وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوْلٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ اَفَا۟ئِنْ مَّاتَ اَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلٰٓى اَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَنْ يَّنْقَلِبْ عَلٰى عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَّضُرَّ اللّٰهَ شَيْـــًٔا وَسَيَجْزِى اللّٰهُ الشّٰكِرِيْنَ (144)
Quran Ayah Data not found….for Surah:3, Ayah:144 and Translation:24
Quran Surah:3 Ayah:144
“Muhammad is but a messenger, there have been messengers before him. So, if he dies or is killed, would you turn back on your heels? Whoeverturns back on his heels can never harm Allah in the least. Allah shall soon reward the grateful.
It was the 3rd year of Hijrah when the Battle of Uhud took place. At this moment, the pagans of Makkah invaded Madeenah accompanied by three thousand armed warriors under the leadership of Abu Sufyan. The main motive behind this invasion was their extreme impulse to take revenge of their people killed by Muslims in the Battle of Badr. They also included a group of women who would aggravate and enthuse the warriors over taking the revenge from their enemies through reading out the poems before them.
On the other hand, there were only seven hundred noble companions who had neither enough arms and instruments of war nor the iron-armours. It was then that the Holy Prophet ﷺaligned his noble companions having the mountain on his backside while he appointed fifty archers on the valley to allow the attack made from the backside having emphasized on not to move away from their front in any case.
When the Muslims came over them right for the first time, a stampede broke out among the folk of disbelievers; in the meantime, the Muslims began to collect their booty. Seeing it, a majority of the noble companions too joined them in collecting the booty taking the advantage of this temporary victory. At that time, Khalid bin Waleed, who was a commander of one of the group disbeliever’s army, also made the most of the heedlessness of Muslims and attacked them coming across the valley from the backside of the mount. As a result, a couple of the noble companions among those of appointed on the front and remained on the same place, could not defeat this army and finally were martyred.
invasion was too sudden and unexpected that the Muslims were extremely unnerved which resulted in great disorder among them. Thus, they fled in different directions. It was then that the Muslims and disbelievers got mixed up in such a way that they could not recognize each other while the Holy Prophet ﷺwas surrounded by the disbelievers. There were only a few loyal noble companions with him at that time.
Thus, the Holy Prophet ﷺwas out of Muslims’ sight. Since, HazratMusa’b bin Umair (R.T.A.) was similar to the Holy Prophet ﷺin appearance, when he was martyred,the disbelievers spread a false rumour of his demise. As a result, hearing this disheartening new, most of the companions lost their confidence, who, thereafter threw away their swords in utter disappointment. But, the same situation did not remain for long. When HazratKa’ab bin Malik (R.T.A.) saw the Holy Prophet ﷺ, he addressed the Muslims loudly informing them about his presence there. It was then that the Muslims got encouraged and fought so enthusiastically that all the disbelievers fled away from there. They brought the Holy Prophet ﷺon the mount while he was injured while the disbelievers returned unsuccessful in their aim.
In fact, a founder, leader and guide of any movement occupies a great importance among his followers, on the top of it, he proves to be a great impulse for others. All his sayings, deeds turn to be the objectives, rules and regulations as well as policy and programme of the movement. Each and every follower of it deems it his privilege to sacrifice himself for its sake.
Since the person of a prophet is always nobler than ordinary leaders and commanders, he comes up with the help and guidance from Allah, the Almighty. It is for this reason that his followers are ever ready to scarify themselves just like mothswhich to the direction where a candle is burning. Obviously, if a candle is blown out at this time, being their dispersed is only but its natural outcome.
But, the case with Apostles is totally different, since they are sent by Allah, the Almighty, their only concern is to make people Allah’s true slaves and guided them to the right path of Allah and it is for this reason that they are sent as a model for them. They are directly guided through them for a specific period of time. Thereafter, the book revealed to them and their conducts prove to be a guide for others, in the light of which, the people worship Allah, the Almighty and follow into their footprints.
