{"id":179006,"date":"2024-04-24T10:57:25","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T10:57:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=179006"},"modified":"2024-04-24T10:57:27","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T10:57:27","slug":"prophet-musas-people-and-prophet-muhammads-ummah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=179006","title":{"rendered":"Prophet Musas People and Prophet Muhammads Ummah"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Spahic Omer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Musa and the\nvarious aspects of his prophetic mission are the most recurring themes in the\nQuran. His name is mentioned 136 times. The reason for this is because the episodes\nof Musas life, as well as his prophethood, were the most dramatic and most\nconsequential. They in turn were part of one of the most fateful chapters in\nthe history of mankind, which is the establishment and implementation of the Abrahamic\nCovenant. The Covenant was first supposed to be fulfilled by the Children of\nIsrael \u201c to whom Musa had been sent as prophet – but they both failed and\nrefused to do so, having been deficient in the necessary prerequisites. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After persisting for ages\nin their transgressions and rebellions against God and His prophets – hence\nnever fulfilling their potentials and never reaching the standards set\nespecially by Musa \u201c the Children of Israel were cursed and stripped of\nheavenly privileges. Theirs was an unfulfilled promise that led to a failed\nlegacy, standing as an example not of how things should, but should not, be\ndone. As a consequence, the Promised Land, around which the gist of the Abrahamic\nCovenant revolved, proved sometimes to be a cursed land and at other times a\nland of make-believe. And instead of attracting each other, the Land and the\nChildren of Israel were increasingly repelling each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As their last window of\nopportunity, the Children of Israel were asked to redeem themselves and follow\nthe final messenger of God, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his\nfamily). By becoming members of Muhammads universal community, another chance\nfor participating in the fulfilment of the Abrahamic Covenant would have presented\nitself, albeit not on the basis of the idea of national exclusivity, but rather\nthe idea of global inclusivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Children of Israel\nwould have joined hands with their brother nation: Muslims. As members of a\nglobal fraternity, they would have been led by Muhammad, the younger\nbrother of the Semitic family, whose primary task was to confirm and exonerate\nthe legacies of all the previous prophets, including his brothers from the\nSemitic lineage. The notion of a chosen and preferred nation would then have\nbeen changed into the notion of a favourite class or category, based\nnot on a constrained race, but unbounded faith. Similarly, the notion of the\nPromised Land would have been changed into a segment of the notion of the\npromised earth, shifting from historical particularism to future universalism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Needless to say that the Abrahamic\nCovenant was ultimately fulfilled by Prophet Muhammad in his capacity as\nAbrahams (Prophet Ibrahims) best descendent and son, and by his followers,\nMuslims, in their capacity as Abrahams best descendants and sons. It was only\nMuhammad and Muslims who followed in the footsteps of Abraham, duly\nimplementing his religious teachings and living up to the provisos of the\nCovenant. Thus, the Quran explicitly tells Muslims that Abrahams religion is\ntheir religion, and that he was their ideological \u0153father\u009d (al-Hajj 78). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of the\nChildren of Israel never achieved this honourable status, prompting Jesus\n(Prophet \u02dcIsa) to accuse them of betraying both the mandates of Abraham and\nGod. To Jesus, those people were mere hypocrites, trying to manipulate as much\nhistory as scriptures. He told them: \u0153If you were Abrahams children, then you\nwould do what Abraham did. As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me, a\nman who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such\nthings. You are doing the works of your own father\u00a6If God were your Father, you\nwould love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God\nsent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear\nwhat I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out\nyour fathers desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the\ntruth, for there is no truth in him\u009d (John 8:31-47).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea of a nation (people)\nand the idea of an ummah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quranic extensive\nreferences to the personality of Prophet Musa served as a prelude to that of Prophet\nMuhammad, and the calling of the former as a precursor to that of the latter.