After describing their outstanding moral and spiritual qualities, the Quran nevertheless asks the prophets to keep seeking istighfar/protection (from sins), for themselves and their followers too 47:19 and several prophets are quoted throughout the Quran asking for ghafr 30:24,35,71:28. God is described with the word "ghafur", steming from Gh-F-R meaning covering something. That covering can be for the purpose of hiding, or protecting, as well as both. The implication is that God provides a covering upon the person to hide the sins of the past in case there were any 5:65 all the while providing a protection from the potential sins of the future, by increasing the person's spirituality. It is up to the believer to maintain that covering of protection throughout his life. If he loses it, he is again exposed to moral and spiritual failure. His past sins will remain hidden/forgiven but the future ones will have to be rectified 14:10"He calls you to forgive for you OF your sins". This, as a side note, strikes at the notion of guaranteed salvation and forgiveness from sins -past and future- which is propounded by certain belief systems and more particularly Christianity.
The believers and prophets have always asked God to provide them with ghafr, the covering that hides and/or protects. It comes with merit as often repeated in the HB Ps23:1,85:3 but its implications far surpass in value the level of merit needed to obtain it. God only requires in exchange sincerity and resolve in walking aright.
Like in all languages, Arabic has synonyms that convey similar but nuanced meanings. For instance the word taqwa. It also is used in the sense of "protection", but always opposite a danger and always including the element of fear, because fear is an emotion that makes one aware of the consequences of being in a certain situation. The Quran refers to it as a spiritual garment making one fearful of being exposed both physically and spiritually 7:26. That nuance between ghafr and taqwa is obvious in
40:7"Forgive (faighfir), then, those who turn in Repentance, and follow Thy Path; and preserve them (waqihim) from the Penalty of the Blazing Fire"
The angels ask Allah to cover the sins of those that repent, with forgiveness, and to guard them from Hell. This is done by making them aware of the danger of that destination, with fear being the biggest dissuasive force. That precisely is why the word waqihim is used. The Quran explains in many places that Hell cannot be fathomable. The Quran only uses hints, through loan images derived from our worldly experiences, so that we may form an approximate picture of it. These hints are meant at making hell a threat and warning, that we might dread it
101:10,104:5,37:62-65,39:16,17:60"a trial for men..and We cause them to fear, but it only adds to their great inordinacy" 74:35-7"Surely it (hell) is one of the gravest (misfortunes), A warning to mortals, To him among you who wishes to go forward or remain behind". 54:4"And there has certainly come to them information that in which there is deterrence".
Many aspects describing hell are said to be a trial and warning. The threat of hellfire, its graphic description throughout the book is actually a mercy from God, akin to those educational programs where inmates are encouraged to speak about the awful places in which they dwell, in order to reform potential criminals or discourage people from making the choices that would lead them there. It is like a shock therapy meant at breaking stubbornness and unreasonable denial. Once that is achieved and that the warning is heeded, most will consider honestly listening to the message and ponder upon it
Going back to the issue of prophets seeking the ghafr from Allah, this way the Quran teaches an important lesson; when the foremost among God's servants are denied any sense of complacency, then how far should regular believers be from harboring a feeling of perfect righteousness or prideful accomplishment in front of God
53:32"therefore do not attribute purity to your souls; He knows him best who guards (against evil)".
The believer should keep in mind that only God is perfection and as a demonstration of his understanding of such concept, should constantly seek God's forgiveness for any shortcoming as well as protection for future potential flaws and blemishes. This concept is pervasive throughout the Quran, starting with the single most repeated sura, sura fatiha.
This type of spiritual humility is requested even from those that perform the most commendable deeds of the religion, so that they never fall into arrogance and self-righteousness 73:1-20. It was under this state of mind that the prophet implored his Lord for ghafr in this world, just as he will do in the hereafter 66:8.
Some reports say he used to implore Allah for protection one hundred times every day, as he was commanded by the Quran itself. And he used to do so even after 48:2 was revealed telling him his past, present and future sins are forgiven. He did so out of humility and to set the standard of modesty in face of divine perfection
"The Prophet used to offer night prayers till his feet became swollen. Somebody said, to him," "Allah has forgiven you, your faults of the past and those to follow." On that, he said, "Shouldn't I be a thankful slave of Allah?"
