Bismillahirrahmanirahim.
In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious and the Most Merciful.
Nubuwwah (Prophethood).
Allah The Merciful has created no community of beings in the world without a purpose or without leader. Observe the pattern of nature and open your heart to acceptance.
Ants and bees have their own Queen. Birds and fish have their own guide. Human beings also have their own leader. One of the roles of leader is to guide human to spiritual, intellectual and material perfection.
NUBUWWAH
The centrality of prophethood comes from the second clause of Shahadah (testimony):
There is no God other than Allah. And Prophet Muhammad is His Mesengger.
It is also one of the articles of faith which Believe in Rasul.
Prophets functioned as a channel to 'receive' and 'transmit' to others the message from Allah.
MEANING OF WAHY
Revelation (wahy) is the act by which God, having created the world discloses Himself to His creation.
It refers of the phenomenon in which supernatural communication is transmitted from the Divine (Allah) to human through human sight, hearing, sensibility and consciousness as an event out of ordinary course.
MEANING OF PROPHETHOOD
Nubuwwah is usually translated as Prophethood.
Nabi refers to Prophet who gives news from Allah.
While receiving the revelation, the prophet faculties are raised to the point of frenzy and he is under the domination of the Divine power in which he cannot resist. His innermost belief, all the while is the message of guidance and salvation has come directly from God as a 'revelation' and must be conveyed to fellow beings.
Thus, it can be concluded that Prophet is like a branch that arches out from Divine to human realms.
RASUL AND NABI
Rasul and Nabi are used interchangeably in Quran. The same person sometimes being called as nabi and sometimes Rasul, while occasionally, both Rasul and Nabi are used.
Rasul has wider significance than Nabi. He receives information from God and he conveyed the message to human realms while Nabi does not hold the responsibilty of conveying the message to others.
The position of Rasul is higher than Nabi since Rasul brings the divine legislation with him while Nabi follows the divine legislation from the previous Rasul.
Thus, all Rasul are Nabi but not all Nabi are Rasul.
KHATAM NUBUWWAH
There is a verse in Quran that indicates that the instituition of Risalah (Messengerhood) has been terminated.
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets (33:40).
THE NECCESSITY, FUNCTION OF REVELATION AND PROPHETHOOD
It is human nature to discover the purpose of human creation, thus leads to questions that involved lifetime concerns.
"It is He who has sent to the illiterate a Messenger from among own people to recite to then His revelation and purify them. He will teach them the Book and Wisdom- although they had been, before in manifest error" (Al Jum
Prophets known in his community as a person whom have their own aptitude, natural bents of minds, and a pious and meaningful way of life.
The Kuffar wants the Prophet to be special and ask questions of "why Prophets are human being just like them?,"
They want the Prophets to be an angel or something out of ordinary but Allah rejects their demand.
"What sort of Messenger is this, who eats food and walks through the markets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him?" Or why has not a treasure been bestowed on him, or why has he (not) a garden for enjoyment?," The wicked says. :"Ye follow none other than the a man bewitched," (al-Furqan:25, 7-8)
FUNCTIONS AND REVELANCE TO HUMAN LIFE
1.Expounder of Quran
Sunnah helps human to have better understanding of the verses of Quran. Without the Prophetic, the Quran would be remain abstract or a misunderstood book.
"We sent them with clear signs and scriptures and We have sent down unto thee (also) the Message; that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is sent for them and that may give thought. (Al Nahl :16, 44)
Through Sunnah, muslims know how to perform their obligatories, for instance, salat (prayer), Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), fasting and many more.
2. Legislator
Sunnah act as independent source of Law. It states things that not found in Holy Quran in which all muslims are obliged to follow.
"...So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourself that which he witholds from you. And fear Allah, for Allah is strict for punishment," (Al Hashr: 59,7)
The prophet acts as the society's law-giver.
"He (The Prophet) allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure)" (Al A'raf, verse 157).
3. Role Model (Quwatun Hasanah)
The Holy Quran instruct us to emulate Prophet SAW and take him as the best example.
"Ye have indeed the Messenger of Allah uswah hasanah (beautiful pattern of conduct) for any whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the praise of Allah" (Al-Ahzab, verse 21).
4. Total obedience to Prophet
It is compulsory for human being to follow the Quran and Sunnah and not Quran alone.
No muslim is considered as believer of Allah if the person rejects Sunnah and accept Quran alone.
"But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against thy desicions, but accept them with the fullest conviction" (Al Nisa, verse 65)
Severe punishment will be inflicted upon those who disobey Sunnah as Allah says in Holy Quran:
"..then let loose those beware who withstand the Messenger's order, let some trial before them, or a grievous Penalty will be inflicted on them" (An Nur:24, 63).
FINALITY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD
There are only 4 conditions in which the prophets will be sent to the nation to spread the message from Allah:
1. The nation had not been sent any prophet AND the message by the prophet from other nation cannot reach them.
2. The message of earlier prophet had been forgotten by the people or the teachings brought by the previous prophet has been corrupted to the extent that it is impossible to follow the pure teachings of previous prophets.
3. The people does not receive the complete mandate from the former prophet. Thus, succeeding prophets needed to fulfill the task of completing the religion of Allah.
4. There was need of second prophet to share the responsibility of office with the first prophet.
However, after the advent of Prophet Muhammad, NONE of the above needs remains to be fulfilled.
Wallahua'lam.
Friday, May 7, 2010
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