~ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ﴾ سورة الحج / 52.

فمعنى: ﴿أَرْسَلْنَا﴾ معناه أن الرسول والنبي كلاهما أرسلا ليُبَلغ كل منهما ما أمره الله تبليغه من قواعد الاعتقاد الصحيح باللهِ رَبِّ العَالمين وغير ذلك.

ومعنى﴿تَمَنَّى~﴾ في هذه الآيةِ دَعَا قومَهُ، ومعنَى ألقى الشّيطانُ في أمنيّته أي يَزيدُ الشيطانُ على ما قالوه ما لم يقولوه ليوهموا غَيرَهُم أن الأنبياء قالوا ذلك الكلامَ الفَاسِدَ.

قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَيَنسَخُ اللهُ مَا يُلقِي الشَّيْطَانُ﴾ سورة الحج / 52. أي يَكشِفُ اللهُ وَيُبيّنُ أَنَّهُ ليس من الأنبياء، وذلك ابتلاءٌ من اللهِ وامتحانٌ ليتَميَّزَ من يَتَّبعُ ما يَقُولُهُ الشَّيطَانُ ومن لا يتّبع فَيَهْلِكَ هذا ويَسعَدَ هذا.

The proof that every prophet used to convey what Allah has ordered him to convey is Allah’s saying:

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلا نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ إِذَا تَمَنَّى~ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ﴾

Allah’s saying:﴿أَرْسَلْنَا﴾ means that both of the messenger and the prophet were sent to convey what Allah has ordered them to convey about the rules of the correct belief in Allah the Lord of the Worlds and other than that.

The meaning of: ﴿تَمَنَّى~﴾ in this verse is that each one of the messengers and the prophets called his people to the religion.

The meaning of: ﴿ أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ﴾ is that the devil would add  to what the messengers and the prophets said that which they did not say to deceive people and make them deluded that the prophets said that invalid saying.

Allah ta^ala said:

﴿فَيَنسَخُ اللهُ مَا يُلقِي الشَّيْطَانُ﴾

It means that Allah reveals and makes it clear that the prophets did not make such statements that the devils injected to the people. Allah subjects the people to a trial so that the one who follows the devil will be distinguished from the one who does not follow. Consequently the one who follows the devil will fall in perdition and the one who does not follow him will be happy and in a good status.

يستحيلُ على الأنبياء عدم التبيلغ، كل واحد من الأنبياءِ بَلَّغَ ما أُوحيَ إليهِ، كُلُ أمور الدِّينِ بَلَّغوهَا، الَّذي يَزْعَمُ أَنَّ الأَنبياءَ أخفوا أمورًا مِن أُمورِ الدِّين ما بلغوها هذا كافر. بعض الأشياءِ ليست من القواعد الدينية النبيُّ صَلَّىَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا بَلَّغهَا للعمومِ إنما بَلَّغَها لبعضِ أَصحَابِهِ مِثلُ حُذيفَةَ بنُ اليَمَان؛ النبيُّ عَليهِ الصَّلاةُ والسلامُ أخبَرَهُ أسماء بعض المنافقين الذين كانوا في المدينة، الرسول ما كان يعلم كل المنافقين الذين كانوا في المدينة. لذلك كان يسمى حُذيفَةَ بِصاحِبِ سِرِ رسولِ للهِ صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم، كان سَيدنا عمر ابن الخطاب رضي الله عنه لا يحضر جنازة  إذا عَرِفَ أنَ حُذيفةَ لم يحضرها.

هذا الأمر ليس فيه قاعدة شرعيةً إنَمَّا هو أمرٌ خَاصٌ ذكره لحذيفة بالخصوص لحكمةٍ يعلمها الله، مثل هذا أمرٌ يحصل.  أما قواعد الدِّين، أمور الشريعة ما ينفع الإنسان في ءاخرته، ما هي الأشياء الحسنة في الدِّينِ، ما هي الأشياء التي تضر الإنسان في ءاخِرَتِهِ، ماذا ينبغي على الإنسان أن يفعل هذا لا يخفيهِ أَحَدٌ من الأنبياءِ لأَن اللهَ أرسلهم لتبليغ هذا للنَّاسِ. 

It is impossible for the prophets not to convey their message, each one of them conveyed what was revealed to him; the one who claims that the prophets have concealed matters among the matters of the Religion and did not convey them is a blasphemer.

Some matters which are not from the Religious rules, the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, did not convey them to the public, rather he conveyed them to some of his Companions like Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yaman. The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, told him about the names of some of the hypocrites in Madinah; the Prophet did not use to know all of the names of the hypocrites who were in Madinah.

That is why Hudhayfah used to be called the one entrusted with the secret of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam; our Master ^Umar may Allah raise his rank used to not attend a funeral which Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yaman did not attend.

This matter is not a Religious rule, rather it is a special matter which the prophet mentioned to Hudhayfah out of a wisdom which Allah knows, so this kind of a matter does happen and there is nothing wrong about it. However, the rules of the Religious matters which include what benefits the human in the hereafter, what are the good matters in the Religion, what are the things which harm the person in the hereafter, what is the person supposed to do, are matters which none of the prophets would conceal, because Allah sent them to convey to the people.

وَلَيسَ في قَولِ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: “كان النبيُّ يرسَلُ إلى قومِهِ ,اُرسلتُ إلى الناسِ كافَّةً” أنَّ من سِوى نبيِّنا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يجب عليهِ أن يُبلّغَ مَن هُمْ سِوى قَومِهِ إِنَّما المعنَى أن الأنبياء غَيرَ نبيّنا أُرسلوا إلى أقوامِهم أي أنَّ النَّصَّ لَهُم كَانَ أن يُبلّغوا قومَهم ليس معناه أنهم لا يُبلغونَ سوى قومِهِم لأن الأمرَ بالمعروفِ والنهيَ عن المنكرِ واجبٌ على كلِ من استطاعَ من أفرادِ المؤمنينَ وذلكَ في حقّ الأنبياء أَوكَدُ.

The saying of the Prophet sallallahu  alayhi wa sallam:

“The prophet used to be sent to his people and I was sent to all of the people.” Does not mean that it was not obligatory on the prophets, other than our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to convey to other than his people. Rather the meaning is that the prophets other than our Prophet got the message to convey to their people; it does not mean that they do not convey to other than their people. Because commanding the obligatory (ma^ruf) and forbidding the unlawful (munkar) is obligatory on every one of the believers who can do it; as for the prophets, this matter is more confirmed to them.

 

وليُعلَم أن كلَّ الأنبياءِ فُصحاءُ فليس أرتُ وهو الذي يكونُ في لسانه عقدة وحُبسَةْ ويَعْجَلُ في كَلامِهِ فلا يُطاوعِهُ لسانهُ، ولا تَأتَاءُ ولا ألثغُ، وأمّا الألثغُ فهو الذي يُصَيّرُ الراءَ غينًا أو لامًا والسّينَ ثاءً. 

Let it be known that all the prophets were eloquent; there was no one among them whose tongue stammered; i.e. the one who speaks with a twitch or speaks in a hurry so his tongue betrays him. Also, none of them stutters or lisps.

وأنَّه يستحيلُ عليهم سَبقُ اللِسان في الشَّرعياتِ والعاديّاتِ، لأنّه لو جازَ عليهم لارتفعت الثّقةُ في صحّةِ ما يقولونه، ولقالَ قائلٌ لَمَا يُبلغهُ كَلامٌ عن النبيِّ “ما يدرينا أنّه يكون قالَهُ على وجهِ سَبقِ اللِسان”،  فلا يحصُلُ من النّبي أن يَصدُرَ منه كَلاَمٌ غيرُ الذي أرادَ قوله، أو أن يَصدُرَ منه كلامٌ ما أرادَ قوله بالمرّةِ كما يحصُلُ لمن يتكلم وهو نائمٌ.

