Ulu'l-Azm Prophets and their Common Characteristics

Ulu’l-azm refers to the messengers of Allah who possessed strong will and perseverance in fulfilling the duties commanded by Allah.

WHO ARE THE ULU’L-AZM PROPHETS?

It is understood that some prophets chosen among the messengers are called ulu’l-azm due to their qualities different than the others. Although there are different views about the number and identity of these prophets, it is generally agreed that ulu’l-azm refers to the five greatest messengers, that is, Muhammad (pbuh), Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Noah, peace be upon them.

All prophets cited in the Quran strived greatly to fulfill the holy duty assigned to them by Allah. From this perspective, no prophet should be discriminated against because they were all sent as leaders to humans. Prophet Muhammad emphasized this issue in the following hadith: “I am the closest to Isa (Jesus), the son of Mary, among all humans. Indeed prophets are half-brothers. Their religions are the same.” This should be taken into consideration when assessing prophecy and divine religions.

Another point to be considered is that the time periods, communities for which these prophets were sent and the dimensions of their missions differed. It is significant in this regard that Allah uses the expression "Ulu'l Azm" for some prophets in particular. They are those who are sent at turning points of humanity and hold certain qualities that the others don't.

COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF ULU’L-AZM PROPHETS

In this section, we will explain the common characteristics of ulu’l azm prophets. It must be acknowledged that other prophets also possesed most of these qualities.

1- Coming from distinguished families mentioned in Quran

In surah Al-i Imran (the Family of Imran), Allah states: “God did choose Adam and Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of 'Imran above all people. Offspring, one of the other: And God heareth and knoweth all things.” Even though Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were not mentioned clearly in this verse for they descend from Ismail and Ishaq, Abraham’s sons and Jews, Christians, and Muslims accepts Abraham as their forefather these prophets are within scope of this verse.

Additionally, in verses in which Prophet Noah’s progeny was made enduring and Abraham was his descendant. That is, in Sura al-Saffat, Allah declared: “We made only Noah’s progeny to endure. And We left this blessings for him among generations to come in later times. Verily among those who followed his way was Abraham.”

It is unquestionably accepted that after Prophet Adam, Prophet Noah had a significant role in the continuation of humanity. For the five of the prophets who are descendants of Adam, it is said: “The most distinguished among sons of Adam are five people: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad.” Additionally, although there were centuries of time difference between them, Abraham was bonded to Noah in terms of the essentials of belief including the oneness of Allah.

2- Being sent as a Messenger

These abovementioned prophets are both nabi (prophet) and rasul (messenger) because they were given a message for a community in the form of a holy book. Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) described Prophet Noah as the “first messenger.” A prophet who continues the book and the divine law of the previous prophet is a nabi; a prophet who was sent a new book and a new religion is both a nabi and rasul.  That is, there is difference between a nabi and a rasul. A rasul was given a divine law and when he is conveying Allah’s commands, he is allowed to fight against the rebels and has the power to rule, and can actually enforce rules. However, a nabi does not fight against the rebels to his message. His duty is only to convey Allahs word to people and to warn them.

The following verses indicate that these five prophets were given a new book besides prophecy:

“And We sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line Prophethood and Revelation: and some of them were on right guidance. But many of them became rebellious transgressors (57/26).”

“And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and We established the prophethood and the Scripture among his seed, and We gave him his reward in the world, and lo! in the Hereafter he verily is among the righteous (29/27).”

“...We bestowed upon the house of Abraham (of old) the Scripture and wisdom, and We bestowed on them a mighty kingdom (4/54).”

Furthermore, Prophet Abraham prayed for his descendants to be sent prophecy and book. It is known his prayer was accepted: “Our Lord! send amongst them an Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in scripture and wisdom, and sanctify them: For Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise (2/29).” A book and wisdom was given to Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Jesus was taught wisdom, Torah, and Bible. It was also mentioned in some verses that Prophet Moses was also given a book.

In addition to the information given in many verses of Quran, Prophet Noah’s and Prophet Abraham’s qualities different from other ulu’l-azm prophets were mentioned in this verse: “And We sent Noah and Abraham, and established in their line Prophethood and Revelation: and some of them were on right guidance. But many of them became rebellious transgressors (57/26).” Their names being mentioned in this verse is important because they lived through important events at their times and they made major contributions to humanity. Therefore, they are like two important persons who came out during important milestones of human history. Prophet Noah survived the flood remembered with his name during his time. Therefore, he is considered as the second Adam. It is known that different nations grew from the races of Prophet Noah’s sons; Ham, Sam and Yafes. Similarly, Prophet Abraham is considered as the father of Jews, Christians, and Muslims. 

