❞ كتاب The Messengers and the Messages ❝ ⏤ عمر سليمان عبد الله الأشقر

UBLISHER’S  NOTE
15
TRANSLATOR’S  FOREWORD
17
INTRODUCTION
21
PART
ONE
THE  M ESSENGERS  AND  PROPHETS
CHAPTER  ONE
DEFINITIONS
29
Definition  of a
Nabi
  (Prophet)
29
Definition  of a
Rasool
  (Messenger)
30
The  difference  between  a  Messenger  and  a Prophet
31
Belief in  the  Prophets  and  Messengers  is  one  of the  basic
principles  of faith
34
The  connection  between  belief in  Allah  and  belief in
the  Messengers  and  their  message
34
The  Prophets  and  Messengers  form  a  large group
36
Among  the  Prophets  and  Messengers  are  those  whose
stories  Allah  has  not  told  us
37
The  Prophets  and  Messengers  who  are  mentioned
in  the  Qur’an
38
Four  from  among  the  Arabs
40
The  sons  of Ya’qoob
40
Prophets  whom  we  know  of from  the  Sunnah
41
Sheeth
41
6    Contents
Yoosha*  ibn  Noon  (Joshua  the  son  of Nun)
41
Righteous  people  who  may  or  may  not  have  been  Prophets     42
Dhu’l-Qamayn
42
Tubba‘
42
It  is  better  not  to  make  any  definite  statement  concerning
Dhu’l-Qamayn  and  Tubba‘
43
Al-Khidr
44
Disbelieving  in  one  Messenger  is  like  disbelieving  in  all
the  Messengers
47
No-one  can  be  said  to  be  a  Prophet  without  evidence
51
CHAPTER  TWO
THE  NEED  OF  MANKIND  FOR  THE  MESSENGERS
AND  THEIR  MESSAGES
53
Introduction
53
A  valuable  comment  from  Ibn  al-Qayyim
55
Ibn  Taymiyah  explains  the  need  for  the  Messengers
and  the  Message
57
Comparison  between  the  need  of the  body  for  knowledge
of medicine  and  the  need  of the  body  and  soul  for
knowledge  of the  Messengers
61
Is  it  possible  for  reason  to  do  without  Revelation?
62
The  falseness  of the  Brahmins’  view
65
Limits  of reason’s  role
66
The  position  of reason  in  relation  to  the revelation
66
CHAPTER  THREE
THE  TASKS  AND  MISSIONS OF  THE  MESSENGERS
69
1  -  Conveying  the  Message  Clearly
69
2  -  Calling  People  to  Allah
7

