Introduction: Understanding the Different Roles of Muhammad and Rashad

A troubling claim has emerged among some who identify as “Quran-only” believers: the assertion that ALL messengers, including Rashad Khalifa, are forbidden from explaining the Quran, and that only God can explain His scripture. This position, advocated by individuals like Berk and Mehmet in Turkish Submitter circles, sounds pious on the surface but collapses under careful Quranic examination. They conflate Muhammad’s specific restrictions with Rashad’s distinct mandate.

The truth requires precision: Muhammad WAS forbidden from explaining the Quran (75:19), while Rashad was specifically SENT to explain (5:19). These are not contradictory – they are different roles for different messengers with different missions. Muhammad delivered the scripture; Rashad explained it. Understanding this distinction is crucial for properly following both messengers without making errors in either direction.

Part 1: Muhammad’s Restriction – Forbidden from Explanation

75:16-19 – The Clear Prohibition for Muhammad

The Quran explicitly forbids Muhammad from explaining the scripture. This is not interpretation but a direct divine command preserved in Sura 75:

[75:16] “Do not move your tongue to hasten it.”

[75:17] “It is we who will collect it into Quran.”

[75:18] “Once we recite it, you shall follow such a Quran.”

[75:19] “Then it is we who will explain it.”

Verse 75:19 is unambiguous: “IT IS WE who will explain it.” Muhammad was explicitly told that the explanation belongs to God alone. His role was to receive and deliver – not to add his own explanations or teachings. This restriction was absolute and divinely enforced.

69:44-47 – The Severe Warning Against Other Teachings

God reinforced this restriction with a severe warning in Sura 69:

[69:44] “Had he uttered any other teachings.”

[69:45] “We would have punished him.”

[69:46] “We would have stopped the revelations to him.”

[69:47] “None of you could have helped him.”

This is extraordinarily clear: Muhammad was forbidden from uttering ANY teachings beyond the Quran itself. Had he attempted to explain, interpret, or add to the revelation, God would have cut off the revelation entirely. This explains why the fabricated hadith collections contradict the Quran – Muhammad never said those things. He was strictly limited to delivering exactly what was revealed, nothing more.

16:44 – Proclaim, Not Explain

Some cite 16:44 to argue that Muhammad was commanded to “explain” the Quran:

[16:44] “We provided them with the proofs and the scriptures. And we sent down to you this message, to proclaim for the people everything that is sent down to them, perhaps they will reflect.”

Notice the precise wording: “to PROCLAIM for the people.” The Arabic “tubayyina” in this context means to make clear by DELIVERING, to PROCLAIM, to ANNOUNCE. Muhammad’s role was to faithfully transmit the message – not to add his own explanations. He could explain simple contextual matters within the Quran itself (such as pointing to what a verse references), but he was forbidden from expanding beyond the text or providing additional teachings (69:44-46).

The distinction is vital: proclaiming/delivering is different from explaining/interpreting. A news anchor delivers the news; an analyst explains it. Muhammad was the anchor, not the analyst.

Part 2: Rashad’s Mandate – Sent Specifically to Explain

5:19 – The Covenant Messenger’s Unique Role

In stark contrast to Muhammad’s restrictions, God explicitly states that the Messenger of the Covenant was sent TO EXPLAIN:

[5:19] “O people of the scripture, our messenger has come to you, to explain things to you, after a period of time without messengers, lest you say, ‘We did not receive any preacher or warner.’ A preacher and warner has now come to you. God is Omnipotent.”

The footnote confirms this refers to Rashad Khalifa: “This verse reports the fulfillment of the biblical and Quranic prophecy regarding the advent of God’s Messenger of the Covenant (Malachi 3:1, Quran 3:81). The name of this messenger is mathematically coded into the Quran as ‘Rashad Khalifa.’ By adding the gematrical value of ‘Rashad’ (505), plus the value of ‘Khalifa’ (725), plus the sura number (5), plus the verse number (19), we obtain 505+725+5+19 = 1254, or 19×66.”

The Arabic phrase “yubayyinu lakum” means specifically “to EXPLAIN to you.” This is Rashad’s designated mission – not merely to deliver, but to EXPLAIN. Different messenger, different role, different mandate.