It is impossible that they would have a slip of tongue either in the Religious matters or in the matters of the daily life. Because if this would be permissible for them, then there will be no confidence in what they say; some would then say: “How do we know if what he said was just a slip of a tongue.” So the prophet would not say words other than what he wanted to say, nor would he say words which he did not intend to say at all, as what happens with the one who speaks while he is sleeping. 

والأنبياءُ هم من البشر، فلا تُوجّدُ نُبُوةٌ في غَيرِ البَشَرِ وَهُمْ ذُكورٌ، لا يوجدُ أنبياء في النساء وهؤلاء هم خِيرَةُ البَشَرِ وَهُم صَفوةُ البَشَرِ؛ اللهُ اختارَ مِنَ البَشَرِ هؤلاء ليُبَلِغوا النَّاسَ مَصالِحَ دينهم ودنياهُم.

Prophets are humans, there is no prophethood in other than the humans; they are males; there are no prophets among the females. They are the best humans; the elite of the humans; Allah ta^ala chose them from among the humans so that they will convey to people what is right for them religiously and what is right for them among the worldly matters.

واللهُ تعالى جَعَلَ للأنبياءِ صِفاتٌ تَختَصُ بِهِم مَع أنهُم من البشرِ، ومِن هَذِهِ الصِفات أنهم كلهم مسلمون من أول ما خلقهم الله كانوا مسلمين ليس فيهم مَنْ كَانَ يَعْبُدُ غَيرَ الله بَلْ هُم مِنْ أَولِ نشأتِهِم كانوا على الإيمانِ يؤمِنونَ بِأَنَ اللهَ واحِدٌ لا شَريكَ لَهُ.

سَيِّدُنا إبراهيم عليه السلام كَانَ أبوهُ يَنحَتُ الأَصنامَ وَيَعبُدُهَا، فإبراهيمُ كَسَرَهَا، كَانَ يَقولُ لأبيهِ ما ذَكَرَهُ اللهُ في القرءانِ الكَريم، قال تعالى: ﴿وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا  إِذْ قَالَ لأَبِيهِ يَآ أَبَتِ لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لا يَسْمَعُ وَلا يُبْصِرُ وَلا يُغْنِي عَنكَ شَيْئًا﴾ سورة مريم 41 – 42. مَع أَنَّهُ نشأَ في بَيتِ رَجُلٍ يَعمَلُ الأَصنَامَ قال لأبيهِ ذَلِكَ.

Allah ta^ala specified the prophets, although they are humans, with attributes which befit them, among that is that all of them are Muslims; since Allah created them they were Muslims; no one of them was worshipping other than Allah; since they were created they carried the belief that Allah is One with no partner with Him.

Our Master Ibrahim’s father used to sculpture and worship the idols, Ibrahim destroyed them, he used to say to his father as Allah mentioned in the Qur’an in Surat Maryam, Ayah 41-42 stated above which means: “O father, how would you worship what does not listen, does not see, and does not bring you any benefit, and does not protect you from any harm.” Although he was raised in a house of a man who used to make idols, he said that to his father.

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالى: ﴿مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ سورة ءال عمران / 67. هذه الآية فيها تَبرِئَةُ إبراهيم مما يُفتَرى عَلَيهِ. أَمَّا ما جاءَ في القُرءانِ الكَريمِ  عن إِبراهيم أنه لما رأى الكوكب قال ﴿هَذَا رَبِّي﴾ سورة الأنعام / 76. فلما أَفَلَ قَالَ: ﴿لآ أُحِبُّ الأَفِلِينَ﴾ سورة الأنعام / 76 . ثُمَ لما رأى القمر بازغًا قَالَ: ﴿هَذَا رَبِّي) سورة الأنعام / 77. ثم لما أفل قال كما قال أولاً، ثم لما رأى الشمس بازِغَةً قال: ﴿هَذَا رَبِّي هَذَآ أَكْبَرُ﴾ سورة الأنعام / 78. أي على زعمكم؛ ثُمَّ لَمَّا غَابَت الشمسُ  أَعلَنَ براءته مما يعبدون من دونِ الله. هذه الآياتُ ليس معناها أن إبراهيم عَبَدَ أَولاً الكوكب ثم القمر ثم الشمس، إبراهيم كان شديدي الذكاء كان يريد أن يقيم الحجة على قَومِهِ الكفار الذينَ كانوا يعبدونَ النجومَ والشمسَ وَالقَمَرَ، فماذا فعل؟ انتظر حَتَىَ طَلَعَ القمرَ فقال: ﴿هَذَا رَبِّي﴾ هذا استفهام إِنكَاري.

Allah said in the Qur’an:

﴿مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾

It means: “Ibrahim was never a Jew or a Christian, yet he was a

Muslim worshipper; he was never a blasphemer.”

This verse clears Ibrahim of what is fabricated against him. As for what was said in the Qur’an about Ibrahim that he said:

﴿هَذَا رَبِّي﴾

When Ibrahim said: “Hadha Rabbi?!” that he was referring to the sun, moon, and the star; he was not stating his agreement with his people in worshipping those things, nor these verses meant he worshipped the planet first, then he worshipped the moon and then he worshipped the sun. Rather his statement was to negate and oppose what they said. This is a form of expression in Arabic called negative interrogative, (i.e., a way of expressing one’s strong denial of a matter by posing a question which clearly shows that the matter is ridiculous or totally unacceptable.) 

مَثلاً يَقولُ لَكَ إِنسانٌ: فُلانٌ: “حَسَنُ الخُلُقِ”، تَمْكُثُ مَعَهُ فَترةً فتجده سئ الخلق فتقولُ لذاكَ: “هذا حسن الخلق؟” ماذا معناه؟ مَعنَاهُ أنَّ هذا ليس حَسَنُ الخُلُق. الصيغة صيغة سؤال لكن المقصود إٍِنكَارُ الأمرِ أنت تعرف الجواب لا تنتظر الجواب أنت تُنكِرُ عَلَيهِ؛ إِبراهيمُ قَالَ: ﴿هَذَا رَبِّي﴾ أََي هذا الذي تزعمون ربي؟ انتظَرَ القمر حتى غَابَ حَتَىَ تَغَيَرَت حَاله من الظهور إلى الخفاء وحالُ الخَفَاءِ فيه إشارةٌ أكثر للضعفِ إِختَارَ تَلكَ اللحظة فقال: ﴿لآ أُحِبُّ الأَفِلِينَ﴾ هذا يتغيرُ من حالٍ إِلى حال والمُتَغَيِّرُ يَحتاجُ إِلى مَنُ غَيَّرَهُ. فأيِسَ مِنهُم من عدم انتباههم وَفَهمهم للمراد أي أّنَّ هؤلاء الثلاثة لا يصلحون للألوهية فتبرأ مما هم عليه من الشرك، ثُمَ لم يمكث فيهم بل ذهب إِلى فلسطين فأقام هناك وتوفي فيها. وأمّأ إِبراهيم في حَدِّ ذاتِهِ كَانَ يعلمُ قبل ذلك أن الربوبيَّة لا تكون إِلا لِلَّهِ بدليل قوله تعالى: ﴿وَلَقَدْ ءاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ﴾ سورة الأنبياء / 51.

For example, somebody says to you: “So and so has good conduct.” You would then spend sometime with him and find out that he has bad conduct, you would then say to that person: “This one has good conduct?!” What does this mean? It means this one does not have good conduct. This is a form of expression in Arabic called negative interrogative, when you are saying that to him you are not waiting for an answer. Rather, you are strongly denying this matter by posing a question which clearly shows that the matter is ridiculous or totally unacceptable.

