The Ummi Prophet
- philhoraia
- Jun 15, 2023
- 3 min read
S 7:157 Those who follow the messenger, the ummi prophet, whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Injil. He commands them kindness and forbids them baseness and declares lawful for them the good things and declares unlawful for them the bad and lays their burden from them and the shackles that were on them. So those who have believed in him and aided him and helped him and followed the light that was sent down with him, those are the successful.
S 7:158 Say: People, I am Allah’s messenger to you all, the one whose is the dominion of the skies and the Earth. There is no god but him. He vivifies and causes to die. So believe in Allah and his messenger, the ummi prophet, the one who believes in Allah and his words, and follow him; perhaps you will be guided.
I am strongly of the opinion that the author's word ummi is a form of the word umami 'gentile'. Today the word he uses bears the signification of 'illiterate', although it also means 'maternal', but there's no good reason to assume that he was illiterate. Definitely not maternal :)) Let's consider a few ahadith.
Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair:
that he heard Ibn `Abbas saying, "Thursday! And you know not what Thursday is? After that Ibn `Abbas wept till the stones on the ground were soaked with his tears. On that I asked Ibn `Abbas, "What is (about) Thursday?" He said, "When the condition (i.e. health) of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) deteriorated, he said, 'Bring me a bone of scapula, so that I may write something for you after which you will never go astray.'The people differed in their opinions although it was improper to differ in front of a prophet, They said, 'What is wrong with him? Do you think he is delirious? Ask him (to understand). The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'Leave me as I am in a better state than what you are asking me to do.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered them to do three things saying, 'Turn out all the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula, show respect to all foreign delegates by giving them gifts as I used to do.' " The sub-narrator added, "The third order was something beneficial which either Ibn `Abbas did not mention or he mentioned but I forgot.'
Narrated Ibn `Abbas:
When the time of the death of the Prophet (ﷺ) approached while there were some men in the house, and among them was `Umar bin Al-Khatttab, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Come near let me write for you a writing after which you will never go astray." `Umar said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) is seriously ill, and you have the Qur'an, so Allah's Book is sufficient for us." The people in the house differed and disputed. Some of them said, "Come near so that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) may write for you a writing after which you will not go astray," while some of them said what `Umar said. When they made much noise and differed greatly before the Prophet, he said to them, "Go away and leave me." Ibn `Abbas used to say, "It was a great disaster that their difference and noise prevented Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) from writing that writing for them.
He wants to write something 'so that Muslims wouldn't stray (!)
In the next one he finds his self-assumed title in a document and erases it, effectively denying being a messenger or prophet.
Narrated Al-Bara:
When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to perform the `Umra he sent a person to the people of Mecca asking their permission to enter Mecca. They stipulated that he would not stay for more than three days and would not enter it except with sheathed arms and would not preach (Islam) to any of them. So `Ali bin Abi- Talib started writing the treaty between them. He wrote, "This is what Muhammad, Apostle of Allah has agreed to." The (Meccans) said, "If we knew that you (Muhammad) are the Messenger of Allah, then we would not have prevented you and would have followed you. But write, 'This is what Muhammad bin `Abdullah has agreed to..' " On that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "By Allah, I am Muhammad bin `Abdullah, and, by Allah, I am Apostle of 'Allah." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used not to write; so he asked `Ali to erase the expression of Apostle of Allah. On that `Ali said, "By Allah I will never erase it." Allah's Apostle said (to `Ali), "Let me see the paper." When `Ali showed him the paper, the Prophet (ﷺ) erased the expression with his own hand. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had entered Mecca and three days had elapsed, the Meccans came to `Ali and said, "Let your friend (i.e. the Prophet) quit Mecca." `Ali informed Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Yes," and then he departed.
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