(Friday Speech was delivered by Imam Mohamed Baianonie at the Islamic Center of Raleigh on January 3, 1997)
Islam is the Deen of all the messengers and
prophets, from Adam to the prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.). Qur’an
has emphasized this fact in many verses, among which, what can what can
be translated as:
*Relaying what Nooh said,
"and I was commanded to be from the Muslims", Surat Younes,
(verse 72).
*In the supplication of Ibrahim
(Abraham) and Isma’eel (Ishmael), "Our Lord! And make
us Muslims unto You" Surat-ul Baqarah, (verse 128).
*In the advice of Ya’qoob
(Jacob) to his sons, "Verily, Allah has chosen for you the Deen,
so do not die except as Muslims", Surat-ul Baqarah, (verse 132).
*In the speech of Mousah
(Moses) to his people, "and depend on Allah if you are Muslims",
Surat Younes, (verse 84).
*In the supplication of the
Feroh’s magicians when they believed in Mousah, "Oh, Lord, bless us
with patience and perish us as Muslims", Surat Al-A’raaf, (verse
126).
*In the supplication of Yousef,
"perish me as Muslim and put me with the righteous people", Surat
Yousef, (verse 101).
*In the words of the companions
of Issah, "We believed in Allah, and be witness to us that we
are Muslims" Surat Ali-Imran, (verse 52).
*Allah (S.W.T.) emphasized this meaning when he addressed this Ummah, "He prescribed to you from the Deen what he entrusted with Nooh (Noah) and what we revealed to you (Muhammad) and what we entrusted with Ibrahim, Mousah, and Issah that you establish the Deen and do not differ in it" Surat A-Shourah, (verse 13).
*The prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.)
also emphasizes this fact in a Hadith that was reported by Imam
Bukhari, Muslim, and Abou Daoud, "The prophets are brothers, the sons
of one man, and different mothers, and their Deen is one".
Islam means submission to Allah (S.W.T.) in his commands and his prohibitions in all aspects of life, major aspect or minor one- so he who submitted himself totally to Allah in all of his affairs is a Muslims, and if he does not submit to Allah in his ruling, then he is not a Muslim. Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Qur’an, addressing his prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.), what can be translated as, "No, by your Lord, they will not believe till they make you a judge in all the problems among them, then they should find no grudge within themselves from what you have ruled, and totally submit", Surat An-Nissa’, (verse 65).
This submission to Allah (S.W.T.) is based on
the belief that Allah (S.W.T.) is the creator of man and the creator
of everything, and this creator is all knowing and all wise. Since this
is the case, then Allah has the exclusive right to legislate, and
He alone knows everything that is beneficial to us and everything that
is harmful to us. Allah (S.W.T.) says in the Qur’an
what can be translated as, "Does He not know what He created and He
is The Kind, Courteous and The All Knowing (everything)",
Surat Al-Moulk, (Verse 14).
There is no success for man in this life and in the
Hereafter unless he submits to the Deen of Allah, for this
reason, one of the mercies of Allah to his servants that He did
not leave any nation without sending them a messenger. Allah
(S.W.T.) says what can be translated as, "There is no nation without
a person that warns them", Surat Fatir, (verse 24). Allah
(S.W.T.) also says in another verse what can be translated as, "We have
sent in every nation a messenger, that you submit to Allah and keep
away from (Taghut) evil", Surat An-Nahal, (verse 36).
All the messengers came with one Akeedah, without
any change, and it is the one that the prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) taught
us without any distortion, but the difference
that we see in the Akeedah of the people today is due to people’s
distortion of their Akeedah. The Akeedah in reality unveils
certain truth and this truth is one that never ever changes. For example,
it is not acceptable in our minds, that Allah sends a messenger
to tell the people that He is one, and sends another to tell that He is
one of three divine entities.
The thing that changes from one message to another
is the aspect of legislation (what is allowed and what is forbidden,
and the obligatories...). This is receptive to changes, conforming to the
wisdom of Allah, that fit the situation of man from one age to another.
Nonetheless, this aspect of Deen (legislation) experienced very
little change and the common things between different legislations of various
Deens are so many. Allah (S.W.T.) says on behalf of Issah,
when he addresses the children of Israel what can be translated as, "and
asserting what is in the Torah and to make lawful some of the things that
have been forbidden to you", Surat Ali-Imran, (verse 50). Also,
Allah (S.W.T.) says about the prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) what can
be translated as, "Those who follow the messenger, the prophet, the
illiterate, whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel,
He enjoins them what is good and forbids them from evil, and makes lawful
to them the good things and forbids them from the bad things, and puts
down the burden and the shackles that were on them.", Surat Al-Araaf,
(verse 157).
The message of the prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) was the culmination of all previous legislations, their completion and their seal: For this reason, Allah (S.W.T.) told us what can be translated as, "Today, I have perfected your Deen, and completed my bliss upon you and accepted for you Islam as a Deen", Surat Al-Ma’eedah, (verse 3). This meaning is emphasized in the Hadith of the prophet Mohammed (P.B.U.H.) that was reported by Imam Bukhari and Muslim, "My example and the example of the prophets before me, like a man who built a house and beautified it, except for a place of a brick in one corner of the corners of the house, the people visit the house and look at it and admire it, and say: Why would not a brick be placed here (where the crevice is)!? I am this brick, and I am the seal of the prophets."
With this completion and perfection, all humanity is commanded to
follow the perfect Deen. For this reason, The Qur’anic verses came
clear what can be translated as, "Say (Oh Mohammad) Oh people, I am
the messenger of Allah to you all", Surat Al-A’raaf,
(verse 158). In another verse, Allah (S.W.T.) says to his prophet
Mohammad (P.B.U.H.), what can be translated as, "We did not send you
except to all people, as a giver of glad tidings and a warner.", Surat
Saba’, (verse 28). In another verse, Allah also says what can
be translated as, "We did not send you but a mercy to all worlds",
Surat Al-anbia’, (verse 107).
Allah (S.W.T.) will not accept from anyone
after the message of the prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) a Deen other than
the Deen of the prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). Allah (S.W.T.) says what
can be translated as, "and he who chooses other than Islam a Deen, it
will not be accepted from him", Surat Ali-Imran, (verse 58). The prophet
also says what’s reported by Imam Muslim, "By whom my soul is in his hand,
no one from this nation, a Jew or a Christian, hears about me then he died
and did not believe in what I was sent with, but he will be from the dwellers
of Hellfire".
Here, it becomes clear to us the Great responsibility of delivering the message of Islam to all mankind, and presenting it in the correct form . If we do not deliver Islam, then who will?
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