Ibrahim said: “Hadha Rabbi?!” It means: Is this what you claim to be my lord? He waited for the moon until it disappeared, i.e., until its status changed from appearance to disappearance; the status of disappearance is more indicative about weakness. So he waited for that moment and said:

﴿لآ أُحِبُّ الأَفِلِينَ﴾

He told them that this one changes from on state to another, and the one who changes from one state to another needs one who makes it change from one state to another. So he gave up on them since they were not attentive to what he was saying and did not understand what is meant that these three: the sun, the moon, and the planet do not deserve to be worshipped.

So he showed them that he does not acknowledge the shirk (associating partners with Allah) they are committing, after that he did not stay with them; he went to Palestine and resided there until he died therein. As for Ibrahim personally, he definitely used to know from before that Allah is the Only Lord as stated in Allah’s saying in Verse 51 of Surat al-Anbiya’:

﴿وَلَقَدْ ءاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رُشْدَهُ مِن قَبْلُ﴾

هو قَطٌ ولو للحظةٍ واحدةٍ في قلبه لم يعبد غير الله، قَبْلَ هَذِهِ الحادثة إِبراهيمُ عَلَيهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ على الإسلام، أنبياءُ اللهِ تَعَالى اللهُ يَعصمهُم مِنَ الكُفْرِ قَبْلَ النُبُوَةِ وَبَعْدَهَا؛ مُوسَى عَلَيهِ السَّلاَمُ نَشَأَ في بيتِ فِرعون الذي كان يقولُ “أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الأَعْلَى” مَع ذَلِكَ موسى نَشأَ على الإِيمَان، ألَيسَ تَبَنَاهُ فرعون واتخذَهُ وَلَدًا ومع ذلك موسى نشأ على الإيمان.

وَمَعلومٌ أَنَّ نَبينا محمد صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم نشأ في قَومٍ يَصنَعونَ الأصنامَ، أَمَّا هُوَ مَا سَجَدَ لِصَنَمٍ قَط.

Ibrahim peace be upon him, never worshipped other than Allah for one moment; Ibrahim was on Islam before that incident. Allah ta^ala makes the prophets impeccable of committing blasphemy before and after prophethood. Musa was raised in the house of Pharaoh, who used to say: “I am your highest lord.” Didn’t Pharaoh adopt him and take him as a son; nevertheless, he was raised with Belief (Iman).

It is also known that our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, was raised amongst people who were making idols, as for himself he never prostrated to an idol.      

وكذلِكَ من صفاتهم أنهم كلهم موصفون بالصِدقِ لَيسَ فيهِم من يَكذِبُ لأنَ الصدق مِنَ الصِفَاتِ الواجِبَةِ  للأنبياءِ. فالنبيُّ لا يأتي الكذبة التي فيها ضررٌ بِمُسلِمٍ والتي ليس فيها ضررٌ بمسلم، الكَذِبَةُ التي هي من الصغائر والكذبة التي هي من الكبائر النَبيُّ لا يأتيها لاَ قَبلَ النُبُوَةِ وَلاَ بَعْدَهَا، النَبيُّ لا يكذب مُطْلَقًا لأَنَّ الكَاذِبَ كَيفَ يُصَدِقَهُ النَّاس فيما يُبَلِغٌ إِلَيهِم، النَّاس لا يُصَدِقُونَ ذَلِكَ.

Also, among their attributes is that they are attributed with truthfulness, no one among them commits a lie, for truthfulness is among the attributes which the prophets must be attributed with. The prophet does not commit a lie whether it causes harm to a Muslim or does not cause harm to a Muslim. The prophet does not commit a lie be it among the small sins or among the enormous sins, neither before nor after prophethood. The prophet never lies, because how else would people believe a liar in what he is conveying to them; people would not believe that.

لو جازَ الكذب على النبي لارتفعت الثقة بما يَقُوله عند النَّاس كانوا يقولون: وَمَا يُدرينا أَنَّ هَذِهِ كذبةٌ مِثلُ تِلك، لذلك ربُنا عَزَّ وَجَلَّ اصطفى أنبياؤه وعصمهم عن الكذب قبل النبوة وبعدها. وأمَّا قولُ إِبراهيم عليه السلام عن زوجته سارة “إنها أختي” وهي ليست  أخته في النَّسب فكان لأنها أختُه في الدِّينِ بَغَرَضِ صيانتها من أَذى الجبار فهو ليس كذبًا من حيث الباطن والحقيقة إنما هو صِدْقٌ.

Had it been permissible that the prophet would commit a lie, then people would have never believed what he says to them; they would say: How would we know if this is a lie like the other one or not? That is why Allah the Exalted had made His prophets impeccable before and after prophethood. As for Ibrahim’s saying about Sarah: “She is my sister.” while she is not his sister from the same father and mother; he said that because she was his sister in Islam and phrased this meaning as such to protect her from the harm of the despiteful king aj-Jabbar; so this is not a lie in reality and essence, rather his saying is truthful.

وما حَصَل من إبراهيم عليه السلام لَمَّا كَسَرَ الأصنامَ الصغيرةَ وتركَ الكبير مَا كَسَرِهُ بَلْ أَهَانَهُ لَمَّا سأَلَهُ قَومَهُ إِن كَانَ هُو الذي فَعَلَ هذا بآلهتهم بأصنامهم قَالَ: ﴿ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُواْ يَنطِقُونَ﴾ سورة الأنبياء / 63.  فَهَذَا لَيسَ كَذِبًا من إِبراهيم لا يَجوزُ لأَحَدٍ أن يعتقدَ أنَّ إِبراهيمَ كَذَبَ في هَذِهِ المسئلة إنما إِبراهيم قال لهم: “إِن كانوا يَنطقونَ يَكونُ هذا الكبيرُ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ”. هذا معنى كلامه هذا حتى يُقيمُ الحُجَةَ عَلَيهِم، يعني أنتم تعرفونَ أنَ هؤلاء لا ينطقون مع أنهم أجسام وأنتم أجسام، أنتُم قَادِروُنَ على مَا هُم عاجزونَ عَنهُ فكيف تعبدونهم أنتم تنطقون وهم عاجزون عن النُطقِ فكيف تعبدونهم هذا كان مراد إبراهيم.

As to what had happened with Ibrahim, peace be upon him, when he destroyed the small idols and did not break the biggest one, rather he humiliated it when his people asked him if it was him who did that to their gods (those whom they used to worship), he said to them: 

﴿ بَلْ فَعَلَهُ كَبِيرُهُمْ هَذَا فَاسْأَلُوهُمْ إِن كَانُواْ يَنطِقُونَ﴾

Verse 63 of Surat al-Anbiya’ means that Ibrahim answered them by saying what means: “It was the biggest one of them who did it, so ask them if they could speak.”

Ibrahim did not commit a lie when he said that to them, it is not permissible for someone to believe that Ibrahim lied in this matter, because Ibrahim said to them: If they could talk, then the biggest among them did it.” This is the meaning of his words, he said that to produce the proof to discredit their blasphemous creed; he meant to say to them: You know that they do not talk, they are bodies and you are bodies, you are capable of what they are not capable of, so how come you worship them; this is what Ibrahim meant.

أقام عليهم الحجة أنَّهُ حتى الكبير الذي تعبدون عاجز كيف تعبدونهم؟ إبراهيمُ ما كذب، ما قَالَ لما جاؤوا : “إِنَّ الذي كَسَرَ الأصنامَ  ليست لي علاقة بِهِ”. مَا قَالَ ذَلِكَ إِنَمَا الذي قَالَهُ إبراهيم: “إِن كانوا يَنطِقون يَكونُ هَذَا الكبير فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ” لِيُقيمَ عليهم الحجة. فلما قَالَ لَهُم ذَلِكَ نَكَسُوُا رُءُوسِهِمْ  وقالوا: ﴿لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا هَؤُلآءِ يَنطِقُونَ﴾ سورة الأنبياء / 65. عرفوا أنه أُقيمت عليهم الحجة ومع ذلك عنادًا منهم قالوا “حَرِّقُوهُ” فَنَجاهُ الله.

