Why do Muslims Believe that Muḥammad was a Messenger of God?

The final messenger sent to mankind was a man born in Makkah named Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdillāh (peace be upon him). Although many Westerners generally accept that the likes of Abraham, Moses and Jesus were prophets of God, they have trouble accepting that Muḥammad (peace be upon him) was a prophet of God too. This has very much to do with the fact that their ancestors did not accept the message of the final prophet, and consequently, they do not regard him as being a prophet of God either.

This fact is clearly reflected in the books of Western academics, as well as the mainstream Western media. It is not uncommon to hear Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) being referred to as the “Founder of Islām,”¹ or more overtly, as “the prophet Muḥammad, who authored the Qurʾān.”² If it can be proven that the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him)  was an impostor who falsely claimed to be receiving divine revelation, the whole message of Islām becomes invalidated. Once it can be agreed upon that the author of the Qurʾān “can be taken to be Muḥammad himself,”³ it becomes easy to dismiss the religion of Islām as being solely a man-made religious tradition from the past that is better left ignored.

However, there are many conclusive proofs that still exist today which nullify these false claims, and establish beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) was a truthful Messenger of God, and that he fulfilled the responsibility that was entrusted to him as a prophet. An objective study of the Prophet Muḥammad’s (peace be upon him) life, of his truthfulness and excellence in character, of the victory and aid that was given to him and those who followed him closely, and of the miracles he performed all act as evidences of the truthfulness of his prophethood. 

Information About Future Events as a Proof of Prophethood

Amongst the many things that prove the truthfulness of the Prophet Muḥammad’s prophethood are the subjects that he spoke about regarding unseen or future events. The following is a short list of some of the many prophecies foretold by the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him), each of them correlating with observable historical phenomena.

Indeed, the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) spoke about how the rightly guided caliphate of his Companions would last for thirty years, wherein he (peace be upon him)  said: “The Caliphate upon the prophetic way (will be for a period of) thirty years, then Allāh will give the realm or His realm to whomever He pleases.”  Said Saʿīd (Ibn Jamhān): Safīnah said to me: “Abū Bakr ruled over you for two years, ʿUmar ten, ʿUthmān twelve and ʿAlī, as such.”⁴

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also informed his daughter Fāṭimah that he would die, and that she would be the first from his family to depart this life after his death. Āʿishah, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), related, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) called for his daughter Fāṭimah during his sickness in which he died, and whispered something to her; then she cried. Afterwards he called for her, and whispered something to her; then she laughed. Said Āʿishah: I asked Fāṭimah about this, wherein she said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) whispered to me, and told me that he would die in the sickness in which he died from, so I cried. Following this, he whispered to me that I would be the first from his family to follow him, so I laughed.”⁵ This occurred, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him)  informed it would.

The Coming of a Righteous Man

The Prophet (peace be upon him) told his Companions to wait for the eventual coming of a pious man from Yemen, named Uways al-Qarnī. True to his message, they awaited his coming after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) , and used to ask after him, until eventually he was found. Jaabir (peace be upon him) , one of the Prophet’s Companions, narrated: “When the reinforcements from amongst the people of Yemen came to him, ’Umar ibn al-Khattaab used to ask them, “Is there amongst you (a man named) Uways ibn ʿĀmir?” (This occurred) until such time as he came upon Uways. ʿUmar said, “Are you Uways ibn ‘Aamir?” He replied, “Yes.” ʿUmar said: “From (the progeny) of Murād, then Qarn?” He said, “Yes.” ʿUmar said: “Did you have leprosy that you were cured from, except for a spot the size of a Dirham?” Uways replied: “Yes.” ʿUmar said: “Is your mother still alive?” Uways replied, “Yes.” ʿUmar said: “I heard the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) say, “There shall come upon you Uways ibn ‘ʿĀmir with the reinforcements of the people of Yemen, from Murād, then from Qarn. He had leprosy, but was cured of it, except for a spot the size of a Dirham. He has a mother whom he treats kindly. If he swore by Allāh, Allāh would fulfil his oath. So if you can get him to ask Allāh for your forgiveness, then do so.” (ʿUmar then said): ‘So please ask Allāh for my forgiveness,’ and Uways asked Allāh to forgive him.

