Question Summary:
What exactly should we understand by the quranic designation of Nabi [saw] as a ‘Witness’. Question Detail:
What exactly should we understand by the quranic designation of Nabi [saw] as a 'Witness'.
Answer :
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
The word Shaahid (witness), mentioned in the Quran amongst the attributes of Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) , has a few different meanings:
Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was a witness in this world to prove that there is no God but Allah.
Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will be a witness of his ummah on the day of judgement, when they will give evidence in favour of the Prophets of the past. It has been mentioned in Ahadith that on the Day of Judgement, Nuh (Alaihi Assalam) will be presented before Allah Ta’ala, and he will be asked if he had conveyed the message of Allah to his ummah. He will reply in the affirmative, but his ummah will deny of having received any such message. Thereafter, Nuh (Alaihi Assalam) will be asked if he has any witnesses. Upon this he will reply that Muhammed (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his ummah are witnesses; and in some Ahadith it is said that he will present the ummah of Muhammed (صلى الله عليه وسلم) as witnesses. The ummah of Nuh (Alaihi Assalam) will disagree and say that they were not even born at that time. Upon this the ummah of Muhammmed (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will be asked to substantiate their evidence and they will reply that they were told about it by their Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), in whom they believe and trust. At this time, Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will confirm and verify the statement of his ummah, that he had indeed given them the message.
Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was a witness to this ummah of all those things that are going to take place in the Hereafter.
Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) will give evidence of all the good and bad deeds of all the individuals of his ummah. This evidence would be on the basis that the deeds of the ummah are presented before Nabi (صلى الله عليه وسلم) every morning and evening. Some narrations state that the deeds are presented once a week.
Tafseer Al Fakhr Al Raazi Vol:13 Pg:217 (Darul Fikr)
{ شاهدا } يحتمل وجوهاً أحدهما : أنه شاهد على الخلق يوم القيامة كما قال تعالى : { وَيَكُونَ الرسول عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا } [ البقرة : 143 ] وعلى هذا فالنبي بعث شاهداً أي متحملاً للشهادة ويكون في الآخرة شهيداً أي مؤدياً لما تحمله ثانيها : أنه شاهد أن لا إله إلا الله ، وعلى هذا لطيفة وهو أن الله جعل النبي شاهداً على الوحدانية والشاهد لا يكون مدعياً فالله تعالى لم يجعل النبي في مسئلة الوحدانية مدعياً لها لأن المدعي من يقول شيئاً على خلاف الظاهر والوحدانية أظهر من الشمس والنبي عليه السلام كان ادعى النبوة فجعل الله نفسه شاهداً له في مجازاة كونه شاهداً لله فقال تعالى : { والله يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ } [ المنافقون : 1 ] وثالثها : أنه شاهد في الدنيا بأحوال الآخرة من الجنة والنار والميزان والصراط وشاهد في الآخرة بأحوال الدنيا بالطاعة والمعصية والصلاح والفساد
Tafseer Mazhari Vol:9 Pg:390/1 (Darul Isha’at)
Ma’ariful Quran (English Translation) Vol:7 Pg:183/4 (Maktabah Darul Uloom Karachi)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. M. Jawed Iqbal,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah
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