Islamic Intellectual Theology Lesson 23 The Appointed Leadership “NABOOWAT” Primary Source: ELAHIYAAT of Sh. Ja’far Subhani Part Three: Necessity of Prophet hood Page Edited: Dec. 1, BHD

Arguments of the Rejecters  The following are the arguments of those who reject Prophet hood: 1. The Prophet either presents things which agrees with the intellect or opposes it. If he presents that which agrees then he is not required because the intellect is available. If he brings whatever opposes the intellect then such a person must be rejected. Response: The rejecter assumes that there are two types of knowledge. That is not true as there are three types. The third is perceivable by the intellect but not reachable by it as mentioned in our previous session. There are many things especially those related to the metaphysical world which are out of the reach of the intellect. To perceive and understand them requires God’s help.

2. Intellect Understands Obedience  The intellect indicates that God is All-wise, and He has bestowed His servants bounties which obligates gratitude (SHUKR) intellectually. Therefore if we know Him intellectually and that He is the source of every blessings surrounding us, then automatically we will be thankful to Him and with that we truly deserve His reward.  If we deny Him and reject Him we will deserve His punishment and wrath intellectually without any human having to tell us such. So why should we follow a Prophet?!

Respond to the Second Argument  This one is similar to the previous one, it assumes that the intellect can reach what ever is agreeable intellectually. The concept of decency of gratitude and indecency of denying the favors is perceivable intellectually without any doubt, but how to be thankful or the method of thanking is unknown to many and many might end up in using wrong methods such as making partners with God thanking them and worshiping them as well.  The role of the Prophet is not limited to just guiding the people to be thankful and avoid the rejection of the bounties of their Lord, but it has more to do with the knowledge of God (MARFIAH) which must come from the creator Himself, because our limited minds cannot perceive His absoluteness, therefore He only can tell us properly about Him self and His attributes. (YA MAN DALLA ALA ZAATEHE BEZAATEHE, WA TANAZAHA UN MOJAANASATA MAKHLOOQAATEHE)-Dua SABAAH( morning), O the one who indicates towards himself by himself and is totally refrained from being mixed up with His creations.

More than just the concepts  The prophets (AS) they do not bring the intellectual concepts, they conform the intellectual concepts, but what ever they bring is extra form the basic frame work of the intellectual concepts but agreeable with the intellectual concepts and does not contradict them, such as teaching the creation followings:  The Law, which can not be presented properly by the intellectuals, due to the incomplete conditions mentioned before, but what ever is presented by a Prophet does not contradict with the intellect.  The method of happiness of this world and the world here after, and the incentives and the inhibitors (rewards and punishments)  Conclusion: The human requires more than the intellectual concepts and its framework to attain happiness of this world and the hereafter.

3.The intellectual indecency of the prophets teachings  The intellect indicates that God is All-wise and does to obligate on His creation indecent acts such as visiting Him in a small house made out of bricks, circumambulating around it (TAWAAF), hitting stones to pillars, walking in-between two mountains, slaughtering a goat. Making certain food forbidden and so on.  Respond: This argument is merely out of the ignorance in knowing the benefits and the harm behind the rituals, as mentioned before only God knows most of the philosophy of the rituals, but indeed without any doubt that if He obligates any thing then for sure there is a beneficial purpose behind such obligation and if He forbids any thing then for sure there is a harm in it, therefore it all depends on a Prophet, which if it is proven that the one who taught such acts was a Prophet then one must submit that there is a reason and philosophy behind such rituals

Some of the misconceived points  TAWAAF around the holy KAABA: symbol of unity, since God cannot be limited, therefore this house is a symbolic gathering points for all His servants around the world –No intellectual problem in it, the intellect considers unity an act of decency.  Stoning the symbol of devil or an evil – rejecting the evil, intellectually decent  Walk between SAFFA and MARWAH- patience and strive to reach the goal and not to give up, a concept which is decent.  The science has discovered the benefits of many rituals and harm of forbidden acts, such as the healthy benefits of fasting and the SALAAT (the movements of the joints).  The harm of consuming the Alcohol and pig on the body and the soul.

4. Following a human is one of the greatest sins  If a Prophet is a human similar like me, then why should I follow him, what makes him superior to me so that I have to follow him, he is none but a human like me??!!  Respond: This is not something new, this is what was presented by the rejecters of the Prophets (AS)of the previous nations, and the idol worshippers in the time of Prophet Mohammad (S).  There is a difference which is revelation (WAHY), and the evidence that such is a reveled prophet or not is the miracle which he presents distinguishes him from other Prophets, which is going to be discussed in coming sessions. (refer to our course in Prolegomena of the Holy Quraan –

A messenger after Prophet Nooh (AS)  فَأَرْسَلْنَا فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ {32} [Shakir 23:32] So We sent among them a messenger from among them, saying: Serve Allah, you have no god other than Him; will you not then guard (against evil)?  وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِن قَوْمِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاء الْآخِرَةِ وَأَتْرَفْنَاهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَشْرَبُ مِمَّا تَشْرَبُونَ {33} [Shakir 23:33] And the chiefs of his people who disbelieved and called the meeting of the hereafter a lie, and whom We had given plenty to enjoy in this world's life, said: This is nothing but a mortal like yourselves, eating of what you eat from and drinking of what you drink.  وَلَئِنْ أَطَعْتُم بَشَرًا مِثْلَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ {34} [Shakir 23:34] And if you obey a mortal like yourselves, then most surely you will be losers:

Respond of the Prophets on such claim  قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَمَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نَّأْتِيَكُم بِسُلْطَانٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَعلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ {11}  [Shakir 14:11] Their messengers said to them: We are nothing but mortals like yourselves, but Allah bestows (His) favors on whom He pleases of His servants, and it is not for us that we should bring you an authority except by Allah's permission; and on Allah should the believers rely.  وَمَا لَنَا أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللّهِ وَقَدْ هَدَانَا سُبُلَنَا وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى مَا آذَيْتُمُونَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ {12}  [Shakir 14:12] And what reason have we that we should not rely on Allah? And He has indeed guided us in our ways; and certainly we would bear with patience your persecution of us; and on Allah should the reliant rely.