The Struggle Of The Messengers
The Messengers' Struggle
People choose various teachers to guide them through life. For many, the most important teachers are their family, friends, and the communities they live in. They form their value judgments and general impressions of what is right and wrong according to the general opinions of that society. Some individuals look to ideologies for guidance in the belief that the founder of their personal ideology is a superior person whose teachings can reveal the truth to them. Other individuals profess no ideology, preferring to be guided by their own intuitive intelligence.
Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Final Seal of the Prophets. Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Ahzab, 40)
However, all of these ideas rest on a common falsehood. Those who claim society as their teacher and adopt some "superior" individual or their own intelligence as their guide are rejecting or ignoring an essential truth: Human beings are created and therefore are indebted to our Creator, Allah, for everything they possess. Those who consider their own body and surroundings, the sky, and everything else that exists will clearly see that Allah created them.
Allah created human beings, and there is certainly a purpose for this Creation. Allah reveals this truth in the Qur'an: "We did not create heaven and earth and everything in between them as a game"(Surat al-Anbiya', 16). This purpose is also revealed in another verse: "I only created jinn and humanity to worship Me" (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 56).
Humanity was created solely to serve Allah. But one must be careful not to misunderstand: The fact that man is created to serve Allah alone does not mean that it is enough to perform just some religious observances. Indeed, in a hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (ra) our Prophet (saas) emphasizes the importance of the five daily prayers saying, "Five (daily) prayers and from one Friday prayer to the (next) Friday prayer, and from Ramadhan to Ramadhan are expiatious for the (sins) committed in between (their intervals) provided one shuns the major sins." (Sahih Muslim, Book 2, Number 450)" The five daily prayers and all other acts of worship such as fasting, giving alms and covering the body are obligations that must be punctiliously performed, and every believer is obliged to do these. But being Allah's servant, which encompasses every aspect of life, primarily means coming to know Allah by being close to Him and living one's life according to His words. People who live such a life, in other words serve Allah alone, enjoy the best, the most content, and the happiest life possible. That is because all of Allah's rules are very easy, for He created humanity in such a way that it is part of human nature to take pleasure from serving Him. This is elucidated as follows in the Qur'an:
The information revealed in this verse is very important, for it reveals that human beings were created only to serve Allah. In other words, serving Him is their nature. Allah "breathed His Spirit" into them and created them out of nothing, and then molded them into human form from "a drop of water" (sperm) and sent them to this world for a short time. Human beings must know that they are Allah's creatures and constantly thank Him for this. Once they understand this truth, they will live in this transient world according to His purpose: to mature and prepare themselves for their real home, the hereafter. This manner of living accords with human nature.
It is revealed in Surat ar-Rum 30 that humanity's only purpose is to serve Allah, yet most people are unaware of this great truth. Allah reveals in other verses that a person's self causes him to forget that he is one of Allah's creations and the clear truth that Allah exists. For this reason, most people are unaware of Allah's existence, that they were created, and therefore are responsible to our Creator, Allah. This is described thus in the Qur'an:
A person who lives far removed from the moral values of the Qur'an often forgets that human beings are created by Allah. When people forget this, selfish ambition and passions begin to present them with new false deities to foolishly serve, whether animate or inanimate, besides the Creator Who"fashioned [him] into a man" (Surat al-Kahf, 37). They seek to please those deities, look to them for assistance, and start to love and fear them. However, these self-made supposed deities are actually weak and powerless "servants," just like themselves. Unable to use their reason to see this truth, they follow them and ignorantly turn their backs on Allah. This total lack of gratitude is described in the Qur'an as follows:
Naturally, a society made up of such individuals is totally oblivious of religious moral values and regards Allah as "something to cast disdainfully" (Surah Hud, 92). Since all the members of such an ignorant society possess the same moral infirmity and weakness of mind, they develop a "herd psychology" that strengthens most people's already existing rejection of Allah. Since it knows nothing about Allah and the hereafter, Allah calls it in the Qur'an an "ignorant society." No matter how many brilliant people it has in physics, history, biology, and other similar sciences, the great majority of the members of such a society do not have the conscious intelligence to recognize Allah.
Moreover, members of such an ignorant society adopt false guides. Not knowing Allah properly, they follow other paths with the greatest ignorance and gradually become dependent on other powerless servants like themselves, follow their examples, and accept their words and actions as the truth.
Finally, the society of ignorance adopts a system that gradually blinds it to reality and blocks its intelligence and conscience. As a result, this superstitious system cannot be freed by itself. Its members cannot understand that Allah exists and will hold them accountable on the Day of Judgment. This closed system will last until Allah sends a guide to lead them to the truth:
Selecting a Messenger
As we stated earlier, someone whose understanding is embroiled by the false values of the society of ignorance cannot recognize Allah or see the truth unaided. But in His merciful compassion, Allah sends these people envoys to warn them about their mistakes and to teach them the truth about Himself, the hereafter, and the true meaning of life. In the Qur'an, these envoys are called "Messengers" (sing.: rasul; pl. rusul [one who is sent]). We are told in the Qur'an that every community will be warned by means of a Messenger:
Although Messengers are generally people who live within the society of ignorance, they are people who were known for their moral virtues, upright character, conscientious behavior, honesty and nobility before Allah revealed these sacred responsibilities to them. Our Prophet (saas), for example, was a highly virtuous person known and admired by the name of "al-Amin," the faithful and trustworthy one, even before the prophethood was bestowed on him.
At a certain time in his life, a Messenger begins his duty as a Messenger as Allah directs. Sometimes Allah puts it into his heart something that enables him to know of His existence and to realize how depraved his society is and sometimes this fact is revealed to him through revelation. For example, the Prophet Abraham (as) realized the existence of Allah and the perverted nature of his society, which was unaware of this reality, with an understanding that Allah inspired in him. The situation of the Prophet Abraham (as) is described thus in the Qur'an:
It is revealed in the Qur'an that Allah showed the Prophet Abraham (as) all the proofs for His existence. This shows us that Allah's inspiration made the Prophet Abraham (as) aware of his society's depravity and worship of other deities besides Allah (surely Allah is beyond that). He was able to understand Allah's existence clearly only because Allah chose him.
So, being chosen and instructed by Allah is common to all Messengers. Allah reveals this truth to the Prophet Moses (as):
Has the story of Moses not reached you? When he saw a fire and said to his family, "Wait here. I can make out a fire. Maybe I will bring you a brand from it or will find guidance there." When he reached it, a voice called out: "Moses! I am your Lord. Take off your sandals, for you are in the holy valley of Tuwa. I have chosen you, so listen well to what is revealed. I am Allah. There is no deity but Me, so worship Me and perform prayer in order to remember Me. The Hour is coming, but I have concealed it so that every self can be repaid for its efforts. Do not let those who have no faith in it and follow their whims and desires debar you from it, or you will be destroyed." (Surah Ta Ha, 9-16)
In short, a Messenger is a most virtuous and holy individual whom Allah has selected, one who is different from his compatriots, and one who has reached an understanding and true appreciation on his own of Allah's existence and that of the hereafter. But this is only the first stage of his mission. After this, it becomes his responsibility to teach his compatriots about this great truth he has come to understand and to invite them to follow Allah's way. This great task of preaching of the Messenger's is revealed thus in the Qur'an:
O Messenger, transmit what has been sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not do it, you will not have transmitted His Message... (Surat al-Ma'ida, 67)
However, as Allah reveals in the Qur'an, often just a few people come to believe in the Messenger; the rest foolishly become hostile to this holy individual.
Those Who Believe in the Messenger
When we look at the Qur'an's accounts of the Messengers, we see that very few people in a society that does not know Allah listen to the Messenger and accept what he says. This is because he calls people who live by the values of ignorance to renounce many of their superstitious values, reject their false deities and serve only Allah. Most people in such a society lack the intelligence and awareness to comprehend this. In addition, the great majority of those who could understand see that this excellent and conscientious system clashes with their own interests and so they refuse to accept it. For this reason, only a few of them who have, by Allah's leave, the intelligence to transcend their society's strong allures and the will to practice what they have learned will believe in and follow the Messengers. For this reason, in the Qur'an they are called "believers" (mu'minun).
Believers are very special individuals. Their attitudes toward the world and their reactions to events are very different from that of their contemporaries. They do not direct their lives according to their society's guidelines; rather, they take their cue from Allah's revelation and His Messenger's teachings and behavior. By doing so, they acquire an outstanding moral character that stands in stark contrast to that of the people around them. They are respectful of, as well as loving and loyal to, the Messenger. Their moral qualities, attachment to Allah, and behavior toward the Messengers are related in detail in the Qur'an.
