1

20. P‘OPHET“ DU Ā P‘AYE‘ IN THE QU‘ ĀN 4)

14. Muhammad s.a.w.
Although the whole Qur ā containing 6236 verses was
revealed to Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. in 23 years, his name
Muha ad is e tio ed as a third person four times only, in Q.
3:144, 33:40, 47:2, and 48:29. His other name, Aḥmad, was
mentioned in Q. 61:6 when Prophet Isa a.s. foretold his coming.1
When Allah enjoined the Prophet to say, to do or not to do
something He did not mention him by name, so that the translators
used to put in the ra ket O Muha ad . The isdo ehi d it is
that Allah s i ju tio is also appli a le to his follo ers, u less there
is an indication that it was specifically intended exclusively for him. It
includes the injunction when it started with ‫ ي أي النبي‬O Prophet .
There are 11 verses where Allah addressed him as O Prophet .2
The Qur ā refers to Prophet Muhammad with his profession as
a prophet ( a ī)3 and a messenger of Allah (rasūl Allāh).4 He was
addressed as the Mese ger when he complained to Allah for his
people s egle ti g the Qur ān, as follows:
) 3 :‫ق ل الرس ل ي ر إن ق ْ مي اتخذ ا هذا ْال رْ آن م ْج رً ا (ال رق ن‬

1
Both Muha ad a d Ah ad are derived from ḥamida he praised )
and ḥamd (praise), ha e the sa e ea i g, a ely, the praised o e. In
Ara ai , hi h as the other to gue of Isa a.s., and was used in Palestine in
his time and for some centuries later, he was called Mawḥamana translated
into Greek as Períklytos )“the Much Praised”(. The original Gospel which is
now lost must have been written in this language, the name was mistakenly
referred to as Paráklētos in the Gospel of St. John (John 14:15-17, 25-26;
15:26; 16:7-8) meaning “the Comforter.” However, this name was also one of
the epithets of the Prophet, namely “Bashīr” ) lit. “the Bringer of Glad Tidings”
besides “Nadhīr” )“the Warner”(, see Q. 2:119. The claim that the term in
Syriac was menahhemana meaning “the life giver” is also applicable to the
Prophet, as Allah said: )42: ‫يا أي ا الذين آمنوا اسْتجيبوا ل للرسو إذا دعاك ْم لما يحْ يي ْم (اأنفا‬
“O you who believe! Answer Allah and his Messenger when he calls you to that
which will give you life…” (Q. 8:24).
2
See Q. 8:64, 65; 9:73; 33:1, 28, 45, 50; 60:11; 65:1; 66:1, 9.
3
See Q. 3:68; 7: 158; 9:61, 117; 33:6, 13, 30, 32,38, 53; 49:2; 66:3,8.
4
See Q. 7:158; 9:61, 81, 120; 33:21, 40, 53; 48:29; 49:3, 7; 63:5, 7.
 2

A d the Messe ger Muha ad ill say: O y Lord,

Verily, my people deserted this Qur ā (neither listen to it,
nor acted on its laws and teachings . Q. 5: 0)5
In this verse the Prophet complained to Allah that his people
deserted the Qur ā by saying that it was black magic (Mujāhid and
al-Nakha ī s i terpretatio . They did ot a t to listen to it, and if
they ere alled to Allah they ould say o I )ayd s
interpretation). The idolaters among his people would not listen to
the Qur ā , as mentioned in another verse of the Qur ā , as follows:
) 2: ‫ق ل الذين ك ر ا ل تسْ مع ا ل ذا ْال رْ آن ْالغ ْ ا فيه لع ك ْ ت ْغ ب ن (فص‬
A d those ho dis elie e say: Liste ot to this
Qur ā , and make noise in the midst of its (recitation)
that you ay o er o e. (Q. 41:26).
In response to this, Allah consoled the Prophet by informing
him that this was nothing new. He said:
)31:‫كذل جع ْن لكل نبي عد ً ا من ْالمجْ رمين ك برب ه د ًي نصيرً ا (ال رق ن‬
Thus have We made every Prophet an enemy
among criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as
a Guide and Helper (Q. 25:26)
Just as the presence of those criminals for the Prophet who
scorned the Qur ān, so in all previous nations, for every Prophet
there were criminals who tried to misguide his people and to make
them disbelievers, su h as A ū Jahl a ordi g to I A as . He
should then be patient with them.
Allah encourages the Muslims to pray to Him and He
guarantees that He would answer their honest and sincerely prayers

