Muslims may call the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, 'our Messenger'
Fatwa No: 288553

Question

May Allah's peace, mercy and blessing be upon you.I would like to ask a question which is: Is it true to say our messenger Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? I have seen of somebody that we have to say THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). I would like to reply me. May Allah reward you greatly.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

There is nothing wrong with describing the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as "our Messenger" or "the Messenger of Allaah". The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is the Messenger of Allaah in the sense that Allaah chose him and made him a messenger, and he is the Messenger of the Muslim Ummah (community) in the sense that he was sent to them and they are his followers. Allaah The Exalted says (what means): {Or do you intend to ask your Messenger as Moosa (Moses) was asked before?} [Quran 2:108]

Anas ibn Maalik was reported to have said, "Some people came to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said to him: 'Send with us some men to teach us the Quran and the Sunnah.' He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent seventy men from the Ansaar, who were called the Qurraa’ (the Reciters) and among them was my maternal uncle, Haraam. They would recite the Quran, ponder over its meanings and learn (its wisdom) at night. In the day, they would bring water and pour it (in pitchers) in the mosque. Then they would collect wood and sell it and with the profit, they buy food for the poor and for Ahl As-Suffah (homeless men who were sheltered in a place annexed to the Masjid of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the needy. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, sent the Qurraa’ with these people but these (treacherous people) attacked them and killed them before they reached their destination. (While dying) they supplicated, 'O Allaah, convey from us the news to our Prophet that we have met You and that we are pleased with You and You are pleased with us.' (The narrator said,) 'A man attacked Haraam – Anas's maternal uncle – from behind and smote him with a spear which pierced him. Whereupon Haraam said, 'By the Lord of the Ka‘bah, I have met with success.' The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to his Companions, 'Your brothers have been slain and they were saying, 'O Allaah, convey from us to our Prophet the news that we have met You and that we are pleased with You and You are pleased with us.'" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Also, ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab said: "We will not abandon the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of our Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam." [Muslim]

Allaah Knows best.

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