3- Possessing Divine Law

One of the most significant qualities of ulu’l-azm prophets is their possessing divine law as declared in this verse: “The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah, which We have sent by inspiration to you and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus: Namely that you should remain steadfast in religion and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than God, hard is the way to which you call them. God chooses to Himself those whom He pleases and guides to Himself those who turn to Him (42/13).” In this verse is first mentioned Prophet Noah, secondly Prophet Muhammad, and then Prophets Abraham, Moses, and Jesus who are among the ulu’l-azm prophets. In fact the names of these prophets were given together in the Sura al-Azhab. This verse emphasizes that the common message of all religions brought by prophets is that they call people to be servant of only Allah and to worship only to Allah.

In the Quran, Allah points out this: “Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me (21/25).” Prophet Muhammad also emphasized the same fact: “In fact, prophets are half-brothers; their mothers are different but their religions are the same.” Thus, their common destiny is to worship Allah who is one and unique. All prophets invited people to believe in tawhid (oneness of Allah) to ameliorate religious disorders in their time.

4-Being given superiority in some aspects by Allah

In the following verse of Sura al-Baqara, it is pointed out that some of the prophets were endowed above others in terms of perfection and virtue: “Those apostles We endowed with gifts, some above others: To one of them God spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honour); to Jesus the son of Mary We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with the holy spirit (2/253).”

“And it is your Lord that knoweth best all beings that are in the heavens and on earth: We did bestow on some prophets more (and other) gifts than on others... (17/55)”

Surely this difference of degree between prophets is not material and physical but it is in spiritual virtues and gifts. In the Quran, it is declared that similar differences exist among people as well: “See how We have bestowed more on some than on others; but verily the Hereafter is more in rank and gradation and more in excellence.”

As all the ulu’l-azm prohets are not specified in the verse 253 of Baqara, it is impossible to claim that the prophets who are superior to others are not only the mentioned prophets. But it can be said that ulu’l-azm prophets are among the prophets who are distinguished from others in terms of degree and excellence.

Some of the mentioned prophets’ closeness to God was indicated in different ways. Based on the verse 125 of Sura an-Nisa’, Prophet Moses is described as Kalimallah, Prophet Jesus as Ruhallah and kalimatullah, Prophet Abraham as Halilallah, and Prophet Muhammad as habiballah.

However, these descriptions are not the only ones which made these prophets superior to others. For instance, Prophet Muhammad had many qualities that made him superior to others. Even though in the Quran it is stated that believers say “We do not discriminate among any of God’s prophets”, this is true for stating that believers reject prophecy of some prophets while they accept some of them. As indicated in the verses 253 of Sura al-Baqara and the verse 55 of Sura al-Isra, it is truly clear that Prophet Muhammad is above all prophets in terms of virtue and degree because he was sent as “mercy to all creatures,” the last prophet, and the speaker of a unique religion while the other prophets were sent to a certain nation and for a certain period of time. Also the superiority of the religion he brought was indicated as in this verse:

“It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion: and enough is God for a Witness (48/28).

However, Prophet Muhammad asked people not to start a race of virtue between himself and other prophets, and he said: “do not discriminate prophets in terms of virtue”. Besides all believers accept this in principle, it is understood that accepting Prophet Muhammad’s prophecy should not lead to reject the prophecy of any other prophets. Prophet Muhammad pointed out the fact that he was superior to other prophets as in the following hadith:

“The difference between me and the prophets before me are like this man who built that building; this man built a building nicely, decorated it, and finished it. But there was a missing adobe in one of the corners of the building. People began to walk around it. They adored it but they said ‘we wish that adobe was in place, too.’ That adobe is me. I am the last of prophets.”

“I am the master of sons of Adam. I will be the first whose tomb will be opened. I will be the first to intercede and whose intercession would be accepted.”

“I am above all human beings on the day of judgement. The flag of praise will be in my hands but I am never boasting. On that day Adam and all other prophets will be under my flag. I will be the first to intercede and whose intercession would be accepted but I am not boasting with that either.”

As it is clear in these hadiths, Prophet Muhammad gathered the high characters and qualities of all prophets in himself. As Quran is the core of all the books sent to humanity he is the core of all prophets and humanity. 

5- Possessing Strong Will and Perseverance

In verse 35 of Sura al-Ahqaf, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is advised to persevere patiently using the expression of ulu’l-azm and giving ulu’l-azm prophets as an example of strong will and perseverance. This shows that one of the common qualities of ulu’l-azm prophets is their perseverance. Indeed prophets who had strong will worked very hard to spread the word of God, and persevered the difficulties and enmities they faced with.

Moreover, these prophets were sent in time periods in which communities were degenerated and infidelity and furor were pervasive in those communities. Sometimes they were not supported even by their families. For instance, Prophet Noah’s son did not believe him. Upon inviting his nation to believe in God, Prophet Noah was exposed to oral and verbal insults. But despite these tortures and difficulties he tried to fulfill his duty.