Messengers and the Messages
9
The  view  of the  Muslim  ummah  to  the  infallibility  of the
Prophets  and  their  being  protected  from  committing  sin
153
Infallibility  and being  protected  against  committing  minor  sins 153
Evidence
154
Those  who  say  that  the  Prophets  are  infallible  and
protected  against  committing  minor  sins
158
Two  specious  arguments
159
Infallibility  is  a  sign  of humanity
162
Honouring  and  respecting  the  Prophets
163
Infallibility  of people  other  than  Prophets
163
The  “infallibility”  of Al-MuMzz  al-Faatimi
164
The  infallibility  of the  Imams  (religious  and  temporal  leaders)  164
The  secret  of infallibility
166
CHAPTER  SEVEN
SIGNS  OF  PROPHETHOOD
171
Introduction
171
Different  Kinds  of  Signs
172
1
-  Signs  and  Miracles
172
Definition  of signs  and  miracles
172
Kinds  of signs
174
Examples  of the  signs  of the  Messengers
175
1)  The  sign  of Allah’s  Prophet  Saalih  ($ p )
175
2)  The  miracle  of the  Prophet  Ibraaheem  (Abraham)  ($ p )  177
3)  The  signs  of Allah’s  Prophet  Moosa  (Moses)  (i$gfc)
178
Other  signs
181
4)  The  miracles  of Allah’s  Prophet  ‘Eesa  (Jesus)  (i$£l)
182
5)  Signs  of the  Seal  of the  Prophets  and  Final
Messenger  (^§)
183
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The  greatest  sign
183
A  unique  kind  of miracle
185
The  Night  Journey  and  Ascent  into  heaven
( .
Israa
’  and
Mi
 ’
raaj
)
187
The  splitting  of the  moon
188
He  (js )  caused  food  to  increase
190
The  report  of Jaabir  ibn  ‘Abdullah
191
He  caused  water  to  increase,  it  flowed  from  between
his  fingers
192
His  enemies  were  prevented  from  harming  him
194
Answers  to  his  prayers
196
The  mother  of Abu  Hurayrah  was  guided  by  the
prayer  of the  Messenger
196
Jareer  became  a  horseman  because  of his  prayer
196
The  hand  of an  arrogant  person  was  affected  by  his  prayer  198
The  blessing  of the  Messenger’s  prayer  reached
the  camel  of Jaabir
198
Healing  the  sick
199
He  healed  a  person  whose  leg  was  broken
199
He  healed  the  eye  of  ‘Ali  ibn  Abi  Taalib  ( ^ )  
199
The  shin  of Salamah  ibn  al-Akwa‘
200
He  expelled  the jinn  from  one  who  was  possessed
200
He  told  of unseen  matters
201
The  sorrow  of the  tree  stump
204
The  trees  submitted  to  him,  greeted  him  with
salaam
and  spoke  to  him
204
The  greeting  of the  rock
206
Messengers and the Messages     11
The  complaint  of the  camel
206
Miracles  of people  other  than  the  Prophets
209
The
karaamaat
  of the
awliyaa
209
The  wisdom  behind
karaamaat
  being  given
to  the
awliyaa’
210
Lights  in  sticks
211
Blessed  food
211
Sufaynah  and  the  lion
212
A  shout  in  Madeenah  echoes  in  Syria
213
Some
karaamaat
  of the
awliyaa’
213
Righteousness  is  the  greatest
karaamah
214
Miracles  and  devilish  exploits
215
2   -  The  Previous  Nations  were  Told  about  the  Coming
of the  Prophet  (jg)
216
The  Qur’an  tells  us  that  the  earlier  Prophets  foretold  the
coming  of our  Prophet  Muhammad
(
j
||)
217
The  supplication  of Prophet  Ibraaheem  (Abraham)
218
Prophet  Moosa  (Moses)  foretold  the  coming
of the  Prophet
(0 ? )
220
Other  traces  of this  foretelling  in  the  Bible
222
‘Eesa  (Jesus)  foretold  the  coming  of the  Prophet  (jg)
223
Two  likenesses  of the
Tawraat
  and
Injeel
224
Foretelling  in  the  Old  Testament
225
The  Messenger  (jg)  is  mentioned  by  name  in  the  Bible
225
Places  and  events  connected  with  the  Messenger  (jg)
are  mentioned
226
The  Bible  refers  to  one  of the  features  of the  place
to  which  the  Messenger  (j«)  migrated
228
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The  Bible  refers  to  things  that  happened  at  the  hands
of the  Prophet  (jj|)
228
The  rays  and  light  which  shone  from  his  hand
229
Plague  went  before  him;  pestilence  followed  his  steps
230
Yathrib  was  infected  with  fever,  and  hardly  anyone
could  enter  it  without  being  afflicted
232
General  prophecies
232
Prophecies  from  the  Gospel
235
Other  prophecies  from  the  Gospels
236
From  the  Gospel  of Luke
240
Prophecies  in  the  Gospel  of Barnabas
242
A  view  of the  Gospel  of Barnabas
242
Prophecies  in  other  world  scriptures
245
These  prophecies  were  widely  known  before
the  Prophet
( 0 )
  came
247
Description  of our  Messenger
( 0 )
  in  the  Torah
247
Where  is  this  prophecies  in  the  Torah?
248
The  story  of Ibn  al-Haybaan
250
When  what  they  knew  came  to  them,  they  disbelieved  in  it   251
‘Abdullah  ibn  Salaam  benefited  from  his  knowledge
251
The  testimony  of a  Jewish  boy
253
The  insight  of a  monk
253
The  Jewish  scholars  knew  when  the  Prophet  (jjg)
would  emerge
254
3  -  A  Glimpse  at  the  Prophets
255
Heraclius  and  Abu  Sufyaan
258
Their  abstinence  from  the  luxuries  of this  world
260
4  -  The  Call  of the  Messengers
261
The  call  of our  Prophet  Muhammad
( 0 )
263
5  -  The  Help  and  Support  Given  by  Allah  to  His  Messengers    264
Messengers and the Messages     13
A  specious  argument
266
CHAPTER  EIGHT
THE  VIRTUE  OF  THE  PROPHETS
AND  THEIR VARYING  STATUS
267
The  Superiority  of the  Prophets  over  Others
267
There  is  no  room  for  coincidence
270
The  belief that  the  Imams  are  superior  to  the  Prophets
271
The  Seal  of the
Awliyaa ’
  and  the  Seal  of the  Prophets
275
Precedence  of some  Prophets  and  Messengers  over  others
276
The  Messengers  of strong  will  are  the  highest  in
status  of the  Messengers
277
How  are  the  Prophets  and  Messengers  distinguished
from  one  another?
278
The  virtue  of the  Final  Messenger  Muhammad  (jg;)
282
The  texts  which  forbid  making  a  distinction
between  the  Prophets
286
PART
TWO
THE  DIVINELY-REVEALED  M ESSAGES
CHAPTER  ONE
BELIEF  IN  THE  MESSAGES
291
The  Obligation  of Believing  in  the  Messages
291
Belief in  all  the  Messages
292
How  should  we  believe  in  the  Messages?
294
It  is  not  sufficient  only  to  believe  in  the  Qur’an
29

