اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
اَعُوْذُبِااللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِيْم
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
*_Today’s Thought for the day is from Surah An-Nahl Ayah 123_*
*ثُمَّ اَوۡحَيۡنَاۤ اِلَيۡكَ اَنِ اتَّبِعۡ مِلَّةَ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ حَنِيۡفًا ؕ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الۡمُشۡرِكِيۡنَ.(123)*
*_Then We revealed to you [O Muhammad]: Follow the religion of Ibraheem, the monotheist, and he was not one of those who ascribe partners to Allah.(123)_*
پھر ہم نے تمہاری طرف وحی بھیجی کہ دین ابراہیم کی پیروی اختیار کرو جو ایک طرف کے ہو رہے تھے اور مشرکوں میں سے نہ تھے.(123)
The Ayah establishes a link between Prophet Ibrahim(AS) and Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alahi wa Sallam.‼️ After describing the Noble characters and status of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پلسَّلَامُ, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was instructed to follow the religion of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پلَسَّلَامُ. *So from here we can know that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is not the designer of a new religion as many ignorant disbelievers say.* The Noble Prophetﷺ only inherited the Islamic religion that existed before that. So when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ invited the Jews and Christians and the pagans of Makkah to follow him, he did not invite them to follow his new religion, but to the religion of their great grand father, which is the religion of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پسَّلَامُ. *In fact, Islam is not a new religion that started in the time of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پالسَّلَامُ but it is much older than that, which is the same religion practiced right from Prophet Adam عَلَيْهِ پلَسَّلَامُ*
As Allah Subhanahu wa taa’la says
*_The Jews and Christians each say, “Follow our faith to be ˹rightly˺ guided.” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “No! We follow the faith of Ibrahim, the upright—who was not a polytheist.”(Surah Al-Baqarah. 2:135)_*
*_Act of the Day is:_* to understand the reasons for asking our Noble Prophetﷺ
to follow the religion of Prophet Ibrahim (AS).‼️
1. The law of Prophet Ibrahim (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came first.
2. As a tribute to the Khalilullah that is Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٍلَسَّلَامُ. Allah ﷻ touched the greatness of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پلسَّلَامُ here when he told HIS most noble servant (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) to follow him (Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پسَّلَامُ).
This Ayah also served as a lesson to the Makkan pagans and to the rest of the world that to be a follower of Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پلَسَّلَامُ as claimed, they have to follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ because he followed the teachings of his father Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ پلَسَّلَامُ.
Allah ﷻ emphasized once again that Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٍلَّسلَامُ was not a polytheist rather he was a _*Hanif* which means the one who stays firm on a straight path, not inclining a bit towards anything or accepting any distraction. *Hanif* literally is ‘Inclining to a right state or tendency and particularly inclining away from any false religion, to the true religion’_. This Ayah clearly *dissociates the polytheists* from claiming any link with Prophet Ibrahim(AS) rather establishes the link with only those who follow Tawheed.
*_May Allah Subhanahu wa taa’la grant us the ability to adhere to Tawheed and save us from shirk and all forms of deviation. Aa’meen Ya’Rabbul Aa’lameen._*
JazaK Allâhu khair!