Usul al-Din: Islamic Theology

Lecture 8
Prophethood and the Prophet
Muhammad

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Introduction

Understanding the necessity of Prophets

(anbiya) as a channel to Gods word.

Muslim theologians discussed attributes of

prophets particularly their infallibility and the
miracles.

Why it is necessary in Islamic theology to believe

the Prophet Muhammad was sent for the entire
humanity.

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Learning Outcomes
1. Understand why prophethood is a logical
outcome of Gods attribute of knowledge.
2. Discuss what theologians mean when they
state that the prophets are free from sin.
3. Understand how miracles are understood in
Islamic theology.
4. Discuss the evidence that points to the
universality of the Prophet Muhammad and
Islam.
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The prophets

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Prophets and Religion

This majestic universe, its complexity and
innumerable purposes and art displayed in it
show that its Maker creates with infinite
knowledge. The one who knows speaks in
matters pertaining to areas that falls in his
knowledge. Therefore, God will speak. God
will speak to a being who is conscious and is
able to speak in return. Since human beings
are the most comprehensive of all
conscious beings, God will certainly speak
to humans...
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Prophets and Religion

...Amongst humans, God will speak to the
one who is most worthy to carry Gods Word
and the one who can competently convey
and represent Gods Word to other people.
God will therefore speak to the illustrious
chain of Gods messengers. Since both
friend and foe testify to his faith, truthfulness
and high morals, surely God will also speak
to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Said Nursi (Letters, 19th Letter)
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Prophets and Religion

This complex line of reasoning has five sets of logical
arguments.
1. If the events and things in the universe are
complex, display multiple purposes and art than it
has a Maker who is All-Knowing.
2. Events and things in the universe are complex,
display multiple purposes and art.
3. Therefore, there is a Maker who is All-Knowing

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Prophets and Religion

1. The universe is the product of a God who is AllKnowing Maker.
2. The one who knows speaks in matters pertaining to
areas that falls in his knowledge.
3. Therefore, God will speak about the universe and
His purpose for making it.

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Prophets and Religion

1. God will speak about the universe and His purpose
for making it.
2. God will speak to a being who is:
Conscious
2. Can understand what is spoken to and
3. Is able to speak in return
1.

3. Human beings are conscious beings,

4. Human beings are the most comprehensive of all
conscious beings,
5. Therefore, God will speak to humans.
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Prophets and Religion

1. God will speak to humans.
2. Not all humans are the same. Some are more
worthy than others.
3. God will speak to the one who is most worthy to
carry Gods Word
4. God will speak to the one who can competently
convey and represent Gods word to others.
5. Prophets are worthy people who can competently
convey Gods word to other humans.
6. Therefore, God will speak to the illustrious chain of
messengers.
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Prophets and Religion

1. God will speak to the illustrious chain of
messengers.
2. Muhammad (pbuh) is also a prophet.
3. Both friend and foe testify to Muhammads (pbuh)
faith, truthfulness and high morals.
4. Hence, Muhammad (pbuh) is most worthy to
receive Gods word.
5. Therefore, God will speak to the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh).

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Reading from Fiqh al-Akbar

Read page 127 from the textbook.

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Infallibility of prophets
Major sin (kabir) is defined as leaving
anything obligatory (fard) or necessary (wajib)
or committing anything that is unlawful
(haram).
Minor sin (saghir) is leaving the sunna or the
committal of disliked actions (makruh)
Habitual leaving of sunna or committal of disliked
actions is considered major sin.

Here sunna is taken in a judicial sense where it refers to

actions regularly performed (muakkad) by the Prophet.

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Infallibility of prophets
Prophets are infallible (isma), that is, prophets never
intentionally commit major or minor sins.
Ibn al-Humam says that prophets may commit minor
sins which are not considered repulsive only out of
forgetfulness or mistake (Ibn Yusuf).
According to Abu Mansur al-Maturidi:

Infallibility is a favour from God to prophets

It does not eliminate the trials and tribulations
It does not force the prophets to be obedient
It encourages them to do good and prevents them from
committing evil without negating their ability to choose.
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Slips and mistakes

Prophets may commit slips (zalla) or mistakes
(khat).
An example of a zalla is Adam (pbuh) eating from
the forbidden tree.
An example of khata is Moses (pbuh)
unintentionally killing an Egyptian.