He produced the proof to discredit their blasphemous creed that even the biggest one amongst them whom you worship is powerless, so how come you worship them? Ibrahim did not lie, he did not say to them when they came: “I have nothing to do with the one who broke the idols.” Rather what he said to them: If they are able to talk then the one who broke it is this one, the biggest one among them.” He said that to produce the proof to discredit their blasphemous creed. When he said that, they lowered their heads and said: “You had known that these ones do not talk.” They knew that they were discredited and refuted with the proof; nevertheless, out of stubbornness, they said: “Burn him.” However, Allah saved him.

وكذلك الأمانة كلهم موصفون بأنهم أُمناء ليس فيهم من يخون لا في القولِ ولا في الفِعلِ،  فلا يكذبون على الناسِ إن طلبوا منهم النصيحة ولا يأكلون أموال الناس بالباطل.  فالخائنُ لا يؤتمن على الرسالة، الخائن لا تأتمنه على مَبلَغٍ صغيرٍ من المالِ؛ كفار قريش كانوا يُسمونَ النبيَّ صلى اللهُ عليه وَسَلَّمَ بالأمين قبل النُبُوَةِ لأَنَّهُ لاَ يَكْذِبُ وَلاَ يَخُون.

Also, they must be attributed with trustworthiness, no one among them betrays neither in the sayings nor in the acts; they do not lie to people when they seek advice from them; they do not consume people’s money unjustly. The one who betrays is not trusted with the message let alone being trusted with a small amount of money. The blasphemers of Quraysh used to call the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam the Amin (the trustworthy) because he does not lie or betray.

والفطانة فكل الأنبياء أذكياءُ، كُلٌّ منهم ذكيٌّ، قادِرٌ على إقامة الحجة على الكفار، بل هم أذكى خلق الله قاطبة. يستحيل عليهم الغباوة وهي بلادة الذهن أي أن يكونوا ضعفاء الأفهام، لأن الغباوةَ تنافي منصبهم لأنهم لو كانوا أغبياء لنفر منهم الناس لغباوتهم والله حكيم لا يجعل النبوة والرسالة في الأغبياء، فإنهم أرسلوا ليُبَلِغوا النَّاسَ مصالح ءاخرتهم ودنياهم، والبلادة تنافي هذا المطلوب منهم.

Moreover, the prophets must be attributed with intelligence, all of them were intelligent. Every one of them is intelligent and able to produce the proofs to discredit the blasphemous creeds and the unlawful doings. The prophets are the most intelligent of all of the creations. It is impossible that they are dull with weak minds; being stupid would negate their status, and this would repel people away from them. Allah ta^ala is Wise and He does not bestow Prophethood on stupid ones. Moreover, the prophets were sent to convey to people what is good for them in this life and in the hereafter and dullness negates what is required from them.

قال الله تعالى إخبارًا عن إِبراهيم عليه السلام:

﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَآجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رِبِّهِ أَنْ ءاتَاهُ اللهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ﴾ سورة البقرة / 158.

إِبراهيمُ عَليَه السلامُ لَمَا خاطب النمرود قال: ﴿رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ﴾، ذاك النمرودُ مِن عِنَادِهِ وَمِنُ ضُعفِ فَهمِهِ كَانَ عِندَهُ رَجُلانِ في السِجنِ كَانَ يُريدُ أنْ يَقتُلهما فأطلَقَ واَحِدًا وَأَمَرَ بِقَتْلِ الآخَرِ ثُم قَالَ لإبراهيم: ﴿أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ﴾، اعتبر أنَّ هذا الذي أطلَقَهُ هُوَ أحياَهُ وَأَنَّ الآخَرَ هُوَ  أمَاتَهُ، قَالَ: ﴿أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ﴾، إِبراهيم عليه السلام لما رأى ذلك ما استمَرَ يُكَلِمُهُ في هَذا الأَمرِ بَل مِنْ شدَةِ ذَكَاءِ إِبراهيم ما استمر يقولُ لُه “اللهُ هو الذي أعطى الحياة لهذا وأنت…” حتى لا يناقشه النمرود فيطول الكلام إِنما إِبراهيم فورًا نَقَلَهُ إِلى أَمرٍ لا يَستطيعُ أَن يُعانِدَ فيهِ قَالَ لَهُ: ﴿فَإِنَّ اللهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ﴾  قال تعالى: ﴿فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ﴾ ما استطاع ان يُجيبَ بشئٍ، هذا ذكاءٌ عظيم.

Prophet Ibrahim Peace Be Upon him said as he was debating Nimrud: “My Lord is the One Who gives life and takes it away.” Out of his stubbornness and weak comprehension Nimrud had two men in prison, whom he wanted to kill; he discharged one of them and ordered that the other one be killed. He considered that he gave life to the one he discharged, and that he is the one who inflicted death on the one he ordered killed.

When Ibrahim peace be upon him saw that, he did not continue to talk with him in this matter, rather, due to his extreme intelligence, he did not continue to pursue the same analogy and say to him: “Allah is the one who gave life to this one, and you are…..” He did not want to continue to argue with Nimrud so that the talk would not be lengthy. Rather, immediately he moved to another topic which he could not argue with and be stubborn about. He said to him: “Allah raises the sun from the East, raise it from the West.” To that the disbeliever was dumbfounded; in fact this is of great intelligence.

أَيضًا في غَزوَةِ بَدرٍ لَما أسَرَ المُسلِمونَ غُلامَينِ ممن كانوا يخدمون كُفار قُريش كانوا يخدمون الجيش الذي أتى به كُفَارُ قريش وقالوا لهم: كم عدد الجيش، قالا: لا ندري، المسلون ما صدقوهما فضربوهما لِيُقِرا. فسمعهما النبيُ صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم يقولون “لا ندري” فقال: “اتركوهما”، ثُم قال لهما: “كَمْ يَذبَحونَ في اليومِ”، فقالا: “مَا بَينَ التِسعَة إِلى العَشَرَةِ مِنَ الأِبلِ”. فقال النبيُّ صَلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَسَلَمَ للصحابة فورًا: “القَومُ بَينَ التسعمائةِ والألف” ؛ وَهَذا يَدُلُ على ذكاءٍ عَظيمٍ وَهَذا دَليلٌ عَلى عِظَمِ ذَكاءِ النَبيِّ صلى اللهُ عَليهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

In the Battle of Badr, when the Muslims took as prisoners of war two young men who were serving the army of the blasphemers of Quraysh, they asked them: How many soldiers are there in the army of Quraysh? They said: We do not know. Then they beat them up to make them talk. The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, heard them saying: We do not know. He said: “Leave them.” He asked them: “How much (animals) do they slaughter per day?” They said: About nine or ten camels. Immediately, the Prophet said to the Companions: “They are about nine hundred to one thousand.” This is an indication about the great intelligence of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.       

وتجب لهم الشجاعة فيستحيل عليهم الجُبن، لا يوجد في الأنبياء جبان، وأيضًا يستحيلُ عليهم كل ما يُنَفِرُ  عن قُبولِ الدَعوَةِ منهم، الأنبياء عليهم الصلاة والسلام يجوز في حقهم الأمراض غير المنفرة فيستحيل عليهم الأمراض المنفرة، فهذا نبي الله أيوب الذي مرض ثمانية عشر عامًا، وأذهب الله له جميع ماله وجميع أولاده، إلا أنه لا يصح أن يقال صار الدود يخرج منه ويتساقط من بدنه حتى قال بعض الجهال إن نبي الله أيوب صار يلتقط الدود ويعيده إلى مكانه، ما هذه السخافات التي يرويها كثير من الناس في حق أنبياء الله تعالى ولا يرضونها لأنفسهم!