Another characteristic belonging to this group of people is revealed in the Qur'an in its account of the Prophet Moses (as) and the Companions of the Cave. The following is revealed in the Qur'an about those who believed in the Prophet Moses (as):
Here, Allah reveals that those who followed the Prophet Moses (as) were young. The great majority of the Companions alongside our Prophet (saas) consisted of young people, and these blessed young people followed the Prophet Muhammad (saas) despite all the pressure from their polytheist relatives and families and lived alongside him. The believers mentioned in Surat al-Kahf are also revealed to be young people. Here are the relevant verses:
But as we explained earlier, those people with such superior moral values, who understand that their society has gone astray and seek to rectify this by putting themselves under the Messenger's guidance, are few in number.
As we saw above in the verses of Surat al-An'am about the Prophet Abraham (as), many who do not believe in Allah's Messenger respond to him with hostility. Some of the wealthy and powerful are concerned that their own interests will be harmed and are particularly hostile to the Messenger. It is to these arrogant people who persist in their rejection of Him that Allah sends Messengers. We earlier cited the verses concerning Allah's call to the Prophet Moses (as). Allah said to the Prophet Moses (as):
Go to Pharaoh. He has overstepped the bounds. (Surah Ta Ha, 24)
The Leaders of Ignorant Society
In speaking of the society of ignorance in previous pages we emphasized that the main feature of that society is that it fails to recognize or else ignores Allah and His religion. One of the main consequences of this characteristic of the society of ignorance is that it leads to a distorted social order.
A society that believes in and knows and obeys Allah is completely different to the structure of the society of ignorance. In a society of believers, people do not judge others on the basis of family connections, physical beauty, or wealth, and the citizens are loved and respected because of their superior moral character. This society appreciates, loves, and respects those of its people who have superior moral qualities, such as godliness, honesty, trustworthiness, mercy, respect and love for others, and self-sacrifice. As these can be achieved only by submitting to Allah, those entrusted with power and authority in a believing society possess the moral values of a believer revealed by Allah in the Qur'an.
However, the situation in a society that does not know Allah is just the reverse: the moral values listed above have little importance, and the people know nothing of the Qur'an's moral teachings and so exaggerate the importance of material things. For example, for a great many people wealth is the highest value, for this is what makes a person important. In other words, money is their greatest idol. For this reason, the people of such a society believe that "everyone has his or her price."
Therefore, the rich can reach the highest levels by "buying" influential or powerful people. When money is the most valuable thing, people who have it enjoy a strange kind of respect and admiration that gradually helps them to acquire the most power and authority. They form their society's various so-called elites and thus devise its norms and expectations. Most people accept their decisions and admire their lifestyles, behaviors and moral character, no matter how distorted these may be. In other words, they become "fashionable."
The leaders of such societies are often mentioned in the Qur'an. They are called "the ruling circle of those who did not believe" and "the affluent people." The great majority of these types vigorously oppose the Messenger's message, urge others not to listen to him, and try to incite hostility toward him. In the Qur'an this unchanging rule is revealed as follows:
So why do the elite react to Messengers in this way?
What Messengers Preach: Faith and Obedience to Allah
All Messengers bring the same message from Allah. All the Messengers mentioned in the Qur'an demanded essentially the same two things from the communities they were sent to: The people must believe in Allah as the only Lord and, just as importantly, they must respect, fear, and obey Him. This unchanging message is revealed in Surat ash-Shu'ara':
All other examples of the messages and language of the Messengers found in the Qur'an are similar. Allah reveals in other verses that the Prophet Jesus (as) and the Prophet Aaron (as) said this to their peoples:
One of the verses of the Qur'an in which believers are commanded to obey the Prophet Muhammad (saas) reads:
As we can see, all of Allah's Messengers invite their people to have faith in Allah and serve Him. They warn them about the hereafter, inform them that this world is transient, and that they will be rewarded in the hereafter for what they did here. In addition, they ask for the people's obedience. For this is Allah's commandment revealed in the Qur'an: "If you obey him, you will be guided" (Surat an-Nur, 54). They make this request because only His Messengers can lead their people to the truth by calling upon them to live according to Allah's religion.
But the Messenger's leading opponents do not accept this, because the majority of the elite have made everyone dependent on them and their material wealth. However, the Messengers proclaim that there is no other Deity and "Lord" (teacher, guide, and judge) besides Allah, and that He has commanded everyone to obey them. When the people accept this, they become believers in Allah and abandon whatever else they had been worshipping. As this signifies the end of the leaders' power and authority, they become the Messengers' greatest opponents. Another reason why the people in question react against Messengers is that according to their own foolishness and inappropriate criteria they are jealous of these holy individuals who are so valuable and superior in the Sight of Allah.
Why the Messengers Are Opposed
The way that leaders foolishly try to set traps for a Messenger is based on the fact that Allah's Messengers and believers who support them spoil the immoral and perverted order established by unbelievers. Messengers summon their people to serve only Allah. When they begin to do so, the Qur'anic understanding of justice and morality begin to take hold in society. The resulting honesty, sincerity, self-sacrifice, industriousness, and similar moral qualities will upset those who are corrupt and unjust, as well as those who exploit others to gain rank and position. It will also make those who have adopted a shameless, immoral lifestyle and who transgress the limits that Allah has set uncomfortable.
Those who control others by making them dependent upon their wealth, rank, and position fear that they will lose the people's obedience, for now they will listen only to the Messenger, submit themselves to Allah, and act according to the Qur'anic teachings and norms. These are the genuine people who follow the Qur'anic teachings of what is lawful and unlawful. In other words, they do not steal or engage in corruption, defend the poor and the orphaned. Therefore, they ignore their unbelieving society's traditional norms. The message of Prophets and believers thus impinge on unbelievers' interests.
Something else that upsets the society's leaders is that, despite their power, respectability, and authority, a person who is not one of them has been accepted and is now exposing their own falsehoods and those of their system by his religious and moral way of life. As we stated earlier, since they evaluate matters very foolishly and think in a very distorted manner these leaders cannot tolerate even the idea that a Messenger could get the better of them.
Given that Allah's Messengers are the wisest and morally the purest individuals in the world, the leading unbelievers are jealous of them and try to embarrass them in the eyes of society. But it is in fact only themselves who end up embarrassed. For example, the Meccan unbelievers leveled many false accusations against our Prophet (saas), hoping that their mocking words and insults would debase one so high in Allah's Sight in the believers' eyes. But they failed, for such attempts only increased the believers' zeal and strengthened their unity. Allah describes some of the slanders uttered by these people:
Another reason why the great majority of leaders react against a Messenger is because according to their own distorted value judgments they are jealous of someone who is not a member of the elite assuming a leadership position and evaluate matters in the light of their own unpleasant logic.
These Leaders Cannot Appreciate What Messengers Are
The major characteristic of unbelievers, especially of their leaders, is that they cannot evaluate a situation according to the dictates of their conscience. This is described in detail in the Qur'an. And there is no doubt that this characteristic also applies to the leading unbelievers. One of the clearest indications of this is their inability to understand what a Messenger is: an envoy of Allah sent to direct a society in His way. This is certainly an important responsibility, but the leaders cannot grasp this subtlety and so regard a Messenger as an ordinary individual, the same as themselves. Naturally, they evaluate his message in terms of their own distorted logic and silly traditions and rules, which are not based upon the Qur'an.
One of the strictest rules and traditions concerns a leader's qualifications. As a general rule, one who wants to lead a society must have certain material qualifications: a good lineage or wealth. In other words, he must be a member of a class that regards itself, in its own eyes, as the elite .
Unbelievers interpret a Messenger's message according to this distorted logic. In their unintelligent eyes, "if Allah is to have a Messenger," he must be someone from their group: wealthy or well known. They believe that someone who does not come from their social class cannot be Allah's Messenger and, therefore, cannot be a leader. This foolishness inflicts great losses and suffering on them both in this world and in the hereafter. In the Qur'an this way of thinking is revealed in the account of Saul:
This superficial and flawed way of thinking is quite widespread among leading unbelievers. This explains why the Makkan elite rejected the Prophet Muhammad's (saas) mission. As revealed in the Qur'an, they turned their faces and asked: "Has the Reminder been sent down to him out of all of us?" (Surah Sâd, 8). This is an explicit example of unbelievers' lack of rationality, and their psychology is described in other verses as follows:
Allah answers this question in the next verse:
Is it, then, they who allocate the mercy of your Lord?... (Surat az-Zukhruf, 32)
According to the unbelievers' twisted way of thinking, the fact that the Messenger is chosen by Allah is not enough. Their only criterion in their distorted logic is material wealth, and they therefore evaluate the Messenger in its light. According to their distorted logic, such a person must have great material wealth so that he will be obeyed. These foolish expectations on the part of unbelievers are revealed thus in the Qur'an:
However, believers attach themselves to a Messenger not because of his wealth but because Allah has chosen him. They obey him because of his faith in and closeness to Allah. Unbelievers cannot appreciate this, for they think that people obey the Messengers because of their wealth. So, this is one of the reasons why they attack a Messenger and believers, and initiate a struggle. A striking example revealed by Allah in the Qur'an of the immoral attitude of the elite toward Messengers, and where that immorality and unintelligence leads them can be seen in the struggle between the Prophet Moses (as) and Pharaoh.