Prophet Abraham’s father did not give up making idols which were opposite of the faith his son was trying to spread. He did not support his son. When Prophet Abraham is described in the Quran, it is said: “And Abraham prayed for his father's forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to God, he dissociated himself from him: for Abraham was most tender-hearted, forbearing.” So his tender-heartedness and perseverance were emphasized.

Prophet Moses was born in period in which Pharaohs’ tyranny and tortures were prevailing. He himself was exposed to Pharaoh’s oppression and tortures. He lived most of his life in Madyan, and after he returned back he fought against Pharaoh and people of Israel who rebelled against him. Moreover, after reminding the tortures people of Israel made to their prophets, believers are warned not to resemble them.

Prophet Jesus was born fatherless and only a few people believed in him when he was alive. He struggled with the rulers of Rome and rebellions of Jewish religious men. The most piteous is that he was betrayed by Yahuda Iskariyot, one of his companions and lived the crucifix event.

Similarly Prophet Muhammad was born as an orphan because he lost his father before he was born. He lost his mother and grandfather when he was just a child. He was raised under protection of his uncle Abu Talip, and he struggled with difficulties caused by being an orphan and lonely. In order to make Prophet Muhammad give up his claims and beliefs people of Quraish made appealing offers which could make him a very rich man. But he refused all their offers unhesitatingly. He did not lose his perseverance and strong will when he faced with oppressions and tortures and he achieved his duty. None of the prophets gave up their duty and claim when they faced with difficulties.

12 Reasons for Shukr (thankfulness) to Allah

1. We can never count Allah's Blessings:

Be ever grateful to Allah for everything that you possess including your wealth, health, status, intellectual abilities and life. Allah says:

"Is, then, He Who creates comparable to any that cannot create? Will you not, then, take heed? For should you try to count Allah's blessings, you could never compute them" (An-Nahl 16:17-19).

2. Shaytan's primary mission is to make human beings ungrateful:

From the very beginning of the human being's creation, the issue of gratefulness and thankfulness to Allah has been debated. After refusing to bow to Adam, Satan said: "Then I will certainly come to them from before them and from behind them, and from the right-hand side and from the left-hand side, and You (Allah) shall not find most of them thankful." (Al-Araf 7:17)

3- The opposite of Shukr (gratitude) is Kufr (disbelief):

In many places in the Quran, Allah compares the terms shukr and kufr.  "Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me" (Al-Baqarah 2:152).

Iman (belief) implies shukr or gratefulness as opposed to kufr or ungratefulness. A kafiror disbeliever is ungrateful to the Being Who has given him everything, whereas a Believer is one who is ever thankful for all that Allah has given him.

4- We thank Allah for our own benefit:

If you are ungrateful, Allah is unaffected. If you become grateful, then you have taken the first step towards becoming a true Believer. It is for this reason that the Prophet exhorted us to "Love Allah as we benefit from His grace" (Tirmidhi).

Allah reminds us: " And whoever is grateful, he is only grateful for the benefit of his own self" (Luqman 31:12). "For surely if it was not for the grace of God on you and His mercy, you would have been among the losers" (Al-Baqarah 2:64).

5- True worship means sincere thankfulness to Allah:

Allah explained in the Quran that the only people who truly worship Him are those who give gratitude to Him, so those who are not among the people of gratitude are not among the people of Ibadah (worship and obedience). "... and be grateful to All?h, if it is Him you worship" (Al-Baqarah 2:172).

6- Shukr leads to Allah's pleasure:

Allah has told us that His pleasure may be attained through gratitude. " If you are grateful, He is pleased with you..." (Az-Zumar 39:7).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Allah is pleased with His servant if, when he eats something, he thanks Allah for it, and when he drinks something, he thanks Allah for it" (Muslim).

7- Gratitude is a purpose of our creation:

"It is He Who brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and affection: that you may give thanks (to Allah)"(An-Nahl, 16:78).

8- Shukr is a quality of success in this life and in the Hereafter:

Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet said: "There are four qualities, whoever is given them has truly been given the best in this world and the next. They are: a grateful heart (that is thankful to Allah), a remembering tongue (that mentions Allah often), an enduring body (to persevere through the trials), and a faithful wife."

9- Being grateful and patient in times of difficulty:

Everything that happens to us - even events that we may consider to be personal afflictions or natural disasters-are from Allah. Therefore, in times of calamity and distress, there will be some good for us, provided we respond appropriately. The Prophet said:

"How wonderful is the case of a Believer! There is good for him in whatever happens to him -and none, apart from him, enjoys this blessing. If he receives some bounty, he is grateful to Allah and this bounty brings good to him. And if some adversity befalls him, he is patient, and this affliction, too, brings good to him" (Muslim).

