Prophet Ahmad inside of the Qur’an
Author: Ustadz Abu Ahmad Said Yai, Lc.
{ وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ }
“And call to mind when Jesus, son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel, I am Allah’s Messenger to you, I verify the Torah which has come before me, and I give you the glad tiding of a Messenger who shall come after me, his name being Ahmad.” Yet when he came to them with Clear Signs they said: “This is sheer trickery.” (Chapter Ash Shaff/The Ranks:6)
A Concise Interpretation
“And call to mind” O messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-, “when Jesus, son of Mary said. ‘O Children of Israel, I am Allah’s messenger to you.'” As you believe in Propeht Moses, Aaron, David (Daud) and Solomon (Sulaiman) -peace be upon them-, believe me, that I am Allah’s messenger to you. As the proof, I ‘verify the Torah which has come before me,’ which enjoin people to worship Allah alone. The similarity between us indicates that the source of our shari’a is similar, which is Allah the Glorified and Exalted.
Besides, I also “give you the glad tiding of a Messenger who shall come after me.”
Prophet Jesus -peace be upon him-, just like the prophets before him -peace be upon them- always verified the truth brought by the former prophets and delivered glad tiding of the arrival of a prophet after them. Prophet Jesus -peace be upon him- revealed that the prophet’s name is Ahmad, i.e., Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-.
“Yet when he came to them”, i.e., Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him “with Clear Signs, they said, ‘This is sheer trickery.” It is exactly as the Pharaoh told Prophet Moses -peace be upon him- and the Children of Israel said to Prophet Jesus -peace be upon him- [1].
Explanation and Interpretation of the Verse
Who is the Children of Israel? Is it allowed to humble Israel?
Israil (إِسْرَائِيْل) is the name of Prophet Jacob (Ya’qub) son of Prophet Isaac (Ishaq) son of Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim) -peace be upon them-. Children of Israil (بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ) are the descendants of Prophet Jacob -peace be upon him-. This is a fact that goes undenied by the jews.
The Zionists/Jews have established a country named Israel. As a muslim, we are certainly displease with the naming, since it is a form of humiliation to Prophet Israil/Jacob peace be upon him.
The country of Israel has done many things that enraged the muslims. However, beneath the rage, some muslims often make erroneous remark by saying, “Curse the Israel! destroy Israel!”or by other words with alike meaning. It is inappropriate for us to utter these remarks, since by disgracing Israil, we are disgracing Prophet Jacob -peace be upon him- as well.
If we intend to insult that country, we should not separate between the word ‘country’ and ‘Israel’. Or for a safer option, we shall replace it with a name that is completely free from disgrace to Prophet Jacob, such as, “The Zionist country, or the jews country.”
Did Prophet Jacob met Prophet Abraham -peace be upon them-?
Indeed, Prophet Jacob -peace be upon him- had met Prophet Abraham -peace be upon him-. Ibn Katsir-may Allah have mercy on him- supported this opinion inside his book of tafseer, reasoning with Allah’s decree -Glorified and Exalted be He:
{ وَوَصَّى بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ }
“And Abraham enjoined the same upon his children, and so did Jacob: “My children! Behold, Allah has chosen this religion for you. Remain till death in submission (to Allah).” (Chapter Al Baqara/The Cow:132)
Ibn Katsir -may Allah have mercy on him- said, “Some of the past time scholars read (يَعْقُوبُ) as (يَعْقُوبَ), as the athf (conjuction) of (بَنِيهِ) which means his children. It is as if Prophet Abraham -peace be upon him- left a will to his children and grandchild, i.e., Jacob, son of Isaac.”[2]
Who was the last prophet of Children of Israil?
Prophet Jesus, son of Mary -peace be upon him- was the last prophet of the Children of Israil [3]. However, some of the Children of Israil or the jews didn’t acknowledge his prophethood.
The glad tiding of the arrival of Prophet Ahmad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- was conveyed by Prophet Abraham and Prophet Jesus – peace be upon them-.
Every prophet and messenger that Allah the Glorified and Exalted sent was bound with a covenant to convey the tiding of sending of Allah’s messenger, Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. When the time of his sending -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- arrived, they have to follow, support, and strive for him.
Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,
{ وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ أَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ .}
“Recall when Allah took a covenant from the Prophets: “This is the Book and the Wisdom which I have granted you. But should a Prophet come to you confirming what you already possess, you shall believe in him and shall help him.” So saying, Allah asked: “Do you agree and accept to take up the burden of the covenant?” They answered: “We agree.” He said: “Then bear witness; and I will be with you among the witnesses.” (Chapter Aali Imran/The Family of Imran:81)
Ibn ‘Abbas -may Allah be pleased with him- said, “Allah didn’t send a prophet except He had made a covenant with him, that if (the Prophet Muhammad) is sent, while that prophet is still alive, he will follow him. And Allah ordered him to command his follower, that is Muhammad is sent while they are still alive, they shall follow and support him.” [4]
Prophet Abraham -peace be upon him- prayed that the said prophet is sent to people who live around the Kaaba, after he and Prophet Ismail -peace be upon them- built the Kaaba. His prayer was written inside of the Qur’an:
{رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ}
” Our Lord! Raise up in the midst of our offspring a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Your verses, and instruct them in the Book and in Wisdom, and purify their lives. Verily, You are the Most Mighty, the Most Wise.” (Chapter Al Baqara/The Cow:129)
Likewise, Prophet Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him- had revealed about the arrival of a prophet after him, i.e., Prophet Ahmad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-, as mentioned inside of the previous verse.
In a hadith, Abu Umamah once asked the Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-, “O Prophet of Allah! What is the beginning of your prophethood?”. The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- replied,
( دَعْوَةُ أَبِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَبُشْرَى عِيسَى ، وَرَأَتْ أُمِّي أَنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا نُورٌ أَضَاءَتْ مِنْهُ قُصُورُ الشَّامِ. )
“The prayer of my father, Abraham, the glad tidings from Jesus, and my mother saw a light shone from her, that illuminated the palaces of Syam.“[5]
The news of the arrival of Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- were also contained inside the Torah and the Gospel. Allah the Glorified and Exalted revealed inside of the Qur’an:
{ مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا }
“Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, and those who are with him are firm with the unbelievers but compassionate with one another. You see them occupied in bowing and prostrating and in seeking Allah’s bounty and good pleasure. They are distinguished from others by the marks of prostration on their faces. Thus are they described in the Torah. And their parable in the Gospel is that of a tilth that puts forth its shoot, then strengthens it so that it becomes stout and stands firmly on its stem. This is a sight pleasing to the sowers and one by which the unbelievers will be enraged. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, Allah has promised them forgiveness and a great reward.” (Chapter Al Fath/The Victory:29)
Then again, how come the jews and the christians of the present time deny this statement?
Allah has explained that the nature of the jews and the christians, that they were people who liked to change the content of their holy book. Thus, it is just natural that they hide this fact, whereas they all believed in the truth of that news. Allah the Glorified and Exalted declared,
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ وَإِنَّ فَرِيقًا مِنْهُمْ لَيَكْتُمُونَ الْحَقَّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ }
“Those to whom We have given the Scripture recognize the place (towards which one must turn in Prayer) as fully as they recognize their own sons, this even though a group of them knowingly conceals the Truth.” (Chapter Al Baqara/The Cow:146)
Ahmad was one of the names of Prophet Muhammad – peace and prayer of Allah be upon him.
The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- himself had told that he has many names. Among his names was Ahmad, as mentioned in a hadith below:
( لِي خَمْسَةُ أَسْمَاءٍ أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ وَأَحْمَدُ وَأَنَا الْمَاحِي الَّذِي يَمْحُو اللَّهُ بِي الْكُفْرَ وَأَنَا الْحَاشِرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمِي وَأَنَا الْعَاقِبُ. )
“I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmad, I am Al-Maahi, by whom Allah will diminish the disbelief, I am Al-Haasyir, in front of whom the human will be gathered, and I am Al-Aaqib (The last).“[6]
The meaning of the name ‘Ahmad'(أحمد)
Ahmad originates from the word ‘hamd’, which means praise. In Arabic, ‘Ahmad’ possesses three meanings-
* Indicating the superlative meaning (Shîghah Al-Mubâlaghah) for the word ‘haamid’ ( a person who praises). Thus, the Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- was the person who praised Allah the Glorified and Exalted the most. The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,
( أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ وَلاَ فَخْرَ ، وَبِيَدِي لِوَاءُ الحَمْدِ وَلاَ فَخْر. )
“I am the leader of the children of Adam in the day of Judgement, and I am not arrogant. In my hand there are the flag of praises. And I am not arrogant.”[7]
* Indicating the superlative meaning for the word ‘mahmuud’ (the praised one). Thus, the Messenger of Allah – peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- was the most praisen man by all creatures. Even Allah Himself praised him inside of the Qur’an with noble characters. And in the Qur’and, never did Allah call him by his name; rather, he is called by, ‘يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِي) and (يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُوْل) which is different from other prophets, since they were called by their own names.