The Prophet Moses (as) and Pharaoh
As revealed in the Qur'an, Pharaoh was an oppressor who ruled the Egyptians with his material and military might. He especially oppressed and tortured the Israelites, who were forced to work as slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh's regime is described in the Qur'an as follows:
Allah sent the Prophet Moses (as) as a Messenger and Prophet to free the Israelites from Pharaoh's cruelty and to lead them to the right path. The Prophet Moses (as) asked Pharaoh for permission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but Pharaoh refused since that would, in his own foolish eyes, cast a shadow on his power. He was irrational enough to insist on his perversion and claim to be the "Lord of all Egypt." (Surely Allah is beyond that) He ruthlessly oppressed the people and made them agree that his distorted ideas were the only right ones:
For this reason, Pharaoh could not allow the Prophet Moses (as) to become the Israelites' leader. In his foolish mind all of Egypt belonged to him and he could not imagine that the Prophet Moses (as), who had no material wealth, could be their leader.
Pharaoh was jealous of the Prophet Moses (as) and nursed a deep hatred for him. Displaying his superior wealth, power, and possessions, he foolishly tried to belittle Allah's Messenger with deceptive words. But at the end of the day he was the only one to be humiliated and lost everything in this world and the hereafter. Pharaoh's words are quoted as follows in the Qur'an:
As we see, Pharaoh was so irrational and depraved as to present himself as the "Lord of Egypt." (Surely Allah is beyond that) But the Prophet Moses (as) said that Allah was the "Lord of everything on earth, in the heavens and in between," which of course included Egypt, and this upset Pharaoh. This conversation is related in the Qur'an as follows:
Pharaoh was hostile to the Prophet Moses (as) because the truths he told threatened his kingdom's twisted order. Pharaoh knew that Allah existed, and said as much:
This distorted logic of Pharaoh's betrays a general characteristic of those who lead the forces of opposition against Allah's Messengers: their distorted belief in Allah. For this reason, they do not recognize that they owe obedience to His Messengers. When a Messenger tells them that their society's status quo has become corrupt and asks them to give up their dishonest profits and become his followers, these arrogant leaders, who have been spoiled by their blessings, respond with anger and hostility.
In the Qur'an, Allah informs us of their state and states that He will choose His Messengers:
Traps Set For the Messengers
Many accounts of the Messengers relate the opposition, assaults, plots, and accusations that the unbelievers launch against them. No Messenger has ever been exempted from such abuse. The struggle between Allah's Messengers and leading unbelievers has been going on ever since Allah sent the Prophet Adam (as) to earth.
But there is an interesting aspect to this abuse, which the elite set about opposing the Messengers but which had actually been defeated before they even began it: The leaders generally do not deny Allah's existence and thus reject His ordinances; on the contrary, they claim that they genuinely believe in Allah but lie in saying the Messenger is not Allah's envoy. They even utterly foolishly and immorally slander these holy Messengers of Allah by saying they are solely interested in their own worldly advantage. They issue another slander by saying that his followers are "deceived" and "bewitched," and, in their own foolish minds, organize themselves to "save society from him." According to their distorted logic, they think that their own traditional social organization is right and that "someone with no wealth or rank" must be trying to sow confusion and ruin the existing order for his own interests. But it is they who have strayed into perversion. The only true path is that shown by Allah and His Messenger. But those people are suffering the pain and anguish of not living by the moral values revealed by Allah. The Messenger invites them to true salvation from the disasters afflicting them. People who heed that call are acting in their own interests, while those who not are acting against those interests.
The general spiritual condition of the people who set traps for these superior, intelligent, worthy, and highly moral individuals is certainly in a state of decay. We can understand from the Qur'anic accounts that those who set traps for the Messengers are those who could easily commit murder. For example, in the Qur'an Allah tells us about the Prophet Joseph's (as) brothers, who planned to martyr him out of jealousy:
Those who set the trap claim to be good people. In fact, this is a major ploy that the unbelievers use to "prove" that they are working for the good of society. Leaders of unbelievers, who have literally become expert at portraying good as evil, and evil as good, strive to spread propaganda against believers by way of lies, slanders and false accusations, and carefully wage a campaign of psychological warfare. Pharaoh tried to justify threatening the Prophet Moses (as) with martyrdom because he lied that he did not want to impugn religion and to unleash disorder. In spite of his cruelty and oppression, he proclaimed himself to be the protector of society's values. The real aim here, of course, was to try to turn society against the Prophet Moses (as) by misusing areas in which people are particularly sensitive. Pharaoh's words are revealed in the Qur'an:
In other words, Pharaoh supposedly wanted to save the people from the Prophet Moses (as). But it was actually Pharaoh himself causing corruption on Earth, while society's true savior was the Prophet Moses (as) and the true path he called people to. This disingenuousness is a common characteristic of all unbelievers. The following conversation between the Prophet Noah (as) and the leaders of his people is related in the Qur'an:
Such unbelieving leaders spread amazing propaganda against the Messengers. They deny one of religion's most important foundations: the existence of the hereafter. They do not admit that they reject Allah, but foolishly portray the Messengers as "inventors of lies in His name and exploiters of religion." This is certainly terribly immoral and a total lie and slander. But some people, who have lost the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong from living far removed from religious moral values, fall under the spell of this propaganda based on lies. But for believers, albeit in few in number, upon whom Allah bestows faith, these slanders, attacks and propaganda are all excellent means whereby they love the Messenger even more, become more genuinely attached to him and increase their religious fervor and excitement. That is because each one of these phenomena takes place as promised by Allah and is created as one of our Lord's wise tests. Another irrational claim that unbelievers make is that the Messengers are just normal people who eat and drink like everyone else. Therefore, there is no advantage in following them. But this is nonsense, because a Messenger is a human being who lives like everyone else – the only difference is that Allah has chosen him, made him superior with blessings from His Presence and led him to the truth. For this reason, those who obey the one true Messenger have chosen to follow a guide to the truth.
It is revealed in the Qur'an that people with no faith expect a Messenger to be an extraordinary individual, but that this is a mistake. Allah speaks of these people thus:
The main reason why unbelievers oppose the Messengers is not, as they untruthfully maintain, because they want to protect the people from the Messenger's ideas. Rather, it is because such people seek only their own advantage and thus are hostile to a Messenger, who is viewed as a threat to these advantages. Therefore, the leading unbelievers think they must stop a Messenger from communicating his message.
The first thing they do is spread negative propaganda about the Messenger and his message. Some classic accusations are related in the Qur'an. But it is useful here to recall an important matter: No matter what the unbelievers do to disparage a Messenger and his followers, at least in their own foolish eyes, and no matter what accusations they allege, they will fail. Contrary to what they expect, their insults, accusations, and calumnies will have no ill effect on the believers, who are aware that they will be rewarded in this life in the finest manner and the hereafter for enduring such things patiently, reacting to them properly, and holding fast to His way and religious morality.
Slanders against Messengers
Believers know that all such accusations made against them are gossip and slander created by Allah to test them. That is because it is foretold in the Qur'an that all these things will certainly befall believers. It is revealed as follows in one verse:
Allah has promised that these tests will purify those who endure them in this world. For example, the unbelievers tried, in their own eyes, to oppress the Prophet Moses (as) with accusations and insults, but Allah exonerated him:
In the same way, they leveled serious accusations against the Prophet Joseph (as) with regard to his chastity. Although everyone knew that he had preserved his chastity, that he had committed no crime, that he was an innocent and immaculate individual, and although everyone realized this and that all the evidence proved the Prophet Joseph's (as) innocence, they nonetheless threw him into prison:
Hz. Yusuf hiçbir suçu olmadığı halde kendisine atılan iftiradan, hakkında oluşturulan şaibelerden ötürü yıllar yılı zindanda tutulmuştur. Ancak sonunda gerçek Although the Prophet Joseph (as) has committed no crime, he spent years in prison. Later on, the truth came out and he was cleared. And Allah made this holy individual responsible for the Egyptian Treasury. This is described as follows in verses:
After his innocence became known, the Prophet Joseph (as) came to lead his people and assume power. Allah reveals thus in verses on the subject:
The Messengers are not concerned with being exonerated in the eyes of others. It is enough for them that All-Knowing Allah knows what they are doing and what is in their hearts. But it is revealed in the Qur'an that the pangs of hell await those who make false accusations against the Messengers and believers:
In another verse it is revealed what will happen to those who accuse believing men and women of committing sins, which they did not:
Now we will examine the accusations made against the Messengers, as well as the methods used to sully their characters.
