Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
Rather He sent a Messenger to us.4
[4]: Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzan’s Explanation
Since it is the case that we may not carry out worship based upon what we think is good nor upon taqleed (blindly following) so-and-so and so-and-so from the people, then therefore Allaah sent to us Messengers to make clear to us how we are to worship him, because acts of worship are tawqeefiyyah (dependent upon text) it is not permissible that Allaah be worshipped except with that which He has legislated.
So acts of worship are tawqeefiyyah – restricted to text, to that which the Messengers ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam came with. So the wisdom behind sending the Messengers is that they should make clear to the people how they are to worship their Lord, and for them to forbid them from shirk (association of others along with Allaah) and from kufr (disbelief) in Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. This is the duty of the Messengers ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam. And therefore he ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam said:
من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
“Whoever does an action which our affair is not in accordance with, then it will be rejected”.[1]
So worship is tawqeefiyyah (dependent upon text), and bid‘a (innovations) are rejected, and baseless superstitions and ideas are rejected and blind following is rejected. Acts of worship are not taken except from the sharee‘ah (revealed law) which the Messenger sallallaahu alaihi wa sallaam came with.
His saying, “Rather He sent to us a Messenger”: he is Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallaam the seal, the last one of the Prophets. He sent him to make clear to us why we were created, and to make clear to us how we are to worship Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and to forbid us from shirk and kufr (unbelief) and from sins. This was the duty of the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallaam, and he clearly conveyed the message and he fulfilled the trust which was given to him, and he gave sincere advice to the nation ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam, and he explained fully and made clear, and he left us upon a clear white ground, its night is just the same as its day, no-one deviates away from it except one who is destroyed, and this is just as is in His saying, He the Most High:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا
This day have I completed your religion for you and perfected my favour upon you and are pleased for you with Islaam as your religion. [5:3]
Footnotes:
[1] Its checking has preceded. (Mentioned by al-Bukhaaree in disconnected form as hadeeth 7350 in the Book of clinging to the Book and the Sunnah Chapter 20. And the Hadeeth is reported by Muslim with a fully connected chain as a hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah radiyallaahu ‘anhaa.)