10- Allah's Mercy is for all, but most people will remain ungrateful:

He shows and gives mercy to all, even those who continue to be ungrateful and rebellious towards Him: "Indeed God is the possessor of bounty for all people but most people do not give thanks." (Al-Baqarah 2: 243).

11- Most people subconsciously thank God:

Reflect upon your own life and you will find innumerable occasions when Allah's `hand' has been holding you and helping you. So often, believers and even atheists subconsciously use the expression 'Thank God', without realising the full implications of our words.

12- Shukr leads to abundance in Allah's favors:

If you appreciate Allah's favors, He has promised increased Rahma or mercy for you. Allah's reward for your gratitude is unlimited and unconditional. "If you are grateful, I will surely give you more and more" (Ibrahim 14:7).

Three ways to express Shukr:

The classical Muslim scholars have indicated Shukr can be shown in three ways:

- Shukr of the heart (Qalb), which is achieved by harboring and intending good for all of Allah's creation.

- Shukr of the tongue (Lisan), which involves celebrating the praises of Allah, such as utterance of Alhamdulillah, and expressing gratefulness to Allah with our tongue.

- Shukr of the limbs (Jawarih), which is fulfilled by using our external senses to do good. Every time Allah gives us a blessing, we must use it in a way that benefits humanity and that pleases Allah.

The United Colors of Islam

“God said: ‘What prevented you (O Satan) that you did notprostrate when I commanded you?’Iblees (the Satan) replied: ‘I am better than him (Adam).You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.” (Quran 7:12)

So begins the history of racism.Satan thought himself superior to Adam on account of his origins.Since that day, Satan has misled many of Adam’s descendants into also believing themselves superior to others, causing them to persecute and exploit their fellow man.

Quite often, religion has been used to justify racism.Judaism, for example, despite its Middle-Eastern origins, is readily passed off as a Western religion; but the entry of Jews into all levels of Western society actually betrays Judaism’s elitist reality.A pious reading of the bible verse:“There is no God in all the world but in Israel.” ( Kings 5:15)...would be to suggest that in those days God, or God, was not worshipped except by Israelites.However, Judaism today remains centered around its boast of ‘chosen’ racial superiority.“Say: ‘O Jews!If you pretend that you are the beloved slaves of God to the exclusion of the rest of humanity, then long for death if you are really truthful.’” (Quran 62:6)

Conversely, while most Christians are overwhelmingly non-Jew, Jesus, as the last of the Israelite Prophets, was sent to none but the Jews1“And (remember) when Jesus, son of Mary, said:‘O Children of Israel!I am the Messenger of God sent unto you, confirming the Torah before me and bearing glad tidings of a Messenger after me whose name shall be Ahmad2...’” (Quran 61:6)And likewise every Prophet was sent exclusively to his own people,every Prophet, that is, except Muhammad.“Say (O Muhammad): ‘O People!I am the Messenger of God sent to you all...’” (Quran 7:158)As Muhammad was God’s final Prophet and Messenger, his mission was a universal one, intended for not only his own nation, the Arabs, but all the peoples of the world.The Prophet said:“Every other Prophet was sent to his nation exclusively, while I have been sent to all of humanity.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)“

And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner to all mankind, but most of people know not.” (Quran 34:28)1The bible agrees.Jesus is reported to have said: ‘I have not been sent except to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ (Matthew 15:24).Hence, every one of his famous twelve disciples was an Israelite Jew.The one biblical passage where Jesus tells them to: ‘Go and preach unto all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.’ (Matthew 28:19), commonly quoted to prove the Gentile mission as well as the Trinity, is not found in any pre-16th century manuscript and thus considered ‘a pious fraud.’

One of the names of Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.And We sent to every nation a Messenger (saying): ‘Worship God (alone) and shun false deities.’ (Quran 16:36)

Bilal the Abyssinian

One of the first to accept Islam was an Abyssinian slave named Bilal.Traditionally, black Africans were a lowly people in the sight of Arabs who thought them to be of little use beyond entertainment and slavery.When Bilal embraced Islam, his pagan master had him brutally tortured in the scorching desert heat until Abu Bakr, the Prophet’s closest friend, rescued him by buying his freedom.The Prophet appointed Bilal to call the believers to prayer.The athanheard from minarets in every corner of the world since, echoes the exact same words recited by Bilal.

