(285) “The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers. Each believes in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they say, ‘We hear and obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord! To You is the final return.’”

Allah Most High tells of the faith of the Messenger and the believers with him, their submission and obedience, and how, despite this, they ask for forgiveness. He states that they believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. This entails believing, both generally and in detail, in everything Allah has stated about Himself and everything His messengers have related from Him concerning His attributes of perfection and majestic qualities; affirming that He is exalted above all likeness, all denial of His attributes, and every imperfection.

It also entails believing, both generally and in detail, in the angels mentioned by the revealed laws, and believing in all the messengers and Books—that is, in every report conveyed by the messengers and contained in the Books, and in all their commands and prohibitions. They make no distinction between any of His messengers; rather, they believe in them all, for they are intermediaries between Allah and His servants. Thus, disbelieving in some of them is disbelief in them all; indeed, it is disbelief in Allah.

“And they say, ‘We hear’” what You have commanded and forbidden us, “‘and obey’” You in that. They are not among those who said, “We hear and disobey.” Since a servant inevitably falls short in fulfilling Allah’s rights and is constantly in need of His forgiveness, they say, “Your forgiveness”—that is, we ask You to forgive our shortcomings and sins and to erase the faults with which we have become blemished. “To You is the final return”—that is, all creatures will return to You, and You will recompense them for the good and evil they have done.