Al-Jaathiya (Crouching)

18. Then We have put you on a way of Commandment. So follow you that and follow not the desires of the ignorant.

God specifies the path of piety and whoever is responsible for guiding the people is supposed to be fully aware of the path. The Noble Prophet (S) was fully aware of the path. The word shari’a is applied to a waterway leading to a river, but in common usage it denotes the path of the prophets. Addressing his Prophet (S) in this blessed Verse, God Almighty says that He has placed him, rather than others, on the Divine Path.

Therefore, he is asked to turn away from the desires of the ignorant. The word amr may ad hoc be employed in the sense of Divine world rather than the world of creation and nature, meaning that your path is from the Divine world descended onto this world of nature.

All the prophets’ Divine Laws and Scriptures are descended from the supernatural world and they all embrace Divine Proofs, Wisdom, Teachings, and Laws; however, they differ largely in certain respects, one difference being the circumstances of the time. It is evident that the ancients did not differ much with animals; as a consequence of which the Commandments and Paths suited their understanding.

It may for be owing to this point that a number of prophets were superior to other prophets in rank. God Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an¹ that the prophets at any time were superior to others.

Since there are solely five Arch-prophets and the book of prophethood has been sealed by the Prophet of the Islamic faith (S) as the last one, it becomes evident that whatever attains to its final purpose comes to its end.

Therefore, owing to the highest station of the Prophet (S) and his sublime perfectness, and as a consequence of the perfectness and unchangeability of Divine Commands, the Divine Law suits any period of time.

Consequently, the Verse in question reminds us that the Prophet’s (S) Divine Law is mentioned following that of prophet Moses (as) and Allah addresses Prophet Muhammad reminding him that your revealed religion is from the Divine World and above any other religion and the Prophet (S) is supposed to follow the same religion and ignore the desires of the ignorant, since he is vested with revealed truths, traditions, and religion so firm in basis that it will remain to the Last Day.

The Islamic faith is such that had Moses and Jesus (as) been Prophet Muhammad’s (S) contemporaries, they would have obeyed the same Divine Law.