Then ʿUmar said to him: “Where do you want (to travel)?” Uways replied: “Al-Kūfah.”⁶ ʿUmar said: “Should I not write to its governor for you?” Uways replied: “That I be from amongst the anonymous is more beloved to me.”⁷

Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) prophesied that his Companion, ‘Abdullaah ibn Busr , would live for one hundred years, when he (peace be upon him) put his finger upon ʿAbdullāh’s beauty spot, saying, “Surely, you shall live for a century.”⁸ This took place as the Prophet (peace be upon him)said.

Abū Hurayrah, a famous Companion, said the following to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “O Messenger of Allāh, I hear many aḥādīth (narrations)⁹ from you, but I forget them.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Spread your garment out.” So I spread it out. He then scooped it up, and said, “Embrace it.” So I embraced it, and I never forgot anything after that.”¹⁰ Anyone who opens up the books of ḥadīth today will find that the Companion who related the most narrations is Abū Hurayrah; a verifiable fact.

Peace, Security and Justice

Amongst the future events that the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about was the triumph of Islām, such as its spread to Yemen. He referred to this when the Muslims were only a small, persecuted band living in Makkah, not yet having emigrated to Madeenah. The Companions complained to the Prophet (peace be upon him)  about the suffering they were experiencing at the hands of the tribe of Quraysh, saying, “Will you not ask Allāh to help us? Will you not invoke Allāh for us?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered by telling them about how the former followers of the prophets had suffered greatly, and how this did not cause them to turn back from their religion. He (peace be upon him) then said: “By Allāh, this affair (religion) will certainly be completed (and triumph), until a rider shall set out from Sanʿāʾ to Hadramout, not fearing anything except Allāh or a wolf, lest it harm his sheep. However, you are hasty.”¹¹

This ḥadīth contains the prophecy that Islām would spread to Yemen, which it eventually did, even though the community of believers at the time of this ḥadīth were weak and limited in number while staying in Makkah. Secondly, this ḥadīth also illustrates how, when implemented correctly, Islām brings about peace, security and justice in the land, as it did in Yemen, and elsewhere in Islamic history. 

The Victory of the Romans

While the Companions were suffering in Makkah, a great battle took place between the Romans and the Persians, in which the Persians defeated the Romans. Since the Quraysh worshipped idols, they were pleased that the polytheistic Persians had defeated the Romans. The following ḥadīth mentions the defeat of the Romans and the revelation of how the Romans would soon defeat the Persians: “When Allāh sent down this verse (regarding the Roman defeat), Abū Bakr al-Siddīq would call out in the directions of Makkah:

Aleef-Laam-Meem.¹² The Romans have been defeated. In the nearer land, and they, after their defeat, will be victorious. Within three to nine years. 
[30:1-5]

Some people from the Quraysh said to Abū Bakr: “That is between us and you; your companion [the Prophet] claims that Rome shall defeat Persia, in three to nine years. Should we not place a bet with you regarding this?” Abū Bakr said: “Certainly!” And that was before the prohibition on betting.

Abū Bakr and the polytheists agreed upon the bet, and they said to Abū Bakr: “(Exactly) how
many years do you make the three to nine years; designate between us and you, something in the middle, which will lead to a termination (of agreement). Accordingly, they agreed upon six years.

The six years passed before (the Romans’) victory, so the polytheists took Abū Bakr’s share of the wager. When the seventh year began, the Romans defeated the Persians, and the Muslims censured Abū Bakr for designating the amount to be six years. Said Abū Bakr: “(I did this) because Allāh the Most High said, ‘within three to nine years.’” At that time, many people embraced Islām.”¹³

Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him)  informed his Companions that after the extremely trying Battle of the Trench, the Quraysh would no longer attack the Muslims in Madeenah, and that the Muslims would now be the ones to attack the Quraysh, wherein he (peace be upon him)  said: “Now, we shall attack them, and they shall not attack us; we shall advance towards them.”¹⁴

Certainly, this occurred as the Prophet (peace be upon him)  said, as al-Haafith ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaanee noted in his epic work, Fatḥ al-Bārī: “And herein is a sign from amongst the signs of prophethood, for he (peace be upon him)  performed the lesser Hajj (in Makkah) the following year, in which the Quraysh prevented him from approaching the Ka’bah. Following this, an armistice was reached between them, until the Quraysh broke the treaty. And this was the cause for the conquering of Makkah, and this affair occurred as he (peace be upon him) stated.”¹⁵

This eventual conquering of Makkah appeared to the Prophet (peace be upon him) , when he was shown a dream in which he and his Companions entered Makkah, having their heads shaved and hair cut short, which are from the rites of the Hajj: 

