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Hundred Questions - Ism-i a`zam (Supreme Name) and Prophethood
Ism-i a`zam (Supreme Name) and Prophethood:
Q44 If we believe that Hazrat-i Abu Talib (May peace be through him) granted the Prophet ism-i a`zam, through which the Prophet performed special zikr, and as a result of which he received prophethood, does this not imply that the Prophet acquired prophethood through his own efforts of the special zikr-u `ibadat? Was it not possible for God to grant him prophethood without such special `ibadat?
A44
- Although the complete manifestation of the religion of Islam took place in the time of the holy Prophet, this however does not mean that the true religion did not exist before him. In fact all the prophets invited the people to the same path of the One God and that was the religion of nature, namely Islam. If you reflect a while on the Qur'anic verses regarding the religion of Hazrat-i Nuh (May peace be through him) (42:13) and Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) (22:78), you will come to know clearly that the great status of the light of Imamat was continuing in the chain of the ancestors of the holy Prophet. As God says: "But indeed We have given the progeny of Abraham the Book and Wisdom, and conferred upon them a great kingdom" (4:54). It should be known that the progeny of Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) has two branches. One stems from Hazrat-i Isma`il (May peace be through him), and the other from Hazrat-i Ishaq (May peace be through him), and whatever is said in this verse applies to both families.
- From the above description it becomes evident and clear that according to the prayers of Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) and Hazrat-i Isma`il (May peace be through him) God had chosen the special people from both branches of his progeny (2:127-8). Thus Isma`ilis believe that Hazrat-i Abu Talib (May peace be through him) was in the position of the imam-i muqim (the Resurrector Imam) in his time and it was for this reason that he protected the holy Prophet in every respect. (See al- Imamatu fi'l-Islam, p. 155).
- Now the question arises whether or not the holy Prophet before receiving prophethood used to do the zikr-u `ibadat. If the answer is "Yes", then according to which religion did the revelation start to come to him in his very childhood or in his youth, or did someone also teach him externally? If it is said that before the beginning of prophethood he neither received revelation nor was there someone to teach him, rather he began to worship God of his own accord, then following his uswah-yi hasanah (the best example and sunnat-i mutahharah (the sacred Tradition) it would imply that everyone should follow [a religion] without the guidance of a guide. Consequently this will be an ideology, which will prove the futility of the purpose of the coming of all the prophets to this world.
- If we think with intellect and wisdom, for your whole question there is no better answer than whatever has been said about the entire life of the Prophet and his being the best example for conduct: "You have indeed in the messenger of God a best example for conduct for anyone whose hope is in God and the final Day and who engages much in the remembrance of God" (33:21). This blessed verse means that the Prophet made his pure life the best example for the ummah to follow not only during prophethood, but also before it his life was full of the virtues and the perfections of humanity and piety. Why not, while he was the chief of the prophets, the possessor of the exalted standard of character (68:4) and the best example for conduct.
- Would it have been possible for the pure life of the Prophet to be a beautiful pattern, excellent model and the best example for conduct for the people, had he not actualised and made conspicuous his life as much as possible with religious virtues in addition to human and moral qualities till his fortieth year, had he not practically passed through all the stages of religion and spirituality before receiving it and was he honoured with prophethood suddenly? Or is it the correct ideology to say that the prophet followed the religion of Hazrat-i Ibrahim (May peace be through him) from the very beginning and had faith in God and in the final Day and was remembering God abundantly? If we say that the Prophet received this supreme and greatest honour as a result of the zikr-u `ibadat, this does not negate Divine mercy, while all the means of the spiritual elevation of the Prophet fall under His mercy. Our saying so is an incidental and implicit reality. Without such an ideology how can we follow the pure life of the Prophet as an example and expect that spiritual progress is due to zikr-u bandagi?
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