Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: “A witness, a bringer of good news, and a warner.”
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The Shaykh :[Al-Ahzab 33:45] A witness over the Ummah that he conveyed the message of Allah to them. To whom? To whom? To the disbelievers and those who oppose, regarding the punishment, both immediate and deferred.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a witness over his Ummah, a witness over those who obeyed and those who disobeyed, a witness that the message reached them, a bringer of good news to those who obeyed, and a warner to those who disobeyed.
If someone were to say: During his lifetime, there is no doubt that he was a witness; there is no doubt that he was a witness that the message reached the Ummah during his lifetime. So how can he be a witness over the Ummah that he conveyed it to them after his death?
We say: He testifies because Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hijr 15:9] So what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought in his lifetime from the Book of Allah must reach the Ummah, because Allah guaranteed its preservation. And this, praise be to Allah, is the reality: our Book, which Allah the Exalted revealed to us, has remained preserved since it was revealed until this day, that is, fifteen centuries. The previous scriptures were distorted in less time than that.
How much time is there between Isa and Muhammad? Approximately six hundred years. And yet the Gospel was distorted and the Torah was distorted in less time than has passed for this Qur'an, and no one dared to distort it or alter it. And if someone tries to distort it, Allah will cause someone to appear who exposes the truth of his matter and reveals his flaw, so he becomes exposed before the Ummah and becomes an outlier from the Muslim Ummah if he tries to hide something from the Book of Allah or to add something to the Book of Allah.
Is the testimony in conveying the message specific to the Messenger, or does it apply to him and others?
The student: It applies to him and others.
The Shaykh : Who said that? Present the evidence for what you said, otherwise you have spoken without knowledge.
The student: Because whoever knows it must convey it.
The Shaykh : I mean, does anyone among the people other than the Messenger testify that the Messenger conveyed it?
The student: The Ummah.
The Shaykh : The entire Ummah.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Do you have evidence? If you do not have it, how can you stand on what you have no knowledge of? Rest.
The student:[Al-Baqarah 2:143]
The Shaykh : Well done.[Al-Baqarah 2:143] But the true witnesses are the people of knowledge. No, [Ali 'Imran 3:18]
O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner.
يا أيها النبي إنا أرسلنا شاهدا ومبشرا ونذيراa bringer of good news
مبشراand give good news to the believers
وبشر المؤمنينand a warner
ونذيراSo the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a witness over his Ummah, a witness over those who obeyed and those who disobeyed, a witness that the message reached them, a bringer of good news to those who obeyed, and a warner to those who disobeyed.
If someone were to say: During his lifetime, there is no doubt that he was a witness; there is no doubt that he was a witness that the message reached the Ummah during his lifetime. So how can he be a witness over the Ummah that he conveyed it to them after his death?
We say: He testifies because Allah the Exalted said:
Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian.
إنا نحن نزلنا الذكر وإنا له لحافظونHow much time is there between Isa and Muhammad? Approximately six hundred years. And yet the Gospel was distorted and the Torah was distorted in less time than has passed for this Qur'an, and no one dared to distort it or alter it. And if someone tries to distort it, Allah will cause someone to appear who exposes the truth of his matter and reveals his flaw, so he becomes exposed before the Ummah and becomes an outlier from the Muslim Ummah if he tries to hide something from the Book of Allah or to add something to the Book of Allah.
Is the testimony in conveying the message specific to the Messenger, or does it apply to him and others?
The student: It applies to him and others.
The Shaykh : Who said that? Present the evidence for what you said, otherwise you have spoken without knowledge.
The student: Because whoever knows it must convey it.
The Shaykh : I mean, does anyone among the people other than the Messenger testify that the Messenger conveyed it?
The student: The Ummah.
The Shaykh : The entire Ummah.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Do you have evidence? If you do not have it, how can you stand on what you have no knowledge of? Rest.
The student:
that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you
لتكونوا شهداء على الناس ويكون الرسول عليكم شهيداThe Shaykh : Well done.