The prophets are also attributed with bravery; none of them was a coward as some ignorant people claim. It is impossible for them to be inflicted with sickness which repels people away from accepting their call; however, they could be inflicted with sicknesses which do not repel people away from them. Prophet Ayyub (Job) peace be upon him was inflicted with a sickness which lasted eighteen years, in addition to that he lost all his money and all of his children died. Yet, it is not true what some ignorant people say that worms came out of his body and fell off and that he would put them back on his body.

These absurd tales are narrated by some people about the prophets of Allah ta^ala, yet they never accept to attribute the same to themselves.

فَيجبُ الإيمانُ أيضًا أنهم كلهم كاملينَ بالخلق ليس فيهم من هو ذَميمٌ أو شكله مفزع أو ذي عاهَةٍ أو صوته مخيف. ليس صحيحًا كما يقولُهُ البَعضُ أَنَ ءادَمَ كانَ يُشبِهُ القُرود، هُوَ كَانَ صَحيحَ الشَكلِ لَم يَكُن ظَهرُهُ مُنحَنٍ، اللهُ لاَ يُرسِلُ نبيًا فيه عاهة في خلقته. قال رسولُ اللهِ صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلم: “مَا بَعَثَ اللهُ نَبيًّا إِلا حَسَنَ الوَجْهِ حَسَنَ الصَّوتِ، وإِنَّ نَبِيَّكُم أَحسَنُهُم وَجْهًا وَأَحْسَنُهُم صَوْتًا” رواه الأمام أحمد. معناهُ أنهم كلهم كانوا جميلي الخِلقَةِ والصوتِ ثُم مَدَحَ النبيُّ صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم نفسه بأنهُ احسنهم خلقًا وصوتًا. 

One has to believe that all of them are sound in the form they were created, no one of them had an ugly or a scary image, or even had a handicap, or had a scary voice. It is not true what some say that Adam used to look like the apes, Adam had a sound shape, and an upright body. Allah does not send as a prophet one who has a handicap. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said:

“مَا بَعَثَ اللهُ نَبيًّا إِلا حَسَنَ الوَجْهِ حَسَنَ الصَّوتِ، وإِنَّ نَبِيَّكُم أَحسَنُهُم وَجْهًا وَأَحْسَنُهُم صَوْتًا”

It means: “Every prophet Allah sent had a nice face and a nice voice. Your prophet has the nicest face and the nicest voice of all of them.” (Related by Imam Ahmad).

This means that all of them were nice looking with a nice voice, the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam praised himself in this hadith that he is the nicest looking and that he has the nicest voice.

وكذلك مِمَّا يَجِبُ لأنبياءِ اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى أنْ يُعتَقَدُ فيهِم أَنَّهُم منَزَّهِينَ عن أيِّ رَذيلَةٍ مِنَ الرَِذائِلِ، اللهُ عَصَمَهُم لا يقعونَ فيها، مِنْ ذَلِكَ أن لا يُلصَقَ بِهِم أنَ هُناكَ نَبيٌ مُعَلَقٌ بِالنِساءِ  أَو يَختَلِسُ أموال النَّاسِ أو يَختَلِسُ نَظرَةً مُحَرَمَةٍ فاللهُ قد عصَمَهُم من ذلك.

فما يورده بعض القصّاصين وما يورده بعض المؤلفين أن نبي الله يوسف همّ بالزنا بامرأة العزيز – عزيز مصر – فهذا تكذيب للدين لا يرضاه الله تعالى، منافٍ للإسلام والإيمان.

Moreover, one has to believe that the prophets of Allah tabaraka wa ta^ala are clear of committing any vile act, Allah made them impeccable of committing such a thing; so they do not commit anything like that. Among what one should believe in is that every one of them is clear of being attributed with being attached to women, or that he embezzles people’s money, or that he would look stealthily at a marriageable woman; Allah had made them impeccable of that.   

What is narrated by some story-tellers that Prophet Yusuf peace be upon him wanted to commit fornication with the wife of the ^Aziz, (ruler) of Egypt, is not true, besides it is a matter which belies the Religion and is not accepted by Allah ta^ala; it is a blasphemy to believe in that.

اليهود يفترونَ على الأنبياء ومن جملة افتراءاتهم يفترونَ على نبيُ اللهِ دَاوُدَ عَليهِ السلام، يقولونَ أنَّهُ كان يُصَلي فرأى عصفورًا فترك الصلاة وَلَحِقَ بِهِ فَدَخَلَ في نافِذَةٍ أرَادَ أن يأخُذَهُ فَرأى امراءةً تمشط شعرها فَأُعجِبَ بَِهَا فأرسل زوجها إلى المعركةِ كي يموت ويتزوجها. وَهَذا مَوجودٌ عِندَهُم في بَعضِ كُتُبِهِم وَكَثيرٌ مِنَ الجَهَلَةِ من المسلمينَ تلقفوا هذه القصة وصدقوها فهلكوا والعياذُ باللهِ.

The Jews fabricate things about the prophets and among that is what they had fabricated about the Prophet of Allah Dawud, peace be upon him. They say that he saw a bird while he was praying, so he interrupted his prayer and followed it. He wanted to catch it as it entered through a window, he looked through the window and saw a woman combing her hair; they say that he liked her and that he sent her husband to the battlefield to die there so that he could marry her after his death. This thing is found in some of their books and some of the ignorant ones among Muslims adopted this story and believed them and that led them to commit blasphemy; we seek refuge with Allah from that.  

المذكورُ في القُرءانِ غَير هذا، مذكورٌ أن الخصمانِ ءاتوا إِلى دَاوُد وسألاهُ أن يحكم في شأنهما وقضيتهما إلى ءاخر القصة التي نَصَّ اللهُ تعالى عليها في القرءان، قال اللهُ تعالى:

﴿وَهَل أتَاكَ نَبَؤا الخَصمِ إِذ تَسَوَّرُواْ المِحرَابَ. إِذ دَخَلُواْ عَلَى دَاوُدَ فَفَزِعَ مِنهُم قَالُواْ لا تَخَف خَصمَانِ بَغَى بَعضُنَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فَاحكُم بَينَنَا بِالحَقِّ وَلا تَشطِط واهدِنَا إلى سَوَاءِ الصِرَاطِ. إِنَّ هَذَآ أخِي لَهُ تِسعٌ وتِسعُونَ نَعجَةً وَلِيَ نَعجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ أَكفِلنِيها وَعَزَّنِي فِي الخِطَابِ. قَالَ لَقَد ظَلَمَكَ بِسؤَالِ نَعجَتِكَ إِلىَ نِعَاجِهِ﴾ سورة ص / 21 – 24.

In fact what is mentioned in the Qur’an is other than this, Verses 21-24 of Surat Sad mention that two adversaries came to Dawud (David) and asked him to be the judge between them. The Ayas stated above mean: Has the Story of the Disputants reached you? Behold, they climbed over the wall of the private Mihrab-niche; when they entered the presence of David, and he was alerted of them, they said: “Fear not: we are two disputants, one of whom has wronged the other: Judge now between us with truth, and treat us not with injustice, but guide us to the even Path.”This man is my brother: He has nine and ninety ewes, and I have (but) one: Yet he says, ‘commit her to my care,’ and is (moreover) harsh to me in speech.” (David) said: “He has undoubtedly wronged you in demanding your (single) ewe to be added to his (flock of) ewes: truly many are the partners who wrong each other: Not so do those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, and how few are they?”…and David gathered that we had tried him: he asked forgiveness of his Lord, fell down, and bowing (in prostration), and turned (to Allah in repentance).