The accusation that messengers seek their own advantage
The most frequent accusation made by the unbelievers' leaders is the totally immoral lie that the Messenger does not believe in what he proclaims, but rather is only seeking his own advantage and personal gain. Furthermore, they claim that the Messenger's "thirst for power" underlies his demand to be obeyed. The fact is, however, that Messengers are immaculate people who charge people nothing, who have no worldly expectations, who look for Allah's approval alone and who live in the hope of His mercy, good pleasure and paradise. Messengers expect nothing in worldly terms, although Allah bestows the world's finest blessings on these sincere and righteous servants of His. For example, Pharaoh and his circle claimed that the Prophet Moses (as) was not interested in calling people to religion; all he wanted was to "gain greatness in the land":
It is revealed in the Qur'an that the same ugly accusation was made about the Prophet Noah (as):
These verses show that one of the unbelievers' foolish errors lies in maintaining that the Messengers are ordinary people like themselves. The fact is that every Messenger is a superior and holy person in the Sight of Allah. The Prophet Moses (as) and all other Messengers, without exception, call their people to obey them – but only for the sake of gaining Allah's approval. Each Messenger and those who believe in and obey him are Allah's servants. Thus, when a Messenger calls people to obey him, he is actually calling them to serve Allah:
However, as we have seen, Pharaoh and other leading unbelievers foolishly and supposedly claimed to be "gods" (surely Allah is beyond that). This is one of the reasons why, unless these unbelievers repent and change their ways, they will be rewarded with great torment.
The accusation that messengers are crazy
Another of the slanderous techniques frequently employed by unbelievers is to accuse the Messenger, and sometimes also the believers with him, of "madness." This foolish accusation has been made about nearly all Messengers. This is often referred to in the Qur'an. For example, the Prophet Noah (as) was called a "madman":
The same accusation was made against our Prophet (saas):
The same slander was directed against the Prophet Moses (as):
Allah tells us that all peoples tend to make false accusations against the Messengers sent to them:
Since the leading unbelievers are unable to properly appreciate the might of Allah they are also unable to comprehend the courage of the Messengers, their determination in their struggle and the source of their relevant strength and influence. While personal gain is their first criterion, a Messenger gives up his personal advantage to deliver Allah's message. Personal gain is an unbelievers' sole criterion; they observe only their own interests. In contrast, the Messenger sacrifices all his personal interests in order to preach the word. According to the distorted logic of the unbelievers, such behavior is opposed to worldly gain and is, therefore, a type of madness.
However, by forgoing this world entirely, a Messenger gains Allah's approval and mercy, as well as the promise of paradise, which nothing else can equal in value. But unbelievers cannot grasp this.
The accusation that messengers are magicians
We are also informed in the Qur'an that these leaders of unbelievers cannot understand how anyone obeys the Messenger. Even though the majority of people are opposed to the Messenger, there are still some people – believers – who understand the truths imparted by him and are sincerely devoted to him. Believers know that he is Allah's Messenger and guides them according to His ordinances. As a result, they are loyal to him and feel great love and respect for him.
This is difficult for the leading unbelievers to understand, for according to their distorted logic, the Messenger's message is nothing "but the myths of previous peoples" (Surat al-Muminun, 83). However, believers are deeply attached to these truths, which the unbelievers call "myths." The unbelievers try to dismiss, in their own eyes at least, the wisdom and striking ability to communicate of the Messenger, which he possesses as a blessing from Allah, as sorcery, brainwashing, and casting spells. According to this lie they so frequently resort to, the Messenger is brainwashing the people around him and supposedly casting a spell over them. The fact is, however, that Messengers are responsible for much that is valuable and worthy, that the unbelievers can never understand, by cleansing believers' brains of every last vestige of immorality and unpleasantness left over from the society of ignorance.
These slanders of the unbelievers are again described in the Qur'an:
They made the same accusation against the Prophet Moses (as):
The accusation that messengers are liars
Along with the above accusations, the Qur'an also mentions another: that the Messenger is a liar. One of the unbelieving leaders' main worries is that the people will accept the truth of the Messenger's message and adopt the fine moral system commanded by Allah to which he is calling them. If this happened, their own false systems, as well as their power and authority, would crumble and collapse.
The accusations mentioned above are designed to show, at least in their own eyes, that the Messenger's message is not true. They seek to camouflage the fact that a Messenger is Allah's Messenger and to convince their people that what he says is his own invention. Otherwise, almost no one would openly show hostility toward a Messenger out of fear of opposing Allah's Messenger.
In the Qur'an this accusation is revealed as follows:
There are other accusations as well, such as ridiculing and belittling the Messengers: "We sent messengers before you among the disparate groups of previous peoples. No messenger came to them without their mocking him" (Surat al-Hijr, 10-11). They also ignore their own vices and unpleasant life styles and accuse the immaculate Messengers and their followers of "heresy" and even of "unchastity." The Prophet Joseph (as) and Hazrat Mary (as) were both accused of unchastity. Yet these slanders have in fact been a source of honor for all the Messengers, Prophets and true believers throughout the course of history, and have raised them in the Sight of Allah and the eyes of other believers many times over.
But it is absolutely certain that such accusations can never intimidate a Messenger and his followers, for their basic goal is to gain Allah's approval and mercy and to obtain the promise of paradise. For this reason, obstacles along the way never deter believers or weaken their resolve. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us about the difficulties that believers will face.
Believers know that they will be abused verbally:
You will be tested in your wealth and in yourselves, and you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from those who are idolaters. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take. (Surah Al 'Imran, 186)
The Messenger and his followers pay no attention to these false accusations and slander, for they are those "who strive in the way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any censurer" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 54).
In time, the leading unbelievers will certainly notice that the accusations made against the Messenger and his followers have not achieved the desired goal. The classic behavior these leaders will then adopt is to resort to what they imagine to be more "effective" measures: they turn instead toward another piece of unpleasantness that can never bear fruit either. They try, in their own eyes, to put pressure on the Messenger.
Actual Assaults against Messengers
When a Messenger tells the people about Allah's religion, the unbelievers' leaders react more and more ferociously. When they see the true religion continue to spread despite all of their accusations and calumnies, they resort to what they consider to be more "effective," such as setting traps.
In the Qur'an one "plot" against the Messenger is revealed as follows:
The unbelievers' goal is to have the Messenger arrested, martyred, or expelled. The word "plot" here is thought-provoking: Instead of confronting a Messenger openly, the unbelievers resort to plots in an attempt to achieve the above-mentioned goal. But as the verse says, their plots can never harm a Messenger, for Allah will protect His Messenger until his work is completed. In the Qur'an it is revealed that nearly all of the Messengers were threatened with martyrdom, prison, or torture and that the unbelievers' threats often turned into actual assaults.
Attempts to exile Messengers
As revealed in the Qur'an, exile is one of the methods unbelievers foolishly think they can use to silence the Messengers. They think scattering a Messenger and his followers by driving them away from their homes will cause them to become powerless and that this will enable them to neutralize them. For example, they tried to exile the Prophet Lot (as) and his family because they lived pure and honest lives among their corrupt people. In the Qur'an Allah relates how they ridiculed the Prophet Lot's (as) message:
The Prophet Lot (as) urged his people to avoid immorality, to stay within the limits set by Allah, and to abandon their current immoral and shameful behavior. This is why they wanted to exile him and his family. But at Allah's command, as soon as the Prophet Lot (as) left his city it was destroyed by a catastrophe, and the unbelievers' trap was neutralized:
Our Prophet (saas) and the believers were banished from their towns by their own people and forced to migrate elsewhere because they proclaimed Allah's existence and unity, invited people to accept the Qur'an, and prohibited them from doing evil. In one verse, Allah reveals that the Messengers were banished from their lands, but that those who exiled them were eventually destroyed:
This is one of Allah's eternal laws. Those who exile people from their homes because of their religion cannot remain there themselves for long. The unbelievers' traps are always foiled. After our Prophet (saas) was forced to leave Makkah, he returned years later in the company of thousands of believers and established his rule over the unbelievers. To the unbelievers' surprise, the Muslims were neither divided nor scattered; rather, they were stronger and more united and, with Allah's permission, they defeated the unbelievers. This shows that alliances formed against the believers will never succeed.
Attempts to arrest and imprison the Messengers
One of the methods used by the unbelievers' leaders is to arrest and imprison the Messengers in an attempt to silence them, at least in their own eyes, and prevent them from proclaiming His way. In fact, these leaders want to totally eliminate the Messengers and all other believers. The very existence of such people makes them extremely anxious and uncomfortable. For this reason, they spare no effort or expense to silence the Messengers in order to protect their property and to perpetuate the status quo.
For example, Pharaoh threatened the Prophet Moses (as) with prison when the latter did not offer his obedience, out of the foolish and mistaken belief that this was the best way to control him. This threat is related in the Qur'an:
When we look at Islamic history, those who strived in His way were constantly subjected to pressure, cruelty, and interference by the unbelievers. And the believers also experienced similar difficulties. Since the unbelievers always feel threatened in such circumstances, those who worked to promote His way have constantly been watched, followed, and imprisoned.