Thus, a onetime lowly slave won a unique honor as Islam’s first muezzin.“And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam...” (Quran 17:70)Western romantics hail ancient Greece as being the birthplace of democracy.4The reality was that, as slaves and women, the vast majority of Athenians were denied the right to elect their rulers.Yet, Islam ordained that a slave could himself be ruler!The Prophet ordered:“Obey your ruler even if he be an Abyssinian slave.” (Ahmad)

Salman the Persian

Like most of his countrymen, Salman was raised a devout Zoroastrian.However, after an encounter with some Christians at worship, he accepted Christianity as ‘something better’.Salman then traveled extensively in search of knowledge, from the service of one learned monk to another, the last of whom said: ‘O son!I do not know of anyone who is on the same (creed) as we are.However, the time of the emergence of a Prophet is at hand.This 

[Democracy is a Middle-Eastern invention, first seen in the civilization of Ebla in 3rd millennium BC, and then in Phoenicia and Mesopotamia during 11th century BC.It did not appear in Athens unti15th century BC.]

Prophet is upon the religion of Abraham.’The monk then proceeded to describe this Prophet, his character and where he would appear.Salman migrated to Arabia, the land of the prophecy, and when he heard about and met Muhammad, he immediately recognized him from his teacher’s descriptions and embraced Islam.Salman became renowned for his knowledge and was the first person to translate the Quran into another language, Persian.Once, whilst the Prophet was amongst his Companions, the following was revealed to him:“It is He (God) Who had sent among the unlettered (the Arabs) a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves... and (also to) others (i.e. non-Arabs) among them who have not yet joined them (as Muslims)...” (Quran 62:2-3)

God’s Messenger then placed his hand on Salman and said:“Even if the Faith were near (the stars of) Pleiades, a man from amongst these (Persians) would surely attain it.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Suhayb the Roman 

Suhayb was born into privilege in the luxurious house of his father, who was a client governor for the Persian emperor.While he was still a child, Suhayb was captured by Byzantine raiders and sold into slavery in Constantinople.Suhayb eventually escaped from bondage and fled to Mecca, a popular place of asylum, where he soon became a prosperous merchant nick-named ‘ar-Rumi’, the Roman, due to his Byzantine tongue and upbringing.When Suhayb heard Muhammad preach, he was at once convinced of the truth of his message and embraced Islam.Like all the early Muslims, 

Suhayb was persecuted by the pagans of Mecca.So, he traded all his wealth in exchange for safe passage to join the Prophet at Medina, whereupon the Prophet, delighted to see Suhayb, greeted him thrice: ‘Your trade has been fruitful, O [Suhayb]!Your trade has been fruitful!’God had informed the Prophet of Suhayb’s exploits before their reunion with this revelation:“And there is a type of man who ransoms himself to earn the pleasure of God.And God is full of kindness to His servants.” (Quran 2:207)

The Prophet loved Suhayb a great deal and described him as having preceded the Romans to Islam.Suhayb’s piety and standing among the early Muslims was so high that when Caliph Umar was on his deathbed, he selected Suhayb to lead them until they could agree upon a successor.

Abdullah the Hebrew

The Jews were another nation that the pre-Islamic Arabs held in contempt.Many Jews and Christians had been expecting a new Prophet to appear in Arabia during the time of the Prophet Muhammad.Jews from the Levite tribe in particular had settled in large numbers in and around the city of Medina.However, when the muchanticipated Prophet came, not as a Hebrew son of Israel, butas the Arab descendant of Ishmael, the Jews rejected him.Except, that is, for a few like Hussein bin Salam.Hussein was the most learned rabbi and leader of the Medinan Jews but was denounced and vilified by them when he embraced Islam.The Prophet re-named Husayn, ‘Abdullah’, meaning ‘Servant of God’, and gave him the glad tidings that he was destined for Paradise.

Abdullah addressed his tribesmen saying:‘O assembly of Jews!Be conscious of God and accept what Muhammad has brought.By God!You certainlyknow that he is God’s Messenger and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah.I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of God.I have faith in him and believe that he is true.I (for one) recognize him.’God revealed the following about Abdullah:

“And a witness from the Children of Israel testified to this (Quran being from God) like (the Torah).So he believed while (most of) you (Jews) are too proud (to believe).” (Quran 46:10)Thus, in the ranks of the Prophet Muhammad’s Companions could be found Africans, Persians, Romans and Israelites; representatives of every known continent.As the Prophet said:“Indeed, my friends and allies are not the tribe of so and so.Rather, my friends and allies are the pious, wherever they may be.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari,Saheeh Muslim)

This universal brotherhood preached by Islam was championed by the Prophet’s Companions after him.When the Companion, Ubada bin as-Samit, led a delegation to Muqawqis, the Christian patriarch of Alexandria, the latter exclaimed: ‘Get this black man away from me and bring in his stead another to talk to me! ...How can you be content that a black man should be the foremost among you?Is it not more fitting that he be below you?’‘Indeed no!’, Ubada’s comrades replied, ‘Though he is black as you see, he is still the foremost among us in position, intelligence and wisdom; for black is not despised among us.’“Truly, the Believers are but brothers...” (Quran 49:10)