\nAs if the Quran calls attention to the fact that Muhammads mission was the\nclimax, as well as realization, of a process set in motion most prominently by\nMusa, and that Muslims embody all the qualities and virtues that the Children\nof Israel were meant to possess, but ultimately fell short of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to this, to many\npeople, the mention of a future prophet similar to Prophet Musa in the\nfollowing account of the Old Testament aims at no one but Prophet Muhammad: \u0153I\nwill raise up for them a prophet (i.e. Muhammad) like you (i.e. Moses) from\namong their kindred\u009d (Deuteronomy 18:18).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two major\nQuranic terms used interchangeably with regard to the prophethoods of Musa and\nMuhammad: a nation (qawm or people) and an ummah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A nation (or a people) is\ndefined as mere human beings or persons making up a group or assembly linked by\ncommon worldly interests, such as a culture, tradition, ethnic group, or a\nsense of kinship. A nation is also the mass of a community as distinguished\nfrom a special class. This means that, considering that man is by nature a\nsocial being, the existence of a nation as a group linked by naturally common\ncharacteristics is a biological-cum-existential necessity to which anybody:\ngood or bad, competent or otherwise, can belong. Unless someone is racist or harbours\nnationalistic tendencies \u201c both of which are abominable traits – there is\nnothing inherently special about one people over another. Peoples or nations are\ngenerally what they are, not what they want to be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An ummah, on the other\nhand, is a category, or a community, of people who transcend the naturally\ncommon worldly concerns and measures, and subscribe to the standards of a\nhigher order, such as faith, righteousness and good work. Within the scope of\nan ummah, the significance of a nation (qawm) is relative and operates\nsubserviently to the implications of the significance of an ummah. Accordingly,\nthe creation of an ummah is the ultimate goal, while the existence of a nation\nis an expedient means. The former furthermore is a privilege and honour, which\nmust be consciously chosen and earned, whereas the latter connotes a utility\nand engineered label, which can be inherited and even manipulated. It goes without\nsaying that the members of an ummah are unavoidably the members of a nation or nations,\nwhile the members of a nation are not necessarily the members of an ummah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Humans were created as nations,\nbut were expected to be elevated to ummahs by means of sending prophets with\nthe divine guidance. That is why the Quran emphatically declares that no\nsingle people (nation) was neglected in that regard: \u0153For We assuredly sent\namongst every nation (people) a messenger, (with the command): \u02dcServe Allah and\neschew evil\u009d (al-Nahl 36). From the very beginning, the choice was placed into\nthe hands of people: to remain trapped in the lows of their inherited station,\nor to aim for the highest ontological grades. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is interesting to\nobserve \u201c as a short detour – that such is the Quranic style that, since all nations\nwere intended and were invited to become ummahs, sometimes some of them were\ncalled ummahs from the start before they even became, or failed to become,\nummahs. This could be the case owing to the following construal \u201c and Almighty\nAllah knows best. If those nations became ummahs, all would have been well and\ngood, but if they did not, that means that they resolutely and en bloc decided\nnot to give up their earlier falsehood paradigms in favour of the truth\nconveyed by their messengers. Inasmuch as they still rallied around the powerful\n\u201c yet false – ideologies and life systems of theirs, those nations rendered themselves,\ninstead of ummahs, pseudo-ummahs. The Quran calls them ummahs rather\nsymbolically, also suggesting that they had squandered all their chances and that\ntheir instances had become of might-have-beens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underscoring the complexity\nand depth of the concept of ummah, the Quran also associates it with the\nmeanings of “religion” and “emulated role model.” The\nformer implies the unified orientation and purpose, and the latter the approach\nand behavioural style. The Quran thus states that if Allah had willed, He\ncould have made all people of one religion (one \u0153ummah\u009d with the same\ndisposition) (al-Nahl 93). The Quran also points out that Prophet Ibrahim was\nan \u0153ummah\u009d, that is to say, a \u0153leader\u009d, a \u0153model\u009d and an embodiment of so much\ntruth and virtue as can be found in entire nations and communities (al-Nahl\n120).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The people – not ummah \u201c of\nProphet Musa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran keeps referring\nto the Children of Israel as a mere people (nation), or the people of Prophet Musa.