No human, no matter how close to Allah in terms of revelational experience, will ever be faultless. This verse 48:2 does not say what type of sin, intentional or not, major or minor, was committed by the prophet. Dhanb, etymologically means an action that results in harm. This can be a sin, or otherwise, intentional or not. For instance Moses spoke of his inadvertent killing of a man as dhanb 26:14. No indication of major sins, let alone intentional, are found concerning the prophet, anywhere in the hadith corpus or the Quran. Yet we find the Quran reproaching him even the slightest unfitting action for a man of his standing, actions which none would find problematic.
This is the etiquette that Islam has taught to man. No matter how selflessly one might have exerted himself to please the Creator, one should never entertain the thought that he has fulfilled the right his Lord had on him wholly, the Sustainer who maintains him and the universe at each instant. Rather he should always think that he has not been able to fulfill what was required of him. This reveals an important point, something the prophets have always been aware of as seen in their constant prayers for forgiveness and protection, the inherent imperfection of humans, their shortcomings in the face of divine perfection. One should therefore never feel self-righteous or self-sufficient in any endeavour. The prophet said
"All the sons of Adam make mistakes/khatta'in, but the best of those who commit mistakes are those who are given to repentance".
When a prophet of God, the last human capable of willfully sinning, asks for God's mercy not even following a sin, but out of fear of not performing an act of worship to its full extent, then how much more so should the regular believer be conscious of his shortcomings in regards to God?
The prophet, and the Muslims through him, is told to do the following, after seeing the unfolding of the prophecy of entire victory
110:3"Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness; surely He is oft-returning (to mercy)".
In addition to teaching man spiritual humbleness, this also conveys the idea that should one attain some victory, it should not lead to pride and vanity, but to remembrance of God and gratitude, as well as seeking ghafr/covering, protection from sins. Even if the prophecy proved true in the days of Muhammad, and even more so today as Islam is still spreading worldwide, a believer shouldnt be boastful about it as many Muslims usually are when speaking of the spread and success of their religion.
This is the characteristic of the men of God, who never become complacent and arrogant, whether in their duties towards fellow men or towards God, especially so when they reach the climax of their power and glory and that before that point they were constant and steadfast upon the straight path regardless of their ordeals. Success instead causes them increase in spirituality and far sightedness in their dealings with men and their duties towards God. Among God's prophets those that exemplify the most such a pattern are the prophets Muhammad and Yusuf
12:100-1"And he raised his parents upon the throne and they fell down in prostration before him, and he said: O my father! this is the significance of my vision of old; my Lord has indeed made it to be true; and He was indeed kind to me when He brought me forth from the prison and brought you from the desert after the Shaitan had sown dissensions between me and my brothers, surely my Lord is benignant to whom He pleases; surely He is the Knowing, the Wise. My Lord! Thou hast given me of the kingdom and taught me of the interpretation of sayings: Originator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my guardian in this world and the hereafter; make me die a muslim and join me with the good".
Follow up on Sam Shamoun's article and his comments about the prophet cursing people;
Throughout their missions, the prophets, including the prophet Muhammad as shown throughout the book, felt the emotions of anger, mercy, apprehension, sorrow but Allah, by keeping a continuous relationship with them, revealing His word progressively during their prophetic career, comforted them with peace 37:181 increased their supreme character, spiritual awareness, protected them and the revelation from deviation and transgression.
As a human being and in matters unrelated to the religion, the prophet Muhammad, aware of his outstanding daily responsibilities, the constant pressures of his prophetic mission, he knew he could sometimes misjudge a situation. He could even
"lose my temper just as a human being loses temper".
The prophet was so aware of this potentiality, of which we have very few examples in the ahadith, that he prayed God that should he ever unjustly abuse someone, to instantly turn that abuse into blessing. That is how pure his inner intentions have always been to his people and completely removed from willfully causing unjust harm
"so for any person from amongst my Ummah whom I curse and he in no way deserves it, let that, O Lord, be made a source of purification and purity and nearness to (Allah) on the Day of Resurrection".
This comes in the context of an incident when the prophet saw an orphan whom he had not seen for a while, all grown up in stature. He was impressed and uttered
"may you not advance in years!".
