Page 108 - Seekers Guide Book
P. 108

Islam and the Quran


             26   Why do Muslims only respect
                   the Prophet Muhammad?


              believing Muslim is bound to respect all the prophets.
          A  He cannot differentiate between the messengers of
          God.

          God had sent a prophet or messenger to every group and
          community of people in this world. All the messengers
          of God enjoy an equal status. In the chapter al-Baqarah
          (The Heifer), the Quran says:

                  We do not differentiate between any of His
                  messengers. We hear and obey. Grant us
                  Your forgiveness, Lord, to You we shall all
                  return! (Quran 2:285)
                  The Prophet is recorded to have said, Do
                  not give me superiority over other prophets.
                  (Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 4638)

          This Quranic verse and the hadith relate directly to the
          messengers or the prophets of God. But both also have
          a broader application, according to which, every person
          is worthy of respect, regardless of creed or culture.
          Such belief promotes a culture of equal respect among
          mankind. Difference  in belief is necessarily subject to
          discussion, but not a reason for discrimination. If your
          belief system is different from that of others, you have
          every right to engage in discussion and dialogue on the
          subject, but in the process, you have no right to show
          disrespect to others. This holds true even if you believe
          that your ideology enshrines the supreme truth. The



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