The path of all the apostles is the same

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The first verse is about the command of God that He has decreed for all and which is sufficient reproof of the disbeliever:

“Verily we believed in God and that which has been revealed to us and to the apostles of the past like Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Jesus.”

 Verse 285 of Surah Baqarah says:

“The Prophet believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord and so do the believers, all believe in God, His angels, books, and messengers. (They say) “We do not differentiate between any of His messengers,” And they says, “we have heard and we obey (and implore) your forgiveness, O Lord, and to you is our return.”

Verse 152 of Surah Nisaa says:

“To those who believe in God and His messengers and do not differentiate between any of them We shall soon give their due rewards: for God is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”

It is reminded that the true believers are those who do not differentiate between the apostles of God and believe in whatever they teach them. This is a valid proof of the commonality of their message.

They do not do so because they have been appointed by God and their periods are similar and so is their understanding of the tenets and their guidance for mankind. They have nothing with them that will become less effective and change with the passing of time like food, dress, house, health, cleanliness upbringing and the need for knowledge. It is proven that the things that do not change are the truth.

To complete our meaning we have to say that this verse is a refutation of the Jews and Christians. They used to contradict one another and regarded their apostle to be superior and more revered. It is only after the advent of Islam that the idea of all apostles being equal prevailed.

This is a very compact explanation of the presence of unity in the mission of the apostles. We will now revert to the other verses that speak about these tenets.

The issue of revelation is one of the issues which this verse speaks about:

“Verily We have revealed to you as We have revealed to Noah and the messengers after him; and We have revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, (The Prophets of Israel) Jesus, Job, Aaron and the tribes and Solomon, and We have We have bestowed the Psalms on David.”

So the verse speaks about them all and their connection with the unseen world and it also points to way God bestowed this enjoinment to finalize his arguments against the disbelievers. None of them says anything on his own authority, for each of them there is a revelation, inspiration and purpose.

One of the main tenets of an apostle’s mission is to establish the Oneness of God and refute polytheism and this is testified in many verses of the Qura’n. This is why Tawhid is the initial task of their mission. Tawhid is the center of everything especially the worship of God.

The 3rd verse declares this Tawhid to be the base and common factor for the mission of all prophets. It is said:

““And We did not send any messenger before you but We inspired him “Verily there is no god but I ‘so worship Me alone”

The same meaning has been given more stress in verse 36 of Surah Nahl that says:

“Verily We have sent among every nation a messenger proclaiming: “Worship God alone and avoid polytheism. Then some from among whom God guided and there were some whose straying was justified. So travel through the land and se the end of the disbelievers.”

This is why the rejection of the evil and the worship of the one God is the most important teaching of the prophets Man is often caught in the web of deceit and worships Satan thus he becomes free from worshipping the One God who is the originator of all lofty places and is the one with the great names and attributes.

It is also notable that the word “Attaghuta” is the superlative form of the word “Tughyan” and means to commit excess or trespass the limitations. Taghut therefore refers to Satan, idols, tyrants, the vain and those who initiate and instigate evil. Its entire link is with the untruth and the ungodly. According to Raghib in Mafuradat this word is used to denote both the singular and plural forms. Sometimes the word “Tawagheet” is used to show plurality. Lisan-ol-Arab has defined it as Satan, the decadent ones and the leaders of the disbelievers. (1)

One of the main features of an apostle of God is his enjoinment to Tawhid and the abstinence of everything evil while the false prophets lure people to worshipping the idols and practicing polytheism. They go to the extent of asking people to worship them as was in the case of the Pharaoh. This (Tawhid) is a method of suppressing evil and it is reported to affect all spheres of human life especially. It helps to free man from slavery and to save him from worshipping false gods for it gives them respect and freedom.

The stress on the awareness about God is also a part of the common enjoinment of the apostles of God We read in the 4th verse mentioned above:

““Is there a doubt about God the maker of heavens and earth? (With all their secrets) He invites you to forgiveness of your sins and a respite till the appointed term.”

 The verse enjoins us to tread the path to achieve the awareness of God and to reach perfection.

Is there any doubt God still left after considering the creations of the heavens and the earth and the fresh creations (that take place regularly) that are full of secrets for they are the result of knowledge and awareness?

