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English_Biography_Shefa_of_Prophet_Muhammad, page : 248
This meaning of belief is ratified by the hadith in which the Archangel Gabriel came to the Prophet and said, "Tell me about Islam." The Prophet replied, "It is that you bear witness that there is no god except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah …." Then Gabriel asked the Prophet about the meaning of belief to which he replied, "It is that you believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messenger..."
Belief in the Prophet implies the acceptance of the heart whereas Islam only demands its verbalization. However, if the testimony is simply upon the tongue without the confirmation of the heart that, is tantamount to hypocrisy. Allah speaks of the hypocrites saying, "When the hypocrites come to you they say, 'We bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.' Allah knows that you (Prophet Muhammad) are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are truly liars!" (63:1). Such people lie with their tongues concealing what is really in their hearts and such testimony has no benefit in the Everlasting Life because their witnessing is incomplete and they will join the unbelievers. As for their punishment it will be in the deepest part of the Fire, below that of the unbelievers. However, in this life because they uttered the verbal testimony such people are determined by Muslim judges to be Muslims, because judges do not have access to see the reality of what is in the heart.
Judges have been forbidden to investigate the reality of a person's witnessing because the Prophet censured the actions of a certain person by asking him, "Did you split open his heart?" Verbal testimony is part of Islam and confirmation with the heart is part of belief.
The Obligation to Obey the Prophet
There is an obligation upon all Muslims that requires obedience to the Prophet . This obligation is made apparent in the Koran which he delivered. Allah says, "Believers, obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him when you are hearing. Do not be like those who say, 'We hear,' but they do not listen" (8:20). And, "Say, 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger ….. If you obey him, you shall be guided" (24:54). "Obey Allah and the Messenger in order to be subjected to mercy" (3:132). "Whosoever obeys the Messenger, indeed he has obeyed Allah" (4:80). And, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain" (59:7). "Whosoever obeys Allah, and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored" (4:69). "We did not send a Messenger except that he should be obeyed, by the permission of Allah" (4:64).
In these verses Allah clearly states that when someone obeys His Messenger he is in fact also obeying Allah. Obedience to whatever Prophet Muhammad commanded and abstaining from whatsoever he forbade are synonymous to being obedient to Allah. Allah also speaks of the reward for such obedience and
Belief in the Prophet implies the acceptance of the heart whereas Islam only demands its verbalization. However, if the testimony is simply upon the tongue without the confirmation of the heart that, is tantamount to hypocrisy. Allah speaks of the hypocrites saying, "When the hypocrites come to you they say, 'We bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.' Allah knows that you (Prophet Muhammad) are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are truly liars!" (63:1). Such people lie with their tongues concealing what is really in their hearts and such testimony has no benefit in the Everlasting Life because their witnessing is incomplete and they will join the unbelievers. As for their punishment it will be in the deepest part of the Fire, below that of the unbelievers. However, in this life because they uttered the verbal testimony such people are determined by Muslim judges to be Muslims, because judges do not have access to see the reality of what is in the heart.
Judges have been forbidden to investigate the reality of a person's witnessing because the Prophet censured the actions of a certain person by asking him, "Did you split open his heart?" Verbal testimony is part of Islam and confirmation with the heart is part of belief.
The Obligation to Obey the Prophet
There is an obligation upon all Muslims that requires obedience to the Prophet . This obligation is made apparent in the Koran which he delivered. Allah says, "Believers, obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him when you are hearing. Do not be like those who say, 'We hear,' but they do not listen" (8:20). And, "Say, 'Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger ….. If you obey him, you shall be guided" (24:54). "Obey Allah and the Messenger in order to be subjected to mercy" (3:132). "Whosoever obeys the Messenger, indeed he has obeyed Allah" (4:80). And, "Whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain" (59:7). "Whosoever obeys Allah, and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored" (4:69). "We did not send a Messenger except that he should be obeyed, by the permission of Allah" (4:64).
In these verses Allah clearly states that when someone obeys His Messenger he is in fact also obeying Allah. Obedience to whatever Prophet Muhammad commanded and abstaining from whatsoever he forbade are synonymous to being obedient to Allah. Allah also speaks of the reward for such obedience and