Quran Garden

Session 408

Chapter 3

Verse 81

God took a pledge from the prophets, saying, "If, after I have bestowed scripture and wisdom upon you, a messenger comes confirming what you have been given, you must believe in him and support him. Do you affirm this and accept My pledge as binding on you?" They said, "We do." He said, "Then bear witness, and I too will bear witness." (Chapter 3: Verse 81)

In the previous session, we explained how Allah created us with all His attributes of perfection.  Our life did not add anything to Him, nor can we benefit Him in any way.  He says:

I want no provision from them, nor do I want them to feed Me.  Surely, it is God Who is the Great Sustainer, the Lord of immense power, the Almighty. (51:57-58)

Hence, when Allah sends us a heavenly message, He does it for our benefit, not His.  Sadly, many people look at God's teachings as a constraint on their personal freedom.  A young man may think, "I would like to drink alcohol in moderation and have a girlfriend.  I am not hurting anyone." We answer that such thoughts are misguided.  God's teachings protect your freedoms and all those around you.  For example, God commands you not to steal from others.  If you like something that does not belong to you, such as a nice piece of jewelry, you cannot just take it.  Yet, at the same time, God commanded millions of people not to steal from you.  Hence, Allah did not restrict your actions; rather, He protected your wealth.  He instructed you as an individual not to steal and, at the same time, instructed millions of people not to steal from you.  Who is the true winner in this case? No doubt, it is you!

Similarly, Allah prohibited you from sexual relations with the opposite sex outside of marriage; that surely limits your freedom, right?  Not exactly, because God's law is not just for you.  Allah commanded every believer on earth to lower their gaze and not to stare at your wife, sister, and mother.  Doesn't that give you comfort and peace of mind?  In exchange for guarding your two eyes, Allah protected your family from the sin of millions of eyes. 

These are just two examples of how God's teachings bring balance and comfort to your life.  Allah, the All-Merciful, sent messengers armed with scriptures to benefit all human beings from the time of Adam till the message of Islam.  Since the source of all heavenly messages is God Almighty, and since their common purpose is the protection and betterment of humankind, why do we have so many disagreements and wars? Where did all the conflicts between religions and even within every religion come from?  We answer that God's messengers are absolved from contradiction.  It is not possible for one messenger of God to contradict and fight another.  Conflicts are manufactured by some of their followers who chase after worldly power and wealth. 

When Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, brought us Christianity, some rabbis objected.  Why? Because their worldly authority was at stake.  Had such rabbis been true to their faith, they would have welcomed the messenger of God with appreciation and said to him, "Help us deepen our understanding of God's teachings." 

Conflicts only happen when people put their whims above God's teachings.  The procession of heavenly messages since the creation of man is a collaborative one, not a contradictive one.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "My place in comparison with the other prophets before me is that of a man who built a house nicely and beautifully, except for one missing corner brick.  People would tour the house and marvel at its beauty but say, 'When will this brick be put in its place?' I am that brick, and I am the final messenger."

At times, the fiercest enemies of God's messengers are those who claim to follow previous religions.  When a messenger is sent to ignorant people, matters are easy because all the messenger needs to do is educate them about the One God.  However, when a messenger faces corrupt clergy of previous religions, they act as zealots against the new faith because it threatens their authority.  God says:

Have you considered those who were given a share of the scripture? When they are asked to accept judgment from God's Scripture, some of them turn their backs and walk away, all because they declare, "The Fire shall not touch us, except for a few days," and so the lies they forged in their religion have deluded them. (3:23-24)

Since the beginning of time, the procession of heavenly prophets and messengers continued to protect it from deviation.  Allah chose the nation of Muhammad to carry the trust of the divine message till the end of time.  No messenger will come after Muhammad because God guaranteed the subsistence of good within his nation.  Thus, if you see people transgressing in disbelief, then rest assured that there are believers whom Allah has supported to restore balance.  God says:

Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and urge the right, and forbid the wrong.  They are the ones who have success. (3:104)

And in another verse:

You are the best community ever brought forth for humankind, promoting what is right and good and forbidding evil, and you believe in God. If only the People of the Book believed, this would have been good for them.  Among them there are believers, but most of them are transgressors. (3:110)

And in another chapter:

By Time!  Man is certainly in deep loss, except for those who believe, do good deeds, urge one another to the truth, and urge one another to steadfastness. (Chapter 103)

Take note that God used the phrase "urge one another," not "urge others," so we understand that giving good advice is a mutual matter.  You may sometimes find yourself spiritually weak while your friends feel firm; hence, they push you in the right direction.  On other occasions, you may advise your friend to stay away from sin.  

Thus, no specific people, group, or agency has the job of enjoining good or preventing vice.  Instead, the matter is the duty of every Muslim.  This is solidarity in faith; it protects against the ever-changing state of the human heart.  When we see a believer weakening in faith, we must urge him or her towards the truth, and we expect nothing less from our brothers and sisters. 

As for the previous nations, corruption had crept in until no one minded sin.  Thus, the heavens needed to intervene and send a new messenger with a new miracle to restore faith on earth.  God says:

Those among the Children of Israel who defied God were cursed through the words of David, and Jesus, son of Mary, because they disobeyed, they persistently overstepped the limits.  They would not restrain one another from any of the wrong things that they did. How vile were the things they used to do!  (5:78-79)