Nabuwwat and its Functions, in the light of Basic Islamic Beliefs (1)

Since the beginning of twentieth century, some people are distorting  the basic Beliefs/ ‘Aqaid’ of Muslims because, without distorting those basic Beliefs, such people cannot implant their false religious views in the people’s minds. The distortions made in the basic Beliefs of Muslims by groups like Ghamdi cult, and Ahl e Quran cult are important in this regard. Similarly a non-Muslim group called Qadyanis are trying to distort basic Islamic Beliefs. Let us have a look into distortions made by these groups and how to re-affirm those basic Beliefs/ ‘Aqaid’. Our discussion would be confined to two basic Islamic Beliefs i.e. Quran and Hadith.

Regarding the basic beliefs, Quran says:

 “O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah , His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray” (al-nisaa-136).
 " .....So believe in Allah and His Messenger/ Rasool, the unlettered Nabi, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow (wattabiuhu)) him that you may be guided (al-aaraf-158).

In  above given verses, basic Muslims’ Beliefs are: to believe in Allah; His angels; His Books; His Messengers (and Nabi) and the Last Day of Judgment. It may be appreciated all these five basic beliefs are exclusive of each other; we have to believe in each of these basic beliefs separately. We have to believe in Allah’s messengers/ 'Rusul' (and Nabis) and His Books separately. It means believing in Book does not automatically mean we believe in messenger/ 'Rassool' as well, and believing in messenger does not automatically mean we believe in the revealed Book as well. In other words, the requirements of believing in Quran are different from the requirements of believing in resalat/nabuwwat of our nabi s.a.w.w.

Before looking into what is nature of distortions above mentioned groups have made in basic Islamic beliefs i.e. Quran and Hadith, it is pertinent to have a look into nature of titles of ‘resalat’ and ‘nabuwwat’.   

We have seen in the article  https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2011/09/wahi-and-intuition.html

  And https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2011/10/difference-between-resalat-and-nabuwwat.html and  https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2012/04/titles-of-nabuwwat-and-resalat.html and     https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2013/02/types-of-wahi-and-sunnah.html

     “Wahi to a Rasool is sent in the form of Allah’s Words i.e. Book; such wahi is initiated through Gabriel (a.s). Wahi is also sent to a rasool without Gabriel; such wahi is sent in the form of Allah's Idea translated into words by the Rasool himself.

Wahi to a 'Nabi' is always initiated through Hazrat Gabrael and in the form of Allah's Idea translated into words by Hazrat Gabrael or by the 'Nabi' himself. A Nabi may also be given a portion of a Book to be revealed completely to a Rasool, but this partial Book revealed to a nabi is not in the form of Allah's words; rather it is revealed in the form of Allah's Idea translated into words by Gabriel or by Nabi himself (al-Imran-81). This principle of nature of wahi is true in case of prophets which are ‘nabis’ only. But in case of prophets which are rasool and nabi combined (like our nabi s.a.w.w is rasool and nabi combined) such prophets/nabis are sent wahi relating to whole Book instead of  relating to only a portion of Book. In other words, a prophet, who is rasool and nabi combined, is given a Book i.e. Allah’s Words and interpretation of that Book in the form of ahadith”. 

In other words, Nabuwwat is a title.  Believing in nabuwwat is to believe that functions of nabuwwat are part of Deen. The basic function of nabuwwat is always to interpret Kalam ullah i.e. revealed Book.  This interpretation of Kalamullah is done by the respective nabi in the light of wahi. The followers of respective nabi are bound to understand Kalamullah/Book as it has been interpreted by the nabi (a.s). That is why a nabi’s interpretations of a revealed Book  are part of Deen; these interpretations are made in the form of ahadith. In other words, believing in nabuwwat of our nabi s.a.w.w means ahadith are part of Deen; and such a belief is part of Eman/Faith.   However process of ascertaining whether or not a particular hadith is rightly attributed to our nabi s.a.w.w is NOT part of Deen/Eman. But  belief  in nabuwwat of our nabi s.a.w.w requires us to believe -after going through process of ascertainment that the hadith is rightly attributed to our nabi s.a.w.w-  whatever is the hadith/interpretation of Quran made by our nabi s.a.w.w is part of Deen/ Eman.

