The sending of Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS):

Allaah said: { O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Our Messenger (Muhammad SAAWS) has now come to you, explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture, and leave (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much (of what you used to hide). Surely, there has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book (the Qur'an) <15> With it (the Quraan), Allah guides all those who seek His Pleasure to the ways of peace, and He brings them out of darkness, by His Will, into light, and guides them to the Straight Path } [Surat Al-Maai’dah (15 - 16)].

After Allaah mentioned the covenant He took from the people of the Book (= people of the Scripture), and how they breached their covenant, except for a few of them, He now orders them all to believe in Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS).

And in this verse, there is an indication that Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS) was sent to all people; Arabs and non-Arabs; the polytheists and the people of the Scripture.

And Allaah gives the people of the Scripture a clear sign of the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad’s message:  that he will explain to them { much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture }.  The things they changed, distorted (in text or interpretation), or simply concealed.  He will also { leave much } of what they used to hide, meaning: without explaining, because there is no benefit in showing it.

That an illiterate man (Prophet Muhammad), who could not read nor write, explained to the people of the Scripture what they were hiding from their Scripture, is clear evidence that this Message is not from himself, but from Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Then, Allaah tells the people of the Scripture (and everyone else) about the Quraan; the Book He sent with Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS).  He mentions four of the Quraan’s characteristics:

1- { Surely, there has come to you from Allah }; it is from Allaah.  It is not man-made.

2- { A light }; He called the Quraan a light because it lights up the darknesses of ignorance and the blindness of deviation. 

3- { And a clear Book }, meaning: clear in explaining everything the people need of knowledge of the affairs related to this World and the next.

4- It is a Book of Guidance.  Allaah says that, with this Book (the Quraan), He guides { all those who seek His Pleasure }, meaning: those who sincerely strive to follow the path to seek Allaah’s Pleasure. 

A) He guides them { to the ways of peace }, meaning: the methodology that leads to the escape from the punishment and to reach the House of Peace (Paradise).  This methodology is: "learning the truth and acting upon it.”

B) He guides them { out of the darkness }; of disbelief, innovation, sin, and ignorance

C) He guides them { into the light }; of Belief, the Sunnah, obedience, and knowledge.

D) { And guides them to the Straight Path }.

This guidance happens { by His Will }, meaning by Allaah’s will.  

In summary: when the person is guided to the correct methodology (learning and then applying what we learn), it leads the person out of the darkness, and into the light, and the person finds himself on the straight path.

This is the Quraan.  It is our light.  It is our clear book of guidance.  What are our obligations toward it?

 

To be continued, if Allaah wills.