Quran Garden

Session 493

Chapter 3

Verse 164

Indeed, God has been gracious to the believers in sending them a messenger from among them—reciting to them His revelations, purifying them, and teaching them the book and wisdom.  For indeed, they had previously been clearly astray.  (Chapter 3: Verse 164)

To be "gracious" is to do an act of kindness, where you give without expecting anything in return.  Allah does not need nor benefit from our worship or obedience; nothing is missing or incomplete in Him that requires our assistance.  He is above all need.  Thus, when God sends a compassionate messenger to guide us, the favor is His alone.

Did God send us an angel?  No, He sent a human being so people can take him as a role model; when he says, "Do as I do," people can relate.  Had he been an angel, people would have replied, "We cannot because you are a different creation than us."  

Similarly, when our fellow Christians attribute divinity to Jesus, they strip him of being a role model to follow.  One could easily say, "Who am I to be like the divine in my daily life?" Thus, when a nation turns their Messenger into a God, they lose because when he says to be like me, many reply, "Your nature is different; I can never do it," and then give up.

A messenger of God is –by necessity- the sincere human conveyer of His message and the best role model in adapting the message.  The most critical step in this process is for the Messenger to declare, 'I am a human being just like you.  I practice and implement my Lord's teachings, and you can do the same.' God instructs His beloved Muhammad,

Say: "I am but a human being like you.  It is revealed to me that your God is the One and Only God.  So, whoever is looking forward to meeting his Lord, let him do good, righteous deeds and not associate any partner in the worship of His Lord." (18:110)

When you hear the phrase, "Indeed, God has been gracious to the believers," you may wonder: Isn't Muhammad sent to all humanity?  Why is the favor limited to those who believe?  We answer that the believers are the ones who listened to and benefitted from the Messenger, while others missed the opportunity of guidance and disregarded an exemplary role model.

The word "gracious" is translated from the Arabic Minnah.  It is an interesting word because it can express opposite meanings.  More specifically, the word Minnah can refer to the blessing and the act of spoiling it.  For example, Minnah, as mentioned in the verse under study, means a great favor without expecting any return.  In other verses, Minnah is used to express spoiling a good deed by constantly reminding others of it.  A donor keeps mentioning the money they gave until the receiver says, "You know what, here is your money back.  I would rather go hungry than be humiliated daily." God says,

Those who spend their wealth in God's cause and do not follow their spending with reminders of their benevolence or hurtful words will have their rewards with their Lord: no fear for them, nor will they grieve. (2:262)

Constantly reminding someone of your favor can lead them to stop showing gratitude.  Showing pride for doing a favor can result in the same outcome.  Your gift is annulled as they get increasingly annoyed with you.  

The Minnah Allah gave us fulfilled a deep need for guidance and asked nothing in return.  Such a favor warrants our deep gratitude, especially because it is from God who gains zero benefit from giving. 

When you do someone a favor, the benefit is usually limited to this world and your ability.  The Almighty is limitless; thus, His blessings involve both this worldly life and the life to come.  Let's review some of the benefits of God's favor in this verse.  He says, "Indeed, God has been truly gracious to the believers in sending them a messenger from among them." The blessing started the moment a Messenger was sent because the ultimate goal is to guide the people to God's path and Paradise.  The favor grew even more significant when God chose the Messenger from among the people.  In other words, he, peace be upon him, was not a stranger.  His lineage and moral character were well-known and respected.  Quraysh did not need to question him or investigate his background.  Who is this foreigner?  Has he lied before?  What is his lineage?  Is he an honest man?  There was no need for any of these questions.  Our beloved Muhammad was known for his exemplary character.  His grandfather Abdul-Muttalib was a chief in Mecca, and many of his family members held reputable ranks.  

All this information meant people did not doubt Muhammad's authenticity.  In fact, the early believers entered Islam the moment he said, "I am the messenger of God," and based their faith on their knowledge of Muhammad for decades.  No one asked for a miracle.   

On the morning after the night journey -Israa-, a group of disbelievers rushed to Abu Bakr.  They were giddy to tell him, "Come and listen to what your friend Muhammad is saying!  He claims to have traveled from Mecca to the Holy House in Jerusalem and returned all last night!  It takes us a month to get there on a camel and a month to return!"  They were so happy that they caught Muhammad in a lie no one would believe.  Surely, this news will shake Abu Bakr's faith.  Yet, the answer they received shocked them.  Abu Bakr said, "If he said it, he has spoken truly." These words are a strong foundation for all future generations to follow.