This is a very common mode of expression in Arabic, to express surprise as is amply found even in the ahadith. In another context the prophet, after enumerating a number of essential things of the religion, held his tongue and said
"“Restrain this.” I asked, “Prophet of God, shall we really be punished for what we talk about?” He replied, “I am surprised at you, Mu'adh! Will anything but the harvests of their tongues overthrow men in hell on their faces".
What is translated "I am surprised at you" literally says "may your mother be deprived of you".
At no point does he invoke Allah or His curse/laanat in that hadith with the young girl. Nowhere do we see a pattern of such abusive behavior by the prophet, who was the first in caring, as well as urging others to care for the weak in society, especially the orphans. In doing so he embodied the teachings of the Quran in relation to orphans. So when he was later told the child was upset by his remark, he smiled. If he meant it as a curse, he would have justified himself instead. But he does not. He went on explaining, so as to comfort the child, that even if he would invoke God's curse on somebody that doesnt deserve it, then it would, by God's will turn to a blessing for the person. It is interesting that this hadith has been picked up by Christians in an attempt to demonize the prophet, while their own books portray Jesus as refusing to cure a desperate child, in addition comparing her and her mother to lowly animals. Jesus in his lifetime repeatedly distanced himself from non-Jews, by allegorically comparing them to animals who cannot be fed before a human is fed, and who were traditionally kept "outside" the house Matt15:22-28,Mk7:27. Those "humans" being only the children of Israel to who Jesus was sent Matt15:24, and not the others alluded to as animals in the allegory.
In a situation opposite to that of the grown up child, a toddler was brought before him
"The Prophet was given some clothes including a black Khamisa. The Prophet said, "To whom shall we give this to wear?" The people kept silent whereupon the Prophet said, "Fetch Um Khalid for me." I (Um Khalid) was brought carried (as I was small girl at that time). The Prophet took the Khamisa in his hands and made me wear it and said, "May you live so long that your dress will wear out and you will mend it many times." On the Khamisa there were some green or pale designs (The Prophet saw these designs) and said, "O Um Khalid! This is Sanah." (Sanah in a Ethiopian word meaning beautiful)".
The morality of the prophets was thus always in check. They are mukhlasin "purified ones" 38:45-48, protected from all perspectives 72:26-28,22:52-54, guided by Allah 6:84-90,39:36-37,18:17 and no such person can be led astray by any misleading agency. After being chosen and guided the prophets are bestowed with favors from Allah. The Quran praises them for their highest degree of obedience and humility before Allah and draws a clear line of separation between them as a praiseworthy group deserving to be honored by Allah and those who follow their low desires and go astray 19:58-59,4:69,1:5-7. Going astray is equal to committing sins by following the ways of satan instead of the path of Allah 36:60-62 and since the prophets never went astray by Allah's guidance, and never will through Allah's favor, it means they have never sinned.
Prophets never went astray in their communication, implementation of the divine will. That is why Allah has unconditionally ordered the believers to obey and fully trust their prophet 3:31-32,4:80,24:52 and this requires tremendous responsibility hence the necessity of moral infallibility. The divine protection, termed 'ismah in Islamic terminology, is not in contradiction with the prophets' freewill. God has increased their spiritual awareness to such a degree that they distinguish good and evil much easier than an average person. But they are not compelled in their choices 45:18,39:65-66,2:120,20:16.
It is in this sense that Prophets hold a general degree of superiority over all human beings
6:86"..and every one We made to excel (in) the worlds"
and it is only in this sense that they deserve the people's reverence.
"It seems highly probable that, if there is a God, there will be some such communication of God’s nature and purpose. There will be revelation, or a finite communication of divine truth through a medium of great beauty, wisdom, moral insight and spiritual power. It may be a text or a person, or a text communicated through a person who has an especially close relationship to God. Again, we have to judge as well as we can whether a person has such a close relationship to God. We will examine their lives for moral heroism, inspired wisdom, spiritual peace and joy, a sense of union with the supreme Spirit, and liberation from self. But it is reasonable to think that some humans will have an especially close and intense knowledge and love of God, or that God will take some human lives and unite them closely to the divine in knowledge and love. They will become the channels of divine revelation of what God is and of what God desires and for the world." (Keith Ward – Professor Oxford).