All  praise  and  thanks  are  due  to  The  Cherisher  and  The  Sustainer,
Lord of the Universe - Allah.  May His blessings and peace be on the
last  of  the  prophets  and  messengers,   Muhammad,   his  family,
Companions and all those who  follow in his footsteps till the end o f
time.
The institution ofMessengership and Prophethood is one o f the three
fundamentals   of  the   Islamic   creed   -
(Monotheism),
Risaalah
 (messengership) and
Ma ’ad
 (Hereafter) - second only to the
belief in one and only God - Allah.  Dr.  ‘Umar S.  al-Ashqar has dealt
at  length  with  this  institution  drawing  evidence  from  the  noble
Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the writings o f the highly reputed authorities
and nobles o f the ummah.  The Arabic original has proven to be very
popular  and  has  gone  through  several  editions.  This  is  the  new
English translation of the latest Arabic edition of the book, by brother
Nasiruddin  al-Khattab,  the  translator  o f all  his  Creed  series.
It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  we  present  this  authorized  English
version  of  the  book  to  our  readers.  By  the  grace  o f  Allah,  its
translation  to  a  number  of other  languages  is  also  underway.  May
Allah bless the efforts o f the author and all involved in its publication
with acceptance, and make it a source o f guidance for those who seek
enlightenmen

TRANSLATOR’S  FOREWORD
We  live  in  a  world  of  need,  a  world  o f  greed.  It  is  a  world  o f
imbalance,  where  twenty  percent  o f the  world’s  population  enjoy
eighty  percent  of the  world’s  resources  and  the  rest  live  in  abject
poverty.  Those  who  live  in  poverty  suffer  from  disease,  starvation
and  illiteracy,  while  those  who  live  with plenty  are  also  suffering  -
from  high  crime  rates,  alcoholism,  addictions  and  a  wide  range  o f
mental  and  psychological  problems.  Oppression,  injustice  and  wars
are  widespread,  and  the  enviroment  is  in  crisis.  Everyone  from  the
US president to the man in the  street is thinking only o f their instant
needs, what they can get for themselves now, with no thought for the
consequences  o f future  generations.
All  of this  points  to  a  lack  of guidance,  a  lack  o f knowledge  of the
greater picture,  a  lack o f awareness  that this  life  is not the only  life,
that in  the  Hereafter we  will  have  to  account for our actions.  It also
tells  us  that  the  word  of the
Shaytaan
 (Satan)  is  the  word  which  is
prevailing in this world today,  as the strives to fulfill his oath to lead
mankind  to  destruction  in  this  world  and  to  doom  in  the  Hereafter.
This is an ancient conflict, one which stems from the day when Adam
was  created,  when
Iblees
  (Devil)  refused  to  prostrate  to  him  as
commanded  by  Allah.  Since  then,  the
Shaytaan
  (Satan)  has  been
launching his attacks against mankind. But from that time, Allah has
been  sending  His  message  to  mankind,  reminding  them  o f  the
purpose for which they were created, namely, to worship Him alone.
This  message  of
Tawheed
 (Islamic  Monotheism),  accompanied  by
laws which regulate human life on the individual, social and political
levels,  is  the  message  brought by  all  the  Prophets  and  Messengers,
down through  the  ages,  to  all  the  nations.  Human  stubbornness  and
forgetfulness,  combined  with  the  wiles  o f the
Shaytaan,
  meant  that
18    Translator’s Foreword
mankind  kept wandering  away  from  the  path  o f
Tawheed,
  so  Alla

 Is it true that mankind today has reached such a level of progress that they have no need of the Messengers and their teachings? Are humans capable today of guiding themselves without referring to the methods set out by the Messengers?
 This comprehensive work which is full of clear proofs and evidences from the pure teachings of Islam, is an essential reading for all Muslims and seekers of truth.