15 - Islam is the faith of all prophets

1. The Prophet (peace be upon him) states that he is the closest of all people to Jesus, son of Mary, in both this present life and the life to come. Of all prophets, he only mentions Jesus in this context, and this is for several reasons. One reason is that no other prophet was sent in the intervening period between the two. Moreover, Jesus highlighted the news of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon both of them), preparing his followers for Muhammad’s message.

Moreover, Jesus will return at the end of time and he will follow Prophet Muhammad and judge according to the Islamic message. He will fight the Impostor leading an army of Muslims.

2. The Prophet (peace be upon him) likens the relationship between prophets as that of siblings having the same father, but different mothers. Their religion, which is the same, is like the one father of them all, but their codes of law differ, as their mothers are different.

This religion which brings them together is Islam, i.e. self-surrender to God, the One and only God, and obeying Him.

All prophets urged people to accept Islam and they affiliated themselves to it because in essence, Islam is submission to God in all that He commands and tells. As for legislative details, what was given to different prophets varied.

3. In the version related by Muslim, the Prophet (peace be upon him) explains his closeness to Jesus, son of Mary, as the fact that no other prophet intervened between them. Thus, Jesus was the one who brought the news of the imminent message of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), so that people would be ready to receive him.   

Implementation:

1. If you wish to explain important things to your children, students or other people, it is useful to use similes, particularly those that are well known. Alternatively, you may look for the closest similarity to what you are highlighting. Such usage makes your point easier to understand and absorb. In this hadith, the Prophet likens the relationship between prophets to that of siblings who have different mothers but the same father.

2. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the close relationship between him and Prophet Jesus by the facts that the essence of their religions is the same and that he was Jesus’ successor in the line of prophethood. It is important in matters that are not readily apparent that when a person is giving some order to children, students, employees, etc. that the reasons for so doing are explained. Thus, the recipient knows the purpose and is ready to comply.

3. When you realize that you belong to a nation and its history, remember that your history extends to all prophets. They are all the brothers of the Prophet you believe in and follow. Thus, you feel a warm relationship with them and you love them.

It is especially helpful to follow their guidance and study their history with your family and friends.

4. God’s oneness is the essential principle parents, advocates of Islam, teachers and those who carry out social projects should make their top priority. It is the central belief all prophets preached. Everyone should learn what faith entails, discuss its details, promote it and give examples of what is involved.

5. The close relationship between prophets, as they are siblings, is a particularly beautiful one. We should try to develop close relationships with our brethren in faith, particularly those of them who are closer to us, such as our relatives and colleagues. 

6. One useful approach of advocacy, particularly in the case of Christians, is to remind them of the brotherhood of prophets and that the closest person to Jesus is Muhammad (peace be upon them both). Both delivered clear and practical guidance given by God Almighty.