Indeed Allāh shall fulfill the vision that He showed to His Messenger in truth. Certainly, you shall enter the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah], if Allāh wills; secure, (some) having your heads shaved, and (some) having your hair cut short, without fear. He knew what you knew not, and He granted besides that a near victory.
[48:27]

Not only did this conquering of Makkah occur in the same manner as stated in this verse, it occurred without the shedding of blood. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions entered Makkah in this victorious manner, he (peace be upon him) forgave all past deeds the Quraysh had committed against him. As a result of his merciful stance, people entered into the religion of Islām in droves. For indeed, the intent behind the call of Islām is to make the word of Allāh the highest in the land, which is the message that nothing deserves to be worshipped and served, except the One, True God. This was the message of all the prophets.¹⁶

The Prophet Muḥammad’s (peace be upon him) actions show that his intention was not one of blind hatred and revenge, but rather, a strong desire for the guidance of the creation. 

The Changing Faces of Great Empires

The Prophet (peace be upon him)  also spoke about other future events, such as the conquering of Egypt. Abū Tharr related that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, you shall conquer Egypt which is a land in which they measure by the Qīrāt. So when you conquer it, behave in the best possible manner towards its people, for verily, they have inviolability and kinship (in regards to you)¹⁷,” or he said, “inviolability and affiliation of marriage (in regards to you). And when you see two men quarrelling for the space of a brick, depart from that (place).”

Said Abū Tharr: “I saw ‘ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Sharahbīl ibn Ḥasnah and his brother Rabīʿ quarrelling over the space of a brick, so I left that (place).”¹⁸ Indeed, the conquering of Egypt and this quarrelling incident both transpired, as the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) stated they would.

Elsewhere, the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about the conquering of the whole Arabian Peninsula, which would be followed up with the conquering of the Persians, as appears in a ḥadīth narrated by Nāfīʿ ibn ʿUtbah, in which he reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him)  said: “You shall battle in the Arabian Peninsula, and Allāh will grant victory to you in that, then you shall battle Persia, and Allāh will grant victory to you in that.”¹⁹ This eventually occurred, exactly as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said it would.

Not only did the Prophet (peace be upon him) inform his Companions about this future event, he also amazingly explained to them what would result from this great historical occurrence. Abū Hurayrah, the Companion who received divine intervention in augmenting his ability to memorize great amounts of ahaadeeth, reported that the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him)  said: “When Chosroes (of Persia) is ruined, then there will be no Chosroes after him. And when Caesar is ruined, then there will be no Caesar after him.”²⁰

Coalitions of the Willing

We live in a time in which many Muslims have weakened in practicing their religion as it is intended to be practiced. For over a millennium after the revelation of the Qurʾān, Muslims were turning to Islām as their source of guidance. However, as time passed, many Muslims fell into neglect, such that the religious and worldly affairs they had excelled in changed from a situation of strength to one of weakness. Although Islām is the second most prominent religion population-wise in the world today, this great number of adherents has not aided the Muslims to overcome their weaknesses or problems.

On the contrary, coalitions of nations are now able to band together under agreed-upon pretexts and assault Muslim countries at will. These “coalitions of the willing” descend upon these weak nations by using “shock and awe” tactics, and then collectively proceed to devour the natural resources of the nations, splitting up the booty amongst themselves.   

Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) spoke about this exact situation to his Companions, when he said, “It is about to happen that the nations invite one another to come upon you, just as those invited to a meal come together to eat from a dish.” So someone said, “Is that because of our small number on that day?” He said, “Rather, on that day you will be many, but you will be like the waste-foam found upon flood-water. And Allāh will remove the fear of you from the hearts of your enemies and will cast weakness into your hearts.”²¹

These few aforementioned examples of prophesy, along with the countless other prophesies and miracles that were performed, constitute decisive proof that Muḥammad (peace be upon him) was a true messenger of God, like those before him. 

The Qurʾān as Muḥammad’s (peace be upon him) Greatest Miracle 

Although Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) was granted many kinds of miracles, the greatest miracle granted to him was the eternal miracle of the Qurʾān. 

The Qurʾān contains a challenge to mankind that if they are in doubt as regards the divine origins of this book, that they may try either individually or collectively to produce even one chapter of its like. This challenge was given in three stages. Firstly, the pagan Arabs and mankind in general were challenged to produce the like of the Qurʾān as a whole:

Say: “If mankind and the jinn were to gather together to produce the like of this Qurʾān, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed each other up with help and support.”
[17:88]

When hearing the Qurʾān, the Arabs were dumfounded. The speech was unlike the speech of anything they had ever heard, though it was the purest of Arabic. Clear and beautiful, they would feel frustrated when hearing the verses of the Qurʾān, as its eloquence and meaning would move them greatly, sometimes to tears.

