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Surah 7. Al-A'raf
Ayah 157 - 158
١٥٧. ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلْأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُۥ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِى ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَٱلْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَىٰهُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْخَبَـٰٓئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَٱلْأَغْلَـٰلَ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُۥٓ ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
١٥٨. قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ٱلنَّبِىِّ ٱلْأُمِّىِّ ٱلَّذِى يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ وَٱتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
[157-158] (So. now mercy has been assigned to those) who follow this Messenger, the Ummi Prophet112 whose mention they shall find in the Torah and the Gospel with them.113 He enjoins them to follow virtue and forbids them from evil: he makes pure things lawful for them and impure things unlawful.114 He relieves them of their burdens and frees there from the shackles that bound them.115 For this reason those alone who believe in him and support hire and succor him and follow the light that has been sent down with him, shall attain "success". O Muhammad, say, "O mankind, I am a Messenger to all of you from Allah to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and tire earth. There is no deity but He. He bestows life and ordains death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Ummi Prophet, who believes in Allah and His Commandments. Follow him: it is expected that you will be guided aright."
112After replying to the prayer of Moses in the previous verse, the Qur'an utilizes the opportunity to invite the Israelites to follow Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). It means: "The conditions that were laid down for Allah's mercy upon you during the time of Prophet Moses, still stand, and require you to believe in this Messenger. It was said to you that Allah's mercy is sent to those people who refrain from disobedience. Now, there is no greater disobedience than to reject the Guidance of the Messengers appointed by Allah. If you, therefore, do not refrain from this disobedience, you will have no other basis of virtue left in spite of your show of piety in the observance of minor and trifling religious rituals. You were enjoined to pay the Zakat so that you may be blessed with mercy. but today the only right way of expending the Zakat is to stake contributions towards the success of the campaign that is being carried on for the establishment of the Divine Way under the leadership of this Messenger, for the basic requirements of Zakat can only be fulfilled in this way. You were told that Allah has prescribed His Mercy for those who believe in His Revelations: therefore if you reject the Revelations that Allah is sending down to His Messenger, you will have failed to fulfil this last condition, even though you might go on asserting that you believe in the Revelations of the Torah."
Here the use of the word (ummi) for the Holy Prophet is very significant. This title was used to break the national pride and arrogance of the Jews, who called the non-Jews ummis (gentiles). In this respect, they were so arrogant that, as a nation, not to speak of acknowledging an ummi as their leader. they were not ready even to concede basic human rights to the gentiles. They asserted, "...... We are not to be called to account for our behavior towards the gentiles ...." (III: 75). That is why Allah has used the word ummi before "Prophet". as if to say. "Now your salvation solely depends on following this Ummi Prophet. If you follow him, you will receive a portion of My mercy. otherwise you are doomed to the same wrath to which you have been subjected during the centuries of your deviation."
113There are clear references in the Bible to the coming of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him). For instance, see Deut. 18: 15-19, Matthew 21: 33 4V. John I: 19-21. 14: 15-17, 25-30, 15: 25-26, 16: 7-15.
114That is, "He makes lawful those pure things which they have made unlawful. and stakes unlawful those impure things which they have made lawful."
115That is, "He relieves them of the burdens that had been laid on them by the legal hair-splittings of their jurists and by the exaggerated piety of their spiritual leaders, and by the superstitious restrictions and regulations imposed by their common people. Likewise this Messenger makes their lives free from the fetters with which they themselves had bound their lives"