Chapter 13 — Rasul and Rasulullah: The Risalah and Its Bearer

After understanding that the Risalah is not a letter sent like an object, the next questions are:

WHAT IS THE RISALAH?

and

WHO IS ITS BEARER?

Many people hear the word Rasul and immediately imagine a man.

But to understand it precisely, we must first distinguish between:

RISALAH

and

THE BEARER OF THE RISALAH

⸻

RISALAH = WHAT IS CARRIED

The Risalah is the body of descriptions and explanations.

It is not paper.

Not a file.

Not a USB drive.

Not a physical object sent from one place to another.

The Risalah is the description that is carried.

Within the structure we have established:

ESSENCE → ATTRIBUTES → ACTIONS

Allah’s Risalah is therefore the body of descriptions concerning Allah that is read, conveyed, manifested and made visible to be witnessed.

⸻

RASUL = THE ONE WHO CARRIES

If the Risalah is what is carried, then the Rasul is the one who carries it.

Simply:

RISALAH = content / description

RASUL = bearer

RASULULLAH = bearer of Allah’s Risalah

The Quran states:

مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

— Al-Fath 48:29

Therefore, Muhammad ﷺ is known through what he carries:

رَسُولُ اللَّهِ

The Bearer of Allah’s Risalah

⸻

THE BEARER OF THE RISALAH IS NOT PASSIVE

The Bearer of the Risalah is not like someone who delivers a package and then leaves.

The Quran describes his Actions:

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

“He is the One who raised among the Ummiyyin a Messenger from among themselves, who recites His verses to them, purifies them, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom; although before that they were truly in clear error.”

— Al-Jumu‘ah 62:2

Notice his Actions:

يَتْلُو — recites

يُزَكِّيهِمْ — purifies them

يُعَلِّمُهُمُ — teaches them

Therefore, the Rasul acts.

The Risalah lives through the Actions of its Bearer.

⸻

THE RASUL AS A WITNESS

The Quran states:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا ۝ وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا

“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness, a bearer of glad tidings, a warner, one who calls to Allah by His permission, and an illuminating lamp.”

— Al-Ahzab 33:45–46

He is:

A WITNESS

A BEARER OF GLAD TIDINGS

A WARNER

ONE WHO CALLS TO ALLAH

AN ILLUMINATING LAMP

Therefore, the Rasul is not merely a transmitter of information.

The Rasul is the Bearer of the Risalah who makes its descriptions something that can be witnessed.

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JIBRIL IS NOT A HEAVENLY POSTMAN

This is where another misunderstanding needs to be cleared away.

When the Risalah is imagined as a letter, Jibril begins to be imagined as a postman from heaven.

That picture is too narrow.

The Quran states:

قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“Say: Whoever is an enemy to Jibril, then indeed he has brought it down upon your heart by Allah’s permission, confirming what came before it, and as guidance and glad tidings for the believers.”

— Al-Baqarah 2:97

Notice:

عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ

upon your heart

and:

مُصَدِّقًا

confirming / affirming

Therefore, do not imagine the process as:

ALLAH → JIBRIL → LETTER → MUHAMMAD ﷺ

Instead, focus on:

truth, trustworthiness, the heart, conveyance and the bearing of the Risalah.

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RUH AL-AMIN

The Quran also states:

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ ۝ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

“The Ruh al-Amin brought it down upon your heart so that you may be among the warners.”

— Ash-Shu‘ara 26:193–194

Again:

الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ

The Trustworthy Ruh

and:

عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ

upon your heart

Within this reading, Jibril is understood through the attributes of truth and trustworthiness in conveying the Risalah, rather than as a character who delivers an object.

Therefore, Jibril should not be reduced to the figure of a postman.

⸻

THE RISALAH DESCENDS UPON THE HEART

When the text states:

عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ

upon your heart

the direction of our understanding changes.

The Risalah is not a physical object placed into someone’s hands.

It is connected to:

THE HEART

Then, from the heart, the Risalah is:

recited,

taught,

manifested,

made visible to be witnessed.

Therefore, the more precise sequence is:

ALLAH

↓

RISALAH

↓

TRUTH / TRUSTWORTHINESS

↓

THE HEART OF THE BEARER

↓

READING

↓

CHARACTER

↓

ACTIONS

↓

WITNESSING

⸻

THE BEARER OF THE RISALAH AND ACTIONS

The Quran states:

وَمَا رَمَيْتَ إِذْ رَمَيْتَ وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ رَمَىٰ

“And you did not throw when you threw, but Allah threw.”

— Al-Anfal 8:17

This verse shows that the Actions manifested through the Bearer of the Risalah cannot be understood solely through outward appearance.

There is a description deeper than merely:

“a human being performed an action.”

Therefore, the Risalah is made visible through Actions.

⸻

WANT TO KNOW THE RISALAH? KNOW ITS BEARER

The Quran states:

مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”

— An-Nisa’ 4:80

And:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ

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

— Ali ‘Imran 3:31

The relationship is clear:

ALLAH → RISALAH → BEARER OF THE RISALAH

Therefore, do not separate the Risalah from its Bearer.

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INTERLUDE — THE DIRECTOR ALSO ACTS IN THE FILM

Imagine a film.

There is:

DIRECTOR

SCRIPT

ACTOR

STAGE

PERFORMANCE

Then the director also acts in the film.

On screen, he appears like the other actors.

But if we see him only as an actor, we fail to understand that he carries the direction of the entire story.

The same applies to Muhammad ﷺ.

The Quran states:

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ

“Say: Indeed, I am a human being like you; revelation is given to me…”

— Al-Kahfi 18:110

Do not stop at:

بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ

Reach:

يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ

“Revelation is given to me.”

Therefore, do not look only at the actor.

Recognise the Bearer of the Risalah.

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DO NOT CONFUSE THE TERMS

In summary:

RISALAH

What is carried.

RASUL

The one who carries.

RASULULLAH

The Bearer of Allah’s Risalah.

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

The name of that Bearer.

JIBRIL / RUH AL-AMIN

Within this reading: the attributes of truth and trustworthiness in the conveyance of the Risalah.

ACTIONS

The actions that manifest what is carried.

⸻

PUNCHLINE

If the Risalah is separated from its Bearer, it remains merely as text.

If the Bearer is separated from the Risalah, he remains merely as a historical figure.

But when the two are brought together:

RISALAH + BEARER = WITNESSING

Therefore:

WANT TO KNOW ALLAH’S RISALAH?

KNOW THE BEARER OF ALLAH’S RISALAH.

And:

MUHAMMAD ﷺ

IS RASULULLAH —

THE BEARER OF ALLAH’S RISALAH.