16
The meaning of bearing witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is to obey him in whatever he commands, to believe him concerning whatever he reports, to avoid all that he forbade and prohibited, and to worship Allah only in the manner He has legislated. [38]
(38) The testimony that “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” has a definite meaning and practical implications; it is not a mere formula. It requires both verbal confession and inward conviction that he is truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Mere utterance while the heart denies belongs to the hypocrites, as Allah says: “When the hypocrites come to you they say, ‘We bear witness that you are certainly the Messenger of Allah.’ Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars. They have taken their oaths as a shield …” (al-Munafiqun 63:1–2). They used their oaths—that is, their testimonies—as a cover, thereby turning people away from Allah’s path; hence, pronouncing the words alone is insufficient.
Likewise, inward belief unaccompanied by verbal confession, when one is able to speak, is also inadequate. The idolaters knew he was the Messenger of Allah yet persisted in obstinacy, as the Exalted says: “We certainly know that what they say grieves you, yet it is not you they deny; rather, the wrongdoers reject the signs of Allah” (al-Anam 6:33). They acknowledged his prophethood in their hearts, but pride and stubbornness kept them from openly affirming it.
وَمَعْنَى شَهَادَة أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ: طَاعَتُهُ فِيمَا أَمَرَ، وَتَصْدِيقُهُ فِيمَا أَخْبَرَ، واجْتِنَابُ مَا عنه نهى وزجر، وأن لا يعبد الله إلا بما شرع. [٣٨]
[٣٨] شهادة أن محمدًا رسول الله لها معنى ومقتضى ليست لفظًا يقال فقط. فمعناها أن تعترف بلسانك وبقلبك أنه رسول الله، تنطق بلسانك وتعتقد ذلك بقلبك أنه رسول الله ﷺ، أما التلفظ باللسان والإنكار بالقلب فهذه طريقة المنافقين كما أخبرنا الله عنهم بقوله: ﴿إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ اتَّخَذُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ جُنَّةً﴾ [المنافقون: ١، ٢] جعلوا أيمانهم، أي: شهاداتهم سترة يسترون بها، فصدوا عن سبيل الله، فدل على أن النطق باللسان لا يكفي.
وكذلك اعتقاد القلب مع عدم النطق باللسان لمن يقدر على النطق أيضًا لا يكفي، فإن المشركين يعلمون أنه رسول الله لكنهم يعاندون، كما قال تعالى: ﴿قَدْ نَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُ لَيَحْزُنُكَ الَّذِي يَقُولُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَكِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يَجْحَدُونَ﴾ [الأنعام: ٣٣] . فهم بقلوبهم يعترفون بالرسالة، ويعرفون أنه رسول الله، لكن منعهم الكبر ومنعهم العناد من الإقرار برسالته.