Quran Garden

Session 413

Chapter 3

Verse 84

Say, "We believe in God and in what has been sent down to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes.  We believe in what has been given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord.  We do not make a distinction between any of the prophets.  It is to God that we devote ourselves." (Chapter 3: Verse 84)

When you take a deeper look into this verse, you find that God combines the Messenger, the believers, and the heavenly message and speaks to them as a single unit of faith.  The verse starts with the command "say," which addresses one person: our beloved Muhammad.  It then continues with the phrase "we believe," which includes both the Prophet and all Muslims.  This highlights the harmony between the messenger and the nation that believes in him.  Allah used this mixed address to clarify that Muhammad was not appointed king above his nation, but he came to deliver the message and serve his people.  He, peace be upon him, will also intercede for the forgiveness of his nation on the Day of Judgment.  God says:

A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves.  Your suffering distresses him: he is deeply concerned for you and full of kindness and mercy towards the believers. (9:128)

Thus, the phrase "Say, 'We believe'" perfectly embodies the unity and love between Muhammad and all Muslims.  Grammatically, the verse would be more appropriate to state, "Say, I believe,'" but God chose the perfect words to reflect that Muhammad is one with his nation.  When the command "say" comes to Muhammad, we all implement it as one people.  This unity also signaled the Prophet's enemies that they would be up against fierce loyalty and resistance if they tried to harm him.  God says:

When God's help comes and victory, when you see people embracing God's faith in crowds, then glorify your Lord with His praise, and ask Him for forgiveness, for He surely is One Who returns repentance with vast forgiveness and reward. (110:1-3)

Now we look into the phrase, "We believe in God and in what has been sent down to us." More specifically, we should consider its variations in the Quran.  Listen to the following verses.  God says:

Those who believe in the revelation sent down to you, and in what was sent before you, those who have firm faith in the Hereafter. (2:4)

And in another verse:

And We have not sent down the Book on you except that you may explain to them all on which they differ, and as guidance and mercy for people who will believe and who have already believed. (16:64)

Take note that the phrase "sent down" is sometimes followed by the preposition "to," while at times, it is followed by "on."  Some scholars explained that, when the verse specifically addresses Muhammad, Allah uses the phrase "sent down on you," while "sent down to you" addresses the Muslims.  We answer that such interpretation separates Muhammad from his nation, but this is not the case.  Muhammad and his nation are one.  Moreover, when you examine the Quran, you will find that God used both phrases "sent down on you" and "sent down to you" interchangeably when addressing our beloved Muhammad or his nation.  Listen to the following two examples.  God says:

And, when they listen to what has been sent down on the Messenger, you will see their eyes over?owing with tears because they recognize the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we believe, so count us amongst the witnesses." (5:83)

And in another chapter:

As He has already revealed on you believers in the scripture, if you hear people denying and ridiculing God's revelation, do not sit with them unless they start to talk of other things, or else you yourselves will become like them: God will gather all the hypocrites and disbelievers together into Hell. (4:140)

Whether the Prophet or the believers are being addressed, the phrase "sent down on you" means that the scriptures came from above.  The Quran should be exalted above all manmade systems of governance because it descended from the Lord.  On the other hand, the phrase "sent down the Book to you" conveys that the message of Islam is meant for the benefit of all humanity.  God's teachings do not benefit Him in any way; they are for our advantage. 

We had given examples before of how God's teachings should not be viewed as a constraint on your freedom but as protection of your rights.  God commands you not to steal from others, yet, at the same time, He commanded millions of people not to steal from you.  Hence, Allah did not restrict your actions but protected your wealth. 

             This brings us back to the verse.  God says, "Say, 'We believe in God and in what has been sent down to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes.  We believe in what has been given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We do not make a distinction between any of the prophets.  It is to God that we devote ourselves.'" (Chapter 3: Verse 84) This verse clarifies that Muhammad, peace be upon him, came to restore the previous heavenly messages and build on their foundation.  Islam has within its folds the creed of all divine messages and the unadulterated stories of previous nations. 

In verse 81 of Al-Imran, Allah took a covenant from the previous nations and prophets to support future messengers and believe in them.  More specifically, Allah provided Muhammad's description and glad tidings.    Likewise, in the verse under study, Allah instructed the Muslims to believe in the earlier messengers and recognize the shared creed among faiths.  Now the circle is complete! God says in the third verse of chapter 5:

This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and am pleased to assign Islam as the religion for you.

The reins of all heavenly messages ended with our beloved Muhammad.  God took a covenant from others to believe in him and took a covenant from Muhammad to believe in those before of him.  Islam is the final message and the summit of heavenly revelations to humanity. 

Allah ended the verse with, "It is to God that we devote ourselves."  In other words, there is nothing that gives the followers of previous heavenly religions enduring power or an excuse to be zealots against new revelations; instead, the whole matter begins with God and ends with God.  By submitting your will to God in Islam, you choose to be in harmony with yourself and all the creations around you, from the animals to the plants and inanimate objects.  In this way, we all share in our humbleness before the Creator.  And as long as we move in the same direction, there will be no conflict or room for opposing whims. 

Let's look at how matters function when they are subjugated to God compared to matters under our control.  Have we ever heard that two horses collided with each other? That never happens.  But car accidents are an everyday event.  That is because cars are driven by humans who ignore traffic laws or are often distracted.  We use traffic laws, traffic signs, and lane markers to regulate our movement.  Do we expect any less from God Almighty?  He has put a system in place to regulate all activity in the universe.  Everything is in the hand of the Supreme Protector.  He says:

Allah: there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Ever-Watchful. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. All that is in the heavens and in the earth belongs to Him. (from Ayat-ul-Kursi)

Moreover, Allah sent you messengers to deliver His teachings.  If you choose to, you can follow His religion to regulate your movement in life and be in harmony with the universe.  Can you find a better system out there?  He asks:

Do they seek a religion other than God's, while to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and on the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?! (3:83)

Nowadays, we see the world making remarkable advances in science and technology.  Each one of us holds the world in his or her pocket via a smartphone.  We have been to the moon and reached the outer limits of the solar system.  But has the world become peaceful? Are we freer and less stressed? Quite the opposite.  The scientists have exhausted themselves inventing new products to bring everyone comfort, but it seems we have less time to enjoy life.  Why? Because we manage our worldly affairs based on greed for money and power.  Every nation, corporation, and group follows its own desire to dominate others.  This creates endless conflicts.  Many people escape their reality through drugs and other addictions. 

We have put our reins in the hands of our whims and are not the faithful hand of God.  He says:

Have you seen him who has taken his desire to be his god and whom Allah has led astray knowingly, and set a seal upon his hearing and his heart, and put a blindfold on his sight? So who will guide him after Allah? Will you not then take heed? (45:23)

Allah sent us heavenly guidance with our sole interest as a goal.  Once we all share the path of "It is to God that we devote ourselves," the world will find peace.