Al-A'raf (The Heights): Verse 158

Know that when the Almighty said: {Then I will decree it for those who guard themselves against evil} (Al-A'raf: 156), He then clarified that a condition for this mercy to be attained by those pious ones is their adherence to the Prophet, the unlettered Messenger. Thus, in this verse, His Prophethood to all creation is confirmed. He said: {Say: "O people! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all."}

In this statement, there are two issues:

Issue 1: The Universality of the Prophet's Mission

This verse indicates that Muhammad (PBUH) was sent to all of creation. A group of Jews, known as the 'Isawiyyah (followers of Jesus of Isfahan), claimed that Muhammad was a truthful messenger sent only to the Arabs, not to the Children of Israel. Our proof against their claim is this very verse, because His statement: {O people!} is an address encompassing all people.

Then He said: {Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.} This necessitates that he was sent to all people. Furthermore, what is known through continuous transmission (tawātur) of his religion is that he claimed to be sent to the entire world.

We must consider: either he was a true messenger or he was not.

1. If he was a true messenger, falsehood is impossible for him. We must affirm the truthfulness of everything he claimed. Since it is established by tawātur and the apparent meaning of this verse that he claimed to be sent to all creation, it must be true. This refutes the claim that he was sent only to the Arabs and not to the Children of Israel.
2. If one claims he was not a true messenger, this invalidates his message to the Arabs and everyone else. Thus, the assertion that he was a messenger to some people but not others is a contradictory falsehood.

If this is established, we consider the statement: {Say: "O people! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all."}

Some scholars hold that this generality (ʿumūm) has been specified (takhṣīṣ). They cite two grounds for specification:

1. He is a messenger to people only insofar as they are among the accountable (mukallafīn). If they are not accountable, he is not a messenger to them. This is based on the Prophet's saying: "The pen has been lifted from three: the child until he reaches puberty, the sleeper until he awakens, and the insane until he regains sanity."
2. He is the Messenger of Allah to everyone to whom the news of his existence, miracles, and laws has reached, enabling them to follow him. If we suppose there are people at the ends of the earth who have not received news of his appearance, miracles, or laws, they are not obligated to acknowledge his prophethood.

Other scholars deny that specification applies based on these two points:

1. Regarding the first point: The address {O people!} only pertains to the accountable. Therefore, the people included in this address are only the accountable ones. Under this interpretation, there is no need to claim that the verse's generality has been specified.
2. Regarding the second point: It is highly improbable that there exist people at the ends of the earth who have not received news of Muhammad's (PBUH) appearance, miracles, and laws. Since this is unlikely, there is no need to impose this specification.

Issue 2: The Universality of Previous Prophets

Although this verse proves Muhammad (PBUH) was sent to all creation, it does not prove that other Prophets (peace be upon them) were sent to all creation. We must refer to other evidence to determine if any other Prophet was sent universally.

Some scholars argue that no one before him was sent universally, citing his saying: "I have been given five things that no one before me was given: I was sent to the red and the black; the earth was made a place of prostration and purification for me; I was aided by terror cast into the hearts of my enemies for a month's journey; spoils of war were made lawful for me, which were not lawful for anyone before me; and I was given the right of intercession for my Ummah."

However, one might argue that this narration does not definitively prove the point. It is possible that the combination of these five characteristics was unique to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and that one specific element (like universal mission) was not unique to him. Furthermore, it is said that Adam (PBUH) was sent to all his descendants, meaning he was sent to all people of his time. Similarly, when Noah (PBUH) disembarked from the Ark, he was sent to those with him, and at that time, all people were only those people.

Know that after commanding His Messenger to tell all people, "I am the Messenger of Allah to you all," the Almighty followed it by mentioning what proves the truthfulness of this claim.

This claim is only complete and beneficial if four foundational principles are established:

This is indicated by His statement: {He to Whom belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth.} The bodies of the heavens and the earth indicate their need for a Living, Knowing, Capable Creator, as mentioned in many places in the Qur'an. We need this foundation for the validity of accountability (taklīf) and the sending of Messengers because if the universe had no effective cause, or if its cause was inherently necessary (mūjib bi-l-dhāt) rather than an agent by choice, then the sending of Prophets and Messengers would be impossible.

This is alluded to by His statement: {There is no god but He.} We need this foundation for the validity of accountability because if there were two gods, and one sent a messenger to creation, the person whom the messenger calls to worship that god might have been created by the other god. In that case, that person would be obligated to obey the second god, making the messenger's call and the imposition of obedience unjust and false. However, if God is established as One, then all creation are His servants, and His decree is binding upon all, and obedience to His commands and prohibitions is necessary. Thus, without establishing the Oneness of God, sending Messengers and revealing Books containing accountability is not permissible.

If this is not established, then engaging in obedience and abstaining from sin becomes futile and meaningless. This foundation is alluded to by His statement: {He gives life and causes death.} Since He brought life into existence initially, His capability to bring life again is proven, meaning He is capable of returning and resurrecting. In this case, the first life is a great favor, so it is not far-fetched that He demands servitude in return, making their fulfillment of that obedience a form of gratitude for the first life. Moreover, since the first life proves His power for a second life, He is capable of delivering recompense.

Once these three foundations are established, it is proven that it is sound for God to send Messengers and demand accountability from creation. This is because, under this premise, all creation are His servants with no master besides Him; He is the Benefactor to all with the greatest favors; and He is capable of delivering final recompense after death. Each of these three reasons is a sufficient basis for the propriety of holding creation accountable:

1. It is proper for the Master to demand obedience and service from His servant.
2. It is proper for the Benefactor to demand gratitude and obedience from the one benefited.
3. It is proper for the One capable of delivering perfect recompense to hold the accountable to a form of obedience.

