The fourth proof: The dispatch of the Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, necessitates the existence of Allaah the dispatcher

From the moment Allaah put mankind on this earth, the revelation of messages did not cease during any age or at any time. The first prophet on the face of the earth was Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, and the first Messenger was Nooh, may Allaah exalt his mention, . The sending of the messengers and prophets was successive, so that no nation was left without its own message until Allaah brought it all to a conclusion with their seal, their master, and their leader, Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, . This dispatching of messengers was thus a gift from Allaah The Almighty by which He established the proof against creation.

          As for those whom the call or message did not reach, then the most preponderant understanding about them is that Allaah shall Test them accordingly on the Day of Judgment. Whoever obeys Him will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys Him will enter the Fire. He clarified this in His Saying (which means): {On the day the Shin will be unveiled; and they will be called to prostrate but they will not be able.} [Quran 68:42]

          This contains a confirmation from Him of His equity and a negation of injustice, just as He Says (what means): {We do not punish until We send a messenger.} [Quran 17:15], i.e. by establishing the case against them through the Messengers and the revelation of books.

          It is important here to note that prophethood essentially establishes the existence of the one who sent such a prophet.

If man is left bare of Allaah’s guidance, he will be lost in the paths of life. How many thoughts and contradictory opinions surround him! He is undoubtedly affected by these constant external influences which he sees through the behavior of those around him . Add to this all desires and doubtful matters that are beautified to him by the eloquent devils of menankind and Jinn alike. He has none to protect him in his way of knowing the truth, which he is obliged to seek, as he can have no notion of the Knower of the Unseen, to whom he will return, except through the prophets whom Allaah Sent to guide him to what he must believe and to how he must manage his life.

          The call of all the prophets was to achieve the full meaning of servitude, in work and worship, is for Allaah  alone. Allaah thus Dispatched the Messengers to purge the fitrah of faults and to Guide to truth and welfare. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {We did not send before you any Messenger without inspiring unto him that, “There is no god but Me, so worship Me.”} [Quran 21:25]

          The word ilaah [translated as “god” in the above verse] has over twenty-two meanings in the Arabic language. All of these meanings can be summarized into two definitions. First, that the ilaah is the beloved who is surpassed in love by none. Second, that it is the one obeyed above the obedience of any other. These two understandings comprise the true meaning of servitude, about which our Lord Says (what means): {I did not create jinn and man except to worship Me.} [Quran 51:56]

          When the servant submits his heart, mind, life, conduct and ideas to what his Lord wants, he has freed himself of being servant of anything other than Allaah. This servitude is achieved through submitting to Allaah and excelling in one’s deeds with aspirations for His pleasure. This is a right Allaah has over His slaves. Is He not their creator? Is He not their benefactor and provider? Is He not the maintainer of the dominion of the heavens and the earth? Surely it is His right to be the only thing worshiped without partner. This worship is further confirmed in His Saying (which means): {Say: Verily My prayer, my sacrifice, my life, and my death belong to Allaah, Lord of the worlds.} [Quran 6:162]; {my life} means that the deeds offered in life is itself the worship of Allaah.

Full servitude comprises one’s entire life; of beliefs, deds, manners, and character, and it provides a way to deal with all of life’s affairs. Such servitude can only be achieved by obeying Allaah in what He guided us to do for our own benefit. Allaah  only Commands the best and only Forbids corruption. He Says (what means): {Allaah does not like corruption.} [Quran 2:205] This servitude is only realized by truly ridding oneself of being enslaved to devils, to the self and desire, and to the human troops of Satan. Only then is true freedom found and full dignity achieved.

Supporting the messengers with undefeatable miracles:

Unto every prophet Allaah gave a miracle, supporting him thereby; but what is a miracle; and what is meant by inimitability?

A miracle is an extraordinary act, coupled with a challenge and the like of which cannot be done by any one.

It is used practically to mean the mode and manner by which Allaah challenged every people to whom He sent a Messenger, that they may know that this Messenger did not bring to them his own arguments for believing in the oneness of Allaah  and His rules and His laws; but rather, what he brought was from Allaah Himself The Almighty.

