al-Nubuwwa: Istifa wa Qudwa
- Author died
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- Editions
- al-Jāmi‘ah al-Islāmīyah bi-al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah
al-Nubuwwa: Istifa wa Qudwa (Prophethood: Divine Election and Exemplariness) is a treatise by the scholar and literature lecturer Ahmad Mukhtar al-Bazra (d. ca. 1410 AH / 1990 CE) that examines the theological concept of prophethood, divine selection, and the necessity of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as an enduring role model for humanity.
Background and Context
The work originated as the fourth lecture in the cultural program for the academic year 1389–1390 AH (1969–1970 CE) organized by the Islamic University of Madinah. Delivered at the headquarters of Dar al-Hadith before an assembly of scholars, pilgrims, and university students, it was subsequently published in the journal of the Islamic University.
The author framed the work as a response to the existential and moral crises confronting contemporary humanity. He argued that modern Western civilization, despite its remarkable scientific and technological achievements, has left humanity burdened by anxiety, despair, nuclear terror, and the loss of primordial spiritual purity (fitra). In this context, he posited that true rescue from materialism and tyranny requires a return to divine revelation and the living example of prophetic leadership preserved in Islamic tradition.
Structure and Themes
The work is organized around four core themes:
- The Era of the Prophetic Mission (ʿAsr al-biʿtha): Focuses on the precise divine timing of prophetic missions, highlighting the historical circumstances surrounding the year of the Prophet's birth—the Year of the Elephant. The author discusses Abraha's campaign, his construction of the church of al-Qullays in Yemen to divert the pilgrimage from Mecca, and his failed expedition against the Kaaba.
- The Selection of the Prophetic Person (Istifaʾ al-dhat al-nabawiyya): Elaborates on divine selection (istifaʾ), defining it as God's choosing of the elite of humanity to embody heavenly principles and divine values in concrete human action, rendering these values observable and reproducible.
- God's Preparation of the Messenger (Iʿdad Allah li-l-rasul): Analyzes the comprehensive divine preparation of the Prophet ﷺ across three dimensions: psychological and spiritual preparation, historical groundwork, and social preparation.
- The Necessity of the Role Model (Darurat al-qudwa): Asserts that spiritual and moral ideals remain theoretical unless attached to an actual human exemplar. The author highlights love for God and His Messenger, and prioritizing religious conviction over material gain, as essential conditions for true adherence to the prophetic pattern.
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