Thus, since the three foundations are established by the proofs mentioned in this verse, it necessarily follows that it is sound for God to send Messengers and permissible for Him to specify them with various types of accountability. The verses mentioned thus prove that the universe has a Living, Knowing, Capable God, that this God is One, and that it is proper for Him to send Messengers and reveal Books.

Know that after establishing these principles through the proofs in this verse, He followed it with: {Say: "O people!"} This sequence is exquisitely beautiful. After first demonstrating that the belief in sending Prophets and Messengers is permissible and possible, He followed it by stating that Muhammad is a true Messenger from God. Whoever seeks to prove a proposition must first demonstrate its possibility, and then its actual occurrence.

He began with: {It was not for a Prophet...} because we explained that belief in God is the foundation (aṣl), and belief in Prophethood and Messengership is a branch (farʿ) stemming from it. The foundation must precede the branch. For this reason, He began with {It was not for a Prophet...} and followed it with: {...nor a Messenger, that after [receiving revelations] he should say to the people...}

Know that this points to mentioning the miracles that prove his true Prophethood. The explanation is: The miracles of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) were of two types:

Type 1: Miracles manifested in his blessed essence. The greatest and noblest of these is that he was an unlettered man who learned from no teacher, studied no book, and associated with no scholar—Mecca was not a city of scholars. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not leave Mecca for a long absence during which it could be claimed he learned many sciences. Despite this, God opened the door of knowledge and verification to him, revealing this Qur'an containing the sciences of the ancients and the latter ones. The emergence of these great sciences in him, despite being an unlettered man who met no teacher and read no book, is one of the greatest miracles. This is alluded to by: {the unlettered Prophet}.

Type 2: Miracles that appeared through his actions, such as the splitting of the moon and the gushing of water from between his fingers. These are called the Words of Allah. Do you not see that since the birth of Jesus (PBUH) was a strange event contrary to custom, God called him a "Word"? Similarly, since miracles are strange, extraordinary events, it is not far-fetched to call them the Words of Allah. This type is intended by: {who believes in Allah and His Words}. That is, he believes in Allah and in all the miracles God manifested through him. In this manner, he established the proof of his being a truthful Prophet from God.

Once the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) was established by the overwhelming proofs we detailed, it was necessary to immediately mention the way by which the details of his Law (Sharīʿah) can be known—which is by referring to his sayings and actions. This is alluded to by His statement: {And follow him.}

Know that following (mutābaʿah) encompasses following in speech and following in action.

• Following in speech means the accountable person complies with everything he says regarding commands, prohibitions, encouragements, and warnings.
• Following in action means performing the like of what the followed one performed, whether in action or in abstention.

Thus, the term {And follow him} encompasses both categories. Since the command implies obligation (wujūb), His statement {And follow him} is evidence that obedience is obligatory in every command and prohibition, and imitation is obligatory in everything he did, except for what is specified by separate evidence as being unique to the Messenger (PBUH).

If it is argued: An action performed by the Messenger might have been done as an obligation upon him, or it might have been done as a recommendation (mandūb). If he did it as a recommendation, and we perform it as an obligation upon us, we would be failing to follow him and breaking our covenant. Since the verse indicates the obligation to follow him, the Messenger's performance of that act does not imply it is obligatory upon us.

We reply: Following in action means performing the like of the action performed by the followed one. The evidence is that if someone performs an action and another person concurs with that action, it is said that the second person followed the first. If the second person did not perform it, it is said he opposed him. Since performing the like of the followed one's action is following, and the verse mandates following, it must be obligatory for the Ummah to perform the like of the Messenger's action (PBUH).

The remaining issue is that we do not know whether he (PBUH) performed that act with the intention of obligation or recommendation. We say: The state of the motives and firm intentions (ʿazā'im) is unknown, whereas the state of performing the apparent action and observable deed is known. Therefore, we must disregard the inquiry into the state of intentions and motives, as they are hidden from us, and rule on the obligation of following the apparent action, as it is something that can be observed. This removes the doubt. The principle is: This verse indicates that the default for every action the Messenger performed is that it is obligatory for us to perform its like, unless separate evidence specifies otherwise.

Once this is known, we say: If we wish to rule on the obligation of a certain action, we ask: Is this action better performed or left undone? If the answer is that it is better performed, then we know that the Messenger performed it at least once. This is because it is necessary knowledge that the Messenger would never persistently leave the better option throughout his life. Thus, we know he (PBUH) performed this better course of action. As for whether he performed it in the best manner, that is doubtful, and the doubtful should not contradict the known. Thus, it is established that he (PBUH) performed the better side. Once this is established, it must be obligatory upon us due to His statement in this verse: {And follow him}. This is a noble principle and a universal rule for knowing rulings, supported by His statement: {Nor does he speak from his own desire. It is naught but revelation revealed} (An-Najm: 3-4). Therefore, its like is obligatory upon us due to His statement: {And follow him}.

As for His statement: {That you may become guided}, there are two points of discussion:

1. The word (laʿalla) implies hope/expectation, which is not appropriate for God, so it must be interpreted metaphorically.
2. Its apparent meaning suggests that God intended guidance and faith from all the accountable, according to the Mu'tazila. The discussion regarding establishing these two points has been repeated many times in this book, so there is no benefit in repetition.