It is correct to assume that the knowledge of the heavens and the earth was difficult in the ancient times but when we reflect on this profound system then we realize the truth about their creativity. To day we have to reflect on even the smallest particles because man has been able to split the atom in two and has unraveled its mystery to achieve the awareness of God. This research has been ably described in the poetry of a Persian poet who said:

“When the minutest particle of atom was split it was found to contain a shining light”

This can also be discerned from the words of Hazrat Ali who said;

do you consider yourselves to a small body? There is a great universe hidden within you.”

Another great teaching of the apostles of God was their stress on the Day of Judgment and resurrection as mentioned in the 5th verse:

“O assembly of Jinn and men! Did not the prophets come to you from among you, showing My signs to you and warning you of the meeting of your day (of requital)?”

There is hardly any difference whether these are the words from God or His angels the important thing is that it was the duty of all apostles to warn the people about the Day of Judgment and they are all united in this.

Do you feel that the messengers from among the Jinns were sent to them (as is denoted by the word “Minkum”) or were the entire messenger from among mankind?

We find certain interpretations by commentators and most of them have preferred the second idea. This can also be seen in the 7th verse and is denoted in the word “Babut Taghleeb” It is not a rule that he messenger will be from amongst those he has come to guide and this meaning has been discerned from verse 29 of Surah Ahqaf:

“ When We turned to you, the party of Jinn who came to you, listened to the Qura’n; they said: “ Be Silent!” then when the recital was finished , they returned to their people to warn.”

6. The Invitation to Righteousness

This is another common teaching of all the prophets to see to it that man lives a responsible life both collectively and individually. In the 6th verse we read:

““Verily We have directed the people of the Book before you and you too that you should take refuge in God.”

This des c r i p tion is found in all the divine books for they all preach righteousness or ask people to abstain from sins and forgo the worship of the One God. This has always been a determined enjoinment of all divine books. We all know that righteousness has many branches, the righteousness in deeds, in speech, thoughts and determination. There are also many sides of righteousness in deeds like moral righteousness, collective and individual righteousness.

In short we can say that righteousness (Taqwa) has many meanings and vast connotations and it helps in stopping and ending all immoral deeds. Tafsir Qartabi records the sayings of many wise and learned people who said, “This verse is like the pivot (or center) of a grinder and the entire Qura’nic verse move around it. (2)

7. Another basic enjoinment was that of collective justice. This is explained clearly in the 7th verse that says:

““Indeed We have sent our messengers with clear proofs and revealed with them the Scripture and the balance so that mankind may establish justice”

A society derived of justice and fair play cannot reach perfection or significant progress so how can such a society be just?

Another point to note is that the appointment of the messengers, the proofs, the book and the scale is to establish fair play among mankind. It is an imperative duty till such time for mankind, that the promulgator of the laws is he establish on it.

There is a great discussion among the commentators about the meaning of “Al Baiyanat, Kitab and Mizan”. The best among all explanation is the one that includes all kinds of miracles in “Baiyanat” and intellectual proofs and which establishes the proof about the prophethood.

“Al Kitaab” means all the teachings but “Mizan” means to differentiate between the truth and falsehood or those laws and cannons that establish the truth of the deserving ones.

All these sources are there to establish fair play in collective justice and they are essential for the upbringing and development of mankind. (3)

8. The teaching of faith and righteous deeds are also a basic duty of the prophets. The 8th verse tells us:

““ And those who believe and those who are Jews, Christians and Sabians , whoever believes in God and the Last Day and do righteous and good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord ; they shall have no fear and they shall not grieve.”

A very famous commentary says:

“The people who deserve salvation are those who believe in the Messenger and remain steadfast in it and they did good deeds. Those who lived before his advent believed in the divine religions and did god deeds.”

According to this explanation that faith and good deeds are part of all divine religions for the salvation of mankind.

There are other commentaries of this verse and to get more information please refer to the explanation of verse 62 of Surah Baqarah in Tafsir Amthal.

9. Another basic teaching of the prophets is to tell the people to avoid the “Sunan Khataya” or wrong Sunnah.

The 9th verse speaks about the eradication of the custom of ignorance in the days before Islam regarding marrying the ex-wife of an adopted son (the Arabs in those days considered adopted sons to be like original sons by birth. The verse says:

““That the prophet is not responsible for that which god has made legal for him. Such has been the way of God with those who have lived earlier and the Command of God is a determined decree.”

