Quran Garden

Session 422

Chapter 3

Verse 95

Say, "God speaks the truth, so follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.  He was never of those who associate partners with God." (Chapter 3: Verse 95)

At the time of our beloved Muhammad, there were two superpowers: Rome and Persia.  While the Muslims were being persecuted in Mecca, the Persians - who worshiped fire - won a major victory over the Roman Christian army.  The infidels of Mecca were overjoyed, and they mocked the Muslims that the same would happen to them soon.  At that time, Allah revealed the following verse:

The Byzantine Romans have been defeated in the lands close by, but they, after their defeat, will be victorious in a few-years time.  God is in command, first and last.  On that day, the believers will rejoice.  (30: 2-4)

Linguistically, the word "few" means any number between three and nine.  When Abu Bakr Al-Sideeq heard the verse, he said, "God will not let the idolaters rejoice for long.  By God, the Romans will be victorious over Persia after three years." Abu Bakr chose the lowest number of years in the range because he knew that Allah would not burden the believers with the hardship of patience for nine years. 

Ubayy bin Khalaf, a disbeliever, overheard Abu Bakr.  He rushed to him and said, "Would you bet me over what you have just said?" Abu Bakr replied, "Absolutely!  Name your price." He said, "I bet you ten young camels if the Romans are victorious in three years, and you will give me the same if they are not." Abu Bakr agreed.

When he went to Prophet Muhammad, he, peace be upon him, said, "O Abu Bakr, why don't you increase your bet in price, but make it over a longer period of time?" Abu Bakr went back and did just that.  He increased the bet to one hundred young camels and the years to nine.

During the following months, the maltreatment of Muslims in Mecca intensified, so Abu Bakr decided to migrate.  Ubayy bin Khalaf saw him and said, "Where are you going?  Are you abandoning your bet?" Abu Bakr replied, "Don't worry, my son Abd-ul-Rahman will pay you when the time comes." 

The following year, while Ubayy bin Khalaf was saddling up to go to Badr and fight the Muslims, Abd-ul-Rahman caught up with him and said, "Where are you going?  You may be killed in battle.  Are you abandoning your bet?" Ubayy laughed and replied, "Don't worry, my son will pay you when the time comes." 

In Badr, Ubayy sustained a wound from our beloved Muhammad and died.  On the same day, the Romans won a major battle against Persia, and Ubayy's grieving son had to deliver one hundred young camels to Abd-ul-Rahman, son of Abu Bakr.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, told Abu Bakr, "Why don't you give these camels to charity in God's cause?" And so it was done. 

Here I would like to ask you, can you show me a supercomputer in our modern world that can predict the outcome of a battle that will take place after three years?  Is there a think-tank or a government agency that could do that?  Not even close.  Muhammad, an illiterate man, residing in Arabia in the seventh century, had no information about the strength of the Romans or the Persians, nor access to data, satellite images, or spy information.  Yet, he told us the result of a battle to be won by a defeated army three years in the future as if it were a foregone conclusion. 

This prediction was documented in the Quran, so there was no way to deny it if the events did not unfold favorably.  How could this be?  God answers, "God speaks the truth."  Muhammad received from his Lord, the Creator, and the Manager of the universe.  God says: 

Will they not study this Quran?  If it had been from anyone other than God, they would have found much inconsistency in it.  (4:82)

Speaking the truth occurs when the spoken words match reality.  When Allah, Who knows everything from pre-eternity, speaks, the reality must come to match exactly what the Almighty said.  Would a true God speak words conveyed by messengers and recorded in the scriptures only for life's events to contradict these words?  That could never be.   Thus, when Allah decrees a matter of faith or life, He knows from perpetuity that it will occur precisely as He said, even if the circumstances at the time do not instill confidence or support understanding. 

When Islam began in Mecca, Muslims were few in number and heavily persecuted.  Many of them had to leave their homes and possessions and migrate to protect their lives.  At that time, God revealed the following verse:

Their forces will be routed, and they will turn tail and flee.  (54:45)

How can we believe a message promising the defeat of the strongest army in Arabia by a group incapable of protecting itself?  We answer, "God speaks the truth" because, for such a message to hold any weight, it can only come from the One Who possesses absolute power and complete knowledge and has control over time, space, and creation.  When Muhammad, peace be upon him, conveyed God's message, Omar ibn Al-Khattab wondered loudly, "What army?" He knew that the Muslims could not safely assemble in a small group to worship, let alone put together a force to face Quraysh.  But Prophet Muhammad was not talking about the means available to the believers; rather, he was talking about the Lord of the means.  In a few short years, the events of the battle of Badr came to prove the authenticity of God's words: "Their forces will be routed, and they will turn tail and flee."  He says:

Say, "God speaks the truth, so follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.  He was never of those who associate partners with God." (Chapter 3: Verse 95)

Allah and Muhammad asked people to believe in the religion of Abraham.  This emphasizes that all heavenly religions share the same creed and that all the messengers and prophets belong to a single convoy of divine delegation to humanity.  There are no differences in faith, nor room for disagreement.   In fact, our beloved Abraham called all the believers in God "Muslims." 

We have explained earlier that "the way of Abraham" is the straight path of faith and God gave it the name حنيفا (Haneef).  Linguistically, "Haneef" means "crooked or off the main path." How could this be?  We have said before that the heavens do not interfere by sending messengers except when corruption is widespread.  At such times, the one who deviates away from corruption is the one who is guided to the straight path.  Thus, the description "Haneef" accurately describes a person who avoids the corrupt crowds and deviates away towards righteousness. 

It is strange that the People of the Book, whether Jews or Christians, quarrel about Abraham, peace be upon him.  Each side claimed Abraham as its own, although both Judaism and Christianity came after his time.  God says:

People of the Book, why do you argue about Abraham when the Torah and the Gospels were not revealed until after his time?  Do you not understand?  (3:65)

Such arguments only come from extreme ignorance.  Our beloved Abraham is the grandfather of the prophets, and he belongs to every monotheistic believer.  Thus, God added, "He was never of those who associate partners with God," pointing out that both the Jews and Christians have gravely erred in their faith.  How, you may ask?  We answer the Jews claimed that Uzair was the son of God and the Christian made a similar claim about Jesus; they both ascribed partners to the Almighty. 

Similarly, the Meccans and the Arabs before Islam worshiped idols and, at the same time, claimed to follow in the footsteps of Abraham.  They pointed to the fact that they were preserving the Ka'aba and the rituals of Hajj taught by Abraham.  Allah absolves Abraham from such ridiculous claims.  He says:

Say, "God speaks the truth, so follow the way of Abraham as people of pure faith.  He was never of those who associate partners with God." (Chapter 3: Verse 95)

And in another verse:

The people with the strongest ties to Abraham are those who followed him and this Prophet and those who believe.  Allah is the Protector of the believers.  (3:68)