* Indicating the symbol of the word ‘Muhammad’ (مُحَمَّد). The meaning of Muhammad is one who gets many praises, and in Arabic, it could be symbolized with the word ‘Ahmad’.[8]
There were no prophet after Prophet Ahmad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-
There are plenty of indications that point out that Prophet Ahmad or Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- was the last Prophet that Allah the Glorified and Exalted sent, and there were no more prophet after Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. Among the indications are:
{ مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا }
“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets. Allah has full knowledge of everything.” (Chapter Al Ahzab/The Clans:40)
( كَانَتْ بَنُو إِسْرَائِيلَ تَسُوسُهُمُ الأَنْبِيَاءُ كُلَّمَا هَلَكَ نَبِيٌّ خَلَفَهُ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي. )
“In the past, the children of Israil were led by the prophets. When a prophet died, another prophet would replace him. And indeed, there is no prophet after me.“[9]
These indications very clearly show that there were and there will be no other prophet after Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. Therefore, whoever claims that he is a prophet, after prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-, has committed lie and indeed, he is a liar (Kadzdzab).
The Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- informed that some false prophets will emerge
The Prophet -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- had informed that after his death, there would be people who claimed themselves to be prophet. The Messenger of Allah -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- said,
(…وَإِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ فِي أُمَّتِي ثَلاَثُونَ كَذَّابُونَ كُلُّهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ وَأَنَا خَاتَمُ النَّبِيِّينَ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي. )
“Indeed, there will be thirty liars from aong my followers. All of them claimed themselves to be prophet. Whereas I am the last of the prophets and there are no more prophet after me.”[10]
After reading this hadith, there are no more reasons for us to justify the teaching of the false prophets, such as Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, Lia Eden, adn the likes. They are not muslims, and do not hesitate to say that their religions aren’t Islam.
The rejection of Children of Israil to the treatise of Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-
At the end of the verse, Allah the Glorified and Exalted decreed,
{فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ}
Yet when he came to them with Clear Signs they said: “This is sheer trickery.”
That was their accusation against Prophet Muhammad -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him-. The disbelievers accused him -peace and prayer of Allah be upon him- as a trickster because he brought to them an impossible miracle. Some scholars said that the meaning of ‘messenger’ in this verse is Prophet Jesus -peace be upon him-, since the children of Israil also accused him -peace be upon him- as a trickster. And Allah knows best, there is no contradiction between the two interpretations.
Finished, by Allah’s favor and generosity.
Bibliography
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- And other sources which mostly been mentioned in the footnotes section.
FOOTNOTE;
[1] Tafsîr As-Sa’di page 859 and Aisarut-Tafâsîr, in the interpretation of this verse.
[2] Tafsir Ibn Katsir I/446.
[3] See: Tafsir Ibnu Katsir VIII/109.
[4] See: Tafsir Ibni Katsir VIII/110.
[5] Narrated by Ahmad no. 22261, Al-Hakim no 4173, Ibn Hibban no. 6404 and other narrators. Sheikh Syu’aib Al-Arnauth on his footnotes for Musnad Ahmad and Shahih Ibn Hibban said, “The status is shahih lighairih”.
[6] Narrated byAl-Bukhari no. 3532 and Muslim no. 6251.
[7] Narrated by At-Tirmidzi no. 3148. It is classified as valid hadith by Sheikh Al-Albani in Shahih Sunan At-Tirmidzi.
[8] See the explanation in Ma’âlimut-Tanzîl VÎI/108-109 dan At-Tahrîr wa At-Tanwîr XXVIII/163-165.
[9] Narrated by Al-Bukhari 3455 and Muslim 4879.
[10] Narrated by At-Tirmîdhi no. 2219. He said , “The hadith is valid.” Sheikh Al-Albâni also verified its validity in Shahîh Sunan At-Tirmîdzi.