\nMusa, too, persistently addresses them as \u0153his people.\u009d Not even once does the\nQuranic discourse call them an ummah. Moreover, to give emphasis to its\nintent, the Quran on a couple of occasions refers to the small group of\nbelievers among the Children of Israel \u201c during Musas time and afterwards – as\nan ummah, calling to mind the prestige they as a larger group were required to\nachieve, but did not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the Quran\nstates: \u0153And among the people of Musa is a community (ummah) which guides by\ntruth and by it establishes justice\u009d (al-Araf 159); \u0153Among them (Jews and\nChristians) are a moderate community (ummah), but many of them \u201c evil is that\nwhich they do\u009d (al-Maidah 66); \u0153They are not (all) the same; among the People\nof the Scripture (from Musas to Muhammads time) is a community (ummah) standing\n(in obedience), reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and\nprostrating (in prayer)\u009d (Alu \u02dcImran 113).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Children of Israel did\nnot merit the status of an ummah because they persisted in rebelling against\nGod and betraying Musa. So much so that Musa at one point lamented: \u0153O my\npeople (qawm), why do you vex and insult me while you certainly know that I am\nthe messenger of Allah to you?\u009d God then affirmed that only after they\nthemselves had deviated, did He cause their hearts to deviate, and that He did\nnot guide them solely on account of His guidance being incompatible with their\nreputation as \u0153the defiantly disobedient people\u009d (al-Saff 5).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, Musa did not\nfeel that his people truly belonged to him, nor that he belonged to them. There\nendured a spiritual and psychological gap between them. For Musa, his people\nremained just an assemblage of human beings that made up a socio-cultural\ngroup. They remained alienated from each other, much like Dhul Qarnayn and the\nthree random nations (qawm) he encountered on his voyages (al-Kahf 86-93). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hence, when Musa and his\npeople were fleeing from Egypt, pursued by Pharaoh and his ruthless army, facing\nthe obstacle of the Red Sea, Musa proclaimed that God was with \u0153him.\u009d Though\naccompanied by multitudes, Musa did not say that God was with \u0153them\u009d or \u0153us.\u009d Despite\nstanding side by side, confronting the same adversary, Musa and his people were\nspiritually estranged. They were never completely in sync and their\nperspectives never fully aligned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And right there, during the\nmost critical moment of his prophetic career, Musa felt alone. God was the only\none he had faith in and could rely upon. Nevertheless, he chose to keep a distance\nbetween his people and God. After coming to terms with their spiritual\ndeficiencies, Musa felt that they were undeserving of anything better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, when speaking\nof the highest spiritual dominion, Musa only mentioned himself: \u0153Indeed, with\nme (not with \u0153us\u009d) is my Lord; He will guide me (not \u0153us\u009d)\u009d (al-Shuara 62).\nThis response seems all the more remarkable when contrasted with the preceding exclamation\nof the Children of Israel, wherein they used the pronoun \u0153we\u009d: \u0153Those with Musa\nsaid: \u02dcIndeed, we are to be overtaken!\u009d (al-Shuara 61). Without a doubt, Musas\ndecision to meet his peoples pronoun \u0153we\u009d with his pronoun \u0153me\u009d highlights the\nintense estrangement in their relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henceforth, Musa’s relationship\nwith his people steadily declined, leaving Musa to endure and wish for a swift\nturn of events. Regrettably, things were going from bad to worse. Musa\ncontrolled his emotions and showed compassion towards his people, remembering\ntheir past sufferings under the oppressive regime of Egypt. He acknowledged\ntheir mistakes and misbehaviour by merely labelling them as\n“ignorant” and admitting that \u0153they had brought injustice upon\nthemselves.\u009d Musa conveyed the message that if Pharaoh was mistreating them and\nacting unfairly towards them physically, they were also inflicting harm upon\nthemselves spiritually. They were their own oppressors. If Musa could help them\nwith regard to the former, he could not do much concerning the latter. In the\nabsence of self-initiated spiritual growth, no one else could aid the Children\nof Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, when they betrayed\nMusa by refusing to enter the Promised Land, for which the entire prophethood enterprise\nof Musa had been initiated, enough was enough. It was right then and there that\nMusa declared, once and for all, that his people would never be able to\nprogress from the low level of a nation to the commendable level of an ummah. Musa\nannounced his disassociation from the rebellious segments of his people, calling\nthem defiant wrongdoers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musa’s