Every mistake is a slip but not every slip is a

mistake.
A slip (zalla) may occur because of mistakes,
forgetfulness, inattentiveness or leaving the best
and more worthy.
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Adam (pbuh) and his slip

There are a number of explanations on Adam (pbuh)
eating from the forbidden tree.
1. He ate from it out of forgetfulness
2. He did not eat from a specific tree but another one like it:
but approach not this tree. He chose the suboptimal
(rukhsa) path over optimal in accord with the wisdom of
God.
3. He ate in paradise which is not a place of accountability.
He did not know the consequences of his actions.
4. He ate from the tree before his prophethood: Then his
Lord chose him, and turned to him, and guided him
(20:122).
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Slips and mistakes

Qar mentions the hadith, A cloudiness comes over
my heart (la yughnu al qalb) and verily I seek
forgiveness from Allah one hundred times daily.
(Muslim, Abu Dawud).
How do we understand this hadith?
1. One view is that future negative events about his
followers were informed and whenever he thought
about it a cloudiness appeared over his heart.

Unlikely, as this would mean he would think these every

day.

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Slips and mistakes

2. He would constantly ascent to higher spiritual ranks.
He would ask for forgiveness for being in lower ranks.

And the latter is better for you than the former (93:4)

3. State of cloudiness was the state of ecstasy that

would overcome him due to absorption in divine
love. He would ask for forgiveness for returning to
normal.
4. Cloudiness came over him when a thought other
than Allah crossed his heart and he would ask
forgiveness for this.

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Miracles

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Reading from Fiqh al-Akbar

Read page 161 from the textbook.

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Mujizat - miracle of prophets

Mujiza (pl. mujizat) inimitable miracle or
extraordinary acts observed from prophets.
Inimitable: incapable of being imitated

They are called ayat (sign) as they are proofs

of prophethood.
There are many examples of mujizat
established by the Quran and Sunnah.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) showed many
miracles not just the Quran.
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Sunnatullah
The phrase sunnatullah (way of Allah) appears in
five verses in the Quran.
33:38, 33:62, 35:43, 40:85, 48:23.
It refers to the way God does things in the universe
and that they are consistent and they do not change.
Of course unless God wills.
Mujiza (miracle) is an act of God made out of His
normal Sunnatullah.
Miracles of prophets show limits of what humans can
achieve through following Sunnatullah. (Nursi)

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Karmt Miracles of Awliy

Karma (pl. karmt) miracle of divine
favour which are extraordinary acts observed
from friends of Allah (awliy).
Wal (singular) literally means someone close, friend,
guardian.

They are called karmt as God intends to

honour and strengthen awliy through the
miraculous act.

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Karmt Miracles of Awliy

There is evidence for karmt in the Quran
and Sunnah.
And one who had some knowledge of the Book
said: I can bring it to you in the twinkling of your
eye. When Solomon saw the throne set in his
presence, he said: This is out of the pure grace of
my Lord (27:40)
Se also miracle from Maryam in 3:37

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Karmt Miracles of Awliy

A hadith narrates three men who are stranded in
a cave after a rock fall in its mouth. The rock in
from of the cave opens after they each pray.
In another hadith an infant speaks to defend a
hermit called Jurayj. (Ibn Yusuf).
There are also a few karmt narrated about
sahba (companions).
Omars order to Sariya to keep the mountain
behind the army two-thousand km away.
Omars letter thrown in the Nile river.
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Karmt Miracles of Awliy

Mutazila have rejected the karmt .
Shia have confined it to twelve imams only.
Scholars always warned against trying to
attain a level of karmt for its own sake or
trying to see one displayed through a wal.

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Difference between Karamat & Mujizat

Mujizt occurs through a prophet as a direct
result of a challenge of the claim of
prophethood.
Karmt occurs through a friend of Allah
without such a challenge.
Mujizt proves the prophethood of the
prophet while karmt proves the truth of his
prophet.
Miracle of a follower is the miracle of the followed.