This was about the custom prevalent among the people and which God wanted to eradicate. The commentators say: “It means that Sunnah of God which eradicates the obstacles in the way of lawful enjoyment. It also is about the number of wives that one could have in the previous nations. (4)

This verse validates the proof of the fact that this Sunnah is connected with the prophethood and is not a support for the lawful enjoyments as we find in the next verse which is about the previous prophets. It says:

“Who convey the Message of God and fear Him and fear none save God. And God is sufficient as a Reckoner.”

But the best explanation is that it is about avoiding the wrongful customs by an apostle of God.

In verse 37 of Surah Ahzab we read:

“Keep your wife to yourself and fear God, but you hide that which God will manifest; you did fear the people while God had the better right that you fear Him. So when Zayd had accomplished his desire from her, We gave to you in marriage so that (in future) it will be of no difficulty to the believers in respect of marrying the ex-wives of their adopted sons when the later have no desire to keep them. God’s command must be fulfilled.”

All these connections testify that this everlasting Sunnah of the prophets means to eradicate the erroneous customs prevalent in the society.

 And why not when the aim of the prophet’s mission is to free the believers from such wrongful customs so that the rightful Sunnah of God can be established?

10. One other basic teaching of the prophets is to condemn the waywardness of the hypocrites and their denial of the truth. This verse speaks about their evil ways in Islamic society and then warns that the hypocrites are liars and their hearts are full of diseases; they support and worship the evil and just to keep themselves in prominence they revert to sinful ways. Their aim is to spread animosity, divide the people and spread evil. Verse 62 of Surah Ahzab says:

“That was the way of God with those who had lived earlier and you will not find any change in the way of God.”

The great commentators have said that this custom the fight against the hypocrites and those who are harmful the society; those who are unwilling to give up their bad deeds and have animosity for the believers and the Prophets. (5)

Another common teaching between the apostles was the doing of good deeds and the worship of the one God. This has been amply mentioned in the 11th verse which speaks about separates groups and prophets:

“We have made them leaders guiding mankind by Our command and We inspired them to do good deeds, performing prayers and giving Zakat and they worshiped Us alone.”

It is also said that they receive the revelations while they are stationed as prophets and deliver the commands to the people.

Imamat includes all the guidance that are necessary for physical and spiritual submission; the overt and the covert, and people are responsible for all of them. This they do because of the instructions from God or for reaching the desired goals. God sends them his revelations About worship and charity. Establishing the prayers and giving Zakat are also included in the good deeds and it is due to their importance that a great stress has been laid upon them.

The revelation here means “Awhaynaa ilayhim fi’al khairaati” “we inspired them to do good deeds, to establish prayers and give Zakat”

The commentators have explained it as “Alwahiyut-Tashree’I” or that “We have included all kinds of Good Deeds in the religious duties.”(1)

But some have explained it as “Alwahiyuttawkweeni” or “We have given them the sense of doing these deeds”. We have given him the help the Ruhul Qudus so that hey may be successful in their duties.

The Rule of the Righteous.

12. Normally it is the justice of God that prevails and the duty of the prophets is collateral to it. They are endowed with the onus of implementing it and they prepare themselves for the same.

In the 12th verse the same meaning is applied very subtly:

““Indeed We did write in the Psalms after the reminder (Torah) that My righteous servants shall inherit the earth.”

(1) The Late Allama Tabrisi has given three views about the word “Azzikr”

 Zabur means all the divine books given to the prophets in “ Lauhi Mahfuz” or that the command was first inscribed in “Lauhi Mahfuz” and then in the books of the Prophets.

The books that were revealed after Zabur and Torah and here “Azzikr” refers to the Torah.

3. Zabur: The Psalms of David and “AZZIKR”: The Torah (7)

The verse says that this was a general decree and a permanent Sunnah which was established for t he prophets and is the foundation of the rule of the righteous and the pure ones. Some people have taken it to mean the program for the establishment of Godly rule and according to the hadiths that have come regularly it refers to return of the Mahdi ( May our lives be sacrificed upon him)

It is also clear that the goal of the prophets is to establish such a kingdom and it has been proven that this will not be achieved just by advice and wisdom for it will need the active participation of all kinds of strength and power. The aim is also to get man to actively obey the rules set by the divine religion.

The term “I’badiss Salihen” has very vast connotations and includes all kinds of goodness like, true belief, knowledge, abstinence, determination and planning. Those who have such features only will be the inheritors who will promulgate the divine rule of God.

