Sharh Aqidah al-Awam: Four Necessary Attributes of the Prophets

Chapter Two

Regarding the Prophets and Messengers Blessings and Peace Be Upon Them

(What is Necessary in Regards to Them-Possible For Them-Their Protection-Impossible With Regards to Them-Their Number Mentioned In the Quran)

-What Is Necessary With Regards to Them (Blessings And Peace Be Upon Them)

The Author Allah have mercy on him said:

أَرْسَل أَنْبِياَء ذَوِىْ فَطَانَهْ   بِالّصِدْقِ وَالّتَبْلِيْغِ وَالأَمَانَهْ

He sent messengers possessing intelligence with truthfulness and conveying the message and trustworthiness

Commentary:

It is compulsory for every legally responsible person to believe that Allah تعالى has Prophets and Messengers.  He تعالى said:

The Messenger believes In what has been sent down to Him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. each one believes In Allâh, his angels, his Books, and his Messengers. they say, “We make no distinction between one another of his Messengers” – and they say, “We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, Our Lord, and to You is the return.” [al-Baqarah:285]

And it is upon him to know that which is necessary with regards to them, that which is impossible and that which is conceivable.  There are four attributes which are necessary with regards to them:

1) Intelligence: The proof for this is that if intelligence was negated for them they would be unable to establish a proof against an opponent, and this is impossible because the Quran has shown in numerous places their establishing the proof against an opponent.  From it is His تعالى words:

And that was Our proof which we gave Ibrâhim against his people. we raise whom we will In degrees. certainly Your Lord is All­Wise, All­Knowing. [al-Anam:83]

And His تعالى words:

They said: “O Nûh! You have disputed with us and much have You prolonged the dispute with us, now bring upon us what You threaten us with, if You are of the truthful.”   [Hud:32]

And His تعالى words:

And debate with them In a Way that is better [al-Nahl:125].

And also because we have been ordered/instructed to follow, and the one being followed is not unintelligent.

2) Truthfulness: The evidence/proof for this is His تعالى words:

Allâh and his Messenger had spoken the truth. [al-Ahzab:22]

And His تعالى words:

And the Messengers spoke truth!   [Yasin:52]

And His تعالى words:

And mention In the Book Ismâ’il. Verily! He was true to what He promised, and He was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet [Maryam:54]

And because if lying was possible for them it would necessitate a lie in what He تعالى Has informed which is impossible.

3) Conveying: The evidence/proof for this are His تعالى words:

O Messenger! proclaim which has been sent down to You from Your Lord. and if You do not, Then You have not conveyed his Message. [al-Maidah:67]

And His تعالى words:

Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning In order that mankind should have no plea against Allâh after the Messengers.  [al-Nisa:165]

Giving of glad tidings and warning is not complete except by conveying, for if they did not convey the sacred laws to people they would have been concealing it. This is impossible because it necessitates concealment which is a great deficiency/shortcoming such that anyone who falls short in regards to the sacred law would have an excuse to dispute with Allah تعالى and argue claiming of lack of conveyance, and Allah تعالى has negated this in the previous verse.

4) Trustworthiness: The evidence/proof for this are His تعالى words:

I am to you a trustworthy Messenger [al-Dukhan]

And His تعالى words:

Certainly Allâh likes not the treacherous. [al-Anfal:58]

And because if they were treacherous by committing an unlawful or disliked act that unlawful and disliked act would become obedience  with regards to them, because Allah تعالى has ordered us to follow them in their statements, actions and states.