Messenger & the Message

It was ordained that the last of messengers—Khatam-ul-Anbiya (pbuh) will bear the truth and deliver the message. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) would however not act as a guardian over the people, to whom he was destined to deliver the message:

‘’Say O people, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever accepts guidance is guided for his own soul; and whoever strays only strays to its detriment. I am not a guardian over you’’ (10:108)

The truth that came from Lord was delivered by Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). It was left to people to accept the guidance or decide against accepting it. The guidance provided was meant to enrich the soul.

The ones guided stayed guided to their own advantage, to their own good and betterment. It was meant to improve the quality of their lives, spiritually, besides the material advantages that go with rightly guided honest living.

There is another side to the message that Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) delivered to fulfil his prophetic mission.

It was meant to convey that whosoever strays from the assigned path of truth shall suffer the consequences of the act, to his own detriment.

The freedom of choice provided could have a response either way—positive, as well as negative. Whatever the response, it didn’t fall in the realm of prophetic mission to act as a guardian.

In his prophetic mission, he was not supposed to protect the wayward from the consequences of drifting astray. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was asked to follow, what was revealed to him and leave judgement to Allah (SwT):

‘’And follow what was revealed to you, and be patient until God issues his judgement, for He is the best of judges’’ (10:109) 

Judgement over positive and negative responses stays in the divine realm, for Allah (SwT) is the best of judges.