declaration\nindirectly also conveyed that his people were not fully prepared to carry out\nthe honourable duties of the Abrahamic Covenant, lacking the necessary basic\nrequirements. Such was the rigor and nobility of the Covenant that it surpassed\nthe abilities of a nation. That feat could only be achieved by an ummah. And\nsince there was no ummah other than the ummah of Prophet Muhammad that ever\nafterwards could fit the bill, it was the same ummah \u201c as history and the\nliving legacy of Islamic civilization could authenticate – that truly fulfilled\nthe Covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Musa addressed God after\nthe overwhelming aspects of his corrupted people had rejected the opportunity\nto enter the Promised Land and begin building the foundations of an ummah: \u0153O\nmy Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this\ndefiantly disobedient people!\u009d (al-Maidah 25). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By taking these courses of\naction, the future of the Children of Israel was set in stone and their fate\nwas sealed. It was their lot to forever be a people, playing a minor role in the\ngrand narrative of civilization and operating as its footnote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The concept of nation\nhinders while that of ummah empowers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, if the Children\nof Israel had only listened to and followed the counsels of Musa, the\npossibilities would have been limitless. They would have been made an ummah, giving\nthem the means to inherit the earth. In place of being subjugated and forced to\nserve others, they would have had the opportunity to become the rulers of their\nown destinies and of others as well. By practicing righteousness, they would\nhave suppressed the wickedness of other nations, controlling and eliminating it\nentirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But since they did not do\nthat, they allowed their wrongdoings to overcome them, making themselves\nvulnerable to the influences of the religious and cultural persuasions of other\nnations. This led them to become slaves to their own transgressions and to the\ntransgressions of those who constantly manipulated or conquered them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Children of Israel were\npresented with a choice: to liberate themselves and others or be denied\nliberty; to rule as an ummah or be ruled as a nation; and to be the inheritors\nof the earth or to fall short and let the earth close in upon them, allowing\nthe earth to become nothing but the locus of their failures as well as the\nnecropolis of their vain ambitions and goals. Indeed, it was clear that the\nChildren of Israel were ill-equipped to comprehend the gravity of the\nnation-ummah dynamics they had been thrust into. Little did they know that\ntheir actions could determine their standing in the world, leave a lasting\nimpact in history, and solidify their presence in the minds of people. On the\nother hand, their actions could also hinder their growth and hinder their\nchances of individual and national greatness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advising them to be patiently\nmotivated and aspiring, and to seek help only in their Creator and Lord, Musa\ntold the Children of Israel: \u0153Seek help through Allah and be patient. Indeed,\nthe earth belongs to Allah. He causes to inherit it whom He wills of His\nservants. And the (best) outcome is for the righteous\u00a6Perhaps your Lord will\ndestroy your enemy and grant you succession on the earth and see how you will\ndo\u009d (al-Araf 128-129).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Muhammad and his\nummah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the Quran and Prophet\nMuhammad refer to Muslims as an ummah. In addition, they are regularly given a\nrange of praiseworthy descriptions, attesting to their qualities that pertain\nto faith, piety, obedience, high moral standards and excellence not only in\ndischarging their spiritual, but also worldly, assignments. However, one thing\nis certain: as a community of believers, Muslims are never depicted as a mere\npeople (qawm). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make things yet more\nemphatic, the nonbelieving segments of those to whom Prophet Muhammad had been\nsent – in particular the polytheistic Quraysh of Makkah – are referred to as\nbelonging to the people (qawm) who refused to follow Muhammad. For instance,\nthe Quran says: \u0153So what is (the matter) with those people (qawm) that they\ncan hardly understand any statement?