When the experts of poetry and language attempted unsuccessfully to fulfill the challenge of producing the like of the Qurʾān as a whole, the challenge was lessened to producing the like of only ten chapters:

Or they say, “He forged it.” Say: “Bring you then ten forged chapters like unto it, and call whomsoever you can other than Allāh (to your aid), if you speak the truth.”
[11:13]

In fulfilling this challenge, the Quraysh could have put an end to Prophet Muḥammad’s (peace be upon him) call. They would not have needed to try to entice him to leave his mission by offering him wealth, leadership and marriage. Likewise, the wars they waged on the Prophet (peace be upon him)  and his companions could have been averted, had they and their linguistic experts been able to rise to this challenge. 

The final challenge issued was to produce the like of only one chapter of the Qurʾān. Sūrah al-Kawthar is the shortest chapter in the Qurʾān, being only three verses long. Consequently, the final challenge issued to mankind is to reproduce only three verses that are similar to those of the Qurʾān:

And if you are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to Our servant, then produce a chapter of the like thereof; and call your witnesses and helpers besides Allāh, if you are truthful. [2:23]

Hamilton Gibb, the famous Arabist from the University of Oxford, stated that the Qurʾān is a “literary monument” that “stands by itself,” adding that it is “a production unique to the Arabic literature, having neither forerunners nor successors in its own idiom.”

“The influence of the Koran on the development of Arabic Literature has been incalculable and exerted in many directions,” states Gibb. “Its ideas, its language, its rhymes pervade all subsequent literary works in greater or lesser measure. Its specific linguistic features were not emulated, either in the chancery prose of the next century or in the later prose writings.”

Going a step further, Professor Gibb actually concedes the following: “No man in fifteen hundred years has ever played on that deep-toned instrument with such power, such boldness, and such range of emotional effect as Mohammad did.”²²

Professor Gibb made these conclusions after researching the linguistic wonder of the Qurʾān. However, it seems surprising that Gibb did not tie his findings with the challenge that exists within the Qurʾān, when he concluded that Muḥammad (peace be upon him)  was the one who achieved all of these incredible accomplishments.  After all, can Gibb think of an example in any language of a book that challenges all of mankind to reproduce the like of only a part of it? Furthermore, could Gibb think of any other book in the world that experts could deem as being an unsurpassable display of greatness in that particular language? Could this possibly be a coincidence? For these reasons, it seems surprising that Gibb’s admission that the Qurʾān has “neither forerunners nor successors” does not lead him to even consider the possibility that this challenge really came from the Creator and Knower of all things. 

Similarly, it seems surprising that after affirming the wonders of the Qurʾān, Professor Gibb would ascribe these wonders to someone he knows was an illiterate man who had never shown any kind of literary orientation or expertise before he began to receive revelation.

Neither did you (O Muḥammad) read any book before this, nor did you write any book with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted.
[29:48]

Ibn Kathīr (d.774 AH, 1372 CE), the renowned commentator on the Qurʾān, spoke about this incredible challenge, saying that the Arabs of that time were “the most eloquent of nations, and they were challenged with this task several times over in Makkah and Madeenah. This challenge was given while the Muslims experienced the severity of the pagan Arab’s enmity and their hatred for the religion of Islām. In spite of this, they were not able to meet this challenge. For this reason, Allāh said: 

But if you cannot do this – and you will never do it – then fear the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for those who disbelieve.
[2:24]

In addition, “you will never” is a negation of this ever being able to happen in the future, namely, that you will never be able to do it. This is another miracle, being that the Prophet conveyed these verses (from Allāh) about this decisive and definite information in advance, free of fear, that this Qurʾān can never be equalled with anything else in any age. 

This matter has already occurred, as nobody has been able to equal the Qurʾān up to this time; nor is it possible for this to be done. How could this be made feasible for anyone when the Qurʾān is the actual speech of Allāh, the Creator of all things? How could the speech of the creation resemble the speech of the Creator?”²³

The Eternal Preservation of the Qurʾān

Another aspect of the inimitability of the Qurʾān is the claim it contains that it will be protected from change forever. If one were to recollect all of the different kinds of books that have ever been written from the earliest of times, would it be possible to think of any other book that claims it will be preserved forever?

