The Messenger as Conveyor of Revelation

Each Arabic line is a button. Press it to go through its words, then press a word for its meaning.

فَتَأَمَّلْ كَيْفَ إِضَافَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ بِلَفْظِ الْقَوْلِ،

So, consider how He, Glorified be He, attributed the word to the Messenger using 'say',

وَأَضَافَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ بِلَفْظِ الْكَلَامِ فِي قَوْلِهِ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ

and attributed it to His Own speech in His saying: 'Until he hears the words of Allah',

فَإِنَّ الرَّسُولَ يَقُولُ لِلْمُرْسَلِ إِلَيْهِ مَا أُمِرَ بِقَوْلِهِ

For the Messenger says to the one to whom he is sent what he was commanded to say,

فَيَقُولُ قُلْتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا

so he says: 'I said such and such',

وَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي أَنْ أَقُولَهُ

and I said to him what you commanded me to say to him,

كَمَا قَالَ الْمَسِيحُ مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ

as the Messiah said: 'I said nothing to them except what You commanded me with',

وَالْمُرْسِلُ يَقُولُ لِلرَّسُولِ قُلْ لَهُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا

and the one who sends says to the messenger: 'Say to them such and such',

كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى قُلْ لِعِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ

as He, Exalted be He, said: 'Say to My servants who have believed to establish prayer',

وَقُلْ لِعِبَادِي يَقُولُوا الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

'Say to My servants to speak that which is best',

قُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَغُضُّوا مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَنَظَائِرُهُ

'Say to the believers to lower their gaze', and similar passages.

فَإِذَا بَلَّغَ الرَّسُولُ ذَلِكَ صَحَّ أَنْ يُقَالَ قَالَ الرَّسُولُ كَذَا وَهَذَا قَوْلُ الرَّسُولِ

Therefore, when the Messenger conveyed this, it is correct to say: 'The Messenger said such', and this is the Messenger's word,

أَيْ قَالَهُ مُبَلِّغًا وَهَذَا قَوْلُهُ مُبَلِّغًا عَنْ مُرْسِلِهِ

meaning: he said it as a conveyer, and this is his word communicated from his Sender.

وَلَا يَجِيءُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ تَكَلَّمَ لَهُمْ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا

And it is not fitting in any of that to say: 'He spoke to them with such and such',

وَلَا تَكَلَّمَ الرَّسُولُ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا

Nor did the Messenger speak with such and such,

وَلَا أَنَّهُ بِكَلَامِ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ وَلَا فِي مَوْضِعٍ وَاحِدٍ

Nor is it with the words of a noble Messenger, nor in any single instance.

بَلْ قِيلَ لِلصِّدِّيقِ وَقَدْ تَلَا آيَةً هَذَا كَلَامُكَ وَكَلَامُ صَاحِبِكَ

Rather, it was said to the Truthful One as he recited a verse: 'Is this your word and the word of your companion?'

فَقَالَ لَيْسَ بِكَلَامِي وَلَا كَلَامِ صَاحِبِي هَذَا كَلَامُ اللَّهِ

He replied: 'It is neither my word nor the word of my companion; this is the word of Allah.'