5
This verse was misunderstood by the followers of I kār al-Sunnah to mean
that the Prophet s follo ers a a do ed the Qur a a d i stead, they ere
more concerned with his Sunnah (sayings and practices), and therefore, they
did the opposite, abandoning the Sunnah, a d said the Qur a as suffi ie t
for the . I fa t, the Prophet s people qawm) were disbelievers, and idol
worshippers, and therefore, they deserted a d disregarded the Qur a ; ut
when they became believers they upheld the Qur a , a d e a e his follo ers
and were called his ummah (community, nation).
 3

(invocations, supplications). He revealed to the Prophet the following

verse:
‫ق ل ربك ْادع ني أسْ تج ْ لك ْ إن الذين يسْ ت ْكبر ن‬
)60 :‫عنْ عب دتي سي ْدخ ن ج ن داخرين (غ فر‬
A d your Lord said: Invoke Me, [i.e., believe in My
Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for anything]
I will respond to your (invocations). Verily, those who
scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not
believe in My Oneness, (Islamic Monotheism)] they
will surely enter Hell i hu iliatio . (Q. 40:60).
Moreover, for further encouragement, Allah said that He was near,
He did not need any mediator between Himself and His slaves. He
said:
‫إذا س ل عب د عني فإني قري أجي دعْ ة الداع إذا دع ن‬
( 82: ‫ف ْيسْ تجيب ا لي ْلي ْ من ا بي لع ْ يرْ شد ن" (الب رة‬
And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning
Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near to them by My
Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant
when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor).
So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that
they ay e led aright. (Q. 2: 186).
There are many du as (prayers, supplications) of the Prophet
recorded in the books of “īrah (Biography of the Prophet) and the
Ḥadīth (Traditions of the Prophet). But in the Qur ā his du as were
taught to him by Allah, in various topics and situations, and
therefore, the du a was preceded with ‫ ق ْل‬say [O Muhammad] ,
such as:
a. to increase knowledge,
) :‫ق ْل ر ز ْدني ع ْ ًم (طه‬
…and say O Muha ad : My Lord! Increase
Me in knowledge. (Q. 20:114)
b. protection against Satan,
 4

‫ أع ذ ب ر‬.‫ق ْل ر أع ذ ب منْ همزا الشي طين‬

)78-79: ‫أنْ يحْ ضر ن (الم من ن‬
…and say (O Muhammad): My Lord! I seek refuge with
You from the whisperings (suggestions) of the satans (devils).
And I seek refuge with You, my Lord! lest they
should o e ear e. (Q. 23:97-98)
This means that in order to ward off from the devils, we are
recommended to mention Allah immediately before undertaking any
daily activity, including drinking, eating, even in intimacy with our
spouse.
c. forgiveness and mercy,
( ْ
8:‫اغ رْ ارْ ح ْ أن خيْر الراحمين (الم من ن‬ ‫قل ر‬
… and say O Muha ad : My Lord! Forgi e
and have mercy, for You are the Best of those
who show mercy (Q. 23:118)
d. prayer for parents,
( :‫" قل ر ارحم م كم ربي ني صغيرً ا " (اإسراء‬..
… a d say: My Lord! Besto o the [ y pare ts]
Your Mercy as they did bring me up when
I as you g. (Q. 17:24)
We say this prayer for our parents when they grow old and
continue to do it after their death.
e. prayer upon entering Madinah as emigrant,
ْ ‫مدخل ص ْد أ ْخرجْ ني‬
‫مخرج ص ْد‬ ْ ‫ق ْل ر أ ْدخ ْني‬
)83:‫اجْ ع ْل لي منْ لد ْن س ْط ًن نصيرً ا (اإسراء‬
…and say (O Muhammad): My Lord! Let my entry (to the
city of al-Madinah be good, and (likewise) my exit (from
the city of Makkah) be good. And grant me from You
an authority to help me (or a firm sign
or a proof). (Q.17:80)
f. deliverance from any impending doom,
‫ ر فل تجْ ع ْني‬.‫ق ْل ر إم تريني م ي عد ن‬
 5