Such experiences may look extremely oppressive from the outside; however, remember that believers regard them as spiritual training, for they know that such difficulties are a source of joy and contentment, a way of purification that helps them gain Allah's approval and mercy, as well as attain the promise of paradise. Such events allow them to come closer to Allah, to witness the Qur'an's truth and Allah's close interest in what happens to them.
In the Qur'an the believers' courage is revealed as follows:
Efforts to oppress, wear down, and frighten
In order to increase their spiritual reward, Allah tests the believers' patience, trust, and determination to remain faithful to Him. He may do this in many different ways, one of which He reveals in the Qur'an:
No matter how bereft and helpless believers may appear, Allah's mercy and assistance are always with them. In other verses Allah speaks of the armies He sends to support believers:
In every period of history, unbelievers have always tried, in their own eyes, to intimidate believers. They always direct the brunt of their attacks against the Messengers. But because believers know that all power belongs to Allah, they are not intimidated or discouraged.
When faced with these moments of difficulty, believers realize that Allah and His Messengers have told them of these things beforehand, and so they do not lose their dignity of their trust; on the contrary, their trust and determination increase. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals the believers' determination when they confronted the Confederates:
Attempts to Martyr Messengers
The unbelievers' cruelest assault against these individuals of the best and finest morality known to humanity is attempted martyrdom. Almost every Messenger has been faced with such an attempt. Sometimes these plots were successful; sometimes they were not. These unbelievers thought that martyring the Messengers would destroy Allah's religion and cause the believers to abandon their faith. The people's desire to martyr the Prophet Jethro (as) to death is an example of the unbelievers' resentment and hostility toward those following Allah's way:
When Pharaoh and his circle were planning to martyr the Prophet Moses (as), Allah informed him:
Unbelievers also tried to martyr the Messengers through kidnappings and solitary confinement. Earlier, we gave the example of how the Prophet Joseph (as) was abandoned by his brothers in a well to expose him to hunger and thirst, and thus martyr him. And the Prophet Abraham's (as) people were frenzied enough to burn this blessed Messenger alive after he had broken their idols. But Allah miraculously rescued him from this situation. In one verse Allah says this of the Prophet Abraham (as):
As revealed in the above verse, the unbelievers' attempt to "burn" the Prophet Abraham (as) ended in failure and Allah rescued him. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that this attempt failed and that Allah protects His Messengers:
... Allah will protect you from people... (Surat al-Ma'ida, 67)
Without Allah's permission, unbelievers cannot harm a believer or a Messenger.
The Unbelievers' Traps Are Doomed to Fail from the Beginning
By taking a few physical measures, unbelievers think that they can silence a Messenger's message. However, they never consider that Allah determines the outcome of everything and that He always helps the believers. They do their best to prevent the Messenger's work, but their traps always fail and rebound upon them, no matter how well and intelligently planned they are.
Some of the verses of the Qur'an that reveal how the plots and stratagems of the unbelievers will be confounded and rebound against them read as follows:
Every sort of trap, wicked ruse, accusation, and plot designed against the Messengers will turn into something good, for apart from Allah there is no power; He creates every trap and ensures that it will come to naught. In fact, He turns all traps to the believers' advantage and thereby harms the unbelievers. This person who prepares a trap for Muslims foolishly imagines he is doing it himself. The fact is, however, that he is also subject to His will. Without the slightest alteration, they set the traps just as Allah commands. In the same way, believers witness the failure of these traps just as Allah wills. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that the traps will only harm the unbelievers:
Allah also reveals in the Qur'an that no matter how damaging the trap may be, it cannot overcome what Allah has willed. To the unbelievers, these plots are seen as proofs of their power. But Allah has prepared a response for these people, and He always keeps His promise. This is one of His unchanging laws. This law is set out in several verses of the Qur'an. Some of the verses concerned read:
The lives of Allah's Messengers are full of examples of victories obtained over the unbelievers' plots. For example, Pharaoh killed all male children who had been born during a particular period, foolishly imagined he took precautions, and oppressed believers, but he still could not hinder the Prophet Moses (as). During the Hegira the pagans of Mecca followed our Prophet (saas) and sought to martyr him, but Allah miraculously protected him in a cave .
The people tried to burn the Prophet Abraham (as) alive, but Allah cooled it for him so that he could survive. The Prophet Joseph's (as) brothers threw him into a well, but Allah rescued him and had an Egyptian king put him in charge of the nation's treasures. They tried to martyr the Prophet Jesus (as), but Allah raised him to heaven. Again and again He foiled their traps in the most unexpected way. Allah creates what and when He wills, and gives victory to His Messengers.
Allah Knows All of Their Traps
Unbelievers, who have no knowledge of Allah's power, think that no one is aware of their traps for the Messengers. Quietly and behind closed doors, they make their cruel and unjust decisions. But they are mistaken in their assumption that such secrecy hides them, for Allah knows all secrets and is aware of every detail. Allah is everywhere. He hears all words and sees all things. As He reveals in the Qur'an:
Allah reveals in many verses how futile and useless are the efforts of the unbelievers, who unite their forces and plot evil actions against good people, to conceal their wickedness.
Unable to immediately see the reward of their trickery, the plotters deceive themselves. Despite all of Allah's Messengers' warnings, they persist in their wickedness. Allah is aware of each of their plans, but gives them a certain amount of time. So, believers who know of His promise endure their oppression with patient trust.
imparts this good news read:
The Messengers' and Believers' Reactions
Certainly, assaults against a Messenger and the believers are serious enough to intimidate those without faith. For example, when some people believed in the Prophet Moses (as) after seeing his miracles worked by Allah's blessing and sided with him, Pharaoh threatened them:
This kind of threat would deter most people with no or only weak faith, but the believers were not influenced by it:
Allah also reveals in the Qur'an that the believers are brave and secure when confronted with the unbelievers' threats:
Indeed, in the Qur'an the Messengers are told to be determined and secure against the unbelievers:
There can be no question of a Messenger fearing or hesitating when confronted by the unbelievers, because they are "those who conveyed Allah's message and had fear of Him, fearing no one except Allah" (Surat al-Ahzab, 39).
The reason for a Messenger's and the believers' resolute and courageous nature in such cases comes from their ability to understand each event's inner and secret truth: No thing and no person can escape what Allah has willed for them. Unbelievers are totally unaware of this truth and so think that their plans will succeed. However, they always fail to understand that they cannot do anything without Allah's permission, because it is He Who wills all that happens to each thing and person.
Therefore, the traps that unbelievers set for believers, their attacks and slanders, cannot take place without Allah's knowledge and permission. And for that reason, the believers do not fear the unbelievers' plots, for: "... The misguided cannot harm you as long as you are guided..." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 105); "... Allah will not give the unbelievers any way against the believers" (Surat an-Nisa', 141); and, "... if you are steadfast and guard against evil, their scheming will not harm you in any way. Allah encompasses what they do" (Surah Al 'Imran, 120).
But this does not mean that the believers do not experience any trouble. Allah will test them by means of such assaults to bring them to maturity. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that they will have the strength to endure their testing, for "Allah does not impose on any self more than it can stand" (Surat al-Baqara, 286).
This truth is revealed in the following verse:
In short, for a Messenger and his followers, all the oppressions, accusations and assaults from unbelievers are a test from Allah. For this reason, they are determined, secure and patient in what they have to endure, they never become stricken with panic or fear. Allah tells in the Qur'an of these qualities evident in believers:
But notice that the Messengers' and the believers' patience does not mean that they endure their difficulties passively. On the contrary, the Messengers are always able to foil the traps set for them and to defeat the unbelievers by turning their traps against them in the most intelligent and finest manner. Allah's Messengers are very intelligent, provident, resourceful, knowledgeable, and able to make effective plans of their own to achieve victory. They have always emerged victorious from their struggles against the unbelievers. In the following pages, we will deal with their wise and auspicious plans and courses of action against denial, as revealed in the Qur'an.
How the Messengers Struggle against the Unbelievers
Allah assists the Messengers and their followers by giving them strength and support. A Messenger especially receives support from Allah; in the Qur'an it is revealed that He gives them knowledge, wisdom, clarity of expression, maturity, and the ability to make right decisions. Besides this, Allah gives them great possessions (e.g., material wealth, power, and magnificence).
For example, Hazrat Saul (as), the chosen leader of the Israelites, was given knowledge, physical strength, and kingship:
In the Qur'an it is also revealed that Allah supported the Prophet Abraham (as) and his offspring with wisdom and an immense kingdom:
We are told that the Prophet Joseph (as) received the same support:
And later, while saying his prayers, the Prophet Joseph (as) said:
With such support, a Messenger engages in an intellectual struggle against the leading unbelievers. Allah directs this struggle. With his wisdom and insight, a Messenger always shows his superiority in such an intellectual struggle, for the unbelievers can never answer his sound ideas and so are always defeated. Messengers always have the truth on their side and are always victorious over disbelief.
