Boreal

1,001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet

Afterword

Guardian of the Illiterates

Faith, someone once said, is believing in something you know to be untrue. Faith, by this definition, is irrational. If after reading 1,001 Sayings and Deeds of the Prophet Muhammad, you are overwhelmed by misgivings and a sense that this is crazy talk—welcome to the rational world. For the believers, that other world is just as valid, and all you have to do to embrace it, is to love the one who dreamt it into existence unconditionally above all other beings.

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet said "None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind."

Bukhari 2.14

To love Muhammad that much is to believe everything he said and did, even if what you have read about Abū al-Qāsim Muhammad ibn Abd Allāh ibn Abd al-Mutalib ibn Hāshim is largely the recollections of illiterates about the life and times of one of their own.

Narrated Ibn Umar:

The Prophet said, "We are an illiterate nation; we neither write, nor know accounts. The month is like this and this, i.e. sometimes of 29 days and sometimes of thirty days."

Bukhari 31.137

Narrated Ata bin Yasar:

I met Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-'As and asked him, "Tell me about the description of Allah's Apostle which is mentioned in Torah (i.e. Old Testament.")

He replied, “Yes. By Allah, he is described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Quran as follows: ‘O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness (for Allah's True religion) and a giver of glad tidings (to the faithful believers), and a warner (to the unbelievers) and guardian of the illiterates. You are My slave and My messenger (i.e. Apostle). I have named you Al-Mutawakkil (who depends upon Allah). You are neither discourteous, harsh nor a noise-maker in the markets and you do not do evil to those who do evil to you, but you deal with them with forgiveness and kindness.’

Allah will not let him (the Prophet) die till he makes straight the crooked people by making them say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', with which will be opened [open] blind eyes and deaf ears and enveloped hearts."

Bukhari 34.335

The world fashioned by and for illiterates living during the Dark Ages is today at war with the modern world, a world born out of reason. Paradise is guaranteed for those who listen to the voice who knew only revealed truths, Reason’s nemesis.

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah's Apostle said, "All my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse."

They said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who will refuse?"

He said, "Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses (to enter it)."

Bukhari 92.384

Time is on the side of those who obey without letting compassion or reason interfere with what is demanded of them, including killing those who refuse Paradise. Therefore, you should show some respect for what you now know about the words and actions of the “guardian of the illiterates.”

Narrated Ata bin Yasar:

I met Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As and asked him, "Tell me about the description of Allah's Apostle which is mentioned in Torah (i.e. Old Testament.")

He replied, "Yes. By Allah, he is described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Quran as follows: 'O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness (for Allah's True religion) and a giver of glad tidings (to the faithful believers), and a warner (to the unbelievers) and guardian of the illiterates…"

Bukhari 34.335