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-1- Why Messengers? . Messengers of God are the link between God and mankind and the means by which God sends us the scripture and guidance. In general, messengers are sent to mankind to deliver God's messages. With a closer inspection, we can arrive at a number of duties asigned to God's messages: 1- Prophets sent to deliver a scripture: This duty is given to the prophets of God (see section about the difference between a messenger and a prophet): "The people used to be one community when God sent the PROPHETS as bearers of good news, as well as warners. HE SENT DOWN WITH THEM THE SCRIPTURE, bearing the truth, to judge among the people in their disputes." 2:213 2- Messengers sent to confirm existing scripture: "Now that a MESSENGER from God has come to them, and even though HE PROVES AND CONFIRMS THEIR OWN SCRIPTURE, some followers of the scripture (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) disregard God's scripture behind their backs, as if they never had any scripture." 2:101 " ......... afterwards, a MESSENGER will come TO CONFIRM ALL EXISTING SCRIPTURES." 3:81 3- Messengers sent for teaching and purifying a people: "Our Lord, and raise among them a messenger to recite to them Your revelations, TEACH THEM THE SCRIPTURE AND WISDOM, AND PURIFY THEM. You are the Almighty, Most Wise." 2:129 4- Messengers are witnesses on the Day of Judgement: "We have sent to you A MESSENGER TO SERVE AS A WITNESS against you, just as we sent to Pharaoh a messenger." 73:15 "Everyone among the people of the scripture was required to believe in him before his death. On the Day of Resurrection, he (Jesus) will be a WITNESS AGAINST THEM."4:159 "Thus, when the day (of judgment) comes, we will call upon a witness from each community, and you (the messenger) will serve as a WITNESS AMONG THESE PEOPLE." 4:41 5- Messengers are sent to reveal hidden issues within the scripture: God reveals the contents of the scripture according to His Infinite Wisdom. Some matters are kept hidden for an appointed time that God has ordained. God reveals some of these matters through messengers that he chooses. "He is the Knower of the 'ghaib' (unseen); He does not reveal the ghaib to anyone. Only to a messenger that He chooses, does He reveal from the past and the future, specific news. This is to ascertain that they have delivered their Lord's messages. He is fully aware of what they have. He has counted the numbers of all things." 72:26-28 "(Blessings) such as the sending of a messenger from among you to recite our revelations to you, purify you, teach you the scripture and wisdom, and TO TEACH YOU WHAT YOU NEVER KNEW." 2:151 6- Messengers are sent to reveal issues in the scripture deliberately hidden by the people: Many who corrupt God's truth to uphold their own idolatry are guilty of deliberately hiding important issues inside the scripture from the people. God sends messengers to expose the idolatry of such people and to reveal these prime issues: "O people of the scripture, OUR MESSENGER HAS COME TO YOU TO PROCLAIM FOR YOU MANY THINGS YOU HAVE CONCEALED IN THE SCRIPTURE, and to pardon many other transgressions you have committed. A beacon has come to you from God, and a profound scripture." 5:15 7- Messengers are sent as Warners and also Bearers of good news: Messengers are also sent to give good news to the believers and also warn the disbelievers: "We do not send the messengers except as DELIVERERS OF GOOD NEWS, AS WELL AS WARNERS." 6:48 8- Messengers are sent to deliver their people from darkness into light: Messengers are sent to their people to deliver them from the darkness into the light in accordance with God's Will: "Thus, we sent Moses with our miracles, saying, "LEAD YOUR PEOPLE OUT OF THE DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT, and remind them of the days of God." These are lessons for every steadfast, appreciative person." 14:5 9- The figure of a messenger is a test for the people: God in His infinite wisdom knows that the majority of people who claim to be believers commit acts of idol worship (see 12:106). One of the most common acts of idol worship committed by the human being is his idolising of the messenger sent to him. Indeed, in the figure of the messenger, God has placed on us a firm test for the purity of our religion. Only the sincere believers acknowledge the fact that God's messengers are human being like everyone else, except that they bring us a message from God, consequently, the message they bring from God must be obeyed, but they should not be idolised or made into god-like figures. On the other hand the ones who are intent on committing idolatry will elevate their messenger to divine status and even love him more that they love God! We are given a good reminder of this danger in the following verse: "Yet, some people set up idols to rival God, and love them as if they are God. Those who believe love God the most. If only the transgressors could see themselves when they see the retribution! They will realize then that all power belongs to God alone, and that God's retribution is awesome." 2:165 Moreover, God asserts in the Quran that His messenger will NEVER ask the people to make a god-like figure of him, nor set him up as an idol besides God. (If the people commit such acts of idol worship then they have sadly failed the test): "Never would a human being whom God blessed with the scripture and prophethood say to the people, "Idolize me beside God." Instead, (he would say), "Devote yourselves absolutely to your Lord alone," according to the scripture you preach and the teachings you learn. Nor would he command you to idolize the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he exhort you to disbelieve after becoming submitters?" 3:79-80 . Back to 'MESSENGERS' main page . |
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