Jesus, son of Mary. I am only a servant, so say, ‘Allah’s servant and His Messenger.’” For this reason, Allah affirmed his status as a servant in his loftiest stations, saying:

“Glory be to Him who took His servant by night.”

Allah Most High also said:

“Then He revealed to His servant what He revealed.”

And He said:

“When Allah’s servant stood up to call upon Him, they almost crowded upon him.”

For this reason, it is prescribed that, in the tashahhud (the testimony recited while seated in prayer) and in all prescribed sermons and addresses—such as the Friday and Eid sermons, and addresses for occasions such as marriage and other matters—we say:

“I bear witness that none is worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”

The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, emphasized his servanthood so that the Muslim community would not fall into what the Christians had fallen into concerning the Messiah: claiming divinity for him. Thus, when a man said to him, “As Allah wills and you will,” he replied:

“Have you made me a rival to Allah? Rather, say: ‘As Allah alone wills.’”

He also said to his Companions:

“Do not say, ‘As Allah wills and Muhammad wills.’ Rather, say, ‘As Allah wills, then Muhammad wills.’”

And he said:

“Do not make my grave a place of recurring gatherings. Send blessings upon me wherever you are, for your blessings reach me.”

And he said:

“O Allah, do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped. Allah’s wrath was severe against people who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship.”

And he said:

“Those before you used to take graves as places of worship. Beware! Do not take graves as places of worship, for I forbid you to do so.”

Excess has arisen within the Muslim community among two groups: a group of misguided Shiites who believe in the divinity of the prophets and the imams of the Prophet’s household, and a group of ignorant Sufis who hold similar beliefs concerning the prophets and the righteous. Anyone who imagines that our Prophet, or any other prophet, possesses any divinity or lordship is of the same kind as the Christians. The rights due to the prophets are only those set forth concerning them in the Quran and Sunnah.

Allah Most High said, addressing the Children of Israel:

“And you believe in My messengers, support them, and lend Allah a good loan, I will surely remove your misdeeds from you and admit you into