“…and have completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion.” (Q 5:3)

God has therefore perfected the religion for this community through the Prophet’s tongue; they need only someone to transmit that perfected religion—they have no need of a muḥaddath. Hence the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“Among the nations before you there were inspired ones (muḥaddathūn); if there is any such person in my nation, it is ʿUmar.”

He did not assert categorically that his nation contains a muḥaddath, whereas he did affirm that such persons existed in the nations before us—despite our nation’s being the best and most complete of all nations. The reason is that our community has no need for muḥaddathūn, just as it has no need for any prophet other than Muḥammad from whom to receive revelation. Whatever knowledge they possess concerning the affairs of the prophets has reached them solely through Muḥammad; he is the one who conveyed to them all that has come down to them regarding the prophets. As for what he did not convey, his community has no need of it. For that reason he did not oblige them to investigate such matters, weighing truth against falsehood.

It is established in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“When the People of the Book relate something to you, neither confirm it nor deny it; for they may tell you something true and you would reject it, or they may tell you something false and you would accept it. Rather, say: ‘We believe in Allah, in what has been sent down to us, and in what has been sent down to you.’”

Thus, he enjoined a universal belief that embraces all—