It is the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, which remains the ultimate symbol of the oneness and brotherhood of man.Here, rich and poor from all nations stand and bow in unison before God in what is the largest gathering of humanity; testifying to the Prophet’s words when he said:“There is truly no excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab; or for a non-Arab over an Arab; or for a white man over a black man; or for a black man over a white man; except through piety.” (Ahmad)And this confirms the Quran, which says:

“O humanity!We have created you from a single male and female and have made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another (not that you have pride over one another).Verily, the most honorable of you in the God’s Sight is the one most pious...” (Quran 49:13)As for nationalism, with its factionalizing of Muslims along ethnic and tribal lines, it is considered an evil innovation.“If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your tribe, the wealth you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than God and His Messenger and striving hard in His Cause, then wait until God brings about His Decision.And God guides not a rebellious people.” (Quran 9:24)

The Prophet said:“... whoever fights under the banner of the blind, becoming angry for nationalism, calling to nationalism, or assisting nationalism, and dies: then he dies a death of jahiliyya (i.e. pre-Islamic ignorance and disbelief).” (Saheeh Muslim)Rather, the Quran says:“While those who disbelieved placed in their hearts pride and haughtiness -the pride and haughtiness of jahiliyya, God sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the Believers...” (Quran 48:26)

In fact, the Muslims in and of themselves constitute a single body and supra-nation, as the Prophet explained:“The parable of the Believers in their mutual love and mercy is like that of a living body: if one part feels pain, the whole body suffers in sleeplessness and fever.” (Saheeh Muslim)The Quran confirms this unity:

“Thus, We have made you (Believers into) a (single) justly-balanced community...” (Quran 2:143)Perhaps one of the greatest barriers to the acceptance of Islam by many Westerners is the fallacy that it is primarily a religion for Orientals or dark-skinned people.No doubt, the racial injustices against many blacks, be they Abyssinian slaves of pre-Islamic Arabia, or 20th century Afro-Americans, has prompted many to embrace Islam.But this is beside the point.

The Prophet Muhammad was himself of whitish complexion, described by his Companions as being ‘white and ruddy’ -a description many tens of millions of believing Arabs, Berbers and Persians share.Even blue-eyed blondes are not so rare amongst Near Easterners.Furthermore, Europe has more indigenous white Muslims than it has ‘colored’ immigrants.

The Bosnians, for example, whose numbers were decimated at the end of the 20th century but who, due to their heroism and tradition of tolerance, have contributed most to Balkan peace and stability.Albanians too, descended from Europe’s ancient Illyrians, are also largely Muslim.In fact, one of the 20th century’s leading Muslim scholars, Imam Muhammad Nasir-ud-Deen al-Albani, was, as his title suggests, Albanian.“Truly, We created humans in the best stature.” (Quran 5:4)Whites have been called ‘caucasian’ ever since anthropologists declared the Caucasus Mountains, home to Europe’s highest peaks, to be the ‘Cradle of the White Race.’

Today, the natives of these mountains are Muslims.Amongst many a lesser-known tribe of fierce mountaineers and fair maidens are the Circassians famed for their bravery and beauty and who, as Mamluke rulers of Syria and Egypt, helped defend the civilized world and safeguard its holy lands from the ravages of the Mongol hordes.Then thereis the brutalized Chechen, arguably the most unwieldy of all God’s creatures, whose tenacity and resistance has helped them avoid the fate of the Circassians.Meanwhile, over 1,000,000 American and North European Caucasian whites -Anglo-Saxons, Franks, Germans, Scandinavians and Celts included -now profess Islam.

In fact, Islam peacefully entered parts of Europe before Christianity, when: ‘In times long ago, when the Russian Slav had not yet started to build Christian churches on the Oka nor conquered these places in the name of European civilization, the Bulgar was already listening to the Quran on the banks of the Volga and the Kama.’ (Solov’ev, 1965) [On 16 May 922, Islam became the official state religion of the Volga Bulgars, with whom today’s Bulgarians share a common ancestry.]Every faith besides Islam calls for the worship of creation in some way, shape or form.Moreover, race and color play a central and divisive role in almost all non-Islamic belief systems.

