The prophet Muhammad and the preceding Messengers of Allah, Almighty

Prophet Muhammad instructed us not to draw preference among the prophets of Allah that is he stated: (Do not give preference over the other prophets of Allah[1])

However; Prophet Muhammad narrowed it when he said: (Do not give preference to me over the other prophets of Allah[2]).

Prophet Muhammad got angry with the incident when a conflict submitted to him over a Muslim man and Jew who drew preference among the prophets of Allah. By then, Prophet Muhammad sided to the Jew!!

This incident is narrated by Abu-Hurairah who said: (Two persons, a Muslim and a Jew, quarreled on a price for goods offered by the Jew who was not satisfied with the offered price. The Jew said, No, "By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!" a Muslim man from Al-Ansar raised his hand and slapped the Jew on the face and said to him: You say "By Him Who gave Moses superiority over all the people!" and prophet Muhammad still alive among us?!". The Jew went to the Prophet Muhammad and said to him: O Abul-Qassim: I am a free non-Muslim and have a protection covenant to you, yet a Muslim mad slapped my face?). by then, the prophet asked the Muslim Ansari man: why have you slapped his face?!. The Ansari related the event to the prophet. The prophet Muhammad got very angry till his face reflected that. The Prophet said, "Do not give superiority among the prophets of Allah, for on the Day of Resurrection, all the people will fall unconscious and I will be one of them, but I will be the first to gain consciousness, and will see Moses standing and holding the side of the Throne (of Allah). I will not know whether Allah has exempted him from that stroke of Mountain of At-Tur or he has also fallen unconscious and got up before me and it does not befit a slave that he should say that he is better than Jonah (Yunus) bin Matta[3]".

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) feels not ashamed to declare these facts especially in an event of conflict between a Muslim and a Jew man. Prophet Muhammad overlooked the conflict and directed the course to Moses, his brother as to prophethood, thus he was devoted defending and praising him.

Prophet Muhammad used to think of himself along with the preceding prophets rings in one chain or bricks in one structure the matter which disapprove conflict and leading a course of superiority. In this regard, the prophet Muhammad said: (My similitude in comparison with the other prophets is that of a man who has built a house completely and excellently except for a place of one brick. When the people enter the house, they admire its beauty and say: 'But for the place of this brick (how splendid the house will be)!" prophet Muhammad said: I am such brick and I am the seal of the prophets[4]).

This is how Muslims consider the prophets of Allah, Almighty, in the course of long history. Prophets of Allah constitute bricks in a huge structure that is there no meaning to have confliction among such bricks onside the same structure; rather it is cooperation and integration to fulfill one task, namely to single Allah, the Lord of Worlds, alone by worship.

The standing of prophets and Messengers of Allah top prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Based on that, Muslims completely recognize all preceding prophets and it is not overstatement to claim that we Muslims love the prophets of Allah more than their disciples do and highly holds valuable the prophet of Allah than their disciples do!

This is demonstrated practically by the prophet Muhammad when he found that the Jews perform fasting in the Day of `Ashurah (10th of Muharam Month). Prophet Muhammad asked: what is that? They replied: this is a good day wherein Allah has relieved the children of Israel from their enemy, thus Moses (PBUH) fasted that day. By then, Prophet Muhammad said: (we Muslims are more entitled to Moses than you). Prophet Muhammad fasted that day and ordered Muslims to fast it[5]).

Prophet Muhammad thinks of himself more entitled to Moses than the children of Israel. As well, he is glad to the relief of the children of Israel from their enemy Pharaoh to the extent that he fasted that day showing gratitude to Allah for this grace, moreover, he ordered Muslims wholly to perform fasting in that day.

Is not that a kind of showing recognition of Muslims to Moses and his disciples?!

The same attitude of the prophet Muhammad to Prophet Moses was applied to the prophet Jesus (peace be upon them all). In this connection, Prophet Muhammad said: (Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers[6]; their mothers are different, but their religion is one[7]).

Is not that a kind of showing recognition of Muslims to Jesus and Christians?!

