Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan delves into a deep discussion on what it actually means to be responsible for being witness to Humanity.
In the Qur'an, Surah Al Baqarah, Verses 142 - 143,
“The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."And thus we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you. And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.”
The Prophet ﷺ had moved to Madinah and now there was a direct interaction with the Christian and Jewish community and in particular the Jewish community. One of the fundamental reason that the Jewish community of Arabia decided to reject Muhammad ﷺ by large is that he did not belong to their family, he was not from the children of Ishaq (AS) but from the children of Ismail (AS) so he was not from the “chosen group”. When Allah Azzawajjal revealed the Quran and he revealed instructions, a lot of instructions were the same which Allah gave to Musa (AS).
Allah SWT exposes in Surah Al Baqarah that there was a knowledgeable group among the Jewish community of Madinah that looked to this Messenger ﷺ and found that every single description that they were given about him in their books, so they came to the conclusion that in fact, this is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And at the same time they came to a very strange conclusion also that “no matter what we will not follow him, we will not accept him as a Messenger of Allah”. They actually start blaming Jibreel (AS) saying that he must have gone to the wrong address. so, Allah defends Jibreel (AS) in this Surah.
Now, a new Ummah is being inaugurated by two major things:
The change of the Ka'bah.
The installation of the month of Ramadan.
These two things are identifying us as a distinct new nation completely separate from Bani Israel. How did these two events come into existence? Do listen intently.
What is the meaning that we have become an Ummah and we share this responsibility?
The Messenger delivered the message to us and that message, in summary, is Allah’s book. His life mission was to deliver this book to the best of his ability and he did his job, He finished his job, to represent it’s teaching in our character, not only that but to be closer to Allah.
Two things that will ensure success in this world and the Hereafter:
One thing is the promise of the Messenger ﷺ.
The second thing is the promise of Allah.
First, is the promise of the Messenger ﷺ that occurs in Bukhari -“The expert in the Quran is ranked among the highest angels”.
Allah’s promise to us is said to us three times which is to really be an Ummah is to be united and Allah says “hold on to Allah’s rope tightly”. That rope of Allah is the Quran. The more we are tied to the Quran, the more we are tied to each other and it’s the glue that bonds us.