Why the Different Roles?

The wisdom behind these different mandates becomes clear when we consider what needed to be explained:

Muhammad’s era: The Quran was being revealed. Muhammad’s job was to receive it faithfully and deliver it exactly as given. Any addition or explanation from him could have been confused with revelation itself. This is precisely what happened with fabricated hadith – people falsely attributed words to Muhammad, corrupting the pure message. God’s restriction (75:19, 69:44-46) protected the purity of the revelation.

Rashad’s era: The Quran was complete and preserved. Rashad’s job was to EXPLAIN what had been sealed – including the mathematical miracle of Code 19 (74:30-31), which could not have been discovered in Muhammad’s time. Base number systems as we know them today did not exist in 7th century Arabia. The mathematical proof required computers, modern mathematics, and 1400 years of preserved text.

Consider: How could Muhammad have explained Code 19? The concept of positional number systems, statistical analysis, and computational verification did not exist. God designed the explanation to come through a later messenger who could use modern tools to verify the ancient miracle.

Part 3: The Logical Necessity of Rashad’s Explanatory Role

Code 19 Requires Modern Explanation

The mathematical miracle of the Quran, based on the number 19, is one of the primary proofs of divine authorship. But this proof requires:

• Understanding of base-10 number systems
• Ability to count letters, words, verses systematically
• Computational power to verify large calculations
• Statistical knowledge to understand probability
• 1400 years of accumulated Quranic copies to establish textual preservation

NONE of these existed in Muhammad’s time. The explanation HAD to come later. 74:30-31 prophesied this: “Over it is nineteen. We appointed angels to be guardians of Hell, and we assigned their number (19) to disturb the disbelievers, to ## the people of the scripture, to strengthen the faith of the faithful…”

Rashad Khalifa discovered and explained this mathematical structure. This was not adding to the Quran – it was EXPLAINING what was already there but hidden until the proper time. His role was specifically to clarify (5:19), not to deliver new scripture.

Purification Through Explanation

Muhammad purified the religion by delivering the uncorrupted scripture. Rashad purified the religion by explaining away the corruptions that had accumulated over centuries:

• The false shahada adding Muhammad’s name
• The false two verses at the end of Sura 9
• The corrupted religious practices
• The fabricated hadith and sunna
• The sectarian divisions

This purification required EXPLANATION – showing WHY these were corruptions and HOW the Quran alone provides the truth. Muhammad could not have done this because his role was delivery, and the corruptions came AFTER him.

Part 4: Obeying Both Messengers Correctly

What Obeying Muhammad Means

When the Quran commands obeying the messenger, for Muhammad this means: follow the Quran he delivered. Since he was forbidden from adding teachings (69:44-46), the ONLY way to obey him is through the Quran itself. The fabricated hadith collections are not obedience to Muhammad – they are disobedience, attributing to him what he never said.

[4:80] “Whoever obeys the messenger is obeying God. As for those who turn away, we did not send you as their guardian.”

Obeying Muhammad = following the Quran he delivered, nothing else.

What Obeying Rashad Means

For Rashad, obedience includes accepting his EXPLANATIONS of the Quran – because explanation was his specific mandate (5:19). His appendices, his translation footnotes, his clarifications of practices – these are part of his authorized mission.

When Rashad explains that 9:107-108 prohibits praying in masjids run by hypocrites, this is his authorized explanation of the verse. When he explains the mathematical structure proving divine authorship, this is fulfilling 74:30-31. When he clarifies the correct shahada, he is purifying what was corrupted.

Rejecting Rashad’s explanations while claiming to follow the Quran is like accepting Muhammad delivered a book but refusing to read it. The explanation IS the purpose for which he was sent.

[3:81] “God took a covenant from the prophets, saying, ‘I will give you the scripture and wisdom. Afterwards, a messenger will come to confirm all existing scriptures. You shall believe in him and support him.’ He said, ‘Do you agree with this, and pledge to fulfill this covenant?’ They said, ‘We agree.’ He said, ‘You have thus borne witness, and I am bringing this witness with you.’”

