In the book Zurooratul Imaam, page 31, Hazrat Masih Maud A.S. has said, Wa ana awwalul mu’mineen. Sir, I thought awwalul mu’mineen was Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa S.A.W. or Hazrat Ibrahim A.S. How could both be awwalul mu’mineen? Because Hazrat Ibrahim said, Aslamtulirabbil alameen, Qala aslamtulirabbil alameen.
You know, what I mean to say is, you have already answered your question. How could two people be awwal? Not in time. Sir, this one I need to explain. Or in relation to a certain time, of course. For this age, when Allah has revealed to Hazrat Masih Maud A.S. and started the process of faith anew, of course he is the awwalul mu’mineen. For the latter days. For all times to come, Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. is awwalul mu’mineen. And for the age prior to him, up to him, starting from Hazrat Ibrahim A.S. Hazrat Ibrahim was awwalul mu’mineen. Now that is as far as the time factor is concerned. But as far as the true meaning is concerned, awwal here is meant to convey the sense of the very best, the very top.
And in that regard too, the context would vary. When Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. is described to be the best of all the believers, he is best regardless of time, regardless of space. Wherever on earth believers are found, whenever on earth a believer was found, Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. was the best of believers. Prior to him, among all the prophets, according to the verdict of the Holy Quran, Prophet Ibrahim A.S. was to be considered the best of believers.
For that period, starting from Adam to Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. So Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. is now seen in this light to be the sovereign of all the times, past, present and future. But for the past, Prophet Ibrahim A.S. is awwalul mu’mineen, relative to that short period. And for the future, relative to that period of aakhireen, Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. is awwalul mu’mineen. And because he is also referred to Ibrahim, the second Ibrahim, so in fact it is very explicable, very very understandable, that after Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. either the first person of Ibrahim was awwalul mu’mineen or his second representation was awwalul mu’mineen.
And no one else has been referred to as awwalul mu’mineen as far as I remember in the Holy Quran. Huzoor, second part to the same question. Second part to the same question? Yes, second part. In both these cases, the word awwalul mu’mineen is used or awwalul muslimeen is also used. You remember? Any Hafiz of Quran would help me? I thought while I discussed it, I thought that it was not awwalul mu’mineen that was used regarding to Ibrahim, but awwalul muslimeen, that’s right.
And as far as Prophet Muhammad S.A.W. is concerned, he is declared as awwalul mu’mineen. So there is some fine difference in shade and of connotation. But that is not to be discussed here. We’ll have to, I mean, concentrate further on this issue and come to the fine distinction, find out the fine distinction between these two declarations. My first statement should be read subject to this correction that Hazrat Ibrahim S.A.W. has been referred to as awwal during his first appearance as well as his second representation in the end.
But in the first he is referred to as awwalul muslimeen. In the second representation he is referred to as awwalul mu’mineen. But both these contexts are time barred and limited in time. Hazrat S.A.W. who is referred to as awwalul mu’mineen, he is above time in this respect. Past, present and future does not hold any barriers for him. Because, why I say that?
Because the other verses of the Holy Quran and many other traditions support this view. That he was khataman nabiyeen even before Adam was created. So he was truly awwal with the application to the past as well.