اليهود قالوا أنَّ المراد هنا بالنعجة المرأة وأن الخصمين من الملائكة نزلا عليه ليذكروه بما فعل من أخذ المرأة من زوجها وإرساله إياه إلى المعركة كي يموت ويتزوجها ويضمها إلى نسائه التسع والتسعين، والصواب ليس كما قالوا، بل النعجة هنا نعجة حقيقية من الأنعام، وإن كانت العرب تُكني عن المرأة بالنعجة إلا أن الآية تعني شخصين إحتكما إلى داود في مسئلة تتعلق بالغنم، حيث ضم أحدهما نعجة أخيه إليه، فكان من داوُد أن حكم فوراً بقولهِ: “لَقَد ظَلَمَكَ بِسؤَالِ نَعجَتِكَ إِلىَ نِعَاجِهِ “. وأما قوله تعالى: ﴿وَظَنَّ دَاوُدُ أَنَّمَا فَتَنَّاهُ فَاستَغفَرَ رَبَّهُ وَخَرَّ رَاكِعًا وَأَنَابَ﴾ ص /24.

فإنه يدل على ان داوُد حَكَمَ من غير أن يستمع إلى الطرف الآخر، فعُوتِبَ في ذلك فكان منه الإستغفار، وهذا هو اللائق بنبي الله داوُد عليه السلام.

فاستغفاره عليه الصلاة والسلام فلأجل الذنب الصغير الذي وَقَعَ فيهِ وهو أَنَّهُ تَعَجَلَ بالحُكمِ على الخَصمِ الآخَرِ قَبلَ التَثَبُتِ في الدعوى، وكان يجبُ عليه لما سمع الدعوى من أحد الخصمين أن يسأل الآخَرعما عنده فيها ولا يقضي عليه بالحكم قبل سؤاله، وقد تَابَ داوُد عليه السلام من ذلك الذنب الذي ليس فيه خسة ودناءة وغفر اللهُ تعالى هذا الذنب بنص القرءان الكريم قال الله تعالى: ﴿فَغَفَرْنَا لَهُ ذَلِكَ وأِنَّ لَهُ عِندَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنُ مَئَابٍ﴾ سورة ص / 25.

The Jews say that what was meant by the ewe (female sheep) in those verses was a real woman, and the two adversaries were two angels who came down to earth to remind him that he took that woman from her husband to add her to his ninety-nine wives after he sent him to the battlefield to die.

The truth here is not what they said, but rather that the ewe was a real female sheep. Although the Arabs might refer to the woman as a ewe but in these verses what was meant, was a real ewe; and the two adversaries were humans as Imam as-Subkiyy said.

The real story was as follows: Two brothers once came to our Master Dawud peace be upon him and asked him to judge between them about a matter related to the sheep. One of them complained that the other brother took his only ewe to add it to his flock. When Dawud heard that, he said to the first one: “He wronged you by adding that ewe to his sheep.” Then he made Istighfar (he asked Allah for forgiveness) because he made a quick judgment between those two adversaries before listening to the other person. It was a small sin, not an enormous sin, nor was it an abject sin. What befits the prophets is that they would repent immediately from this kind of sins before others imitate them.

فَكل الأنبياء يستحيلُ عليهم ان يتصفوا بالخيانة، لا يليقُ بِنبيٍ أن يُتَهَمَ بِفاحِشَةٍ أو رذيلَة، وَمَعرِفَةُ هذا الأمرِ شَديدةُ الأهمية لأَنَ الجَهلَ بِهِ قَدْ يُوقِعُ الإِنسانَ في مَهالِكٍ يترتب على الجهل به خطرٌ عظيم، فالذي لا يعرف ماذا يجب للأنبياءِ مِنْ صِفَاتٍ ماذا يجوزُ عليهم الجاهل بهذا الأمرِ قي يَقَعُ في مهلَكَةٍ عظيمَةٍ وهو لا يدري أَنَّهُ وَاقِعٌ في مهلكة لأنه ما تعلم. مرةُ كان النبيُّ صلى اللهُ عليه وسلم كَان معتكفًا في المسجِدِ، مَرَ رَجُلانِ بِبَابِ المسجِدِ فلما وجدا رسولَ اللهِ صلى اللهُ عليه وَسَلَّمَ يُكَلِمُهَا أسرعا بالمسيرِ حتى لا يُقاطِعا رسولَ اللهِ. الرسولُ عليهِ الصلاة والسلام ناداهما فرجعا فلما رَجِعا قال لهما: “هَذِهِ صَفِيَة”، فقالا لَهُ: “سبحان اللهِ يَا رَسولَ اللهِ” يعني نَحنُ ما خَطَرَ بِبالِنا شئٌ يُنافي عَظيمَ قَدْرِكَ فَقَالَ صَلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلم: “إِنَّ الشَيطَانَ يَجري من ابنِ ءَادَمَ مَجرى الدَمِ في العُروقِ وَإِنِّي خَشيتُ أَنْ يَقذِفِ في قُلُوبِكُمَا شَيئًا فَتَهْلَكا”. يُعني: خَشيتُ أن يُوَسوِسَ لَكُما بِأمرٍ فَتَنسِبَا إِليَّ وأَنا نَبيٌّ مَا يُنافي مَنصٍبَ النُبوَّةِ فَتَهلَكا؛ هذا الحديثُ رواهُ البُخاريُ وَغيرُهُ وَهُوَ يَدُلُ على عَظيمِ خُطورَةِ أَمر من ينسب إِلى الأنبياء صفةً لا تًليقُ بِمَنصِبِ النُبُوَّةِ.

فمن نسب إِلى نَبيٍّ فَاحِشَة أو رذيلة فهو كافر ولو ادعى أَنَّهُ يُحِبُ الأنبياء. ولا يصدُرُ من الأنبياء سفاهَةٌ، السفاهة معناها ما هو ضد الحكمة مثلُ أن يَسُبَّ الشخصُ يمينًا وشمالاً هذا يقال عنه سفيه.

It is impossible for the prophets to be attributed with betraying, a prophet does not commit any vileness, such as using obscenities. Knowing this matter is very important, because being ignorant of it would make the person fall in perditions; the consequences of being ignorant of such a thing is of a grave danger. So the one who does not know what attributes the prophets must be attributed with would unknowingly fall in a grave perdition.

Once, the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was making i^tikaf (staying in the mosque for an extended period) in the mosque when his wife Safiyyah came to the mosque. Two men passed by the mosque, when they saw the Prophet talking to her they hurried in their walk so that they will not interrupt and disturb the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam called them and said: “This is Safiyyah.” They said: “Subhanallah, we never had a thought of anything which negates your great status O Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said to them what means:

“The (whispers) of the devil run within the son of Adam as the blood runs in the veins, and I was worried that he would throw something in your hearts which would bring you loss.”

It means: “I was worried that the devil would whisper something to you and that you will attribute something to me which negates the status of prophethood – and I am a prophet – and this would result in your falling in perdition.”

This hadith was related by al-Bukhariyy and other than him, and it is an indication about the grave danger of the matter of the one who attributes a characteristic which does not befit the status of prophethood.   

So the one who attributes an act of obscenity or vileness to a prophet is a blasphemer even though he claims that he loves the prophets. Moreover, the prophets do not act in a stupid manner; stupidity means the opposite of wisdom; like for example when the person cusses a lot; they call such a person as a fool and stupid.