) 8:‫في ْال ْ الظ لمين (الم من ن‬

A d say O Muha ad : My Lord! If You would show
me that with which they are threatened (torment), My Lord!
Then (save me from Your punishment), put me not amongst
the people who are wrong-doers. (Q. 23:93-94(
Besides the du ā (prayer, supplication, invocation), Allah also
taught the Prophet what to say in showing people his complete
submission and dedication to Him. He said:
‫ق ْل إنني هداني ربي إل صراط مسْ ت ي دي ًن قي ًم م إبْراهي حني ً م‬
.‫مم تي ل ر ْالع لمين‬ ‫ ق ْل إن صلتي نسكي محْ ي‬.‫ك ن من ْالم ْشركين‬
) 2 - 2 : ‫أن أ ل ْالمسْ مين (اأنع‬ ْ‫ل شري له بذل أمر‬
“ay O Muha ad : Truly, my Lord has guided my
to a “traight Path, a right religio , the religio of I rāhī
(Abraham), Hanif [i.e. the true Islamic Monotheism—to
believe in One God (Allah, i.e. to worship none but Allah,
Alo e a d he as ot of idolaters. “ay O Muha ad :
Verily, y prayer, y sacrifice, my living, and my dying
are for Allah, the Lord of the world (mankind, jinn and
all that exists). He has no partner. And of this I have
been commanded, and I am the first of
the Musli s. (Q. 6:161-163).6
Allah also taught the Prophet and us the Muslims how to
address Him with our glorification, to show our acknowledgment of
His Omnipotent and Wisdom as the Sole Creator of the Universe. He
said:

6
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was the first Muslim in his time among his
ummah (nation, i.e. followers) only, because prophets before him had
preached worshiping Allah Alone, which is Islam (Q. 21:25). Prophet Nūḥ
(Noah) a.s. was commanded by Allah to be of the Muslims (Q. 10:72). Prophet
I rāhī Abraham) a.s. enjoined upon his sons not to die except as Muslims (Q.
2:130-132). Prophet Yūsuf Joseph) a.s. prayed to Allah to die as a Muslim (Q.
12:101). Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said: We, the Prophets, are half-brothers,
ut our religio is o e.
 6

‫ْاأرْ ض ع ل ْالغ ْي الش دة‬ ‫قل ال ف طر السم ا‬

) 2:‫أ ْن تحْ ك بيْن عب د في م ك ن ا فيه ي ْخت ن (الزمر‬
“ay O Muha ad : O Allah! Creator of the hea e s
and the earth! All-Knower of the Unseen and the seen!
You will judge between your slaves about that
herei they used to differ. (Q. 39:46)
‫قل ال م ل ْالم ْ ت ْ تي ْالم ْ منْ تش ء ت ْنزع ْالم ْ ممنْ تش ء تعز‬
‫ ت لج ال يْل‬.‫منْ تش ء تذل منْ تش ء بيد ْالخيْر إن ع كل شيْ ء قدير‬
‫في الن ر ت لج الن ر في ال يْل ت ْخرج ْالحي من ْالمي ت ْخرج ْالمي من‬
) 9- 2:‫ْالحي ترْ ز منْ تش ء بغيْر حس (آل عمران‬
“ay O Muha ad : O Allah! Possessor of the ki gdo ,
You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take
the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with
honour whim You will, and You humiliate whom You will.
In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.
You make the night enter into the day, and You make the day
enter into the night (i.e.; increase and decrease in the hours of
the night and the day during winter and summer), and You
bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out
of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom
You ill ithout li it easure or a ou t . Q. 3:26-27)
(CIVIC, 5 December, 2014)
:‫المراجع‬
‫المكتب الش م‬
( ‫ هـ‬3 . ( ‫ت سير الطبر‬
(‫ هـ‬29 . ( ‫ت سير ال رطب‬
(‫ هـ‬99 . ( ‫ت سير ابن كثير‬
Ali, A.Yusuf. The Mea i gs of the Holy Qur ā
Asad, Muha ad. The Message of the Qur ā
Holy Bible: New International Version, 1973
http://www.quranstudygroup.org/Resources%20page/other/Qurani
c%20Duas-%20Dr%20Riza%20Mohammed.pdf