Moreover, when prophet Muhammad wanted to praise Abu-Bakr and `Umar , they indeed the most great two Muslims following the prophet Muhammad, he made a similitude in comparison between them on one hand and the prophets of Allah  on the other hand, thus, seeking the example of Abu-Bakr and `Umar is a noble deed.

In this regard, the prophet said: (O Abu-Bakr! The similitude of you is that like of Abraham (PBUH) who said: (So whoever follows me - then he is of me; and whoever disobeys me - indeed, You are [yet] Forgiving and Merciful), Ibrahim, 36 and Jesus who said: (If You should punish them - indeed they are Your servants; but if You forgive them - indeed it is You who is the Exalted in Might, the Wise), Al-Maedah, 118. The prophet said: O `Umar! The similitude of you is that like of Noah (PBUH) who said: (My Lord, do not leave upon the earth from among the disbelievers an inhabitant), Noah, 26, and Moses (PBUH) who said: (and harden their hearts so that they will not believe until they see the painful punishment[8]), Yunus, 88.

This is the standing of the prophets of Allah to the prophet Muhammad. Even, in cases that sometime he wished if a so and so prophet would have been so and so, namely other than he actually did. By then, Prophet Muhammad used to commence his desire by invoking Allah to him. To exemplify, once, it happened that the prophet Muhammad wished if Moses (PBUH) would have observed patience in his journey with Al-Khidr. By then, Prophet Muhammad expressed his desire saying: May Allah be merciful with Moses, I wish if he had observed patience to have more account of them[9])

When Prophet Muhammad believed that there was a word, that which is related by Quran (He said, "If only I had against you some power or could take refuge in a strong support") more appropriate to Lot (PBUH) to have uttered, by then, Prophet Muhammad said: may Allah be merciful with Lot, indeed, he was in a strong support[10]).

Prophet Muhammad and the disciplines of prophets and Messengers of Allah (peace be upon all prophets)

Moreover, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) praises the disciples of the preceding prophets who adhered to the ordinances of their prophets and were steadfast to their religions. To exemplify, Prophet Muhammad praised the Christian monk in the story of "People of the Ditch"[11], the blind man of Banu-Israel who showed gratitude to the blessing of Allah[12] and Jurayj, the worshipper. To enumerate such examples in the biography of the prophet is very difficult.

Exceeding this fact, the prophet Muhammad asked his companions to seek the model of the steadfast disciples of the preceding prophets!! To exemplify, narrated Khabbab bin Al-Arat: (We complained to Allah's Apostle (of the persecution inflicted on us by the infidels) while he was sitting in the shade of the Ka`ba, leaning over his Burd (i.e. covering sheet). We said to him, "Would you seek help for us? Would you pray to Allah for us?" He said, "Among the nations before you a (believing) man would be put in a ditch that was dug for him, and a saw would be put over his head and he would be cut into two pieces; yet that (torture) would not make him give up his religion. His body would be combed with iron combs that would remove his flesh from the bones and nerves, yet that would not make him abandon his religion. By Allah, this religion (i.e. Islam) will prevail till a traveler from Sana (in Yemen) to Hadrarmaut will fear none but Allah, or a wolf as regards his sheep, but you (people) are hasty[13]).

This is the prophetic view to the preceding prophets and their disciples which put to action in the course of his prophethood.

How outstanding the event when for the first time revelation came to him, he hurried to Waraqa ibn Nawfal[14]! Waraqa was a Christian as cited in many narrations[15]. Waraqah declared his attitude towards this event that he will strongly assist the prophet Muhammad if he was alive, however; he shortly died. The prophet Muhammad has not forgotten Waraqa, moreover, the prophet praised his faith and stated that Waraqah dwelled in paradise (Do not curse Waraqa as I saw one place or two specified to him in paradise[16])

The prophet had these wonderful feelings simply without vexation which made him adopt these positive attitudes.

So long as Prophet Muhammad recognized others though their tenets contradict Muslims' creed, do others recognize Prophet Muhammad?!

This question will be tackled in the next article, God willing.

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