Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-Itiqad - Salih Al-Fawzan - (179)

Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-ItiqadSalih Al-Fawzan

Here a question presents itself that needs clarification: what is the difference between a prophet and a messenger? According to the well-known view, a messenger is a male human being to whom a divine law is revealed and who is commanded to convey it, whereas a prophet is a male human being to whom a divine law is revealed but who is not commanded to convey it. Both prophet and messenger receive revelation; however, a prophet may be sent to a community that already believes in earlier scriptures—such as the prophets of the Children of Israel—who instructed their people to follow the Torah. One of them might also receive a specific revelation concerning a particular matter. Messengers, by contrast, are sent to disbelieving peoples, calling them to affirm Allah’s oneness and worship Him; they are dispatched to those who oppose them, and some of those opponents belie them. For this reason a messenger is superior to a prophet.

Even among the messengers there are degrees of excellence. Allah the Exalted says, “Those messengers—We favored some of them over others” ⦗1⦘.

The most excellent of the messengers are the possessors of steadfast resolve (ulu’l-ʿazm), five in number: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad—may peace and blessings be upon them all. They are named in His words: “And [recall] when We took from the prophets their covenant, and from you [O Muhammad] and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus son of Mary; and We took from them a solemn covenant” ⦗2⦘; and in His words: “He has ordained for you in religion what He enjoined upon Noah, that which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus” ⦗3⦘.

The finest of the possessors of steadfast resolve are the two close friends (khaleelān), Abraham and Muhammad—may the most excellent blessings and peace be upon both of them—and the best of the two is Muhammad ﷺ.

Thus prophethood is a grace and a choice bestowed by Allah, exalted is He, as He says: “Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among the people” ⦗4⦘. Prophethood is not something a servant can earn through personal effort, strenuous striving, imposing upon himself various acts of worship, undertaking the hardest works of obedience, persisting in disciplining the soul, cleansing the mind, purifying character, and engaging in spiritual exercises, as

(1) Surah al-Baqara, verse 253. (2) Surah al-Ahzab, verse 7. (3) Surah al-Shura, verse 13. (4) Surah al-Hajj, verse 75.

وهنا مسألة تحتاج إلى بيان، وهي الفرق بين النبي والرسول: فالفرق بين النبي والرسول على المشهور: أن الرسول إنسان ذكر أوحي إليه بشرع وأمر بتبليغه، والنبي إنسان ذكر أوحي إليه بشرع ولم يؤمر بتبليغه، وكل من النبي والرسول يوحى إليه، لكن النبي قد بيعث في قوم مؤمنين بشرائع سابقة كأنبياء بني إسرائيل؛ يأمرون بشريعة التوراة، وقد يوحى إلى أحدهم وحي خاص في قضية معينة، وأما الرسل فإنهم يبعثون في قوم كفار؛ يدعونهم إلى توحيد الله وعبادته؛ فهم يرسلون إلى مخالفين فيكذبهم بعضهم. والرسول أفضل من النبي. والرسل يتفاضلون؛ قال تعالى: ﴿تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ﴾ ١. وأفضل الرسل أولو العزم، وهم خمسة: نوح، وإبراهيم، وموسى، وعيسى، ومحمد عليهم الصلاة والسلام، وهم المذكورون في قوله تعالى: ﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وَمِنْكَ وَمِنْ نُوحٍ وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُمْ مِيثَاقاً غَلِيظاً﴾ ٢، وقوله تعالى: ﴿شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحاً وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى﴾ ٣. وأفضل أولي العزم الخليلان إبراهيم ومحمد عليهم جميعا أفضل الصلاة والسلام، وأفضل الخليلان محمد ﷺ. هذا؛ والنبوة تفضل واختيار من الله - تعالى؛ كما قال تعالى: ﴿اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلائِكَةِ رُسُلاً وَمِنَ النَّاسِ﴾ ٤، وليست النبوة كسبا يناله العبد بالجد، والاجتهاد، وتكلف أنواع العبادات، واقتحام أشق الطاعات، والدأب في تهذيب النفس وتنقية الخاطر وتطهير الأخلاق ورياضة النفس؛ كما

١ سورة البقرة، الآية: ٢٥٣. ٢ سورة الأحزاب، الآية: ٧. ٣ سورة الشورى، الآية: ١٣. ٤ سورة الحج، الآية: ٧٥.