Quran Garden

Session 513

Chapter 3

Verse 184

If they reject you, so have other messengers been rejected before you, even though they came with clear evidence, and books of wisdom and enlightening scripture.

(Chapter 3: Verse 184)

God the Exalted lifts the spirit of our beloved Muhammad to heights no other human can reach.  He says,

We know well that what they say grieves you.  It is not you they disbelieve: the wrongdoers reject God's revelation.  (6:33)

Is there any honor higher than this?  Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, is consoling his messenger: 'Do not grieve.  The disbelievers have no problem with you, Muhammad.  They know you are truthful and trustworthy; Instead, They reject Me and my signs.' Allah then gives him the example of previous messengers so he is not saddened by what the Jews of Medina say.  He says,

If they reject you, so have other messengers been rejected before you, even though they came with clear evidence, and books of wisdom and enlightening scripture.

(Chapter 3: Verse 184)

Grammatically, the conditional conjunction "if" is usually followed by a possible future outcome.  You may tell your friend: "If you come to my house tonight, I will barbeque a steak." The event of your friend's visit has to occur first, and then you would cook.  However, in the verse under study, we notice that the answer to the conditional "if" appears to have happened before the event.  God says, "If they reject you," which is a future possibility, then "so have other messengers been rejected before you," which is a past event.     

Some Quran critics who have a poor grasp of the profound meanings of the language pointed to the verse and said, 'This aya is incorrect because the answer was already given before the condition was met.' To which we reply that "so have other messengers been rejected before you" is not the answer to the condition "If they reject you." In the verse under study, the answer is hidden to be understood by the reader.  Allah tells his beloved messenger, 'if they deny you, Muhammad, then do not grieve over their words and actions.  Messengers before you were denied and harmed.' A person who reads the Quran with a present mind would understand that the answer to the condition "If they reject you" is 'don't grieve or worry.'  

The verse continues, "Other messengers have been rejected before you, even though they came with clear evidence, and books of wisdom and enlightening scripture." When a manager sends an employee to deliver a message to a client, the employee only accompanies the message while the manager is the source.

Allah is the source of all heavenly revelations.  The Messengers, peace be upon them, are sent accompanying God's teachings.  Miracles and revelation support the Messengers and prove them as the trusted carriers of the heavenly doctrine.  God says, "They came with clear evidence, and books of wisdom and enlightening scripture."   

We know that every Messenger before our beloved Muhammad brought miracles that were separate and distinct from the teachings.  The Torah contained God's teachings but was not the miracle; Moses' wooden staff and the parting of the Sea were.  Jesus carried Christianity's teachings via the Gospel, but his miracles were healing the sick and raising the dead with God's permission.  This was true for every messenger except Muhammad, peace be upon him.  His miracle is the Quran, which also carries God's teaching within. 

Why was it so?  Why is Muhammad the exception?  Because Islam is the final and complete heavenly message for all humanity till Judgment Day.  This necessitates that its miracle, just like its teachings, is ever present and equally accessible to every human being. 

God says, "They came with clear evidence, and books of wisdom and enlightening scripture."   The word "books" is translated from the Arabic الزُّبُرِ (Zubur), which holds many meanings.  First, الزُّبُرِ (Zubur) refers to anything that is written.  Writing something down serves as evidence and authentication against future loss or doubt.   Second, الزُّبُرِ (Zubur) means advice and warning that prevents you from committing future excesses and deviation.  Third, it means brains and intelligence, which also stops you from doing something stupid.  Sadly, in our modern world, human intelligence is often considered a ticket to indulgence and material excess.  People pride themselves in exploiting others and spoiling the environment for personal gain.  We answer that God gave you an intelligent brain as a tool to restrict greed, desire, and predatory instincts.   Your mind should prevent you from doing anything without fully understanding its consequences.  Lastly, الزُّبُرِ (Zubur) refers to using bricks and stones around a water well.  When we dig a well, we do not just leave a gaping hole in the ground.  Instead, we build a low wall around it to prevent dirt, trash, and people from falling. 

As you may have noticed, all the meanings of the word الزُّبُرِ (Zubur) converge on protecting, restraining, and illuminating a safer path ahead.  God says, "books of wisdom and enlightening scripture."