          Hence, the miraculousness lies in the challenge itself, as it shows the inability of man to meet this challenge. Such is a sign, proof and evidence that what the prophets and messengers said was indeed from our Lord. Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be Pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet , sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, “There was no prophet that was not given signs, the likes of which caused men to believe. I was given a revelation revealed unto me by Allaah; and I expect to be the most of them in followers on the Day of Judgment.” [Al-Bukhaari and  Muslim]

The greatest miracle of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was an intellectual, everlasting and continuous miracle. It is the Noble Quran, which challenged man since times of old until our present day to convene with distinguished men of letters and produce something the like thereof. Allowance was even given for them to bring but ten surahs—forged against Allaah—then further to merely bring a single surah of its like. He The Almighty Says (what means): {Or do they say that he made it up? Nay, they do not believe. Let them then produce some speech like it, if they are truthful.} [Quran 53:33-34]

He also Says (what means): {Or do they say he forged it? Say: Then bring ten forged surahs like it and call upon whomever you can, other than Allaah, if you are truthful.} [Quran 11:13], and: {Or do they say he forged it? Say: Then bring a surah like it and call upon whomever you can, other than Allaah, if you are truthful.} [Quran 10:38], and their situation was just as Allaah Says (what means): {Indeed they do not consider you a liar, but the tyrants stubbornly reject the signs of Allaah.} [Quran 6:33]

As for the previous prophets, their miracles were related to the state of their own people. Since sorcery was spread in the time of Fir‘awn (Pharaoh), Moosa, may Allaah exalt his mention, brought a stick resembling the product of sorcerers, but it seized what they conjoured. No one else was able to do this very thing, so the first to believe in Moosa were the sorcerers themselves, who were the strongest force in Pharaoh’s favor.

This sorcery, being a mythical, deceptive and satanic phenomenon, was devoured by a divine and holy reality. These sorcerers were the scholars of sorcery, so they knew with undoubting and certain knowledge that what Moosa brought was not sorcery. Rather, it was an inimitable miracle that no human is able to perform. Even when Pharaoh said to them, “I will kill you,” they said: {Decide whatever you decide. You only decide in this life. Indeed we believe in our Lord, that He might forgive us our sins and what you forced us to do of sorcery. Allaah is the best choice and most lasting.} [Quran 20:72-73] Pharaoh forced them to do something imaginary and founded on falsehood—a mere illusion—but Allaah made what Moosa brought a miracle that overwhelmed the sorcerers, so they were certain that this was from Allaah. Pharaoh himself was also sure it was true, but his soul’s desire prevented his confession.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {They stubbornly rejected them, though their souls were certain thereof, out of injustice and haughtiness.} [Quran 27:14]

Allaah gave ‘Eesa, may Allaah exalt his mention, the ability to revive the dead and to heal the blind and the leper, as his was a time during which medicine had advanced. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {When you shaped of clay the form of a bird by My permission, then blew into it and it became a bird by My permission, and you healed the blind and the leper by My permission, and you brought forth the dead by My permission.} [Quran 5:110] Allaah Produced these extraordinary events to overwhelm and overtake the material minds turned from the truth brought by the Messengers.

Then when the lights shone for the message of Islam, which was delivered by our master Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, , it came in a time when different aspects of life were in darkness and oppression reigned; tyranny was widespread and religiosity was corrupted. It was a time when Allaah Detested the people of the earth—the Arabs and non-Arabs alike, save a few remaining of people who were following the religion of Ibraaheem—as was narrated by ‘Iyaadh ibn Himaar from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. [Muslim]

At that, Allaah Authorized the mission of our prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and Gave him more than a single miracle. He gave him many different kinds of miracles. The most apparent and important of these are the six types we will mention below. The message of Allaah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the final, eternal and modern message. If another society comes after this society, able to uncover sciences and technologies surpassing the sciences of today—even thousands of times more—then there would still be in the Book of Allaah and in the Sunnah of His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, overwhelming and startling truths for the minds of men. Allaah shall Present His case in every time period, that the signs of Allaah should remain modern and continuous. Great scientists of the west and the east, specialists in their various sciences, will be defeated and humbled by its magnificence.

These inimitable miracles and guiding evidences came at the hand of an illiterate prophet in an era of ignorance, not in an age of science and discovery. He brought truths consistent with the Fitrah, confirmed by sound minds, and not conflicting with scientific data. Such was affirmed by the French gastroenterologist, Maurice Bucaille (1920-1998) in his book The Bible, The Quran and Science.

The evidences for the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, continue, apparent in every age, indicating his truthfulness. Al-Bayhaqi said in the introduction to his Dalaa’il An-Nubuwwah (1/19), referring to these evidences:

If one (evidence of prophethood) was unknown to a group, another would reach them. If one did not work, another would succeed. If one was lost to time, another would remain. In every situation, the proof  is overwheliming.