Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "… and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah …"
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
In the context of the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and the story of Jibril when he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asking about faith, about Islam, faith, and excellence in worship, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:Sahih Muslim 8a We have previously spoken about his saying: Sunan Ibn Majah 1652Da’if (Darussalam), as for his saying: Sahih Muslim 29[Al-Anbya 21:107].
And that you believe that he is the Seal of the Prophets, as Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ahzab 33:40], so there is no prophet after him, and whoever claims prophethood after him is a disbeliever and a liar, and whoever believes him is a disbeliever. It is necessary from this testimony that you follow him in his Shari'ah, and in his Sunnah, and that you do not innovate in his religion what is not from it. For this reason, we say: the people of innovation who innovate in the Shari'ah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) what is not from it, they have not realized the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, even if they say: "We love him, we honor him." If they loved him with complete love and honored him with complete honor, they would not precede him, nor would they introduce into his Shari'ah what is not from it. The content of bid'ah (religious innovation) is, in reality, a defect in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); the content of bid'ah is a defect in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as if this innovator is saying: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perfect the religion and the Shari'ah, because there is a religion and a Shari'ah that he did not bring." Also, in bid'ah there is another great danger, which is: that it entails denying the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3], because if Allah has perfected the religion, it means that there is no religion after what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) brought. And these innovators have legislated in the religion of Allah what is not from it, from tasbih (glorifications), takbir (proclamations of greatness), movements, and other things. So in reality, they are denying the content of His saying the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah 5:3].
And likewise, they are defecting in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), accusing him of not having perfected the Shari'ah for mankind, and far is he from that.
From the completion of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is that you believe in what he reported; you believe in what he reported. Everything that is authentic from him, it is obligatory for you to believe in it, and not to oppose this with your intellect, your estimates, and your conceptions. Because if you did not believe except in what your intellect confirmed, you would not be a true believer, but rather a follower of your desires, not one who takes hold of guidance. The person who truly believes in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says regarding what is authentic from him of reports: "We have heard and we have obeyed and we have believed." As for saying: "How can it be so? How can it be so?" This is not a believer, not a true believer. And therefore, one fears for those people who judge with their intellects what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) reported, because if they do not accept except what their intellects witnessed, and their intellects are undoubtedly limited, then they have not truly believed in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and they have not testified that he is the Messenger of Allah in reality. Their weakness in this testimony is to the extent of their doubt in what he reported.
Likewise, from realizing the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is: that you do not exaggerate in him and lower him to a status greater than the status that Allah assigned to him. For example: those who believe that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) removes hardship, so that at his grave they ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) directly to remove hardship from them, and to bring benefit to them. This is exaggeration in the Messenger and shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah Mighty and Majestic. No one is able to do that except Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death does not possess anything for anyone, ever. Even the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when drought struck them in the time of the Commander of the Faithful 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and they sought rain in the mosque of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they did not come to the grave to ask the Messenger or say: "Call upon Allah for us, or intercede for us with Allah so that He sends down rain." No, 'Umar called upon Allah: Why? Because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is dead, he has no action after his death. He is the one who said: Sahih Muslim 1631, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself does not possess anything, he does not possess the ability to call upon Allah for you while he is in his grave, ever. So whoever lowers him to a status above the status that Allah assigned to him, he has not realized the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, but rather he has testified that Muhammad is a Lord with Allah, we seek refuge in Allah. Because the meaning of his being a Messenger is that he is a servant who is not worshipped, and a Messenger who does not lie. We say in our prayer every day: "I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger." Servant: a servant like other servants, a created being, and Allah the Exalted is the one worshipped, Mighty and Majestic, and He is the Lord. So we say to those whom we find exaggerating in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and lowering him above the status that Allah assigned to him, we say to them: you have not realized the testimony that there is no god but Allah, nor the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
So the important thing is that these two testimonies are the great pivot, all of Islam is upon them, all of Islam revolves around them. Therefore, if a person wanted to speak about what relates to them in wording, meaning, content, and indication, it would take days. But we have indicated a sign of what relates to them, and we ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you among those who realize them in belief, speech, and action. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad.
The reader: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted in the context of the hadith of 'Umar: "Sahih Muslim 8a ".
In the context of the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and the story of Jibril when he came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asking about faith, about Islam, faith, and excellence in worship, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him:
Al-Islam implies that you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
الإسلام أن تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول اللهDo you bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah
تشهد أن لا إله إلا اللهand that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
وأن محمدا رسول اللهAnd We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَAnd that you believe that he is the Seal of the Prophets, as Allah the Exalted said:
Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets
مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَThis day I have perfected for you your religion
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْThis day I have perfected for you your religion
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْAnd likewise, they are defecting in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), accusing him of not having perfected the Shari'ah for mankind, and far is he from that.
From the completion of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is that you believe in what he reported; you believe in what he reported. Everything that is authentic from him, it is obligatory for you to believe in it, and not to oppose this with your intellect, your estimates, and your conceptions. Because if you did not believe except in what your intellect confirmed, you would not be a true believer, but rather a follower of your desires, not one who takes hold of guidance. The person who truly believes in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says regarding what is authentic from him of reports: "We have heard and we have obeyed and we have believed." As for saying: "How can it be so? How can it be so?" This is not a believer, not a true believer. And therefore, one fears for those people who judge with their intellects what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) reported, because if they do not accept except what their intellects witnessed, and their intellects are undoubtedly limited, then they have not truly believed in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and they have not testified that he is the Messenger of Allah in reality. Their weakness in this testimony is to the extent of their doubt in what he reported.
Likewise, from realizing the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is: that you do not exaggerate in him and lower him to a status greater than the status that Allah assigned to him. For example: those who believe that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) removes hardship, so that at his grave they ask the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) directly to remove hardship from them, and to bring benefit to them. This is exaggeration in the Messenger and shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Allah Mighty and Majestic. No one is able to do that except Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) after his death does not possess anything for anyone, ever. Even the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), when drought struck them in the time of the Commander of the Faithful 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), and they sought rain in the mosque of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they did not come to the grave to ask the Messenger or say: "Call upon Allah for us, or intercede for us with Allah so that He sends down rain." No, 'Umar called upon Allah:
O Allah, we used to seek nearness to You through our Prophet, so You gave us rain. And now we seek nearness to You through the uncle of our Prophet. Then he ordered al-Abbas to stand and call upon Allah the Exalted to send down rain
اللهم إنا كنا نتوسل إليك بنبينا فتسقينا وإننا نتوسل إليك بعم نبينا ، ثم أمر العباس أن يقوم ويدعو الله تعالى بإنزال الغيثWhen a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious child, who prays for him (for the deceased).
إذا مات ابن آدم أو الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاثة : إلا من صدقة جارية ، أو علم ينتفع به ، أو ولد صالح يدعو لهSo the important thing is that these two testimonies are the great pivot, all of Islam is upon them, all of Islam revolves around them. Therefore, if a person wanted to speak about what relates to them in wording, meaning, content, and indication, it would take days. But we have indicated a sign of what relates to them, and we ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you among those who realize them in belief, speech, and action. O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad.
The reader: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted in the context of the hadith of 'Umar: "