بعض المفترين يلوثونَ ألسنتهم بكلام قبيح نسبوه لرسول الله عند سماعهم أنه عَدَّدَ الزوجات. ذاك النّبيّ العظيم الذي دخل يومًا إلى حجرة عائشة فدخل في الفراش فَمَسَّ جسده جسد عائشة رضي الله عنها فقال لها صلى الله عليه وسلم: “ذريني أتعبد ربي” ثم قام وتوضأ وصلى فقام فبكى فابتلت لحيته فركع فبكى فسجد فبكى فابتل التراب الذي بمحاذاته صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالت عائشة: لِم هذا يا رسول الله وقد غفر الله لك ما تقدم من ذنبك وما تأخر؟ فقال: “أفلا أحب أن أكون عبدًا شكورًا”. وقد روى مسلم في صحيحه عن عائشة رضي الله عنه عنها قالت: “ما كانت تمر ليلتي على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا خرج إلى البقيع – جبانة المدينة – يدعو لأهل الجبانة” مع ما اجتمع في عائشة من حداثة السن والجمال.

Some fabricators stain their tongues with ugly words which they attribute to the Messenger of Allah, when they hear that he had several wives.

They say such fabrications about that Great Prophet, who once entered the chamber of ^A’ishah and went to bed and as his body touched the body of ^A’ishah he said to her: Let me perform worship to my Lord. He got up, made ablution (wudu’) and performed Prayer (Salah). When he made qiyam (stood in prayers) he cried until his beard was soaked with tears and when he made bowing (ruku^) he cried too. He also cried when he prostrated (performed sujud) until the soil next to him was soaked with tears.   

^A’ishah said: Why are you doing that O Messenger of Allah, for Allah has forgiven any sins which you could have committed and the ones which you might commit?  He said: “Then I want to be a thankful slave.”

Imam Muslim related in his sahih from the route of ^A’ishah, may Allah raise her rank, that she said: “Whenever I used to spend my night with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, he would go out to al-Baqi^ (the cemetery of Madinah) and make supplication to those who are buried there.” He used to do that although ^A’ishah possessed both: Young age and beauty.

فبعد هذا هل لقائل أن يقول أن النبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ولوع القلب بالنساء! حاشاه، فرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تزوج بعد أن صار عمره خمسة وعشرين عامًا حيث تزوج من السيدة خديجة بنت خويلد التي كانت أكبر منه بخمس عشرة سنة وبقي صلى الله عليه وسلم على زوجة واحدة حتى ماتت بعد خمسة وعشرين سنة يعني كان قد وصل عليه السلام إلى سن الخمسين. فلو كان ولوعًا بالنساء لاختار الفتيات الأبكار وهو في سن الخمسة والعشرين ولكنه لم يُعَدِّدْ إلا بعد الخمسين ولم يتزوج بكرًا قط غير عائشة رضي الله عنها.

So after knowing this would someone dare to say that the Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was attached to women! Of course he is clear of being like that.

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam got married after he became twenty-five years old, that was when he married Lady Khadijah the daughter of Khuwaiyylid, who was fifteen years older than him; he remained married to one woman until she died twenty five years later which means that he was fifty years old at that time.

So had he been fond of woman, he would have chosen the virgin girls when he was twenty five years old, however, he did not marry several women until after he was fifty years old; the only virgin which he married was ^A’ishah may Allah raise her rank.

ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يظهر منه رذيلة واحدة ولم يطعن فيه أحد، حين أعلن دعوته لم يطعن فيه أحد بأمور النساء مع العلم أنه أجمل الناس ودعا أهل بلده إلى عبادة الله وترك ما كانوا يعبدون من الأوثان، وكان معروفًا بين أهل مكة بالصادق الأمين، وقد عدّد الزوجات صلى الله عليه وسلم لحكم منها أنه جمع شتات القبائل بالمصاهرة وأن تنتشر دعوته بطريق النساء إلى النساء، فإن أحكام الشرع الخاصة بالنساء يسهل انتشارها بينهن لبعضٍ أكثر مما لو كان بطريق الرجال إليهن كالحيض والنفاس والجماع.  

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam had never committed a single vile action; nobody had ever accused him of being attached to woman when he called people openly to Islam; although he is the most beautiful human. He called people to worship Allah and to leave out worshipping the idols, and he was known among the people of Makkah as the truthful and the trustworthy.

He married several women for several wisdoms, among which; is that he united the dispersed tribes through affinity by marriage; he also made his Call spread to other women through the women he married. This is because it is easier to spread the special matters in the Religion about women through women like the matters of: menses (hayd), postpartum bleeding (nifas), and sexual intercourse.

ثم إن نظرنا إلى دعوة النبيّ العظيم صلى الله عليه وسلم وإلى الدولة التي أقامها وأسسها حتى امتدت امتدادًا عظيمًا فبعد هذا من الذي يقول إن هذا عمل رجل مشغول بالدنيا وشهواتها وأن الذي شغله المرأة؟ من يقول أن هذا عمل رجل منشغل بالنساء وبملذات الدنيا؟ روى البيهقي والترمذي وابن ماجة عن عبد الله أنه قال:”اضطجع النبيّ صلى الله عليه وسلم على حصير فأثّر الحصير بجلده، فجعلت أمسحه عنه وأقول: بأبي أنت وأمي يا رسول الله، ألا أذنتنا فنبسط لك شيئًا يقيك منه تنام عليه، فقال: “ما لي وللدنيا، ما أنا والدنيا، إنما أنا والدنيا كراكب استظل تحت شجرة ثم راح وتركها”.

When we look at the Call of this Great Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam and at the state which he built and made it extend widely and greatly, then who would say that this is the work of a man who was pre-occupied with worldly pleasures and desires, particularly women? Who would say that this is the work of someone who is pre-occupied with women and worldly enjoyments?

Al-Bayhaqiyy, at-Tirmidhiyy, and Ibn Majah related from the route of ^Abdullah; who said: The Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam laid down on a mat, which left some traces on his skin. So I started to wipe that out off his skin and said: I sacrifice my father and mother for your sake O Messenger of Allah, would you permit us to spread something for you on the floor to sleep on to protect you from that.

He said what means: “I have no interest in the worldly matters, and  what stand do I have with this world!  indeed my example with this world is like a rider who stayed in the shade under a tree and then moved on and left it behind.”

عدّد الزوجات لا لإشباع الشهوة بل لحكم تعود إلى مصالح دعوته فخصه الله تعالى دون أمته بأن أباح له أن يجمع بين أكثر من أربع. ومما يدل على ذلك أيضًا أن شخصًا عرض عليه ابنته ليتزوج منها ووصفها بالجمال وقال إنها لم تمرض قط، فقال له الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام: لا حاجة لي فيها. الصلاة والسلام: لا حاجة لي فيها.فلو كان متعلق القلب بالنساء لم يفوت عليه هذه الفرصة.

He did not marry several women to fulfill his sexual desires, but rather for wisdoms pertaining to his Call. Allah has specified only him among his nation by making it permissible for him to marry more than four wives at the same time.

What supports that also is that once a man offered the Prophet to marry his daughter and he described her to him that she was beautiful and that she never got sick, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam said to him: I have no need for her.

Had he been attached to women, he would have not let himself miss this opportunity.

ثم هؤلاء المفترون نسوا أن النبيّ الذي وصفوه بما هو نعتهم وشغلهم الشاغل من الارتماء بأحضان النساء وعلى الإكثار من الخمور والأكل الدسم الذي يقوي الشهوة، كان أحيانًا هذا النبيّ العظيم صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يشبع في بعض أيامه من خبز الشعير وأحيانًا من التمر والماء فقط، ونسوا أيضا أنه لم يجاوز حياة القناعة قط لإرضاء نسائه ولو شاء لما كلفه غير القليل بالقياس إلى ما كان في يديه ويوزعه على عباد الله.