Loving the Apostles illimitably,having a lot of respect for them and making all-out efforst to comply with their commandments is a part of faith. Since, a prophet is a perfect slave of Allah, the Almighty and only their obedience can make a man a true slave of Allah. The same love a believer has with his teachings after he is no more as the main objective of commissioning the prophethood is to guide the people to Allah, the Almighty and make them His true slaves.
While under the leadership of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, the group of the noble companions was making attempts to get the victory of Islam through fighting with great zeal and full confidence. Rather than placing their trust on the material sources,they believed in the support given to the Holy Prophet ﷺfrom the unseen. It was for this reason that they were quite disdained and disappointed coming to know the news of Prophet’s martyrdom.
To find them in the same condition, Allah, the Almighty warned them against the fact that the Messenger were continuously sent in the world one by one and Muhammad ﷺtoo was one of them, hence, nothing would affect Allah’s worship and the adherence of people to His religion after he dies. Because, Allah, the Almighty is Ever-living and All-Sustaining and His religion too is self-perpetuating, while the sole purpose of the entire mankind is worshipping Allah, the Almighty. In fact, there is no one more perfect and more au faitthan Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, despite it when the religion can be followed and a struggle to make it prevalent can be continued and even exists even after him, then what to speak of ordinary reformers and guides!
Allah, the Almighty has sent many messengers superior to each other in this world, but the endurance of His religion had not been dependent on any personality, rather it had existed for the time unknown and will do forever. However, what each and every individual of us requires to think is to what extent he can co-operate in this noble cause.
When the sad demise of the Holy Prophet ﷺtook place in 31st year of Hijrah, it created a great turmoil among Muslims, since their patron and resort, the beloved Prophet ﷺwas no more. This disheartening incident had left such a great impact on Hazrat Umar (R.T.A.) that he stood by the door of Masjid-e-Nabawi with a drawn sword in his hand saying:
“I would behead anyone who says that Muhammad ﷺis no more.”
Obviously, who, after such an announcement, could reveal this reality.But, the words that Hazrat uttered at that juncture is sufficient to open the eyes of a true beliers’ heart. They are as follows: “Listen carefully, anyone who worshipped Muhammad he must know that Muhammad ﷺis no more while who worshipped Allah, the Almighty, the fact is that He is the Ever-living and All-Sustaining.” Further he read out the following verse:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ اِلَّا رَسُوْلٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ اَفَا۟ئِنْ مَّاتَ اَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلٰٓى اَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَنْ يَّنْقَلِبْ عَلٰى عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَنْ يَّضُرَّ اللّٰهَ شَيْـــًٔا وَسَيَجْزِى اللّٰهُ الشّٰكِرِيْنَ (144)
Quran Ayah Data not found….for Surah:3, Ayah:144 and Translation:24
Quran Surah:3 Ayah:144
“Muhammad is but a messenger, there have been messengers before him. So, if he dies or is killed, would you turn back on your heels? Whoeverturns back on his heels can never harm Allah in the least. Allah shall soon reward the grateful.
According to the noble companions, it seemed that these verses had been revealed at the same moment. It was then that Hazrat Umar (R.T.A.) realized this fact and co-operated Hazrat Abu BakrSiddique (R.T.A.) to save the Muslims against diffusion.
It is no doubt true that, Allah, the Almighty chooses some of His slaves to protect and propagate His religionand crowns him with the capabilities required for it. These are the chosen people who carve a distinguished niche among His slaves based on their God-gifted expertise having a deep insight in it. Both their writings and sayings have magical effect.
More importantly, they have great mission and plan. The righteous and good-natured people co-operate them in this noble cause and exert all their efforts to promote and propagate their mission as well as have a great reverence and love for their spiritual guide. But, nothing like the departure of him can prove a hurdle for them in this regard, rather, it is the result of true love for their guide to keep their mission alive and flourish. They deem it their religious duty to accomplish the mission carried out by their guide through following into his footprints.
In fact, it is the verse under discussion which, if Allah wills, would continue imparting a message to the mankind as long as this world exists, that is, ‘The mission is more valuable than its carrier’.