The divine revelation for the human mind is like the external light to eyes. The light of the eye alone is not enough in the process of vision unless it is accompanied by an outer light.
(islam-hinduism.com)
Man is always in dire need of the divine guidance or message from Allah Almighty, which reveals the nature of the relationship between mankind and the Creator of the universe. Man requires constantly the divine message that explains to him who is the worshipper and who is the worshipped. If we look at the system of kings and sultans in this world, we will find ministers and deputies in their courts, who convey the laws of the kingdom to the common people and declare it to them on the behalf of the kings.
In fact, the prophets and messengers are the mediators between Allah and the people who deliver the message of Allah to His slaves, because every person is not prepared for receiving the direct message from Allah Almighty.1
Prophethood from the Islamic perspective is a selection by Allah Almighty and a special gift from Him to His selected slaves and devotees who are the most perfect individuals among the people. Prophethood is not a worldly post that is gained through personal efforts or spiritual exercise.
Moreover, Allah (Glory be to Him) has granted man the sense and mind to guide him to the right path and help him to distinguish between the right and wrong. This reality has been elucidated by the Glorious Qur’an. And modern psychology also confirms that man is equipped with an instinct that helps him to differentiate between good and evil.
Though, man came to this world with such quality and instinct, but this quality is mostly exposed to some types of pests that come between human mind and its assigned functions. They disturb it to carry out its duties properly. Sometimes it is influenced by personal feelings. From time to time, it is defeated by worldly desires and deviant ideas. At times, it is affected by anger, hostility and bigotry. Thus the duties and functions of the human sense are interrupted and become unable to distinguish between good and evil. That’s why Allah (Glory be to Him) has selected the prophets and apostles from among His slaves to guide human mind to the right direction.
As the mind guides man, so the mind is guided by the divine revelation. If a person gets deprived of his mind, he becomes insane and crazy and when the human mind is deprived of the guidance of divine revelation the mind becomes insane. Both are necessary for each other, each of them completes the other.
Likewise, the human mind alone is not sufficient for the identification of the truth if it is not accompanied by the divine revelation.2 The honor of human being lies in the life and activeness of his mind; otherwise, he loses his dignity and distinction as a human being.
Moreover, Allah Almighty has created this world as a trial and a test for mankind, ordering them to recognize their Creator and learn about Him, His nature, His will, His orders and commands in order to adapt their life in the light of His guidance.
Allah Almighty says:
And I did not create the jinn and men except to worship Me. (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
Furthermore, He (Glory be to Him) says:
Who has created death and life that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving. (Al-Mulk 67:2)
Allah (Glory be to Him) wanted to help man on this mission and assist him through His revelation to the prophets and messengers. Allah Almighty has provided him everything that fulfills his worldly needs and natural requirements.
Everything in this universe has been created for human beings; the sun, moon, star, and sea. The four elements: earth, water, air, fire and their derivatives have been subjected to man, but man has been created only for Allah Almighty. These favors represent Allah’s infinite mercy and unlimited kindness for mankind. Allah Almighty helped man through His special message and divine guidance, as man failed in using his mind and consciousness properly, being deviated from the right path of Allah Almighty. Thus the chain of revelation and prophethood was established by Allah Almighty to return man back to the right path. Allah (Glory be to Him) says:
Mankind were one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent down the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. (Al-Baqarah 2:213)
In addition, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says: “The prophets are like brothers from the same father with different mothers. Their religion is one although their Shari`ah (rules of the Religion) differed.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
The noble prophets and messengers delivered the message of Allah Almighty to His slaves and educated them according to the will of Allah Almighty and taught them the principles of faith and the values of ethics, and guided them to the right path in every matter of life.
The personalities of the prophets and messengers were adorned with all kinds of perfection, sublimity and loftiness by the grace of Allah Almighty; they are role models and best examples for all humanity in every walk of life. Their biographies denote that they were on the top of all sorts of humanistic perfection. They were unique and matchless in their morals, behavior and conducts with every person, with their opponents and supporters, with humans and animals, rather, with the whole universe.
