PROPHETS AS LORDS: THE SUBTLEST FORM OF CORRUPTING RELIGION

PROPHETS AS LORDS: THE SUBTLEST FORM OF CORRUPTING RELIGION

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✨ 1. Introduction: Who Has the Authority to Rule?

The essence of Islam is to recognize only Allah as “Rabb” (Lord). The word “Rabb” does not merely mean Creator; it also means One who nurtures, teaches, governs, and legislates. For this reason, the Qur’an prohibits taking not only religious scholars but even prophets as lords.

“It is not for a prophet to say to people: ‘Be my worshippers instead of Allah’s.’ Rather, he would say: ‘Be people of the Lord (Rabbaniyyun), because you have been teaching the Book and studying it.’”
(Āl‑i ‘Imrān, 3:79)

⛔️ Thus, even a prophet cannot legislate in religion; his role is only to teach the revelation.

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📜 2. What Does It Mean to “Take as Lord”?

🔍 To “take as lord” is not limited to prostration or supplication. The core meaning is:
➡️ To view a person as a religious authority, a lawgiver, and a determiner of what is permissible and forbidden.

📚 The Qur’an gives this example:

“They took their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah...”
(Tawbah, 9:31)

👤 Today, the Prophet himself has been turned into a “lord” by many. Likewise, countless religious figures and sectarian leaders are regarded as divine authorities. Yet Allah alone is the teacher and the Rabb.

⚖️ In Islam, the authority to speak in the name of religion, to legislate, and to declare things lawful or unlawful belongs exclusively to Allah.

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📘 3. Can Prophets Be Taken as Lords?

Prophets are mere conveyors and teachers of revelation. Treating their personal words, actions, or even narrated reports as binding—placing them above or alongside the Qur’an—is tantamount to attributing lordship to them.

“Say: I do not say to you that I possess Allah’s treasures, nor do I know the unseen. I only follow what is revealed to me.”
(An‘ām, 6:50)

📢 The Qur’an’s hundreds of verses beginning with “Say (Qul)” emphasize that the Prophet’s words in such contexts are not self-derived but divinely revealed. He is not an independent teacher but a faithful messenger.

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❗️ 4. Excessive Questioning = Making Religion Difficult

The Qur’an sets boundaries for inquiry:

“O you who believe! Do not ask about things which, if made plain to you, may distress you. But if you ask about them while the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be made plain to you...”
(Mā’idah, 5:101)

🐄 In the “cow” story (Baqarah 2:67–71), a simple command was complicated by excessive questioning until it became nearly impossible to fulfill.

Religion should not be weighed down by endless scrutiny but lived in submission and simplicity within the limits set by revelation.

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📖 5. Qur’an: One Answer, One Authority

In response to questions, the Qur’an consistently returns to revelation:

🔹 “They ask you about... Say (Qul): …”
🔹 “Legislation belongs only to Allah.” (Yusuf, 12:40)
🔹 “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah?” (An‘ām, 6:114)

📜 The Prophet transmits the message; he does not create it.

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✅ Conclusion: Protecting Religion Means Recognizing the True Lord

⛔️ Taking prophets or religious leaders as lords means:
➡️ Treating their words as ultimate criteria in religion,
➡️ Accepting fabricated rulings as if from Allah,
➡️ Recognizing any authority outside revelation as binding.

💡 But in Islam, divine authority rests solely with Allah. Prophets are carriers and communicators of this authority.

🔑 Thus, religion must be learned directly from the Qur’an, understanding the Prophet’s role strictly as a messenger of revelation.

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🕊️ Remember: Allah is the Rabb. The Prophet is the Rasul. Preserving this distinction is the foundation of Tawhid (Divine Oneness).

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⚠️ NOTICE / REMINDER

The views and insights in this text are human efforts to understand.

Always evaluate every statement in the light of the Qur’an as a whole; weigh, measure, and verify them under its guidance.

The only standard of truth is Allah’s Book. Any error is ours; any truth belongs to Allah.