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Istidrj
Istidrj - extraordinary acts observed from evil ones
such as Satan, Pharaoh or Dajjal (antichrist).
These are given to them to fulfil their needs so that
they are deluded in their claims and that their
punishment may increase.
And let not those who disbelieve think that Our giving
them rein is good for them. We give them rein only that
they may grow in sin and wickedness (and deserve
Gods punishment). For them is a shameful, humiliating
punishment. (Quran, 3:178)

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Istidrj
If you ever see Allah granting a servant whatever he
pleases while the servant remains persistent in sin than
that is Allah deluding him. (Prophet Muhammad
reported by Ahmad, Tirmithi)

Or they are humiliated like Musaylama the Liar he

payed to cure a man blind on one eye, the other eye
became blind instead.
Musaylama claimed prophethood after the death of
the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

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Universality of the Prophet

Muhammad

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Universality of Muhammads mission

1. Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) really
claim to have a universal message and did
he attempt to reach people other than
Arabs?
2. Was his message really universal in its
content?
3. How did Muslims understand this universal
message and represent it throughout the
centuries?
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Is there a claim of universality?

The Quran clearly declares that the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) was sent as a special
mercy to all the worlds. (Quran, 21:71)
He was the seal of prophets (Quran 33:40).
If he is the final prophet, he must therefore
address all humanity.

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Is there a claim of universality?

Quran in many places speaks to all humanity
by verses starting with O humanity
The Prophet himself began his last sermon at
the Farewell Pilgrimage as O humanity
Therefore, there was a clear addressing to all
human beings not just Arabs.
He also sent letters of invitations to
neighbouring kingdoms.
So, he clearly thought that he was sent to all
humanity.
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Is the content of Islam universal?

In the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh) many
non-Arabs (e.g. Bilal Habashi, Salman Farisi)
became Muslim as readily as Arabs.
Non-Arab Muslims were not treated any
differently by the Prophet (pbuh).
So they were attracted to something universal
in the message of Islam.

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Is the content of Islam universal?

3. Oneness of humanity is expressed in three
spheres of human relations social sphere,
political sphere and international sphere.
Essential equality of human beings in a given
society.
One is not a true believer unless he desires for his
brother what he desires for himself. (Muslim)
Be merciful to those on earth and He who is in
heaven will be merciful to you. (Tirmidhi).

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Is the content of Islam universal?

Equality of leaders or the ruling elite to their
people.
The leader is the one who serves his people (Riyad
as-Salihn)
Obey to your leader even if he is a small-headed
black African slave (Riyad as-Salihn)

Equality of races and people of different nations.

O humankind, surely we have created you from
one male and one female and made you into tribes
and nations so that you may get to know each
other. The noblest of you with God are the most
devout of you. (Quran, 49:13)
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Did Muslims practice a universal religion?

Although the Prophet was an Arab, he has a
universal appeal to people from all over the
world.
This is because the character of the Prophet is
emphasised rather than his ethnicity.
Even not having an image of the Prophet
helps in this.

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Did Muslims practice a universal religion?

The fact that Islam has spread across the
world from Europe to Africa to Asia shows the
capacity of Islam to embrace all peoples.
The actual adaptability of Islam to all cultures
while maintaining the integrity of its beliefs and
practices.
The religious and intellectual confidence of
Islam to embrace the Western and Eastern
intellectual heritage.
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Did Muslims practice a universal religion?

Muslims have established tolerant and
pluralistic multicultural and multifaith societies.
Muslims developed the first global civilisation.
Since Islam claims to be universal; and it has
universal teachings that appeals all humans
and that Islam spread to all peoples creating
a universal civilisation, Islam is a universal
religion.

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References
1. Ibn Yusuf, A. (2007). Imam Abu Hanfia's Al Fiqh al-Akbar
Explained. California: White Thread Press.
2. Imam, -H. -J. A.-M. A. A., Walker, P. E., & Center for Muslim
Contribution to Civilization. (2000). A guide to the conclusive
proofs for the principles of belief =: Kitab al-irshad ila qawati' aladilla i usul al-i'tiqad. Reading: Garnet Publishing
3. Maturidi, M. M., & Topaloglu, B. (2003). Kitabu't-Tevhid Tercumesi.
Ankara: ISAM (Turkiye Diyanet Vakf Islam Arastrmalar Merkezi.
4. Taftazani, S.-D. ., & Elder, E. E. (1950). A commentary on the
creed of Islam: Sad al-Din al-Taftazani on the creed of Najm alDin al-Nasafi. New York: Columbia Univ. Press.
5. Unal, A. (2007). The Qur'an: With annotated interpretation in
modern English. Somerset, N.J: The Light.

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Questions

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