The Prophet Himself
NINETEENTH SIGN: The previous signs proved that Muhammad is the Messenger of God Almighty. With his Messengership evident from thousands of decisive proofs, Prophet Muhammad is the brightest sign and the most definite evidence of God’s Oneness and [the existence of] eternal happiness. Here we give a very brief description of this radiant sign, this truth-speaking evidence. Since he is the evidence through which the knowledge of God is acquired, we must recognize both the evidence and the way it acts as evidence.
God’s Messenger, like every other being, is personally a proof of God’s Existence and Unity. Moreover, he is the one who announced this truth in his own words and those of all other creatures. We now point out in 15 essentials how evident, upright, and truthful this proof is.
FIRST ESSENTIAL: The one who gives evidence of the universe’s Maker in word, act, and conduct is truthful and confirmed by creation’s truths, for all creatures, by being proofs of God’s Unity, affirm the one who declares this Unity. Therefore all creation supports his cause. His cause also is truthful because his declaration, mainly comprising Divine Unity, signifies the pure blessing of absolute perfection and eternal happiness, and is in complete harmony with all universal truths’ beauty and perfection. Given this, God’s Messenger is an articulate and truthful proof of Divine Unity and eternal happiness, and all creation confirms his truthfulness.
SECOND ESSENTIAL: Since this truthful and certified proof has thousands of miracles excelling those of all other Prophets, as well as an eternal Sacred Law and a message embracing humanity and jinn, he is the head of all Prophets. Given this, he has the core of all their miracles as well as their unanimous confirmation. In other words, all other Prophets agree on the same belief, and their miracles support his honesty and truthfulness.
Simultaneously, he is the master and leader of all saints as well as of all people of purity and profound knowledge who have attained perfection through his teaching, guidance, and Sacred Law (the Sharia). Thus he has the core of their wonders and unanimous affirmation, as well as the strength of their verified conclusions. Since he opened—and keeps open—the way they followed to reach the truth, all of their wonders, conclusions, and consensus on the same belief support his truthfulness. This proof of God’s Unity, as shown in all previous signs, contains such certain, evident, and definite miracles and wonderful irhasat that, together with other evidences of his Prophethood, their affirmation cannot be disputed.
THIRD ESSENTIAL: This herald of God’s Unity, who has so many evident miracles, and this bearer of the good tidings of eternal happiness has such sublime virtues in his blessed being, such exalted qualities in his Messengership, and such precious merits in the religion and Sacred Law that he preached that even his bitterest enemies admitted them. Since he combines the most praiseworthy virtues in his personality, function, and religion, he is the embodiment, master, and representative of all perfections and high, laudable virtues found in creation. This perfect state that he reached in his being, task, and religion is such a strong proof and support for his honesty and truthfulness that it cannot be shaken.
FOURTH ESSENTIAL: This herald of God’s Oneness and eternal happiness, the source of all perfections and teacher of the highest morality, speaks only what is revealed and what he is taught to speak by his Eternal Master. This is because, as partly explained in previous signs, the universe’s Creator provided him with thousands of proofs for his Prophethood and to show that he speaks on His behalf and communicates His Message. Second, the Qur’an’s 40 miraculous aspects show that the Prophet is the All-Mighty’s interpreter.
Third, his perfect sincerity, righteousness, earnestness, trustworthiness, and all other acts and states demonstrate that he speaks only on his Creator’s behalf. Fourth, all people of truth who have listened to him affirm, through profound study and inspired discovery, and believe with the certainty of true knowledge that he does not speak on his own authority; rather, the universe’s Creator teaches him and makes him speak what He has taught him. The evidence explained so far in these essentials, when joined together, is a very strong support for his honesty and truthfulness.
FIFTH ESSENTIAL: This interpreter of God’s eternal Word sees spirits, converses with angels, and guides humanity and jinn alike. He teaches humanity and jinn, inhabitants of the incorporeal abode, and angels, showing that he has access to and relationships with realms beyond these abodes. The above-mentioned miracles and his very life prove this. His reports of the Unseen, therefore, do not resemble those of soothsayers. No person, jinn, spirit, or angel (except for Gabriel) has any say in his reports. And there are many occasions when even Gabriel falls behind him.