\u009d (al-Nisa 78); \u0153But your people (qawm) have\ndenied it while it is the truth. Say: \u02dcI am not over you a manager\u009d (al-Anam\n66); \u0153And the Messenger has said: \u02dcO my Lord, indeed my people (qawm) have\ntaken this Qur’an as (a thing) abandoned\u009d (al-Furqan 30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Quran also tends to\nbrand the complete Quraysh tribe as a people (qawm), whom Prophet Muhammad had targeted\nfirst with his prophetic mission, and who later, after responding differently\nto the mission, became divided into two categories: believers (ummah) and non-believers\n(remaining just a people and so, an unfulfilled potential). The Quran says for\nexample: \u0153Or do they say: \u02dcHe invented it? Rather, it is the truth from your\nLord, (O Muhammad), that you may warn a people (the Quraysh as qawm) to whom no\nwarner has come before you (so) perhaps they will be guided\u009d (al-Sajdah 3); \u0153That\nyou may warn a people (the Quraysh as qawm) whose forefathers were not warned,\nso they are unaware\u009d (Ya Sin 6).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Quran \u201c\nit follows – the Quraysh and then every other tribe, nation, or community were\nsimply groups of people with spiritual and civilizational potential. Through\nIslam, they were given the chance to awaken and become enlightened, evolving\ninto an ummah that will embrace at once spiritual fulfilment and cultural\nadvancement. Otherwise, they would have remained dormant. Unrefined and\nunfulfilled, they would have promoted prejudice and close-mindedness, while\nneglecting social and cultural inclusivity, and would have advocated for\ndiscriminatory and dogmatic individualism, rather than embracing a universal\nexistential and spiritual perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Put differently, Islam aims\nto rescue the world from the fetters of the minimalism and crudeness of mere\ntribes, nations and peoples, leading it to the liberty and sophistication of a\nuniversal ummah whose cosmopolitan ethos is celebrated and also optimized for\nattaining the highest degrees of righteousness and virtue. In reality, nations are\nthe means for an ummah, additionally functioning as its building blocks.\nWithout adequately cultivating the former, the latter cannot be realized.\nHowever, if nurtured incorrectly for their own sake, nations not only fail to\nreach their potentials, but also become a threat. Instead of contributing to\nthe realization and sustainability of an ummah, they can undermine and even\ndestroy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These messages are\nemphasized in two verses of the Quran where Muslims are described not just as an\nummah, but also the best ummah ever. In the first verse, the Quran stresses\nthat, as the best ummah, Muslims serve as a beacon of hope and a source of\ninspiration. It also brings attention to a fundamental aspect of the Muslim ummah\nidentity, which is the combination of faith in God with the responsibility to\npromote good and prevent wrongdoing. The Quran says: \u0153You are the best ummah produced\n(as an example) for mankind. You enjoin what is right\nand forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah\u009d (Alu \u02dcImran 110).<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the second verse, the\nQuran underscores the significance of Muslims as the best ummah and a\nbenchmark for others. As part of this role, they will be witnesses to the\nnations (the entirety of mankind) which, while persisting in the inadequate\nstate of mere nations and peoples, did not embrace or become part of the best\nummah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mantle of the best\nummah stands for a proof of Muslims faithful internalization and practice of\nIslam. Which means that it is not a choice, but rather a responsibility, to become\nthe best ummah. Or else, Prophet Muhammad will be a witness against his\nfollowers for failing in their both religious and civilizational duties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, Muslims have a\nchoice: they can meet the standards of the best ummah and testify against\nothers, or falter and be testified against by their prophet. The Quran says: \u0153And\nthus we have made you a middle and justly balanced (i.e. the best) ummah that\nyou will be witnesses over the nations and the Messenger will be a witness over\nyou\u009d (al-Baqarah 143).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparing some deeds of Prophet\nMusas people and Prophet Muhammads ummah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have already mentioned\nthat when Prophet Musa faced the most critical challenges, he felt isolated. His\npeople were numerous, but only a handful could be trusted. Thus, during the\nexodus, when caught between Pharaoh and his army on one side, and the Red Sea\non the other, Musa made a distinction between himself and his people. While\nconversing with them, he met their use of “us” with his own pronoun\n“me.” They represented two separate universes functioning\nindependently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is in stark contrast\nto Prophet Muhammads experiences, who also faced numerous critical challenges.\nIn one instance, while secretly migrating from Makkah to Madinah, the Prophet\ntook shelter with his closest companion, Abu Bakr, in the cave Thawr. It must\nbe pointed out \u201c by the way – that Abu Bakr was not only a companion, but also a\nrepresentative, yet a microcosm, of the Muslim ummah. Surrounded by the\npursuing enemy and thinking of the worst scenarios, Abu Bakr worried.