A messenger humiliates the unbelievers
The struggle between a Messenger and the unbelievers is actually a taste of the pain of this world that Allah gives to the latter. For those who are devoted to ostentation and seeking others' approval, humiliation is a very severe punishment. This is described as "disgrace in the life of this world" in the Qur'an:
Allah manifests this attribute through the believers, and especially by way of His Messengers. This is revealed as follows in Surat at-Tawba:
The Prophet Solomon (as), who was sent as a Messenger to the Israelites, who denied His existence, also humiliated and belittled these unbelievers:
Therefore, humiliating the unbelievers is an important part of this struggle. So how is that to be done? Most often, such humiliation is enough to get the unbelievers to show their real faces, because most of the elite have reached the apex of denial and corruption. They are degenerate. Throughout history, perversion, dishonesty, and other such corruptions have been among the defining characteristics of the great majority. But the people in question have hidden their degenerate lives from the general public. Revealing it is one of ways to make others aware of such people's disgrace and humiliation.
Unbelievers fear believers, and are shaken by the Messengers' and the believers' strength, intelligence, and determination:
In another verse, Allah reveals that they will be filled with fear:
All of the Messengers mentioned in the Qur'an always defeated the unbelievers. Every people that did not listen to their message and heed their warnings finally perished, and every wicked plan they devised was foiled.
How the messengers foil the unbelievers' traps
The Qur'an informs us of these traps. But most importantly, it tells us that Allah devises traps (or plots) in return for those who reject His existence. As revealed in the Qur'an: "They plotted and Allah plotted. But Allah is the best plotter" (Surah Al 'Imran, 54). We are also told that Allah sets traps for those who try to entrap a Messenger:
One of Allah's titles is al-Makir, or The Plotter. In other verses this title is revealed as follows:
Note that the title The Plotter, just like the title The Humiliator, is manifested in the believers and especially in the Messengers. Allah often uses a Messenger to set a trap for the unbelievers. The Prophet Joseph (as) is an example of this. His irreligious brothers threw him in a well when he was a young child. But the Prophet Joseph (as) was rescued by Allah's choosing and set a trap for them in turn when he assumed control over the Egyptian Treasury:
Another example of a trap is when the Prophet Abraham (as) broke his people's idols. Verses describing this read:
The Struggle between a Messenger and Representatives of the Religion of the Ancestors
So far we have dealt with the struggle between a Messenger and the unbelievers' leaders. But there are other groups who, for various reasons, also oppose a Messenger. In addition, it would be wrong to imagine all the "elite" as one; there are different groups among this section of society. In the pages that follow we shall be looking at these groups as described in the Qur'an.
Among the most important of these groups are those people who practice the superstitious religion of their ancestors and oppose the true religion as proclaimed by a Messenger.
Earlier, when we spoke of a society that does not know Allah, we said that this group had separated themselves from the essence of religious moral values and disregarded Allah's manifest existence. But in nearly every ignorant society revealed in the Qur'an there is some religious belief. In some aspects it may resemble Allah's religion, but its essence is quite different. True religion is based on knowing and serving Allah alone, being devoted to Him and to nothing else, and following His Messengers. But these misguided people's concept of religion is based on their devotion to their ancestors and the determination to continue their superstitious traditions. This religion may often invoke Allah's name, but this is deceptive, for there is no real faith, respect, or fear of Allah in it:
These people's situation is an exceptional deterrent: They answer every question correctly (for example, they affirm that Allah has created everything), but their behavior is not consistent with their affirmation. When they are asked to think carefully about these things and warned to save themselves from the deception in which they live, they clearly do not understand the meaning of their answers.
The reason for this situation is very clear: These individuals do not believe in the true religion, but rather in a false religion characterized by its not being founded on sincere faith in, respect for, and a genuine fear of Allah, and not putting Allah's approval above all else. This absence of a sound foundation is an attempt to preserve a few superstitious traditional beliefs and values passed down from a people's ancestors. The individuals described in the verses above have a belief in Allah, derived from their ancestral religion, but cannot grasp the truth of His existence or conceive of His attributes.
Also, this ancestral religion contains several misguided elements. Whereas true religion is based totally on Allah's revelation, this false religion is severed from true religion and based on a few myths. For this reason, it has an incorrect understanding of such matters as faith in Allah and morality. Therefore, a Messenger and his followers oppose the superstitious religion of the forebears and call upon their society to practice the true religion "with which He is pleased" (Surat an-Nur, 55).
Very often, people refuse to abandon their superstitious ancestral religion. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that this is an immutable law:
So why is it that the elite and others are so devoted to the false religion of their ancestors?
The reason for this attachment is clear: This false religion is an important part of the traditional social order. By practicing it, they ensure the social order's legitimacy, and by following its rules they can easily make themselves appear religious and gain the public's confidence.
Some individuals remain faithful to their ancestral religion out of conservatism. They are against every kind of change and believe that everything old is good; they are submerged in the conservatism that is a tendency of the human self. Others make material profit from their ancestors' superstitious religion and know that if they abandon it, the existing clerical system will collapse. Allah reveals in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Many of the rabbis and monks devour people's property under false pretences and bar people from access to Allah's way. As for those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in His way, give them the news of a painful punishment" (Surat at-Tawba, 34).
For this reason, a significant segment of society begins to defend the ancestral religion against the true religion proclaimed by a Messenger. We can see this when the 'Ad people said to the Prophet Hud (as): "Have you come to us to make us worship Allah alone and abandon what our fathers used to worship? Then bring us what you have promised us, if you are telling the truth" (Surat al-A'raf, 70); when the Thamud people said to the Prophet Saleh (as): "Saleh, we had great hopes in you before this happened. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? We have grave doubts about what you are calling us to" (Surah Hud, 62); and the court of Pharaoh who spoke against the Prophet Moses (as): "This is nothing but trumped-up magic. We never heard anything like this among our forefathers" (Surat al-Qasas, 36).
Another major characteristic of these people is that they pretend to be religious when they assault a Messenger and his followers. They invoke the name of Allah and of religion in an attempt to legitimize their assaults and oppression. This is nothing but pretense, because they have no interest in Allah or His religion. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that these people, even if they commit the greatest crime of martyring a Messenger, claim to be acting in Allah's name. The following is revealed in the Qur'an about such people:
There is another group that uses the name of Allah in their hostility against a Messenger. Almost every Messenger has encountered these people who are called "hypocrites" in the Qur'an.
The Messengers' Struggle against the Hypocrites
Messengers and believers also have to confront the hypocrites who, unlike the groups discussed above, are "secret deniers" who appear to be believers. In the Qur'an such people are described as follows:
Hypocrites want to appear to be believers because they hope to receive some benefit from the real believers. They are jealous of the believers' material wealth, influence, and glamour and so pretend to be believers in order to benefit from these things. However, as revealed in the Qur'an, they are only deceiving themselves because it is impossible to "imitate" a believer, for they can only imitate some of the external forms of religion. Thus, all believers can immediately detect such insincerity, as can any Messenger. It is revealed in the Qur'an that Allah gives each Messenger a special understanding that enables him to recognize hypocrites:
Allah's Messengers may not immediately disclose the hypocrites' true nature, but this will become apparent when they are called upon to sacrifice for the religion, for instance. Since they are interested in the believers and religion only for personal gain, their basic insincerity will become evident when they are asked to do something that will not materially benefit them.
This brings us to one of the hypocrite's salient characteristics: When a hypocrite gives up imitating a believer, he does not seek isolation, but rather tries to divert believers from Allah's way. He foolishly tries to destroy their zeal, make them doubt and despair, and weaken their loyalty to the Messenger. He elects to spread corruption. No hypocrite can say that he left the right road out of a sense of personal interest. As we read in the Qur'an, they say: "What Allah and His messenger promised us was mere delusion" (Surat al-Ahzab, 12) or "These people have been deluded by their religion" (Surat al-Anfal, 49). They lie and say that they are aware of truths that believers do not know, as when Samiri explained to the Prophet Moses (as) why he led the people astray to worship the calf: "I saw what they did not see" (Surah Ta Ha, 96).
In the Qur'an, these acts are defined as "fitnah" (meaning sedition, trial, temptation, dispute, mischief), which is one of the greatest sins: "... Fitnah is worse than killing..." (Surat al-Baqara, 217). Samiri is one of the clearest examples of a hypocrite, and the Prophet Moses' (as) behavior toward him shows the Messenger's determination to prevent such strife. How the Prophet Moses (as) responded to the strife that this man had stirred up after he had ascended Mount Tur alone to receive Allah's revelation is related in detail in the Qur'an:
Clearly, a Messenger responds to hypocrites with determination. Allah tells our Prophet (saas):
One important element here is that some of the Prophet Moses' (as) people lacked an understanding of the true religion and exhibited an extremely disobedient character. Believers are not influenced by the strife stirred up by hypocrites; their loyalty to the Messenger just continues to grow. In such a situation, the hypocrites separate themselves as a body from the believers but, due to their desire for revenge, they do not go away. Rather, they do everything they can to prolong their opposition to the Messenger and his followers. Even in this situation they do not acknowledge their insincerity, but still try to present themselves as true believers. The clearest example of this in the time of our Prophet (saas) was when the hypocrites built a new mosque after they had separated themselves from him. They did this only to express their hostility:
The purpose behind the hypocrites' mosque is revealed in these verses: to harm believers and to join forces with those at war against believers. No matter how strongly they may claim that they only wanted to do good in establishing the mosque, their real purpose was to intensify their struggle against the Muslim community. The main difference between the two mosques was that the believers' mosque was based on true godliness - the believers' respect and fear of Allah and the desire to win His approval. The hypocrites' mosque, however, was based on their own whim and hostility against the believers; that is, in the words of the Qur'an, "on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the fire of hell." In the hereafter, such people will be sent to the lowest regions of hell.