SIXTH ESSENTIAL: This master of angels, humanity, and jinn is the Tree of Creation’s most perfect and most radiant fruit, the embodiment of God’s compassion, the reflection of the Lord’s love, the most brilliant proof of the All-Mighty, the brightest light of truth, the key to the universe’s hidden truths, the discloser of creation’s mystery, the expounder of creation’s Divine purpose, the announcer of God’s sovereignty, the describer of His beautiful art, and, by virtue of his comprehensive faculties, the most excellent pattern of all of creation’s perfections.
Such character qualities, together with his spiritual personality, clearly demonstrate that he is the ultimate cause for the universe’s creation or, in other words, that the Creator created the universe on his pattern. It even can be argued that if God had not created him, He would not have created the universe. Certainly, the Qur’anic truths and the light of belief that he brought to humanity and jinn, along with the most exalted virtues and illustrious perfections observed in his being, are the evident proofs of this argument.
SEVENTH ESSENTIAL: This “proof of the Truth” (al-Haqq) and “light of the truth” offers such a religion and Sacred Law that it contains all principles for securing happiness in both worlds. They perfectly expound the universe’s truths and functions, as well the Creator of the universe’s Names and Attributes. Islam and its Sacred Law are so perfect and comprehensive, and describe the universe and its Creator in such a way, that whoever reflects on Islam realizes that it is the declaration of the One Who made this beautiful universe and that it describes the universe and its Maker.
Like a spectacular palace revealing its architect’s skill, and the booklet written by the architect so that others may know it better, the religion and Sacred Law preached by Prophet Muhammad demonstrate, through their comprehensiveness, sublimity, and truth, that they are designed by the same Being Who created and continues to manage the universe. Indeed, the universe’s perfect order calls for that most beautiful system of Islam as its expression in the realm of conscious beings.
EIGHTH ESSENTIAL: Distinguished with these qualities and supported by the most unshakable proofs, Prophet Muhammad proclaims his message to humanity and jinn, in the name of the Unseen, to all people regardless of time and place. And, his voice is so strong that all of them will and do hear him, just as we do.
NINTH ESSENTIAL: His speech is so effective and penetrating that people in all times listen to him, and his voice is echoed in every century.
TENTH ESSENTIAL: His manner reveals that he sees and communicates what he sees, for even at the most perilous times he speaks with utmost conviction and assurance and challenges the world.
ELEVENTH ESSENTIAL: He calls with such vigor and from the depths of his heart that half of the old world and one-fifth of all people have given ear to the Qur’an’s call and submitted to it obediently.
TWELFTH ESSENTIAL: He invites so earnestly, and guides and trains so radically, that he leaves his principles as permanent, un-erasable marks throughout all times and places.
THIRTEENTH ESSENTIAL: His trust and confidence in the soundness of the commands that he preaches are so great that he would never retract or regret one of them, even if the whole world united against him. Every instance of his life is a witness to this.
FOURTEENTH ESSENTIAL: He calls with such conviction and certainty that he is indebted to no one and shows no anxiety, regardless of circumstances. With utmost sincerity and honesty, and without hesitation, he is the first to accept and practice what he communicates to others. His piety and contentment, as well as his disdain for the world’s transient allurements, prove this fact that is known to friend and foe alike.
FIFTEENTH ESSENTIAL: He is the first and foremost in obeying Islam, worshipping his Creator, and observing the religious prohibitions. This proves that he is the Sovereign of eternity’s envoy, announcer, and most sincere servant, as well as the interpreter of His eternal Word.
From these 15 essentials, we conclude that this person, distinguished with the qualities mentioned, devoted his life to one principle and declared it continuously: “There is no deity but God,” and thus proclaimed God’s absolute Oneness.
O God, bestow on him and his Family peace and blessings to the number of his community’s good deeds. Glory be to You, we have no knowledge save what You have taught us. You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. the Prophet himself
Said Nursi