Those fabricators have attributed to the Prophet their own attributes and what they are pre-occupied with like being in the laps of women, drinking lots of alcohol and eating fatty food to strengthen their desires. They forgot that this Great Prophet sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam for days did not use to have enough barley bread to get satiated, and that on other days he did not have enough dates and water.

They also forgot that he never crossed beyond the limit of being content with what is little for the sake of satisfying his wives; had he willed to do so it would have cost him a little in light of what his hands had access to and what he used to distribute among the slaves of Allah.  

كذلك  يستحيلُ على الأنبياء الكبائر قبل النبوة وبعدَهَا. كذلك لا يجوزُ على الأنبياءِ صغائرُ الخِسَّةِ، مثلُ سَرِقَةِ لُقْمَة، أو حَبَةِ عِنَب، فهذه معصية صغيرة لكن تَدُلُ على خِسَة أي دناءة في نفس فاعلها، فالأنبياءُ معصومون من ذلك قبلَ النبوةِ وبعدَها. فَعُلِمَ من ذلك أن معصية ءادم ما كانت كبيرة من الكبائر، إنما كانت معصيةً صغيرةً ليس فيها خسةٌ ولا دناءةٌ، كما قال الأشعريُّ وغيرُه. حيثُ إنَ سيدنا ءادمَ عليه السلام كان أكل من شجرة من أشجار الجنة والله تعالى كان قد نهاهُ عنها.
قال الله تعالى (وَعَصَىَ ءَادَمُ رَبَّهُ فَغَوَى ثُمَّ اجتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيهِ وَهَدَى) / طه 121-122.

Likewise, prophets are protected from committing enormous sins, both before and after Prophethood.

Prophets are also protected from committing small, mean sins, like stealing a morsel of bread or stealing a single grape. These are small sins, but they reflect certain meanness. Prophets do not commit such sins, both, before and after Prophethood. From this, we know that the sin of prophet Adam peace be upon him was not an enormous sin. Rather, it was a small sin which did not include meanness, as was stated by Imam al-Ash^ariyy and others. Adam, peace be upon him, ate from one of the trees in Paradise which Allah ordered him to not eat from as stated in Surah Taha, Ayas 121-122 stated above which mean: thus did Adam disobey his Lord, and allow himself to be seduced. But his Lord chose him (for His Grace): He granted him forgiveness, and gave him Guidance.  

والأنبياء والرسل كلهم دينهم الإسلام إِنَمَّا شرائعهم تختلف بين رَسولٍ وءاخَر أما عقيدتهم عقيدة التوحيد فهي واحدة، مِثَالُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ في شريعةِ بني إسرائيل كانت لا تصح الصلاة عندهم إلا في مكانٍ مخصص للصلاة يسمي “بيعة” كان الرجل يترك عمله ليصلي هناك. في شرعِ مُحَمَّد الشخصُ يستطيعُ أن يُصلي في الوادي، في المتجر، في السوق، في المسجد، في المدرسة، في المنزل.

The religion of all of the prophets and messengers is Islam; however, their laws (shara’i^) used to differ from one prophet to another; their creed is one; which is the Creed of Tawhid. An example about this matter is that according to the Law (Shari^ah) of the Children of Israel (Isra’il) the prayer was not valid unless if it is prayed in a place specified for prayer, which used to be called “bay^ah”, the man used to leave his workplace to pray there. However, in the Law (Shari^ah) of Muhammad the person can pray in the valley, in the market, in the mosque, in the school, or in the house.

وهناك أشياء اتفقت الشرائع كلها على تحريمها كقتل النفسِ بغير حَقٍ، حرامٌ في كُلِ الشرائِعِ إزهاق الروح، سواء لنفسه أو لغيره بغير حَقٍ؛ هذا حرامٌ في شرعِ ءادم وفي شرعِ محمَّد وعيسى وموسى وإبراهيم وسائر الأنبياء.

There are matters all of the laws of the prophets agree they are prohibited like the unjust killing; it is unlawful in all of the laws to unrightfully slay the soul, whether his own or someone else’s. It is unlawful in the Law (Shar^) of Adam, Ibrahim, Musa, ^Isa and all other prophets.

حفظ العرض أيضًا من الكليات الخمس التي اتفقت عليها الشرائع وهي: حفظ النفس والمال والعِرض والعقل والنسب. حفظ العرض نصت عليه الشرائع كلها فالزنا حرامٌ في كل الشرائع، الزنا حرامٌ في كل الشرائع، حرامٌ في شرعِ ءَادَم وغيره من الأنبياء، الزنا حرام في كل الشرائع، الجماع بدون عقد زواج حرام في كل الشرائع. لبشاعة هذا الأمر في شرع محمد لو كان هناك حاكم من وقع في ذنب الزنا وكان أعزب عليه مائة جلدة وَيُغَرَّبُ سنة، إِن كان متزوجًا يُرجَمُ حتى الموتِ حتى يُبَين للنَّاس ِ أَنَّهُ ذَنبٌ كَبير. الله تعالى قال: ﴿وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى~ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَآءَ سَبِيلاً﴾ سورة الإسراء / 32.

ذَكَرَ اللهُ من بينِ الفواحشِ فاحشة الزنى لأَنَّهُ فِيهِ هَتْكُ  للشرفِ والعرضِ والنسب وهو ذنبٌ كبيرٌ.

Preserving one’s elements of honor also is among the five matters– “kulliyat”– which all the laws (shara’i^) have agreed on, they are: Preserving the self, the money, the honor, the mind, and the Lineage.

Preserving one’s honor is agreed on in all of the laws; fornication is prohibited in all of the laws, in the law of Adam and other prophets. Having sexual intercourse without a marriage contract is unlawful in all of the laws. Due to the ugliness of this matter, in the Law of Muhammad, if there is a ruler he will impose a penalty on the one who commits it, which is as follows: The punishment for the adulterer is pelting with average-sized stones until death, and for the fornicator is one-hundred lashes and one lunar year in exile. Allah said in the Qur’an:

﴿وَلاَ تَقْرَبُواْ الزِّنَى~ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَآءَ سَبِيلاً﴾

Allah mentioned adultery and fornication as among the obscene things since it violates one’s honor, lineage and it is an enormous sin.   

ومن الأشياءِ التي اتفقت عليها الشرائع حفظُ العَقلِ، حَرَامٌ تَضييعُ العَقلِ كَشُربِ الخَمرِ، ما يفتريه النصارى أَنَّ عيسى أَمَرَ بشربِ الخَمرِ هو كَذِبٌ، بعد رفع عيسى بثلاثمائة سنة أتى رجُلٌ اسمه قسطنطين فحرف الدين ثم أتى بعده شخصٌ اسمه بولس، هذا شرب الخمر حتى ثَمِلَ فزنى بأُختِهِ، قيل له: كيف تفعل هذا؟ قال: أنا فعلت ما فعله بنو ءادم.

افترى على عيسى قال: عيسى قال: “قليل من الخمر يفرح قلب الإنسان”.

أيضًا اتفقت الشرائع  على حفظ المال، لا توجد شريعة تبيح أن يحرق الإنسان المال أو يلقيه هنا أو هنا.

Among the unanimously agreed upon things is preserving one’s mind, it is unlawful for one to lose his mind like by drinking alcohol. What the Christians fabricate about ^Isa that he ordered people to drink alcohol is a lie. Three hundred years after ^Isa was raised to the sky, a man called Constantine came and perverted the religion; after him another man called Bulus came who drank wine until he got intoxicated then committed fornication with his sister. It was said to him: Why did you do that? He said: I did what the Children of Adam did. He fabricated things about ^Isa, he said: ^Isa said: “A little of wine would delight the heart.”

Also, the laws agreed on preserving one’s money, there is no law which makes it legal for one to burn his money or to throw it away here and there.