Chapter 5 — Essence — Attributes — Actions

TO KNOW ALLAH, KNOW THE BEARER OF ALLAH

The ESSENCE, ATTRIBUTES and ACTIONS of Allah do not stand independently as three separate entities.

All three are descriptions of Allah.

But descriptions do not move on their own.

THE RISALAH CANNOT CARRY ITSELF; IT MUST BE CARRIED.

Therefore, the question is:

Who is the bearer of Allah’s Risalah?

The answer is:

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

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MUHAMMAD ﷺ IS THE BEARER OF ALLAH

Allah states:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا

“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.”

— Al-Ahzab 33:45

What does it mean that he is a witness?

Human beings can witness the bearer of Allah’s Risalah.

The Risalah is not seen walking on its own.

The Risalah comes through its bearer.

Therefore, Muhammad ﷺ becomes the figure who can be witnessed carrying the original Risalah of Allah.

That is why, to know Allah, human beings cannot separate Allah from His bearer.

TO KNOW ALLAH,

KNOW THE BEARER OF ALLAH.

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“IF YOU LOVE ALLAH, FOLLOW ME”

Allah states:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ

“Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you.”

— Ali ‘Imran 3:31

Notice the instruction in the verse.

Allah does not say:

“If you love Allah, follow Allah.”

Instead:

فَٱتَّبِعُونِى

“FOLLOW ME.”

Who is “me”?

Muhammad ﷺ.

Why?

Because Allah’s Risalah has a bearer.

A description cannot be followed with one’s feet.

It is the bearer who can be seen, heard, emulated and followed.

Therefore, the path of love towards Allah is through:

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

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MUHAMMAD ﷺ IS THE SERVANT OF ALLAH

He is described as:

عَبْدُ اللَّه — Servant of Allah

But do not understand a servant as an employee.

A servant is not a salaried worker.

A servant is one whose self has become the possession of his Lord to the point that what he does no longer requires compulsion to align with the will of his Lord.

In Muhammad ﷺ:

he speaks,

he walks,

he teaches,

he gives,

he forgives,

he warns,

he purifies,

he becomes a witness.

He does not need to force himself at every moment:

“Now I must carry the Risalah.”

Because his very self has become the bearer of the Risalah.

Whatever is manifested through him is aligned with the trust that he carries.

That is why Allah states:

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ ٱلْهَوَىٰ ۝ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْىٌۭ يُوحَىٰ

“And he does not speak according to his own desire. It is nothing but revelation revealed.”

— An-Najm 53:3–4

This is servitude.

THE RISALAH HAS BECOME PART OF THE VERY BEING OF ITS BEARER.

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WHO IS THE LORD?

Here, an important distinction must be clarified.

The Risalah does not possess.

The Risalah is that which is possessed and carried.

Therefore, the Risalah cannot be the “Lord” of itself.

Who possesses, carries and upholds Allah’s Risalah?

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

Therefore, the Lord of Allah’s Risalah is Muhammad ﷺ, because he is the possessor of the trust that is carried, upheld and manifested to humanity.

Allah’s Risalah resides with its bearer.

It is the bearer who can be followed.

It is the bearer who can be witnessed.

It is the bearer who teaches.

It is the bearer who becomes the living example.

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THE ESSENCE, ATTRIBUTES AND ACTIONS OF ALLAH BECOME HIS POSSESSION

If Muhammad ﷺ is the bearer of Allah’s Risalah, what is the content of that Risalah?

ESSENCE

ATTRIBUTES

ACTIONS

Therefore, the ESSENCE, ATTRIBUTES and ACTIONS of Allah become the possession of the bearer of that Risalah.

This does not mean that the ESSENCE, as an object, moves into his physical body.

ESSENCE is not an object.

ATTRIBUTES are not objects.

ACTIONS are not objects.

They are descriptions of Allah that are carried and possessed by the bearer of the Risalah.

Therefore, in Muhammad ﷺ:

there is no ESSENCE that he carries except the description of Allah,

there are no ATTRIBUTES that he upholds except the ATTRIBUTES of Allah,

there are no ACTIONS that he manifests except the ACTIONS of Allah.

That is why the bearer cannot be separated from what is carried.

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“YOU ARE ME, AND I AM YOU”

The language of lovers helps us understand this relationship.

Two lovers may say:

“Two souls, one heart.”

They do not become one body.

They do not merge into one ESSENCE.

But their will, love and purpose become so closely aligned that:

what one loves, the other loves.

Such is the relationship of perfected servitude.

The servant carries the will of his Lord until that will no longer feels like an external compulsion.

It has become part of who he is.

Therefore, Muhammad ﷺ, as the true Servant of Allah, does not carry the Risalah as a postman carries a letter.

He becomes the living bearer of that Risalah.

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THE COMPLETE STRUCTURE

Therefore, do not stop at:

ESSENCE → ATTRIBUTES → ACTIONS.

Complete it with its bearer:

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

BEARER / SERVANT / LORD OF THE RISALAH

↓

ACTIONS OF ALLAH

↓

ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH

↓

ESSENCE OF ALLAH

And when viewed from the perspective of the Risalah:

ALLAH

DESCRIPTION OF ESSENCE + ATTRIBUTES + ACTIONS

↓

RISALAH

↓

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

THE ONE WHO POSSESSES, CARRIES AND UPHOLDS IT

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THAT IS WHY, TO KNOW ALLAH, KNOW MUHAMMAD ﷺ

Human beings cannot say:

“I want to know Allah, but Muhammad ﷺ is not important.”

That separates the description from its bearer.

The Quran itself says:

“If you love Allah, follow ME.”

Not:

“follow something you imagine to be Allah.”

Follow His bearer.

Observe his ACTIONS.

Recognise the ATTRIBUTES that he carries.

Understand the description of the ESSENCE that he upholds.

Therefore:

TO KNOW ALLAH,

KNOW THE BEARER OF ALLAH.

And that bearer is:

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

THE SERVANT OF ALLAH

THE GREAT UPHOLDER OF THE RISALAH.