13. The Enjoinment to Wahdat or the Oneness of God.

Dispute is the greatest mischief for it erases a nation’s material and spiritual strength. The mission of the prophets is to eradicate all disputes within it. We read in the 13th verse:

“Mankind was one single nation” (They fell into disputes) and God sent messengers with glad tidings and warning to it; with them He sent the Book of truth (to judge between the people in the maters which they disputed;) but the people of the book after the clear sign came to them, did not differ among themselves, except through hatred for one another

And one group of them created mischief and disputed the word for they disputed about the teachings of the Divine Book.

“God by His grace guided the believers to the truth concerning that in which they differed. God guides who He wills to a straight path.”

But “God by His grace guided the believers to the truth concerning that in which they differed.”

Now there are two sides evident for the disputes among the Ummah. The first was before the advent of the apostles and it was due to mistakes, ignorance and doubts about the truth. The apostles showed the people the difference between truth and falsehood and eradicated these disputes with the help of the revelations.

The disputes that arose after the advent of the apostles was due to their rebellion , oppression, jealousy, vanity and also because of opposing the apostles for personal gains and denying them because of personal desires. None but the true believers get free from such disputes because they cannot be eradicated without the help of true belief and righteousness.

It also clears the answer to the question raised in this verse “If the advent of the apostles was to eradicate the disputes among the people then why did the disputes remain after them?”

The verse explains the differences in the disputes. In the beginning the disputes arose because of ignorance and lack of the required knowledge and this was not found after the apostles though they come under different headings like rebellion, oppression, jealousy, vanity etc and even those that change the intentions till such time that the truth dawns on them. The first type of dispute is because of the people’s mistakes and the second is due to their lethargy or laziness.

The previous verse is about he Oneness of God and His Zikr and the fight against disputes. All the conditions are different and this is also a reality for which the apostles are responsible.

The Enjoinment to Re formation and the Rejection of Mischief.

In other words the aim of all religions and personal issues is to bind the society into one homogenous group and also to include them in reforming their souls and fighting against mischief.

This is why we find the same about the previous nations in the 14th verse for they were subjected to punishment. The verse says:

“If only there had been in the generations before you, persons with wisdom prohibiting (others) from mischief on earth, except a few of those whom we saved from among you.”

(The nations do not include those religious leaders who lived before you and promulgated such orders that resulted in mischief and they were subjected to God’s punishment.) “, except a few of those whom we saved from among you.”

The term “Those who had wisdom” is for those who were the inheritors and were steadfast; because man tends to store and collect the finer and scarce things. This des c r i p tion is about those who hoarded wealth or the people with knowledge, people with personalities and power to promulgate things and those who knew the cause of mischief and help their people or Ummah.

So we learn that that “Amr bil Ma’ruf” means the responsibility to fight the mischief especially for those with knowledge and the power to promulgate the laws, in the religions of the world. Most of the nations were subjected to punishment because they denied this reality and this duty.

15. To Bow before the Command of God

This is another tenet that is present in all religions for we have to bow before His will completely. We read in the last verse that “Truly the religion with God is Islam”

The glory of all religion and all fact are based on it but he religion brought by our Messenger is the most superior and that is why it is called “Islam” though these realities are common to all religion.

The verse does not mean that the religion brought by the messenger is the truest one ( though this is a fact) because “Islam” means the true religion and that is why nations were asked in all ages and times to bow before the will of God.

This command was present in practice in all religions and this is why all the religions with all their forms become complete when they reach and merge into the religion of Messenger Mohammad. The soul in all the religions are the same and that is to bow before the will of God. There is no difference in any of them about this.

The verse 85 of Surah Al Imran says:

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him and he shall be among the losers in the hereafter.”

 


 

1. It is strange that Allama Tabatabai in Tafsir Al Mizan vol.12 page 242 as has taken this word as the infinitive origin and that it has been used in the positive context especially in the Qura’n where it has been used as denoted it gives a positive meaning.
2. Tafsir Qartabi vol.3 page 1978
3. For more information on this issue see the explanation of this verse in Tafsir Amthal.
4. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.7 Page 361; Tafsir Kabeer vol.25 page 13, Tafsir Qartabi vol. 8 page 5277 and Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani vol.22 page 25.
5. Please refer to Tafsir Majmaul Bayan, Maraghi, Kabeer, Qartabi and Ruhul Bayan for more detail of this verse.
6. According to this interpretation the words “Wa Awhaina Ilaihim Befa’lel Khairaat” is hidden and understood and it means “We inspired them to do charity.”
7. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.7 page 66. The same three meanings can be found in Tafsir Qartabi also.

 

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