Authored by: Sheikh al-Islam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him)
Translated by: Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi (may Allah protect him)
One of the characteristics of the people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) was that they would use flawed analogies as arguments, while rejecting valid analogies. They were also unable to distinguish between universal (جامع) and specific (فاروق) attributes. Universal attributes refer to the qualities common to all humans, which unite them as part of humanity. Specific attributes refer to the unique qualities that differentiate certain individuals from others, such as prophethood, revelation, and miracles.
Allah mentions in Surah Al-Mu’minun:
"But the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, 'This is not but a man like yourselves who wishes to take precedence over you. Had Allah willed, He would have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers of old. He is not but a man possessed with madness, so wait concerning him for a time.'"
[Surah Al-Mu’minun: 23:24]
In this verse, Allah describes how the ignorant leaders of the people of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) dismissed him by saying he was merely a human like them, attempting to elevate himself above them. They falsely claimed that if Allah had intended to send a messenger, He would have sent an angel, not a human. They further argued that they had never heard such a thing from their ancestors, thus considering the message unworthy of acceptance.
In the verse preceding this, Allah mentions:
"And We certainly sent Noah to his people..."
[Surah Al-Mu’minun: 23:23]
Here, Allah highlights the ignorance of these people. They disregarded the blessings of Allah, failed to take lessons from them, and did not fear their eventual downfall. The story of Noah (peace be upon him) and his people is mentioned as a warning to the Quraysh, urging them to take heed.
Prophet Noah’s call was simple and compassionate:
"O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. Will you not fear Him?"
However, the leaders responded arrogantly, attempting to undermine his prophethood by asserting:
"This is just a man like you."
Their goal was to lower his status as a prophet and provoke the masses against him by claiming:
"He only wants to be superior to you."
They suggested that if Allah wanted to send a prophet, He would have sent an angel, implying that a human being could not be a messenger. Their flawed belief was that a human messenger was impossible, dismissing the possibility of prophethood for humans and considering it something unheard of among their ancestors.
Their reasoning was entirely based on corrupt analogies. They further accused Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) of madness, suggesting that he would eventually regain his senses and abandon his message. This contradiction in their argument—considering him mad but still acknowledging his wisdom—shows the inconsistency in their thinking.
This analysis reveals that the people of ignorance based their reasoning on faulty analogies and failed to distinguish between universal truths and specific attributes. For instance, while it is true that prophets and ordinary people share basic human qualities, they possess distinct attributes that set them apart, such as divine selection, revelation, and the receipt of Allah’s message. Ignoring these unique qualities and equating prophets with ordinary people is a flawed analogy.
Thus, it is clear that the people of ignorance were unable to differentiate between correct and incorrect analogies, nor did they understand the distinction between universal (جامع) and specific (فاروق) attributes. Unfortunately, this same misunderstanding persists among their modern-day followers and innovators.
Translated by: Maulana Mukhtar Ahmad Nadwi (may Allah protect him)
One of the characteristics of the people of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) was that they would use flawed analogies as arguments, while rejecting valid analogies. They were also unable to distinguish between universal (جامع) and specific (فاروق) attributes. Universal attributes refer to the qualities common to all humans, which unite them as part of humanity. Specific attributes refer to the unique qualities that differentiate certain individuals from others, such as prophethood, revelation, and miracles.
Allah mentions in Surah Al-Mu’minun:
"But the eminent among those who disbelieved from his people said, 'This is not but a man like yourselves who wishes to take precedence over you. Had Allah willed, He would have sent down angels. We have not heard of this among our forefathers of old. He is not but a man possessed with madness, so wait concerning him for a time.'"
[Surah Al-Mu’minun: 23:24]
In this verse, Allah describes how the ignorant leaders of the people of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) dismissed him by saying he was merely a human like them, attempting to elevate himself above them. They falsely claimed that if Allah had intended to send a messenger, He would have sent an angel, not a human. They further argued that they had never heard such a thing from their ancestors, thus considering the message unworthy of acceptance.
In the verse preceding this, Allah mentions:
"And We certainly sent Noah to his people..."
[Surah Al-Mu’minun: 23:23]
Here, Allah highlights the ignorance of these people. They disregarded the blessings of Allah, failed to take lessons from them, and did not fear their eventual downfall. The story of Noah (peace be upon him) and his people is mentioned as a warning to the Quraysh, urging them to take heed.
Prophet Noah’s call was simple and compassionate:
"O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. Will you not fear Him?"
However, the leaders responded arrogantly, attempting to undermine his prophethood by asserting:
"This is just a man like you."
Their goal was to lower his status as a prophet and provoke the masses against him by claiming:
"He only wants to be superior to you."
They suggested that if Allah wanted to send a prophet, He would have sent an angel, implying that a human being could not be a messenger. Their flawed belief was that a human messenger was impossible, dismissing the possibility of prophethood for humans and considering it something unheard of among their ancestors.
Their reasoning was entirely based on corrupt analogies. They further accused Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) of madness, suggesting that he would eventually regain his senses and abandon his message. This contradiction in their argument—considering him mad but still acknowledging his wisdom—shows the inconsistency in their thinking.
This analysis reveals that the people of ignorance based their reasoning on faulty analogies and failed to distinguish between universal truths and specific attributes. For instance, while it is true that prophets and ordinary people share basic human qualities, they possess distinct attributes that set them apart, such as divine selection, revelation, and the receipt of Allah’s message. Ignoring these unique qualities and equating prophets with ordinary people is a flawed analogy.
Thus, it is clear that the people of ignorance were unable to differentiate between correct and incorrect analogies, nor did they understand the distinction between universal (جامع) and specific (فاروق) attributes. Unfortunately, this same misunderstanding persists among their modern-day followers and innovators.