A Christian’s deification of Jesus and the saints or a Buddhist’s deification of Buddha and the Dalai Lamas has people of a particular race and color being worshipped in derogation of GodIn Judaism, salvation is withheld from the non-Jew Gentile.Hinduism’s caste system likewise checks the spiritual, socio-political and economic aspirations of the ‘unclean’ lower castes.Islam, however, seeks to unite and make one all the creatures of the world upon the Unity and Oneness of their Creator.Thus, Islam alone liberates all peoples, races and colors in the worship of God alone.“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the (wonderful) differences of your languages and colors.Verily, in that are indeed signs for people of sound knowledge.” (Quran 30:22)

Qalbin salîm

This specific heart, the saleem heart, is found in the Quran twice:

 إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

“When the only one who will be saved is the one who comes before God with a heart devoted to Him” [26:88]

إِذْ جَاءَ رَبَّهُ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

“He came to His Lord with a devoted heart” [37:84]         

The word saleem in translations is often translated into whole, complete, or devoted. The scholars have differed in the exact meaning behind this heart and the term saleem. Imam Ibn Kathir and Imam AlTabari, in their tafsir (exegesis) state that it is the heart that knows Allah (swt) is the truth, that the Day of Judgement is a certainty, and that Allah (swt) resurrects us after our death. Imam AlRazi says it is a heart that is free from ignorance and poor manners.

There are many sayings that are quoted in the tafsir books from the companions and those that come after them about the meaning of the saleem heart including the heart free from innovation, the heart that fears Allah, the heart that is free from the pain that comes with wealth, the sincere heart. Imam Qurtubi in his tafsir summarizes all of these and explains it as the heart that is free from all negative characteristics and that can be only described positively.

Many of the tafsir scholars also clarify that it is the heart that is free of disbelief but may commit sin, because no one is free of sin [AlTabari, Qurtubi, AlShawkani, Ibn Kathir]. It is important to make this distinction because it would otherwise be an unattainable heart. Although the scholars have differed on the exact definition of the word saleem in this instance, the tafsir scholars conclude that it is a positive heart free of negative characteristics and full of attachment to Allah (swt) that we must try to attain.

And abase me not on the Day when (humanity) will be raised up. The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except for him who comes to Allah with a pure heart. [Sûrat Al-Shuʿarâ’, 26:87-89]

FREQUENTLY, THE TERM “qalbin salîm” is translated as a “pure heart.” In many of our minds, a pure heart is often connected to a person who commits no sins, who does not err. For most of us, it’s impossible to live a sinless, errorless life. This makes some of us feel like qalbin salîm is somewhat an unattainable goal.

But qalbin salîm wasn’t understood to relate to perfection by Qur’anic commentators. The masters of Quranic understanding in fact specified that qalbin salîm does not refer to a person who commits no sin.

In Tafsîr al-Baghawi, Imam Al-Baghawi explains the heart in this verse to mean:

Pure from associating partners with God and doubts. As for sins, not a single person is protected from [not] committing them. And this is what most Qur’anic commentators have said.

So, if qalbin salîm isn’t specifically for those who are sinless, perfect believers…to whom is it referring?

As mentioned in Tafsîr ibn Kathîr, according to Muhammad Ibn Sîrîn:

The qalbin salîm knows that Allah is the truth, that the Hour is coming without doubt, and that Allah raises the dead from their graves.

Ibn ʿAbbâs explains that this type of heart,

Testifies there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah.

Mujâhid and Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣri both agree that it refers to being pure from shirk (associating partners with Allah).

And Saʿîd Ibn Al-Musayyib said:

It is the heart that is sound; the heart of the believer. Because the heart of the disbeliever and the hypocrite are sick (as Allah says, In their hearts is sickness… [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:10])

Imam Jalâl Al-Dîn Al-Ṣûyuṭi mentions in Tafsîr Al-Jalâlayn that qalbin salîm refers to a heart,

free of shirk and hypocrisy- and that is the heart of the believer…

Al-Ṭabari mentions it as the heart being sound from doubt in the Oneness of Allah and resurrection after death.

Al-Ḍaḥâk mentioned it’s a heart that is sincere.

As we can see from numerous Quranic commentators, the “pure” heart isn’t referring to a believer who commits no sins or who is perfect. It is referring to a heart that is free of associating partners with God, that believes in Him without doubt and that believes in the Hereafter.

In other words, if you’re a Muslim who worships Allah directly, have no doubt in His existence or that there is a Hereafter, then you already have one part of qalbin salîm: a sound, pure heart.

BUT WHAT IF you do have doubts? What if sometimes, you have a question that festers in your heart and you feel it is slowly chipping away at your soul? Does that mean your heart is wretched? Does it mean you aren’t a good enough believer?

