Quran Garden

Session 273

Chapter 2

Verse 253

a continuation

Those are the messengers - We preferred some above others. God spoke to some; others He raised many degrees in rank; We gave Jesus, son of Mary, Our clear signs and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. If God had so willed, their successors would not have fought each other after they had been brought clear signs. But they disagreed: some believed, and some disbelieved. If God had so willed, they would not have fought each other, but God does what He will. (Chapter 2: Verse 253)

Why did God send prophets and messenger? We answer that God granted humans free will; we are not subjugated like other creatures in the universe.  Animals lack intellect and follow instinct, while plants lack awareness and feelings.  At the bottom of the list are inanimate objects.  So Man has the highest rank among creation.  We are the masters, and other creations are subjected to our service.  The sun never complains and says: ‘I don’t like what humans are doing, so I will not shine on them today.’  The earth gives to whoever plows and sows.  Livestock follow our will and command. 

God, however, did not grant us freedom in all matters.  He kept many in His hand.  For example, you have no control over the day of your birth or the time of your death.  You cannot control accidents that may happen to you or diseases that strike your body.  You have no say on who your parents or relatives are and so on.  The matters that God left under your control are matters of belief and actions.  You can ponder and choose what to believe in, and you can ponder and choose what to do each day.   

Always keep in mind that these great privileges come with heavy responsibilities.  God proved that He could subjugate creation to His will, so they would have no choice but to obey His commands.  But, God does not want subjugation from you, He wants love.  Allah wants you to come to Him willingly.  Let’s explain this point with an example.  You can threaten a person with a gun and say: "obey all my commands," and he or she will do whatever you say.  But you cannot threaten him or her and say: “love me.” 

God gave you freedom of choice in faith and action, obedience and disobedience, so you would come to him willingly out of love.  He could have subjugated you in matters of faith, just like He subjugated you in matters of life and death.  If you prove your love for God through faith and righteous deeds, you would earn His protection and reward.  Even satan was aware of this fact as he stood before God.  Listen to his words as narrated in the Quran: 

He said, “I swear by Your Glory! I will tempt them all, Except Your servants among them, endowed with sincerity in faith and worship" (38:82-83)

Satan cannot approach those who are in God’s company.  From the verses above, you should also understand that satan is not in a battle with God, rather he is in a battle with us.  

Faith strikes a balance between fear of God’s anger and punishment on one hand and hope for His mercy and paradise on the other.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "If the believers knew the punishment which God has, none of them would have any hope of attaining His Garden.  And if the unbelievers knew the mercy which God has, none of them would despair of entering His Garden."

So if God wants you to come to Him out of love, then the highest level of faith demands that you love God for the sake of God alone.  You would love God because He deserves to be loved and worshiped not out of fear of His punishment, nor out of a desire for His paradise.  Faith is the work of the heart. 

Allah mentions His loyal servants in pride in front of the angels.  To which the angels reply: ‘O Lord they love you because of your favors and bounties upon them.’ The Almighty replies: Then I will take my bounties away, and they would still love me.’  

This brings us back to the original question:  Why did God send prophets and messenger?  You know in your heart and intellect that there must be a creator of this magnificent universe.  You know with your heart and intellect that you have a creator who made you.  But without a message from the creator, there is no way for you to know what his or her name is.  Was the universe created by a single force, or multiple? Without a message from the creator, there is no way to know the answer. 

More importantly, you know that there must be a purpose for your creation and a proper way to take care of your being.  Everything you buy today, from a simple bicycle to the most complicated computer has a user’s manual.  Each manufacturer includes a manual to show the purpose of the product and the proper way to care for it.  It is only logical that humans -the most sophisticated of creations- also come with a proper manual.  God is not going to talk to and teach each of us individually; rather He chooses a messenger to educate us about God and deliver His teachings.  He says:

God chooses messengers from among the angels and from among men. God is all hearing, all seeing: He knows what is before them and what lies behind them, and all matters return to God.  Believers, bow down, prostrate yourselves, worship your Lord, and do good so that you may succeed.  Strive hard for God as is His due: He has chosen you and placed no hardship in your religion, the faith of your forefather Abraham. God has called you Muslims––both in the past and in this message––so that the Messenger can bear witness about you and so that you can bear witness about other people.  Keep up the prayer, give the prescribed alms, and seek refuge in God: He is your protector––an excellent protector and an excellent helper. (22:75-78)

And in another verse:

Then after every Messenger, We made Our chosen servants heirs to the book.  However, among them are those who wrong their own selves, and among them are those who follow a moderate way, and among them are those who, by God’s leave, are foremost in doing good deeds. That is the great favor. (35:32)

  We, as believers, are the heirs of God’s book.  We are responsible for upholding the truth and reform in the universe.  Reform has two main categories: First, you can leave the good matters as they are without spoiling them; second, you can make an effort to increase the good for everyone.  Suppose, for example, that you come across a stream from which people drink.  This stream is a bounty from God that fulfills people’s needs.  You can leave it exactly as you found it.  Or you can approach it with the means and intellect God gave you, and divert a small channel to deliver fresh water to people’s homes in an environmentally friendly way.  You can further improve the condition of the people by installing a pump to help during droughts.  On the other hand, if you decide to dump industrial waste in the stream, then you have certainly shown ingratitude to God’s bounty and caused corruption. 

God’s teachings offer you a middle ground between excessive materialism and neglect of spiritual values on one side, and excessive spiritualism and dismissal of the physical needs and pleasures on the other.   God’s teachings that were delivered by His prophets and messengers show you the way to care for your body, soul, the people you love, and the environment you live in.