The Messengers' Struggle against Immorality
A Messenger's chief duty is to call his people to Allah's way and explain His religion to them. The groups he struggles with respond to his call with hostility and try to stop him from delivering his message. He also tries to intellectually destroy the influence of those groups that want to lead people astray and prevent them from following His way: "They keep others from it and avoid it themselves..." (Surat al-An'am, 26). For example, those who work to promote immoral conduct and indecency want to draw others into the same perversions in which they indulge:
People who love to see immorality being spread among those who believe will have a painful punishment both in this world and the hereafter. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat an-Nur, 19)
Those who work to spread immorality will experience the pangs of hell in the hereafter. They may experience different pangs in this world, and Allah may give them different troubles. The example of the Prophet Lot (as) and his people shows how the Messengers struggle against immorality. It records the Prophet Lot's (as) warning to homosexuals and his immoral people's response to him:
In another verse we are informed of the Prophet Lot's (as) response to his people:
The Messengers' and Believers' Reactions
Certainly, assaults against a Messenger and the believers are serious enough to intimidate those without faith. For example, when some people believed in the Prophet Moses (as) after seeing his miracles worked by Allah's blessing and sided with him, Pharaoh threatened them:
This kind of threat would deter most people with no or only weak faith, but the believers were not influenced by it:
Allah also reveals in the Qur'an that the believers are brave and secure when confronted with the unbelievers' threats:
Indeed, in the Qur'an the Messengers are told to be determined and secure against the unbelievers:
There can be no question of a Messenger fearing or hesitating when confronted by the unbelievers, because they are "those who conveyed Allah's message and had fear of Him, fearing no one except Allah" (Surat al-Ahzab, 39).
The reason for a Messenger's and the believers' resolute and courageous nature in such cases comes from their ability to understand each event's inner and secret truth: No thing and no person can escape what Allah has willed for them. Unbelievers are totally unaware of this truth and so think that their plans will succeed. However, they always fail to understand that they cannot do anything without Allah's permission, because it is He Who wills all that happens to each thing and person.
Therefore, the traps that unbelievers set for believers, their attacks and slanders, cannot take place without Allah's knowledge and permission. And for that reason, the believers do not fear the unbelievers' plots, for: "... The misguided cannot harm you as long as you are guided..." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 105); "... Allah will not give the unbelievers any way against the believers" (Surat an-Nisa', 141); and, "... if you are steadfast and guard against evil, their scheming will not harm you in any way. Allah encompasses what they do" (Surah Al 'Imran, 120).
But this does not mean that the believers do not experience any trouble. Allah will test them by means of such assaults to bring them to maturity. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that they will have the strength to endure their testing, for "Allah does not impose on any self more than it can stand" (Surat al-Baqara, 286).
This truth is revealed in the following verse:
In short, for a Messenger and his followers, all the oppressions, accusations and assaults from unbelievers are a test from Allah. For this reason, they are determined, secure and patient in what they have to endure, they never become stricken with panic or fear. Allah tells in the Qur'an of these qualities evident in believers:
But notice that the Messengers' and the believers' patience does not mean that they endure their difficulties passively. On the contrary, the Messengers are always able to foil the traps set for them and to defeat the unbelievers by turning their traps against them in the most intelligent and finest manner. Allah's Messengers are very intelligent, provident, resourceful, knowledgeable, and able to make effective plans of their own to achieve victory. They have always emerged victorious from their struggles against the unbelievers. In the following pages, we will deal with their wise and auspicious plans and courses of action against denial, as revealed in the Qur'an.
How the Messengers Struggle against the Unbelievers
Allah assists the Messengers and their followers by giving them strength and support. A Messenger especially receives support from Allah; in the Qur'an it is revealed that He gives them knowledge, wisdom, clarity of expression, maturity, and the ability to make right decisions. Besides this, Allah gives them great possessions (e.g., material wealth, power, and magnificence).
For example, Hazrat Saul (as), the chosen leader of the Israelites, was given knowledge, physical strength, and kingship:
In the Qur'an it is also revealed that Allah supported the Prophet Abraham (as) and his offspring with wisdom and an immense kingdom:
We are told that the Prophet Joseph (as) received the same support:
And later, while saying his prayers, the Prophet Joseph (as) said:
With such support, a Messenger engages in an intellectual struggle against the leading unbelievers. Allah directs this struggle. With his wisdom and insight, a Messenger always shows his superiority in such an intellectual struggle, for the unbelievers can never answer his sound ideas and so are always defeated. Messengers always have the truth on their side and are always victorious over disbelief.
A messenger humiliates the unbelievers
The struggle between a Messenger and the unbelievers is actually a taste of the pain of this world that Allah gives to the latter. For those who are devoted to ostentation and seeking others' approval, humiliation is a very severe punishment. This is described as "disgrace in the life of this world" in the Qur'an:
Allah manifests this attribute through the believers, and especially by way of His Messengers. This is revealed as follows in Surat at-Tawba:
The Prophet Solomon (as), who was sent as a Messenger to the Israelites, who denied His existence, also humiliated and belittled these unbelievers:
Therefore, humiliating the unbelievers is an important part of this struggle. So how is that to be done? Most often, such humiliation is enough to get the unbelievers to show their real faces, because most of the elite have reached the apex of denial and corruption. They are degenerate. Throughout history, perversion, dishonesty, and other such corruptions have been among the defining characteristics of the great majority. But the people in question have hidden their degenerate lives from the general public. Revealing it is one of ways to make others aware of such people's disgrace and humiliation.
Unbelievers fear believers, and are shaken by the Messengers' and the believers' strength, intelligence, and determination:
In another verse, Allah reveals that they will be filled with fear:
All of the Messengers mentioned in the Qur'an always defeated the unbelievers. Every people that did not listen to their message and heed their warnings finally perished, and every wicked plan they devised was foiled.
How the messengers foil the unbelievers' traps
The Qur'an informs us of these traps. But most importantly, it tells us that Allah devises traps (or plots) in return for those who reject His existence. As revealed in the Qur'an: "They plotted and Allah plotted. But Allah is the best plotter" (Surah Al 'Imran, 54). We are also told that Allah sets traps for those who try to entrap a Messenger:
One of Allah's titles is al-Makir, or The Plotter. In other verses this title is revealed as follows:
Note that the title The Plotter, just like the title The Humiliator, is manifested in the believers and especially in the Messengers. Allah often uses a Messenger to set a trap for the unbelievers. The Prophet Joseph (as) is an example of this. His irreligious brothers threw him in a well when he was a young child. But the Prophet Joseph (as) was rescued by Allah's choosing and set a trap for them in turn when he assumed control over the Egyptian Treasury:
Another example of a trap is when the Prophet Abraham (as) broke his people's idols. Verses describing this read:
The Struggle between a Messenger and Representatives of the Religion of the Ancestors
So far we have dealt with the struggle between a Messenger and the unbelievers' leaders. But there are other groups who, for various reasons, also oppose a Messenger. In addition, it would be wrong to imagine all the "elite" as one; there are different groups among this section of society. In the pages that follow we shall be looking at these groups as described in the Qur'an.
Among the most important of these groups are those people who practice the superstitious religion of their ancestors and oppose the true religion as proclaimed by a Messenger.
Earlier, when we spoke of a society that does not know Allah, we said that this group had separated themselves from the essence of religious moral values and disregarded Allah's manifest existence. But in nearly every ignorant society revealed in the Qur'an there is some religious belief. In some aspects it may resemble Allah's religion, but its essence is quite different. True religion is based on knowing and serving Allah alone, being devoted to Him and to nothing else, and following His Messengers. But these misguided people's concept of religion is based on their devotion to their ancestors and the determination to continue their superstitious traditions. This religion may often invoke Allah's name, but this is deceptive, for there is no real faith, respect, or fear of Allah in it:
These people's situation is an exceptional deterrent: They answer every question correctly (for example, they affirm that Allah has created everything), but their behavior is not consistent with their affirmation. When they are asked to think carefully about these things and warned to save themselves from the deception in which they live, they clearly do not understand the meaning of their answers.