No. It’s normal to have questions and to need reassurance. Ibrahim—the Friend of God, the one who physically was thrown into a fire that was made cool for him- the Prophet who has seen miracle after miracle coming from Allah—asked God:

My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.” [Allah] said: “Do you not believe?” [Ibrahim] said: “Yes [I believe], but to be stronger in faith.” [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:260]

If someone in Ibrahim’s lofty station is seeking another sign to help his heart feel firm and certain about the truth, then what about you and me? There will certainly be times where we need our faith strengthened, need our questions answered, so that our doubts, concerns and questions can lead us to feel stronger in our own faith as well.

SO, IS THAT IT? Is that all there is to having a ‘pure’ and ‘sound’ heart?

There’s another aspect mentioned by Qur’anic commentators and encompassing qalbin salîm: that of character.

Ibn ʿÂshûr explains in his tafsîr that the second part of qalbin salîm refers to actions that are righteous. In Ṭantâwi’s Al–Tafsîr Al-Waṣîṭ, he includes that this term refers to purity from committing ugly actions. Imam Al-Qurṭubi explains that the second part of the meaning of this term refers to a heart that is free from reprehensible characteristics and that is described with beautiful ones.

A number of mufasirûn cite the words of the Prophet ﷺ:

There lies within the body a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupted, the whole body is corrupted. Verily, this piece is the heart. (Bukhari)

Thus, they posit that righteous deeds begin with a heart that is salîm as this is the center from which all other actions stem.

A heart that is free of jealousy, free of hating a fellow believer without valid reason, free of arrogance, free of self-awe and arrogance, are amongst the qualities which we must all work on if we are to achieve qalbin salîm.

How can we achieve a qalbin salîm? Here are a few suggestions:

As related to the faith in God and certainty of the Hereafter:A. Find aspects of Islam that help our hearts feel firm on the reality of Allah and the reality of the Hereafter. For example, the natural world miracles of the Quran and the prophesies of the Prophet ﷺ.— How could the Prophet ﷺ, someone who was illiterate, who had no formal study and who certainly did not have any present-day technologically advanced tools in the middle of the desert over 1400 years ago, state scientifically-sound concepts that range from astronomy to botany to embryology and so much in-between as related in the Quran?

— How could he ﷺ have predicted what would happen after his death, only for those prophecies to come true not only once, but over and over? These are not the actions of a human who was [God forbid] crazy or simply passionate about a cause. These are signs from the Divine.

B. Contemplation: Spending time in nature, considering the vastness of the power of Allah and the greatness of His creation.— Contemplating the incredible and complex nature of the human body and brain.

— Contemplating the miracle of life: how a human is born out of combined liquid!

How could any of this exist randomly, without His perfect power?

C. Self-reflection: Considering all the miracles, the bounties and the blessings that He has bestowed upon us.

— How many times have we been saved from something, only to realize it was undoubtedly by Allah’s mercy?

— How can we deny His special attention to each and every one of us when we reflect on the intricacies of our lives?

D. Questions: If a person has a question that’s plaguing the heart and blocking the ability to feel certain of Allah and the Hereafter, seek the answer from those who are qualified to respond. If the answer isn’t satisfying, continue to search. Sometimes the way one person explains something to us might not make sense, whereas the words of another may click.

E. Always make duʿâ’ for Allah to keep our hearts firm. Amongst the most voiced duʿâ’ of the Prophet ﷺ was: Yâ muqalib al-qulûb, thabbit qalbî ʿala dînik. Oh Turner of hearts, keep my heart firm on Your religion. (Tirmidhi)

As related to character:

Improving our characters is an ever-evolving process; this is a journey that takes a lifetime. Here are just two ideas on how to begin the process of character purification:

— Write a list of beneficial characteristics we believe we have, as well as characteristics we need to improve on. Take one characteristic in each category and develop a plan for enhancing one positive characteristic and working on one negative characteristic over a specific time period. What are ways I can be a better parent to my children when they irritate me? What are ways I can be a better child when my parents frustrate me? How can I work on the arrogance that creeps into my heart? How can I want for my brother or sister that which I want for myself, without being jealous of what Allah has blessed them with?

— Increase in my duʿâ’ and dhikr, asking God to purify my heart, hoping that purification will affect my character. When the Prophet ﷺ would look in the mirror, he would say: Allâhuma, ‘aḥsanta khalqi, fa’aḥsin khuluqi. Oh Allah, You have perfected my creation, so perfect my character. (Ahmad)

OUR HEARTS DON’T NEED to be perfect for us to validly expect that we can come on the Day of Judgment with qalbin salîm. Instead, qalbin salîm means having certainty in Him and in the Hereafter, worshipping Him directly and without partner, and striving to improve our characters throughout our lives by doing righteous deeds that are pleasing to Him. And when we mess up: go back to Him, repent and seek His forgiveness and help in improving. It’s a lifelong process, but inshâ’Allah in the end, if we strive, we will all be counted as those who spent their lives seeking to attain qalbin salîm.