and we know that it is the truth. Moreover, we are obliged to follow their Seal, Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—for Allah Himself has made obedience to him mandatory. Allah the Exalted says: “Say, O mankind, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; there is no deity but He. He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided” (Quran 7:158). Thus Allah has commanded us to follow him. He also says: “Say, If you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you” (Quran 3:31).

With regard to the other messengers, we follow them only when our own law instructs us to do so, as in his—peace and blessings be upon him—statement: “The best prayer is the prayer of my brother David: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth; and the best fast is the fast of my brother David: he would fast one day and break the fast the next.” This narration recounts David’s nightly devotion and his pattern of fasting so that we may emulate him in that.

If our law contains no directive to follow a previous messenger, the scholars—may Allah have mercy on them—have differed: Is the law revealed to those before us binding for us unless our own law brings something contrary, or is it not binding until our law explicitly commands us to follow it? The sounder opinion is that the law of those before us is indeed binding upon us provided our own law has not come with anything that contradicts it. For when Allah, Exalted is He, mentioned the prophets and messengers, He said to His Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—: “Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance” (Quran 6:90). Thus Allah commanded His Prophet Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—to follow their guidance.