Verily, it is We who sent down the Qurʾān, and indeed, We will guard it (from corruption).
[15:9]

Incredibly enough, the Qurʾān that exists today does not differ from one place to another. If anyone tried to change a letter of the Qurʾān – and this has been attempted – Muslim children all over the world would be able to correct that individual. Because of its wonderful structure and harmonious nature, a non-Arab speaker can memorize the whole book in months:

And We have indeed made the Qurʾān easy to understand and remember; then is there any that will receive admonition?
[54:17]

The Ultimate Miracle of the Qurʾān

In his book entitled “Islām,” Alfred Guillaume speaks about the inimitability of the Qurʾān, albeit through a somewhat detracting view: 

“The Quran is one of the world’s classics which cannot be translated without grave loss. It has a rhythm of peculiar beauty and a cadence that charms the ear. Many Christian Arabs speak of its style with warm admiration, and most Arabists acknowledge its excellence. When it is read aloud or recited it has an almost hypnotic effect that makes the listener indifferent to its sometimes strange syntax²⁴ and its sometimes, to us, repellent content. It is this quality it possesses of silencing criticism by the sweet music of its language that has given birth to the dogma of its inimitability; indeed it may be affirmed that within the literature of the Arabs, wide and fecund as it is both in poetry and in elevated prose, there is nothing to compare with it.”²⁵

Although Guillaume is willing to affirm the inimitability of the Qurʾān to a certain degree, he seems unwilling to affirm the greatest aspect of the miracle of the Qurʾān; its content. Speaking about what he views as the Qurʾān’s sometimes “repellent content,” Guillaume has successfully passed over the greatest aspect of the Qurʾānic miracle, about which Allāh said:

This is the Book, whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who fear and keep their duty to Allāh.
[2:2]

The Qurʾān guides people to everything the Creator knows is best for His creation, and leads people away from those things He knows are detrimental to them. Regarding the guidance contained within the Qurʾān and how some people attempt to place doubt upon its precepts, Shaykh ‘ʿAbd al-Raḥmān as-Sa’dee (d.1956CE, 1376H), the late scholar of Islām, posed the following important questions: “Are they equal, that which the messengers commanded with, such as truthfulness in speech and action and sincerity of purpose to God… and the enjoining of goodness and keeping family ties, the fulfilment of the rights of neighbours, acquaintances and workers… or the commanding of what opposes that? And are they equal, the commanding with justice, kindness and benevolence, aiding relatives, the forbidding of indecency, abomination and transgression against the creation with regards to their blood, possessions and honour; and the cooperating upon virtue and piety, or the commanding of what opposes that?”²⁶

The causes for Guillaume’s comment that some of the Qurʾān contains “repellent content” can be sourced back to two important matters. Firstly, Guillaume used the term “sometimes” because, quite often, the content of the Qurʾān might agree with the “human values” that his society already lives by. Those matters contained within the Qurʾān that contradict these ever-changing “human values” will then be deemed to be from a former time, and thus “repellent.” However, does not the consistent changing of values necessitate that a continuous series of errors is being made in forming these ethics?

Another matter that might cause Guillaume to dislike parts of the Qurʾān is the way the Creator challenges the reader to reconsider their beliefs with strong, factual and logical argumentation. The persuasiveness of the Qurʾān is referred to in the following verse:

And no example do they bring (to oppose or to find fault in you or in this Qurʾān), but We reveal to you the truth (against that example), and the better explanation thereof.  
[25:33]

Some people are able to recognize these factual arguments as being remedies that are mercifully put forward to heal people’s hearts of any misunderstandings or misconceptions they and their societies might hold. Others find that being addressed in this fashion poses a threat to them, as they feel their systems of belief are being challenged, and thus resent that:

We send down of the Qurʾān that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe; and it increases the wrongdoers nothing but loss.
[17:82]

One of the problems with those who claim to be adherents of freedom and liberalism is that they are often not very open to reconsidering certain conclusions they might have already drawn. The claim to being liberalist necessitates that an individual be open minded and ready to change any preconceived notions once convincing proof is provided to substantiate something new or different. People who claim to be open and liberal often become very sensitive and intolerant when valid criticism of their beliefs is made. Refusing to consider something before it is even brought forward is a sign of insularity, not liberalism.

