Universal Message of Islam — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 3
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Universal Message of Islam.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: VI – All Races Invited to Islam
Pages: Book pp. 178–179 (PDF pp. 196–197)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [No Compulsion in Religion] | Next: [Everlasting Shari‘at of Islam] »
Historical Account
At last, Islām addresses the issue that unlike past prophets (i.e., Prophet Moses, Jesus and Krishna, peace be on all of them, etc.) the mission of the Holy Prophetsa was not confined to his own people, that is, the Arabs alone. Nor was it specific to any era in time. Rather, it is a message for all peoples and for all times. For this reason, Muslims should equally pay attention to all peoples. As such, God the Exalted states in the Holy Qur’ān:
ِقُلْ يَا اَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِن ِّي رَ سُولُ اللهَِّ اِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَ اوَ اتِ وَ الْاَرْ ض
“O Prophet, tell the people that truly I am a Messenger to you all from Allāh. Indeed, the God to Whom belongs the entire universe; the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.”
[Al-A‘rāf (7:159)]
Furthermore, in expounding this instruction, regarding his universal mission, the Holy Prophetsa states:
َاُعْطِیْتُ خَمْسً ا لَمْ یُعْطَھُنَّ اَحَدٌ قَبْلِیْ ۔ نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْب مَسِیْرَةَ شَھْرٍ وَجُعِلَتْ لِی
ُالْاَرْضُ مَسْ جِ دًا وَّطَھُوْراً وَاُحِلَّتْ لِیَ الْمَغَانِمُ ۔۔۔ وَاُعْطِیتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ وَكَانَ النَّبِیُّ یُبْعَث
ِاِلیٰ قَوْمِهٖ خَاصَّ ةً وَّبُعِثْتُ اِلَی النَّاسِ عَامَّةً۔ وَفِیْ رِوَایَةٍ بُعِثْتُ اِلَی الْاَحْمَرِ وَالْاَسْ وَد
“I have been granted five distinctions, which none of the Prophets were granted before me. Firstly, I have been reinforced with God-given awe extending as far as a month’s journey; secondly, the entire earth has been made for me a mosque and a means of purity; thirdly, the spoils of war have been made lawful for me; fourthly, I have been granted the honour of intercession; fifthly, while Prophets before me were commissioned to their particular people, I have been sent to the whole of mankind, and in another narration it is recorded that I have been sent to all races.”
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tayammum, Bābut-Tayammum, Ḥadīth No. 335]
[Musnad, By Imām Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal, Volume 5, p. 38, Musnadu Jābir-ibni ‘Abdillāhil-Anṣāriyyi, Ḥadīth No. 14314, ‘Ālamul-Kutub, Beirut (1998)]
All five of these distinctions of the Holy Prophetsa possesses a very magnificent aspect within them. At this occasion, we are only concerned with the fifth distinction, wherein it has been clearly announced that the appointment of the Holy Prophetsa and the message of Islām is for all the people of the world and not any one people.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Section: VI – All Races Invited to Islam | Navigation: « Previous: [No Compulsion in Religion] | Next: [Everlasting Shari‘at of Islam] »