Quran Garden

'Seeing is believing,' right?  But what if I told you there is something even more certain than your eyesight?  Join us as we explore the concept of spiritual vision and discover why Prophet Muhammad is the final messenger, and Islam is the ultimate message for humanity until the end of time.

Session 620

Chapter 4

Verse 44

Did you not see those who were given a portion of the Book, purchasing misguidance and wanting you to be misguided from the way?  (Chapter 4: Verse 44)

When God wants to lay the groundwork for a matter of faith or creed that safeguards our lives, He starts with something tangible and physical we can relate to.  In the verse under study, He addresses His Messenger, peace be upon him, with the words: "Did you not see?" Seeing is the work of the eye, and it presents you with the strongest level of evidence.  Sight is its own proof.  You cannot say the same about something you hear.  Why?  Because the proof of what you hear is tied to the truthfulness of the speaker.  There is always room for doubt: Is the person lying, mistaken, or telling you the truth?  That is why we say, "The eye does not lie."

Another common expression is, 'I'll believe it when I see it.' Imagine your father tells you that your close friend has a gambling problem.  At first, you might doubt him.  But when you see your friend gambling and drinking, you can no longer be in denial.  Now, your father says, "You believe me now!  Didn't you see it with your own eyes!" Seeing is the ultimate proof.  Thus, when Allah wants to affirm a matter, He addresses His Messenger with "Did you not see?" referring to something Muhammad witnessed with his own eyes, as in the following Aya,  

Have you seen the man who forbids a servant when he prays? (96:9–10)

He, peace be upon him, had witnessed many such instances.  We ask: Why would Allah ask, "Have you seen?" instead of simply stating the fact, like saying, 'You saw the one who forbids a servant when he prays'?  The answer is that when Allah poses a question, your response provides stronger proof and confirmation of the fact.  That is why we often say, "Of course it is true; You said it yourself!"

However, as you read the Quran, you come across the following Aya,

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephants?  (105:1)

Some critics of Islam cite this verse to challenge the Quran's authenticity.  Prophet Muhammad was born in the year of the Battle of the Elephant.  God addressed him with the phrase "Have you not seen?" although the Prophet, an infant at the time, could not have witnessed the incident.  Had Allah used the phrase 'Didn't you know?' or 'Haven't you heard?' it would have made sense.  But the Lord used the phrase "Have you not seen?" instead.  Why?  Because to the believer, what God says is as true as one's own eyesight, and this is from amongst the elements of the Islamic creed.  The Quran is God's word, and the verse "Have you not seen?" implies that this vision is true for the Prophet Muhammad and for every Muslim who recites it.  With spiritual vision, you see through your faith what your eyes fail to see.  In fact, if Allah informs you of something, rest assured He is more truthful than your own eyes.  Learning about something from the Lord is not like hearing it on the news, which may be biased, contain falsehoods, or be a deliberate lie. 

Your own eyesight may deceive you, especially in today's electronic and AI-generated content.  But when Allah the Exalted informs you, He gives you the pure truth with zero fluff, bias, or impurity.  Allah and the Quran are more trustworthy and more certain than your own eyes.  Thus, when we read, "Have you seen the man who forbids a servant when he prays?" (96:9–10) which many of us have seen, then read "Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the people of the elephants?" (105:1) which none of us have, it is as though they are one and the same with equal certainty. 

There are basically three ways we come to accept something as true: someone tells us about it, and they could be right or wrong, we see it ourselves, but we might miss the whole picture, or Allah tells us, He who knows everything completely.  The most reliable source of truth, without a doubt, is what comes from the Creator.

This brings us back to the verse.  God says, "Did you not see those who were given a portion of the Book?" This Aya was revealed when Prophet Muhammad was living among the Jews of Medina; he knew that they had a share of the Scripture, namely the Torah, and saw firsthand how they misquoted parts of it, hid others, and did not speak the truth.  

Allah sent Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets, bringing the long line of prophethood to a close.  In every era, a prophet was sent to address the specific issues and challenges of their society, providing guidance that suited their time, societal ailments, and circumstances.  The ailments of ancient societies remained isolated within their regions, so God would send a regional messenger to each group to guide them.  Allah, in His eternal wisdom, knew that Muhammad would come at a time when his message would be universal, addressing all matters and ailments until the Last Day.  Why?  Because his arrival coincided with the cusp of a time when the world would become increasingly interconnected through advances in science, transportation, and communication, making it possible for news to travel instantly across vast distances.  News that happens in the farthest east will be heard in the farthest west, and vice versa.  An illness that appears in America one day is in China the next.  In other words, we live in a single world as one community of humanity.  It also means that societal ailments are common worldwide, not regional.  This necessitated the arrival of one messenger with a comprehensive message to all peoples and times.  Therefore, Allah took a covenant from every Prophet to give glad tidings to his people that a final messenger would come.  Every heavenly religion before Islam foretold the arrival of Muhammad to ensure that when the final messenger arrived, their followers would not be taken by surprise.  They would recognize him and say, "Our prophet informed us of this." God says,

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." (3:81)

Our beloved Muhammad is the seal and final messenger who brought Islam as the message to all humanity until the last day.