As mentioned earlier, the requirements of believing in Quran and in nabuwwat are different. The basic requirement of believing in Quran is that we must believe Quran is Allah’s Words, revealed to our Nabi/rasool s.a.w.w. through Gabriel and these Words of Quran are meant for complete guidance for humanity till Qiyamah. The basic requirement of believing in our nabi’s s.a.w.w  ‘nabuwwat’ is that interpretation/meanings of Quran have been revealed to our Nabi s.a.w.w who is the last nabi s.a.w.w.,  and we must understand Quran on the basis of interpretation done by our Nabi s.a.w.w because it is the basic function of ‘nabuwwat’ to interpret the revealed Book. The wahi in the light of which our nabi s.a.w.w used to interpret Quran is called ‘wahi e khafi’; ahadith are outcome of ‘wahi e khafi’. There are so many proofs of existence of wahi e khafi, and such proofs may also be found in Quran; we have already seen about  existence and protection of wahi e khafi/ hadith (sunnah) on the basis of Quran in the articles like https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2014/11/protection-of-sunnah.html ; https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2014/03/hujjiat-e-sunnah-essentiality-of-sunnah_26.html ; https://secondriseofislam.blogspot.com/2014/03/hujjiat-e-sunnahessentiality-of-sunnah-2.html.

Sura al-qiyamah also states about the fact that our nabi s.a.w.w has been revealed not only Quran but also meanings of Quran.

 “Do not move [Muhammad s.a.w.w] your tongue with it to make haste with it (16). Indeed, upon Us is its (Quran’s) collection [in your conscious/mind] and [to make possible] its recitation (17). So when We have recited it, then (you [Muhammad s.a.w.w] follow its recitation (18). Then lo! upon Us (resteth) the explanation thereof” (19). (al-Qiyamah).

These verses of al-qiyamah clearly state that it is Allah’s responsibility not only to collect Quranic verses (verse-17) but also to explain /interpret the Words of Quran; this interpretation/meanings of Words of Quran are called ahadith.

Similarly Quran says:
 
"But only notification from Allah , and His messages." And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger - then indeed, for him is the fire of Hell; they will abide therein forever" (al-Jin-23).

This verse mentioned above also clearly differentiates between Quran and Hadith. Reading with the previous verse i.e. al-Jin-22, this verse no.23 states that our Nabi s.a.w.w. abides by only two things: first notification from Allah and secondly Allah's messages. Obviously Allah's messages are Quranic wahi i.e. Quran, and notifications from Allah are non-Quranic wahi i.e. Hadith.
  It may be appreciated that a Rasool/ messenger receives two kinds of non-Book (e.g. non-Quranic) wahi. When Rasool is only a Rasool, he receives  non-Book wahi without mediation of Gabriel (a.s); such wahi is not interpretation of the Book the Rasool has received (such wahi is sunnah of that rasool). When a Rasool is Rasool and Nabi combined, he receives non-Book wahi in the form of interpretation of the Book which has been revealed to him. In other words, in case of a prophet who is Nabi and Rasool combined (e.g. our Nabi s.a.w.w.) there are only two kinds of wahi i.e. Book wahi i.e. Words of Allah and non-Book wahi which is interpretation of the Book revealed and is basis of acts/sayings of the prophet. It means there is no separate wahi for sunnah/acts in case of a prophet who is Nabi and Rasool combined; sunnah/acts and sayings of such prophet are outcome of the same wahi i.e. non-Book wahi which is interpretation of the Book revealed; in case of our Nabi s.a.w.w. such wahi is the basis of ahadith which include both sayings and actions/sunnah of our Nabi/ Rasool s.aw.w.  

In the nutshell, the basic Islamic Beliefs regarding Quran and nabuwwat/resalat are that requirements of believing in Quran are different from the requirements of believing in nabuwwat/resalat. The basic requirement of believing in Quran is that we must believe Quran is Allah’s Words, revealed to our Nabi/rasool s.a.w.w. through Gabriel and these Words of Quran are meant for complete guidance for humanity till Qiyamah. The basic requirement of believing in our nabi’s s.a.w.w  ‘nabuwwat’ is that interpretation/meanings of Quran have been revealed to our Nabi s.a.w.w through Gabriel and we must understand Quran on the basis of interpretation done by our Nabi s.a.w.w because it is the basic function of nabuwwat to interpret the revealed Book. The wahi in the light of which our nabi s.a.w.w used to interpret Quran is called ‘wahi e khafi’; ahadith are outcome of ‘wahi e khafi’.It may be noted that ahadith are not Nabuwwah; they are function of Nabuwwah. To believe in Nabuwwah is to believe that functions of Nabuwwah are based on wahi and as such are part of Deen. In other words, to believe in Nabuwwah means ahadith are wahi and are part of Deen. To believe that Hadith is not part of Deen means disbelief in Nabuwwah.

The groups like Ghamdi cult and Ahle Quran cult, and non-Muslims like Qadyanis are distorting the basic Islamic Beliefs particularly regarding Quran and hadith (sunnah) [continued].