\nComforting him, the Prophet said to him: \u0153Do not grieve; indeed, Allah is with\nus\u009d (al-Tawbah 40). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inclusion of the\npronoun “us” in the Prophet’s words suggests a strong bond and a\nshared identity between himself and his ummah. They identified with one\nanother: the Prophet was the ummah, and the ummah, in turn, was him. As such,\ntheir destinies were also one and the same. Together they created them, lived\nthrough them, and, whenever necessary, they were ready to defend them by any means\nnecessary. While in the case of Musa and his people there were \u0153us\u009d and \u0153me\u009d (\u0153Indeed, with me is my Lord\u009d), in the case of Muhammad and his ummah there\nwas only \u0153us\u009d (\u0153Indeed, Allah is with us\u009d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, the Quran\nsays that those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel were cursed by the\ntongue of Prophets Dawud (David) and \u02dcIsa (Jesus). That was so because they\ndisobeyed and habitually transgressed. \u0153They used not to prevent one another\nfrom wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing\u009d\n(al-Maidah 79).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prescribed assignment\nof the Children of Israel <\/a>was to stop and safeguard\none another against wrongdoing. So engrossed in committing evil were they that\nthey almost became synonymous with it. Hence, the priority for the Children of\nIsrael was to defend and keep each other safe from their own misconducts. Commensurate\nwith the implications of being a nation, they had neither the time nor the credentials\nfor others. If they were not guided, how could they guide others? If they could\nnot correct their own ways, how could they detect and mend the wrong ways of\nothers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the situation of\nan ummah is dissimilar to that of a nation. As the best ummah, the Quran\nreminds that the assignments of Muslims are not limited to themselves, but also\nextend to others. They are expected not just to stop each other from doing\nwrong, but also to deter others from doing so, hence the words of the Quran in\nrelation to the Muslim ummah: \u0153(You are) enjoining what is right, forbidding\nwhat is wrong\u009d (Alu \u02dcImran 110). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the sole community\nfollowing the right path, the Muslim ummah has the responsibility to radiate positivity\nto others and be a beacon of hope for the world. The mission of Muslims is to\ntry to save the world from the abyss of falsehood, ignorance and the infinite\nforms of prejudice. True, they are not perfect. However, the imperfections of\nthe genuine components of the best ummah are not deliberate, but accidental (\u0153slip-ups\u009d\nas per the Quranic vocabulary). Their focus is on goodness, not wickedness, as\nthe latter is incompatible with the concept of ummah. As such, it is only\nMuslims who have what it takes to preach to the world, and to try to bring it\nto the path of moral and spiritual uprightness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, as the trajectory\nof the nation of the Children of Israel kept progressing from weakness to\nweakness, and from failure to failure, the trajectory of the Muslim ummah moved\nfrom strength to strength and from success to success. For that reason does the\nQuran bring to light that, instead of deterring each other from committing\nevil acts (which is not their way of life), the members of the Muslim ummah join\ntogether in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and constancy\n(al-\u02dcAsr 3). They know that the cure for evil is ubiquitous goodness, and that\nthe best remedy for the spread of the former is the diffusion of the latter. In\npoint of fact, the two cannot coexist. Goodness is intrinsic and real, evil constructed\nand artificial; in the face of goodness, evil simply evaporates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Muhammad even appeared\nto have sympathy for Musa and the struggles he faced with his people. The\nProphet was aware that his problems with his people were much smaller compared\nto those of Musa. Thus, in the aftermath of the battle of Hunayn in the 8th<\/sup>\nyear following the hijrah or migration to Madinah, after some unscrupulous\npersons had accused the Prophet of being unjust, the Prophet sought out an\nextra source of succour. Finding it in the life-story of Musa, the Prophet remarked:\n\u0153May Allah have mercy on Musa! He was hurt by more than this, yet he remained\npatient\u009d (Sahih al-Bukhari<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, if the people of\nMusa reached the nadir of nonconformity and sin when they arrived at the\nthreshold of the Promised Land, and were supposed to enter it by inaugurating a\nnew culture of jihad, the ummah of Muhammad \u201c on the contrary – came of age\nduring the first battle of Badr, which marked a pivotal moment for the future. At\nthat particular juncture, Musa’s people betrayed him yet again, causing him\ngreat pain. Their blatant impudence and depravity were evident in their words:\n\u0153O Musa, indeed we will not enter it (the Promised Land), ever, as long as they\n(the strong and tyrannical people) are within it; so go, you and your Lord, and\nfight. Indeed, we are remaining right here\u009d (al-Maidah 24).