Some people believe that the Holy Prophet SAW was the founder of Islam
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa
Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Some people believe that the Holy Prophet SAW
was the founder of Islam while it appears from the Holy Quraan that the
Prophets who preceded the Holy Prophet and their followers have been called
muslims. I shall be grateful for your guidance.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from
questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Prophet founder of Islam
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
The approved ‘way’ or ‘conduct’ or ‘code’ of life, whereby
one believes and of his own free will, submits his will to the Will of his Lord
and Creator is called Islam. All the
Prophets who were sent to this earth by the Lord Most Merciful came to
propagate this very ‘way’ of life called Islam, starting with the first man on
earth: Prophet Adam (a.s.); and all the people who believed and accepted their
invitation were ‘muslims’.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah
Hajj verse 77-78:
O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’
(prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it
may be that you attain true success!
Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has
not laid on you any hardship in your religion.
Therefore, be steadfast in the
religion of your father Abraham. Allah
had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in
this Quran also, so that the Messenger
may be a witness in regard to you, and
you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verses 135-137:
135 They say: "Become Jews or Christians
if ye would be guided (to salvation)."
Say thou: "Nay! (I would rather) the religion of Abraham the true,
and he joined not gods with Allah."
136 Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and
the Revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma`il, Isaac, Jacob, and the
Tribes, and that given to Moses, and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets
from their Lord; we make no difference between one and another of them, and
we bow to Allah (in Islam)."
137 So if they believe as ye believe they are
indeed on the Right Path; but if they turn back it is they who are in schism;
but Allah will suffice thee as against them, and He is the All-Hearing the All-
Knowing.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah
Ale-Imraan verses 64-68:
64 Say: "O people of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you:
that we worship none but Allah; that we associate no partners with Him; that we
erect not from among ourselves Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back say: "Bear
witness that we (at least) are Muslims (bowing to Allah's Will)."
65 Ye people of the Book! Why dispute ye about Abraham when the Law and
the Gospel were not revealed till after him?
Have ye no understanding?
66 Ah! Ye are those who fell to disputing (even) in
matters of which ye had some knowledge! But why dispute ye in matters of which
ye have no knowledge? It is Allah Who Knows
and ye who know not!
67 Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian,
but he was true in faith and bowed his will to Allah's (which is Islam) and he
joined not gods with Allah.
68 Without doubt among men the nearest of
kin to Abraham are those who follow him, as are also this Prophet and those who
believe; and Allah is the Protector of those who have faith.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 46:
48 To thee (O Mohamed (saws)) We sent the
Scripture (The Al-Quran) in Truth confirming the Scriptures that came
before it, and guarding it in safety; so judge between them by what
Allah hath revealed and follow not their vain desires diverging from the truth
that hath come to thee. To each among
you have We prescribed a Law and an
Thus in light of the above clear Aayahs of the Glorious
Quran it is absolutely evident that Prophet Mohamed (saws) was definitely
neither the founder nor the originator of the ‘way’ of life called Islam, but
rather this ‘way’ or ‘deen’ called Islam
was perfected upon the Prophet (saws) by the All-Wise, All-Knowing Lord of the
Worlds.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 3 (part):
(O Prophet (saws)): This
day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear
them not but fear Me. This day have I
perfected your religion for you completed my favor upon you and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your Brother in Islam,
Burhan