my faith
...
ISLAM
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Human destiny, by Islamic lights, is a matter
of man having been placed on this earth by
Allah, so that he may be put to the test - the test being
of his capacity to make correct moral choices. It is for
this purpose that man has been given complete free-
dom, for without such freedom, the divine test would
have no meaning nor validity.
It is required of man that he should lead his life on earth
following a regimen of strict self-discipline. But where
should he find the guiding principles for such a course?
The answer, according to Islam, is in prophethood.
Throughout the history of mankind, Allah appointed cer-
tain human beings - prophets - who would be the recip-
ients and conveyors of His guidance as sent through
His angels. The last in the series was the Prophet
Muhammad [s].
The concept of prophethood is totally different from that
of incarnation. According to the latter concept, God
Himself is re-born in human shape on earth in order to
give succour to humanity. Propehthood, according to
Islam, is of quite another order of being. A prophet in
the Islamic sense is a man, just like any other human
being. His uniqueness resides solely in his also being a
messenger of Allah.
A messenger is not an ‘inspired’ person in the simple
sense of the word. By Islamic tenets, prophethood is
dependent not on inspiration, but on divine revelation.
Inspiration is a common psychological phenomenon, of
the kind experienced by a poet, whereas revelation is a
true and direct divine communication. It was con-
sciously sent and also consciously received by the
Prophets.
According to Islam, prophethood is not acquired but
Allah-given. That is, it is not possible to engage in spir-
itual exercises and then, as a result, be elevated to
prophethood. The Prophet does not have any say in the
matter of selection. The choice depends upon Allah
alone.
PT