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when he was faced\nwith the prospect of a first and most decisive fight at the plains of Badr \u201c reminiscent\nof Musa’s arrival at the brink of the Promised Land – Prophet Muhammad worried\nwhether his ummah was ready. He furthermore wondered if they had the necessary\nqualities to transition from being a group of people to becoming a unified\nummah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nonetheless, all the\nworries of the Prophet were laid to rest when the Muslims told him the\nfollowing: \u0153O Messenger of Allah! Proceed where Allah directs you to, for we\nare with you. We will not say as the Children of Israel said to Musa: \u02dcGo you and your Lord and fight and we will stay here; rather we shall say: \u02dcGo you and your Lord and\nfight and we will fight along with you. By Allah! If you were to take us to\nBarik al-Ghimad, we will still fight resolutely with you against its defenders\nuntil you gained it.\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These words and the way\nthey were spoken, were a sign that the Muslims had matured and had become not\nonly an ummah, but also the best ummah. They demonstrated their ability to\novercome and bury the inherent disadvantages of being just a group of people (a\nnation), and were ready to fully embrace the guaranteed returns entailed in the\nidea and actual marvel of the ummah. Making reference to the inadequacy of the\nnation of the Children of Israel was by no means coincidental. It denoted both\nthe profound wisdom of Muslims and their willingness to differentiate\nthemselves from the nations with failed civilizational legacies. From that\nmoment on, the future belonged to the best ummah; it did not take long for them\nto start dominating the nations of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should not be\nsurprising, based on the information above, that Prophet Muhammad’s mantra on\nthe Day of Judgement, when exercising his right of intercession, will be \u0153my\nummah, my ummah (ummati, ummati).\u009d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prophet Muhammad meets\nProphet Musa <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to several\nauthentic hadiths or traditions of Prophet Muhammad, during the event of Isra\nand Miraj, the Prophet met Musa. The latter asked if Almighty God had ordained\nsomething for the Prophets followers during the auspicious occasion of the\nMiraj (ascension into heaven). The Prophet answered that fifty daily prayers\nhad been ordained. To that, Musa retorted that the Prophets followers would\nnot be able to perform so many prayers, so he advised the Prophet to return to\nGod and ask for a remission in the number. The Prophet did as advised, but Musa\ncontinuously insisted on making repeat visits and requesting further leniency, because\nthe Prophets followers would not be able to cope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, too, the Prophet\nheeded, returning to God again and again. In the end, when the daily prayers\nwere reduced to only five, Musa still wanted the Prophet to ask for further\nreduction. However, the Prophet replied: \u0153I feel ashamed now of repeatedly\nasking my Lord for reduction. I accept and resign to His Will (i.e. that five\ndaily prayers become an obligation)\u009d (Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, the Sealed\nNectar<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is fascinating to\nrecognize that in their conversations, Musa was looking at the issue of prayer\nthrough the prism of his peoples character, whereas Prophet Muhammad was doing\nthe same through the prism of the character of his ummah. Musa knew who he had\nand Muhammad knew who he has. Musa knew he could not rely on his rebellious\npeople, but Muhammad knew he could trust his obedient and accomplished ummah. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While there was nothing that could galvanize the people of Musa, Muhammad understood that the institution of prayer will be that centre of gravity around which all aspects of the arduous processes of personality-refinement and ummah-building will revolve. Muhammad further knew that prayer will be his ummahs greatest asset, making the ummah, in turn, the greatest asset of all humanity. And just as prayer has been ordained at the highest levels of the metaphysical existence, the highest levels of ones personal and collective (ummah) existence can only be achieved through it. Definitely, for the ummah, the sky (heaven) is the limit, but for nations, the trivialities of earthly life and matter. ***<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Assoc. Prof. Dr. Spahic Omer is an academic in the Department of History and Civilisation, AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia.)<\/em>
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