The Sunday Mail
Who is Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him)?
Muslims believe that the last and final Prophet whom God Almighty sent to humanity was the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). At the age of 40, he received the revelation from God.
He then spent the remaining portion of his life explaining, and living the teachings of Islam, the religion that God revealed to him.
The result of his mission has brought more people into the pure belief in One God than any other Prophet. Since the beginning of time, God sent prophets to the earth, each one to his own specific nation. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), however, was sent as the final Messenger to all of humanity.
Do Muslims worship Muhammed (PBUH)?
Muslims do not worship Muhammed (PBUH) in any way. Muslims believe that he was the last and final Messenger sent by God Almighty, and like all other Prophets and Messengers, he was a human being.
However, some people mistakenly assume that Muslims worship Muhammed and this is one of the reasons that Muslims were erroneously called “Mohammedans”.
Muhammed (PBUH) never even once claimed divine status. He called people to worship Almighty God alone, and he continually emphasised his humanity. In order to prevent his deification, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always asked to refer to him as “Allah’s Servant and Messenger”.
Muhammed (PBUH) was chosen to be Allah’s final Messenger and to communicate His message to us, not only in words but also as a living example of its practical application. Muslims love and respect him because of his impeccable and upright moral character and because of the fact that he diligently conveyed the truth from God — which is the pure monotheism of Islam.
Muslims strive to follow the great example of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) but do not worship him in any way. Islam teaches Muslims to respect all of Allah’s Prophets and Messengers.
However, respecting and loving them does not mean worshipping them. Muslims know that all worship and prayer must be directed to God alone.
In fact, the worship of Muhammed (PBUH) — or anyone else — along with, or instead of Almighty God is considered an unpardonable sin in Islam. Even if a person claims to be Muslim but worships or prays to anyone or anything other than God Almighty, it invalidates one’s claim to Islam. The Declaration of Faith makes it clear that Muslims must worship God alone.
What are the basic teachings of Islam?
The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in absolute Monotheism (the Oneness of God). This means to believe that there is only one Creator and Sustainer of everything in the universe, and that nothing is divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Him.
Truly, believing in the Oneness of God means much more than simply believing that there is “One God” — as opposed to two, three or four. There are a number of religions that claim belief in “One God” and believe that ultimately there is only one Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, but true monotheism is to believe that only the One True Deity is to be worshipped in accordance to the revelation He sent to His Messenger.
Islam also rejects the use of all intermediaries between God and Man, and insists that people approach God directly and reserve all worship for Him alone. Muslims believe that Almighty God is Most Compassionate, Loving and Merciful.
For further information on Islam or a free copy of the Holy Qur’aan, please contact Majlisul Ulama Zimbabwe, Council of Islamic Scholars
l Publications Department
PO Box W93, Waterfalls, Harare
Tel: 04-614078 / 614004, Fax : 04-614003
e-mail: [email protected]