The reason for this situation is very clear: These individuals do not believe in the true religion, but rather in a false religion characterized by its not being founded on sincere faith in, respect for, and a genuine fear of Allah, and not putting Allah's approval above all else. This absence of a sound foundation is an attempt to preserve a few superstitious traditional beliefs and values passed down from a people's ancestors. The individuals described in the verses above have a belief in Allah, derived from their ancestral religion, but cannot grasp the truth of His existence or conceive of His attributes.
Also, this ancestral religion contains several misguided elements. Whereas true religion is based totally on Allah's revelation, this false religion is severed from true religion and based on a few myths. For this reason, it has an incorrect understanding of such matters as faith in Allah and morality. Therefore, a Messenger and his followers oppose the superstitious religion of the forebears and call upon their society to practice the true religion "with which He is pleased" (Surat an-Nur, 55).
Very often, people refuse to abandon their superstitious ancestral religion. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that this is an immutable law:
So why is it that the elite and others are so devoted to the false religion of their ancestors?
The reason for this attachment is clear: This false religion is an important part of the traditional social order. By practicing it, they ensure the social order's legitimacy, and by following its rules they can easily make themselves appear religious and gain the public's confidence.
Some individuals remain faithful to their ancestral religion out of conservatism. They are against every kind of change and believe that everything old is good; they are submerged in the conservatism that is a tendency of the human self. Others make material profit from their ancestors' superstitious religion and know that if they abandon it, the existing clerical system will collapse. Allah reveals in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Many of the rabbis and monks devour people's property under false pretences and bar people from access to Allah's way. As for those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in His way, give them the news of a painful punishment" (Surat at-Tawba, 34).
For this reason, a significant segment of society begins to defend the ancestral religion against the true religion proclaimed by a Messenger. We can see this when the 'Ad people said to the Prophet Hud (as): "Have you come to us to make us worship Allah alone and abandon what our fathers used to worship? Then bring us what you have promised us, if you are telling the truth" (Surat al-A'raf, 70); when the Thamud people said to the Prophet Saleh (as): "Saleh, we had great hopes in you before this happened. Do you forbid us to worship what our fathers worshipped? We have grave doubts about what you are calling us to" (Surah Hud, 62); and the court of Pharaoh who spoke against the Prophet Moses (as): "This is nothing but trumped-up magic. We never heard anything like this among our forefathers" (Surat al-Qasas, 36).
Another major characteristic of these people is that they pretend to be religious when they assault a Messenger and his followers. They invoke the name of Allah and of religion in an attempt to legitimize their assaults and oppression. This is nothing but pretense, because they have no interest in Allah or His religion. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that these people, even if they commit the greatest crime of martyring a Messenger, claim to be acting in Allah's name. The following is revealed in the Qur'an about such people:
There is another group that uses the name of Allah in their hostility against a Messenger. Almost every Messenger has encountered these people who are called "hypocrites" in the Qur'an.
The Messengers' Struggle against the Hypocrites
Messengers and believers also have to confront the hypocrites who, unlike the groups discussed above, are "secret deniers" who appear to be believers. In the Qur'an such people are described as follows:
Hypocrites want to appear to be believers because they hope to receive some benefit from the real believers. They are jealous of the believers' material wealth, influence, and glamour and so pretend to be believers in order to benefit from these things. However, as revealed in the Qur'an, they are only deceiving themselves because it is impossible to "imitate" a believer, for they can only imitate some of the external forms of religion. Thus, all believers can immediately detect such insincerity, as can any Messenger. It is revealed in the Qur'an that Allah gives each Messenger a special understanding that enables him to recognize hypocrites:
Allah's Messengers may not immediately disclose the hypocrites' true nature, but this will become apparent when they are called upon to sacrifice for the religion, for instance. Since they are interested in the believers and religion only for personal gain, their basic insincerity will become evident when they are asked to do something that will not materially benefit them.
This brings us to one of the hypocrite's salient characteristics: When a hypocrite gives up imitating a believer, he does not seek isolation, but rather tries to divert believers from Allah's way. He foolishly tries to destroy their zeal, make them doubt and despair, and weaken their loyalty to the Messenger. He elects to spread corruption. No hypocrite can say that he left the right road out of a sense of personal interest. As we read in the Qur'an, they say: "What Allah and His messenger promised us was mere delusion" (Surat al-Ahzab, 12) or "These people have been deluded by their religion" (Surat al-Anfal, 49). They lie and say that they are aware of truths that believers do not know, as when Samiri explained to the Prophet Moses (as) why he led the people astray to worship the calf: "I saw what they did not see" (Surah Ta Ha, 96).
In the Qur'an, these acts are defined as "fitnah" (meaning sedition, trial, temptation, dispute, mischief), which is one of the greatest sins: "... Fitnah is worse than killing..." (Surat al-Baqara, 217). Samiri is one of the clearest examples of a hypocrite, and the Prophet Moses' (as) behavior toward him shows the Messenger's determination to prevent such strife. How the Prophet Moses (as) responded to the strife that this man had stirred up after he had ascended Mount Tur alone to receive Allah's revelation is related in detail in the Qur'an:
Clearly, a Messenger responds to hypocrites with determination. Allah tells our Prophet (saas):
One important element here is that some of the Prophet Moses' (as) people lacked an understanding of the true religion and exhibited an extremely disobedient character. Believers are not influenced by the strife stirred up by hypocrites; their loyalty to the Messenger just continues to grow. In such a situation, the hypocrites separate themselves as a body from the believers but, due to their desire for revenge, they do not go away. Rather, they do everything they can to prolong their opposition to the Messenger and his followers. Even in this situation they do not acknowledge their insincerity, but still try to present themselves as true believers. The clearest example of this in the time of our Prophet (saas) was when the hypocrites built a new mosque after they had separated themselves from him. They did this only to express their hostility:
The purpose behind the hypocrites' mosque is revealed in these verses: to harm believers and to join forces with those at war against believers. No matter how strongly they may claim that they only wanted to do good in establishing the mosque, their real purpose was to intensify their struggle against the Muslim community. The main difference between the two mosques was that the believers' mosque was based on true godliness - the believers' respect and fear of Allah and the desire to win His approval. The hypocrites' mosque, however, was based on their own whim and hostility against the believers; that is, in the words of the Qur'an, "on the brink of a crumbling precipice so that it collapses with him into the fire of hell." In the hereafter, such people will be sent to the lowest regions of hell.
The Messengers' Struggle against Immorality
A Messenger's chief duty is to call his people to Allah's way and explain His religion to them. The groups he struggles with respond to his call with hostility and try to stop him from delivering his message. He also tries to intellectually destroy the influence of those groups that want to lead people astray and prevent them from following His way: "They keep others from it and avoid it themselves..." (Surat al-An'am, 26). For example, those who work to promote immoral conduct and indecency want to draw others into the same perversions in which they indulge:
People who love to see immorality being spread among those who believe will have a painful punishment both in this world and the hereafter. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat an-Nur, 19)
Those who work to spread immorality will experience the pangs of hell in the hereafter. They may experience different pangs in this world, and Allah may give them different troubles. The example of the Prophet Lot (as) and his people shows how the Messengers struggle against immorality. It records the Prophet Lot's (as) warning to homosexuals and his immoral people's response to him:
In another verse we are informed of the Prophet Lot's (as) response to his people:
Conclusion
When we look at the Qur'an, we see that all of the Messengers and their faithful followers share a common destiny. The community of believers led by a Messenger always begins its struggle as a small group. This community of believers proclaims Allah's religion and struggles with enemies who appear to be much stronger. However, the Messengers and the believers always emerge victorious, for: "...How many a small force has triumphed over a much greater one by Allah's permission? Allah is with the steadfast" (Surat al-Baqara, 249).
All of these struggles are conducted according to Allah's will, for He created both the believers and their enemies. It is revealed in the Qur'an that Allah made special enemies for Messengers to struggle against:
Allah has created both sides of this struggle and determines the outcome. He has written victory in the destiny of the Messengers. As revealed in the Qur'an, there can be no question of a Messenger ever being defeated:
One of the reasons why a community of believers experiences apparent defeats is because they do not obey the Messenger. In Surah Al 'Imran Allah states that some believers did not obey our Prophet's (saas) commands during the Battle of Uhud, and therefore they lost that battle, even though they were apparently going to win. But this temporary defeat was useful for believers as part of a training process created to teach them how to obey. Finally, the Prophet (saas) and his faithful followers were victorious. And those who are hostile to a Messenger always come to the same end: humiliation in this world and the pangs of hell in the hereafter:
On the other hand, those who submit themselves to a Messenger are rewarded with victory in this world, paradise in the hereafter, and, above all, His good pleasure. In the Qur'an, Messengers and their faithful followers are called "the party of Allah," and their reward in the hereafter is described in these words:
In other verses it is revealed that the Messengers and their followers will certainly be victorious:
With Allah's permission, the "party of Allah" will prevail. His word is true and will most certainly be fulfilled.
