What is the Difference Between Allah's Method of Purification and The Prophet's?

[Bassam Zawadi]

Assalamu Alaykum

The Quran says in the following verses that the Prophet peace be upon him purifies...

Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur'an), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Qur'an) and Al-Hikmah [the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW (i.e. his legal ways, statements, acts of worship, etc.)], while before that they had been in manifest error. S. 3:164 Hilali-Khan

He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur'an, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad SAW). And verily, they had been before in manifest error; S. 62:2 Hilali-Khan



It also says that Allah purifies...

O ye who believe! follow not Satan's footsteps: if any will follow the footsteps of Satan, he will (but) command what is shameful and wrong: and were it not for the grace and mercy of God on you, not one of you would ever have been pure: but God doth purify whom He pleases: and God is One Who hears and knows (all things). S. 24:21 Y. Ali



So does Allah purify us by sending others (e.g. Prophets) to purify us? Or is there a difference in the way the Prophet and Allah would purify us?

is it correct to simply that it is Allah purifying us through his Prophet? Or is it correct to say that both of them are purifiers?


jazakum Allah khayr

[Ayman bin khaled]

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم و الصلاة و السلام على خير المرسلين

This is similar to the two verses:

Verse number 52 from Sura As-shu'ara :

{ And lo! thou verily dost guide unto a right path.}

and verse number 56 from Sura al-Qasas.

{Lo! thou (O Muhammad) guidest not whom thou lovest, but Allah guideth whom He will}

It is like saying to someone you provided me all my wealth. Yet, in fact, Allah is the one who is actually providing the wealth. ( smile)

So applying the same concept on the verses you have quoted we will come up with the same thought.

The meaning of all the verses together would be something like the following:

The prophet's messages purifiy us from the sins and Kufr but it is Allah the one who is really purifying us from all that. So the Prophets are the instruments that He ( subhanu) employed to get people purified if they follow the revelations and steps of the sent messengers and prophets.

So it would be as you said: Allah purifies us through the prophets if we follow them.

You can say that prophets purify us but it is not as the same context when you say that Allah purifies us. since the one who really purifies us is Allah

I hope it made sense ( smile) { i feel that i am repeating my sentences)

Wallahu A'lam