Beyond some of the clear signs the Qurʾān contains which indicate that it could never have come about by any man – never mind an illiterate one – the greatest component of the Qurʾānic miracle can be found in the guidance it offers mankind. The reader will be able to weigh up the proofs and evidences it offers in invalidating all man-made beliefs and ideologies, and whether or not it actually is an eternal miracle as a timeless criterion in judging between right and wrong.

Footnotes:

[1] Bernard Lewis, The Crisis of Islām, The New York Times, April 6, 2003.
[2] Carrie A. Moore, Common threads among different faiths, Deseret News, March 1, 2003.
[3] Queensland Humanist, Journal of the Humanist Society of Queensland Inc., Vol. 35 No. 1, January 2001.
[4] Related by Abū Dāwūd (vol.12,. 397) (See: Shaykh Muqbil ibn Hādī al-Wādiʿī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ al-Musnad min Dalāʿil al-Nubuwwah, Maktabah Sanʿāʾ al-Athariyyah, p.638)
[5] Related by al-Bukhārī (no.3623)
[6] A former city in Iraq
[7] Related by Muslim (no.6172)
[8] Related by Aḥmad (vol.4, p. 189) (See: Dalaa’il an-Nubuwwah, p.646)
[9] Prophetical narrations
[10] Related by al-Bukhārī (no.3648)
[11] Related by al-Bukhārī (no.6943)
[12] The true meaning of these letters that precede some of the chapters in the Qurʾān is known only to Allāh.
[13] Related by al-Bukhārī in al-Tārīkh al-Kabīr (vol.8, p.139) (See: Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah, p.642)
[14] Related by al-Bukhārī (no.4110)
[15] Al-Hāfiẓ Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalānī, Fatḥ al-Bārī, Dār al-Salām al-Riyāḍ, no.4110, vol.7, p.506.
[16] The first of the Commandments mentioned in the Bible calls openly to the singling out of God in all worship and the rejection of all forms of polytheism: “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3) Since this verse is the first of the Commandments, it was obviously the starting point of Moses’ call to his people. The second Commandment is also related to monotheism, while the third Commandment, again, prohibits polytheism: “You shall not bow down to them or serve them.” Then follow the other Commandments dealing with honouring parents, not killing, not committing adultery, not stealing, etc. Obviously, commanding the people with monotheism and prohibiting them from polytheism was a great fundamental of all the Prophets: “And Jesus answered him: ‘The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.”’ (Mark 12:29) With the passing of time, these fundamentals have become abandoned by those who claim to be following these prophets.
[17] The renowned scholar az-Zuhree (d.124H) said: “The kinship (referred to) is that the mother of (Prophet) Ishmael is from the Egyptians.” (Related by al-Ḥākim (vol.2, p.553) See: Dalāʾil al-Nubuwwah, p.521)
[18] Related by Muslim (no.6174)
[19] Related by Muslim (no.6930)
[20] Related by al-Bukhārī (no.2907)
[21] Related by Abū Dāwūd (no. 4284). Authenticated by al-Albaanee in Silsilat Al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 958).
[22] Hamilton Gibb, Islām – A Historical Survey, Oxford University Press, 1980, p. 28. (Quoted from Islamic Awareness’: What Is The Challenge Of The Qur’an With Respect To Arabic Prose & Poetry?)
[23] Al-Haafith ’Imaadud-Deen Ibn Katheer al-Qurashee, Tafseer al-Qurʾān al-‘Atheem, Daarul-Andalus, p.104-105.
[24] The syntax that Guillaume is referring to here is in fact one of the components of the linguistic miracles of the Qurʾān. Only those who are truly well grounded in the details of the Arabic language would be able to understand the amazing implications of say, the changes of verb tense that occur in the Qurʾān. These subtleties have escaped Guillaume and many orientalists who have not grasped the intricacies of the Arabic language enough to realise the miraculous use of syntax that exists in the Qurʾān.
Had it been otherwise, those who were present at the time of the linguistic peak of the Arabic language in the seventh century would have attacked the Qurʾān on this basis when they were being challenged to equal it. Instead, it has been attempted by later generations of people whose language skills are weaker than those who were present during these linguistic golden years, some of them being non-native speakers.
[25] Alfred Guillaume, Islām, Penguin Books, 1990 (Reprinted), pp. 73-74. (Quoted from Islamic Awareness’: What Is The Challenge Of The Qur’an With Respect To Arabic Prose & Poetry?)
[26] Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī, al-Adillat al-Qawātiʿ wa-al-Barāhīn fī Ibtāl Usūl al-Mulhidīn, Dār al-Minhāj, pp.39-40)