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For He—exalted is He—has promised reward in the Hereafter only to those who believed in Muhammad ﷺ, about whom He said:
“When they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears because of the truth they have recognized. They say, ‘Our Lord, we believe, so record us among the witnesses.’” ⦗al-Maʾidah 5:83⦘.
The witnesses are those who testify to his messengership, declaring that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They are the very “witnesses” of whom He said:
“Thus We made you a balanced community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and the Messenger a witness over you.” ⦗al-Baqarah 2:143⦘.
For this reason Ibn ʿAbbas and others said regarding His words:
فَهُوَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَعِدْ بِالثَّوَابِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا لِهَؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِمُحَمَّدٍ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -
الَّذِينَ قَالَ فِيهِمْ:
{وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ تَرَى أَعْيُنَهُمْ تَفِيضُ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ مِمَّا عَرَفُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاكْتُبْنَا مَعَ الشَّاهِدِينَ}
[المائدة: ٨٣]
.
وَالشَّاهِدُونَ هُمُ الَّذِينَ شَهِدُوا لَهُ بِالرِّسَالَةِ فَشَهِدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ،
وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُمُ الشُّهَدَاءُ الَّذِينَ قَالَ فِيهِمْ:
{وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا}
[البقرة: ١٤٣]
.
وَلِهَذَا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ وَغَيْرُهُ فِي قَوْلِهِ: