Kashif Shahzada

Since the Qur’an says that we should obey Allah and His messenger, then does this imply that to obey Allah we have to obey the Qur’an, while obedience to the messenger means obedience to some other books apart from the Qur’an?

When the Qur’an says we have to obey the messenger it does not stop there. It also tells us about the nature of the divine message which was bestowed on the messenger and which he, in turn, transmitted to the people.  Consider the following example.

[1] WHAT IS THAT TEACHING THAT THE MESSENGER RECEIVED FROM ALLAH?
In Surah Al-Maidah, the messenger is ordered to deliver the divine revelation received by him.  Not to do so would have meant not fulfilling his mission.

O Messenger! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Sustainer <balligh ma_ unzila ilaika mir rabbik>; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people. (5:67)

What are the divine teachings revealed to the messenger? The following verse clarifies this.

And We have revealed the Book to you which has the clear explanation of everything <wa nazzalna_ ‘alaikal kita_ba tibya_nal likulli shai’iw>, and a guidance and mercy and good news for those who submit. (16:89)

What Allah has revealed is no less than the Book to the messenger.  A book of guidance and glad tidings, it is complete, clear, self-explanatory.

 In Surah An-Nisa, the nature of the divine teaching is again highlighted.

Surely We have revealed the Book to you with the truth that you may judge between people by means of that which Allah has shown you; and be not an advocate on behalf of the treacherous. (4:105)

The Book is, above all, a vehicle of truth and promises help to the messenger in distinguishing between people and, evidently, between true and false, good and bad.

The words are echoed in Surah Al-Ma’idah.

And We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, verifying what is before  of the Book an as a guardian over it, therefore judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low desires (to turn away) from the truth that has come to you.  (5:48)

It is again confirmed that the messenger received the Book of Allah and was to judge people in the light of it and could not deviate from it.

The foregoing and other verses in the Qur’an bear witness to this.  

[2] WHAT IS THE TEACHING WITH WHICH THE MESSENGER GUIDED PEOPLE?

We know best what they say, and you are not one to compel them; therefore remind him by means of the Quran who fears My Promise. (50:45)
Allah commands the messenger to admonish people in the light of the Qur’an. And the messenger himself confirms that his mission is <tazkir bil Qur’an>

Allah is witness between you and me; and this Quran has been revealed to me that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches. (6:19)

Elsewhere, the Qur’an is referred to as a Book that clarifies, exposes and enlightens, guiding the ‘People of the Book’ to the right path.

O People of the Book! Indeed Our Messenger has come to you making clear to you much of what you concealed of the Book and passing over much; indeed, there has come to you light and a clear Book from Allah; With it Allah guides him who will follow His pleasure into the ways of safety and brings them out of utter darkness into light by His will and guides them to the right path.” (5:15-16)

According to another passage in the Qur’an, the first two conditions of guidance are submission and recitation. Guidance is primarily said to subsist in ‘warning’. It is, by definition, gratuitous.

I am commanded only that I should serve the Sustainer of this city, Who has made it sacred, and His are all things; and I am commanded that I should be of those who submit; And that I should recite the Quran. Therefore whoever goes aright, he goes aright for his own soul, and whoever goes astray, then say: I am only one of the warners.  (27:91-22)
At another point we learn that propagation of the Qur’an is an obligation for the messenger.

Most surely He Who has made the Quran binding on you will bring you back to the destination. Say: My Sustainer knows best him who has brought the guidance and him who is in manifest error. (28:85)

Communicating the divine Word is <Farz> (a duty or obligation) for the messenger. It is incumbent on him to convey the message as it stands and in its totality. The journey is equally one of self-enlightenment. Knowledge rests with Allah alone and the judgments of the messenger are based entirely on His Book (5.48).   Obedience and subservience are only due to Allah’s laws. The messenger does not make people obey his own teaching but the law of Allah as contained in Al-Qur’an. Obedience to the messenger means obedience to Allah and His message.

[3] OBEDIENCE IS ONLY TO THE LAW OF ALLAH

Surely the HUKM (Law and Rule) is for none but Allah.  (12:40)

He does not make any one His associate in His HUKM (Law and Ruling) (18:26)

The phrase <la_ yushriku fi hukmihi  ahada> means He (Allah) does not associate anyone in His Laws (18:26). This makes it clear that obedience is due only to the Law of Allah and no other law. Even a messenger of Allah does not have the authority to make anyone subservient to his personal command.

 The exclusive nature of Allah’s Law is also highlighted elsewhere.

It is not meet for a Human Being that Allah should give him the Book and Government and Nabuwa’ (Direct reception of Divine Messages), then he might say to people: Be subservient to me rather than Allah; <ku_nu_ ‘iba_dal li min du_nilla_h> but on the contrary (he would say): Become sustenance providers (to mankind)  because of your teaching the Book and your studying (it yourselves).” (3:79)

The above verse declares that even a Prophet, i.e. a person who is a direct recipient of Allah’s message cannot make any other human being subservient to his personal law. His duty is to ask people to be obedient to the law of Allah by studying the Book of Allah and teaching it to others as well.
The rule of Allah encompasses the universe in the form of natural laws but in human affairs it is established though the injunctions contained in Allah’s Book.  

[4] MESSENGER DELIVERS ONLY THE LAW OF ALLAH, AND PEOPLE ARE TO OBEY THE LAW THAT ALLAH GIVES THEM THRUOGH THE AGENCY OF HIS MESSENGER

Muhammad is himself made to confirm that it is by introducing the injunctions in Allah’s Book that Allah’s government is to be established in human affairs.

Shall I then seek a Ruler other than Allah? When  He it is Who has revealed to you the Book (which is) distinctly elucidated; (6:114)

The messenger of Allah, like anyone else, is subject to the laws contained in the Book of Allah.  At the same time, obedience to the messenger means obedience to the laws contained in Allah’s Book which it is the messenger’s mission to establish in human affairs. The messenger of Allah delivers the message of Allah alone and does not ask people to be obedient to any rule or law other than that given in the Book of Allah.

The following verses confirm that obedience to the messenger means obedience to the message being delivered by him:

And obey Allah and obey the messenger and be cautious; but if you turn back, then know that only a clear deliverance of the message is (incumbent) on Our messenger (5:92)

And Allah has made for you of what He has created shelters, and He has given you in the mountains places of retreat, and He has given you garments to preserve you from the heat and coats of mail to preserve you in your fighting; even thus does He complete His favor upon you, that haply you may submit. But if they turn back, then on you devolves only the clear deliverance (of the message). (16:81-82)

And if you (o people) reject (the truth), nations before you did indeed reject (the truth); and nothing is incumbent on the messenger but a plain delivering (of the message) (29:18)

And obey Allah and obey the messenger, but if you turn back, then upon Our messenger devolves only the clear delivery (of the message). (64:12)

Say: Obey Allah and obey the messenger; but if you turn back, then on him rests that which is imposed on him and on you rests that which is imposed on you; and if you obey him, you are on the right way; and nothing rests on the messenger but clear delivering (of the message). (24:54)

Obedience to Allah is clearly defined here.  It is linked to obedience to His messenger.

The double negative used in the phrase, <wa ma_ alar rasu_li il lal bala_ghul mubin> ..and nothing rests on the messenger but clear delivering (of the message).

This unequivocally states the following. The messenger makes people obedient to the message of God alone. That is, he does not deliver any other teachings apart from the message of God.  It is not as though Allah and the messenger are giving separate teachings. Allah has revealed the Book to His messenger and the messenger in turn delivers the laws contained in the Book. It is up to us to obey the laws that Allah has sent through His messenger.

[5] OBEDIENCE IS ONLY FOR THE MESSAGE AS RECEIVED AND DELIVERED BY THE MESSENGER. NO OTHER BOOK APART FROM THE QUR’AN IS TO BE FOLLOWED AS DIVINE GUIDANCE

Surah Al-Araf, says that the believers are to follow and obey only the Book of Allah and no other.

A Book revealed to you– so let there be no straitness in your breast on account of it– that you may warn thereby, and a reminder close to the believers. Follow what has been revealed to you from your Sustainer and do not follow guardians besides Him (His Laws), how little do you mind  (7:2-3)

Itiba i.e. obedience is due only to. ..what has been revealed to you from our Sustainer… and not to … guardians besides Him.
The implications of the above words are self-evident. The messenger of Allah is reminded that Allah has not revealed any book apart from the Qur’an for their edification or education.
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And We have not given them any books which they study, nor did We send to them before you a warner. (34:44)

It is made clear time and again that the Qur’an has a privileged and exclusive   status.

What! shall We then  treat the Muslims as criminals? What has happened to
you? How do you judge? Or have you a book from which you study?. That you
have surely therein what you choose… (68:35-38)

The question – Or have you a book from which you study? – points defiantly to the divinity of the Qur’an.

Or have We given them a book so that they follow a clear argument thereof? Nay, the unjust do not hold out promises one to another but only to deceive (35:40)

Surah Az-Zukhruf has this to say of the disbelievers:

Or have We given them a book before this which they hold fast to? (43:21)

Surah Al-Haqqa affirms the legitimacy of the Prophet as Allah’s messenger but instantly adds a caveat: to the effect that if the messenger were to have tried to doctor the Book, he would have been held accountable for it.

And if he had uttered against Us some of the sayings. We would certainly have seized him by the right hand. Then We would certainly have cut off his aorta. And not one of you could have withheld Us from him. (69:44-47)

In Surah As-Saffat, the disbelievers are challenged to produce their ‘authority’. The purpose is evidently to expose the deficiencies of religion as a whole.

What is the matter with you, how is it that you judge? Will you not then mind? Or have you a clear authority? Then bring your book, if you are truthful (37:154-157)

The messenger confirms that apart from the Qur’an and the revelation given to Moses (which contains the very same message as the Qur’an, 42:13) there is no other Book competent to guide.

Say: Then bring some (other) book from Allah which is a better guide than both of them, (that) I may follow it, if you are truthful (28:49)

Allah tells believers that the purpose of revealing His Book is to make us follow His laws and not to introduce innovations. Though the Book of Allah sets apart true from false, people still abandon the Qur’an and extend obedience to man-made laws.

The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Wise.  Surely We have revealed to you the Book with the truth, therefore serve Allah, keeping ‘Deen’ sincere for Him in obedience. Now, surely, sincere obedience in ‘Deen’ is due to Allah (alone) and (as for) those who take guardians besides Him, (saying), We do not serve them save that they may make us nearer to Allah, surely Allah will judge between them in that in which they differ; surely Allah does not guide him aright who is a liar, ungrateful (39:1-3)

We are told to serve Allah by following the Qur’an and keeping Deen pure (khalis) for Him, and not becoming like those who serve others besides Allah under the delusion that they will bring them closer to Him.
Surah Al-Fatir claims a divine ancestry for the Quran’ic revelation. It is described as an ‘inheritance’. The People of the Book are privileged in sharing in the revelation.

And that which We have revealed to you of the Book, that is the truth verifying that which is before it; most surely with respect to His servants Allah is Aware, Seeing. Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah’s permission; this is the great excellence. (35:31-32)

[6] OBEDIENCE TO ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER ARE NOT TWO SEPARATE OBEDIENCES BUT ONE OBEDIENCE

The Qur’an suggests that obedience to Allah and His messenger does not mean two separate obediences, such that to obey Allah we have to obey the Qur’an and to obey the messenger we have to obey books other than the Qur’an.  The words “Allah and His messenger” represent a single source of law and obedience.
In Surah Tauba, a declaration is given by Allah through the agency of His messenger about the mushrikeen, with whom the Believers had made a contract:

And an announcement from Allah and His messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah and His messenger are free from liability to the idolaters; therefore if you repent, it will be better for you, and if you turn back, then know that you will not weaken Allah; and announce painful punishment to those who disbelieve. (9:3)
The announcement of immunity in the above verse was given by the messenger to the people but is described here as coming from “Allah and His messenger”. It is obvious that the messenger did not issue a separate declaration from Allah such that one announcement came from Allah and the other from the messenger.
But it was Allah who had self-evidently ‘commissioned’ this declaration which was in turn delivered to people through the agency of His messenger. However, the announcement is attributed to both Allah as well as His messenger. This suggests that Allah and His messenger are not two separate sources of divine laws and ordinances even though Allah is the supreme source.  But He does not give those laws directly and instead appoints a messenger to convey them to the people.

We see another allusion to “Allah and His messenger” in Surah Al-Anfaal.

O you who believe! obey Allah and His messenger and do not turn back from Him while you hear. (8:20)

Believers are called upon here to obey Allah and His messenger. The verse ends with the phrase: <wa la_ tawallau ‘anhu wa antum tasma’u_n> and do not turn back from Him while you hear.  Believers are identified as those who receive the Quran’ic laws from the messenger as the pronoun <anhu> from him suggests.  So we are once again looking at one and not two separate sources of authority – or law – to be obeyed.

Allah’s agency or intermediary is a ‘Prophet’ on account of his direct reception of the divine message He is ‘Rasul’  in that he does not keep the divine message to himself  but delivers it to mankind.  The messenger not only calls upon people to obey the laws he has received by divine revelation but is personally subject to them.

These laws and injunctions are contained in the Book of Allah and the messenger delivers them to his people and asks them to show obedience to what he is propagating. The Qur’anic verses are themselves seen as the divine utterances of the messenger <qaul-ur-rasool>.

So the following ayat tell us.

Most surely, it (the Qur’an) is the saying of  an honourable messenger. (69:40)

Those who listen to the messenger listen to what he propagates. Let us say that, through him, they listen to what God has revealed and by obeying the divine injunctions, obey Allah as well.  

Whoever obeys the messenger, he indeed obeys Allah, and whoever turns back, so We have not sent you as a keeper over them. (4:80)

So it seems clear that Allah and His messenger represent not two distinct varieties of obedience but stand for a single, indissoluble source of divine law.