The prophets and messengers had all elements of guidance and instruction for mankind. These qualities were available in their personalities so perfectly that they never could be found in any common person. They were a pure fountain of knowledge about Allah Almighty.
We need them in every step in our life. If a person does not know his Lord, he could not be able to conceive the nature of the relationship between him and his Creator. Without the help of divine guidance, the quality of relationship between him and the universe around him and the relationship of the universe with him could not be understood on its true nature. Without divine message, man could not worship His Lord as He wills and orders, without their guidance, it is too difficult to lead our life in a balanced way.
Allah (Glory be to Him) says:
Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Glorious Qur’an), and purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet], while before that they had been in manifest error. (Aal `Imran 3:164)
The prophets and messengers are the ones who teach how a person can become a true, perfect and beneficial individual in his society. However, in the absence of the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them), man has lost his honor of humanity. The prophets and messengers introduce the Will of Allah Almighty to people. They convey and explain orders and commandments of Allah Almighty to mankind. They inform people what Allah Almighty wants from His slaves, and how they can achieve their goal in this world and the Hereafter.
Mankind has misunderstood these ideas when they deviated from the path of the prophets and messengers. In our time, there are people in our society who worship sex organs and who adore the statue and the snake. There are people who believe that the dung and urine of a cow are pure and they cure the diseases and remove the ills and misfortunes.
Not only this, but there are people who believe that putting a widow on fire with her deceased husband’s funeral is a form of worship that pleases Allah Almighty. And there are people who believe that being a person totally naked before people is a worship as is in the case of Naga Babas in Hindu society. And there are people who believe that the soul of a dead person is transformed into an animal body according to his Karma (or doings), as well as the soul of an animal, rat, cat, or ant is transformed into the human being as is the goal of the concept of Rebirth in Hinduism. Even some people worship their leaders and spiritual mentors who are human beings like them.
Don’t you feel that these actions and ideas defy clear reasoning and pure logic yet they have become a part of social and religious life in India? Don’t you think that Indian non-Muslims are in urgent need of Islamic monotheism and divine revelation and message?
I am sure that a lot of people know the truth, but the family customs and social rituals hinder them from declaring the truth. In fact, imitation and blindly following is an obstacle for the human mind that stops it from its duty and proper thinking. As some people say: we are satisfied and convinced that Islam is the true religion of Allah and that the message of Islam is a rational system of life and Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the true Messenger and final Prophet of Allah Almighty, but we can’t abandon the religion of our ancestors and forefathers. Actually, such people don’t use their own minds and prefer to follow their predecessors blindly. Allah Almighty has praised the people who are devoted to the truth and reality and who distinguish between right and wrong, and differentiate between true and false. Allah Almighty encouraged the people who examine, investigate and research and accept the truth.3
The Glorious Qur’an says in this context:
Those who avoid false deities, by not worshipping them and turn to Allah (in repentance), for them are glad tidings; so announce the good news to My slaves. Those who listen to the Word [good advice and Islamic Monotheism] and follow the best thereof (i.e. worship Allah Alone, repent to Him), those are (the ones) whom Allah has guided and those are men of understanding. (Az-Zumar 39:17-18)
Allah Almighty condemns the imitators who do not think by their own minds and remain clinging to the old, unreasonable and destructive faith. Allah (Glory be to Him) says:
When it is said to them: “Follow what Allah has sent down.” They say: “Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following.” (Would they do that!) even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided? (Al-Baqarah 2:170)
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[1] Khawajah Hasan Nizami, Islami Rasul, Shahjahani Press Delhi, India, 1924, p. 3.
[2] Al-Ghazali, al-Iqtisad Fil-I`tiqad, al-Hikmah, Damascus, Syria1994, p. 3.
[3] Sayyid Sabiq, al-`Aqa’id al-Islamiyyah, al-Fat’h Lil I`ala’m al-`Arabi, Cairo, Egypt,2002, p. 20.
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