All prophets pledged to support the Messenger of the Covenant. This messenger – Rashad – came to CONFIRM and EXPLAIN what they delivered. Rejecting his explanations violates the covenant God took from all prophets.

Part 5: The Error of the Quranists

Conflating Two Different Mandates

The fundamental error of Berk, Mehmet, and others is conflating Muhammad’s restrictions with Rashad’s mandate. They correctly note that 75:19 says “WE will explain it” – but they wrongly apply this as a universal principle that NO messenger can explain.

The Quran distinguishes between messengers’ roles:

• Muhammad: “Had he uttered any other teachings, We would have punished him” (69:44-45) – FORBIDDEN from explaining
• Rashad: “Our messenger has come to you, to explain things to you” (5:19) – COMMANDED to explain

These are not contradictory. They are different assignments for different messengers at different times with different purposes.

The Self-Refuting Nature of Their Position

Those who claim NO messenger can explain are themselves explaining Quranic verses. Berk explains what he thinks 75:19 means. Mehmet interprets 16:44. By what authority? If only God can explain, their explanations are equally unauthorized.

The truth is: unauthorized individuals cannot explain with divine authority, but AUTHORIZED messengers can and must. Rashad was authorized (5:19, 3:81). His explanations carry the weight of his messenger status. Random individuals’ interpretations do not.

The Practical Absurdity

If Rashad cannot explain, then:

• Who explains Code 19? Did it explain itself?
• Who identified the two false verses in Sura 9? The corrupted text?
• Who clarified the correct shahada? The people who corrupted it?
• Who explained prayer times, zakat calculations, pilgrimage rites? No one?

The Quranist position leads to absurdity. Without messenger explanation, we would have the Quran but no understanding of how to practice it. God’s wisdom is evident: He sends messengers to explain what needs explaining. Muhammad delivered; Rashad explained.

Part 6: Unity Through Correct Understanding

Avoiding Both Extremes

Two errors must be avoided:

Error 1 (Sunni): Claiming Muhammad provided explanations beyond the Quran, then following fabricated hadith attributed to him. This violates 69:44-46 – Muhammad was FORBIDDEN from other teachings.

Error 2 (Quranist): Claiming no messenger can explain, then rejecting Rashad’s authorized explanations. This violates 5:19 – Rashad was SENT to explain.

The correct position: Muhammad delivered the Quran faithfully without addition. Rashad explained the Quran authoritatively as his mission. Both messengers are obeyed by following what each was assigned to provide.

[3:103] “You shall hold fast to the rope of God, all of you, and do not be divided. Recall God’s blessings upon you – you used to be enemies and He reconciled your hearts. By His grace, you became brethren.”

Division comes from misunderstanding the distinct roles of messengers. Unity comes from accepting each messenger’s unique mandate. Muhammad delivered; Rashad explained. Together, we have both the text and its authorized understanding.

Conclusion: Accepting Each Messenger’s Role

The claim that Rashad Khalifa was forbidden from explaining the Quran fails under Quranic examination. While Muhammad was indeed restricted from explanation (75:19) and forbidden from other teachings (69:44-46), Rashad was specifically sent TO EXPLAIN (5:19).

This is not contradiction but divine wisdom. The scripture needed to be delivered pure, without human addition – Muhammad’s role. The scripture needed to be explained in the modern era, with mathematical proof and clarification – Rashad’s role.

Those who reject Rashad’s explanations are not protecting the Quran; they are rejecting what 5:19 explicitly mandates. Those who follow his explanations are not committing idolatry; they are accepting God’s designated explainer of His scripture.

The path forward is clear: Accept the Quran Muhammad delivered. Accept the explanations Rashad provided. This is not following two sources – it is following ONE source (the Quran) as properly delivered and explained by God’s authorized messengers.

[2:285] “The messenger has believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and so did the believers. They believe in God, His angels, His scripture, and His messengers: ‘We make no distinction among any of His messengers.’ They say, ‘We hear, and we obey.’”

We hear Muhammad’s delivery. We hear Rashad’s explanation. And we obey both, as God commanded.