Prophets are Human
Beings
Prophets are human beings. Thus they
come in this world, eat, drink, sleep, walk about, marry and die just as all
human beings do. None of them was God, His incarnation, a deity or an angel. The
Qur’ān has clarified at a number of places that there is no difference between
them and other human beings as far as their genre is concerned. The Qur’ān has
cited the demand of the addressees of Muhammad (sws) that if he is a prophet of
God, he should make for them houses of gold, generate for them canals and
rivers, make the season of spring descend in their deserts, plant for them
orchards of grapes and dates, release on them pieces of the heavens, bring God
and the angels face to face with them, go to the heavens and bring back a
written document for them. Though none of these demands was impossible for God
to fulfill but He directed Muhammad (sws) to clearly tell his addressees that he
was a human being and not a super human that such demands be made from him:
قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيْ هَلْ كُنْتُ إَلاَّ بَشَرًا رَّسُولاً
وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ إِذْ جَاءهُمُ الْهُدَى إِلاَّ أَنْ
قَالُواْ أَبَعَثَ اللّهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُولاً قُلْ لَّوْ كَانَ فِي الأَرْضِ
مَلآئِكَةٌ يَمْشُوْنَ مُطْمَئِنِّيْنَ لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِّنَ السَّمَآء
مَلَكًا رَّسُوْلاً (١٧:
٩٣-٩٥)
Say: “Glory be
to my Lord! Am I not but messenger who is a human being?” And nothing prevents
men from professing faith when guidance is revealed to them but the excuse: “Can
it be that God has sent a human being as a messenger?” Tell [them]: “Had the
angels been walking about comfortably in the earth, We would have sent down to
them an angel from heavens as a messenger.” (17:93-95)
However, this does not mean that as far
as their knowledge and personality, character and spirituality and qualities of
head and heart are concerned, they are similar to common people. Certainly not!
A study of their life and times shows that they are the cream of their nation,
have exemplary qualities and epitomize human attributes. The Qur’ān has told us
that if their Lord pleases, He blesses them with knowledge and power of
judgement for this purpose:
About John (sws), the Qur’ān has said:
يَا
يَحْيَى خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا
وَحَنَانًا مِّنْ لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَاةً وَكَانَ تَقِيًّا وَبَرًّا
بِوَالِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا (١٩:
١٢-١٤)
“O John! Hold
steadfast to the Book of God.” And in His childhood We granted him the ability
to make judgements and bestowed on him kindliness and purity, and he was a pious
person and one who honoured the rights of his parents; he was neither arrogant
nor rebellious. (19:12-14)
About Moses (sws), the Qur’ān has said:
وَلَمَّا
بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَى آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي
الْمُحْسِنِينَ (١٤:٢٨)
And when he
had reached maturity and grown to manhood, We bestowed on him knowledge and the
ability to make judgements. [This was a reward of his qualities]; thus do We
reward the righteous. (28:14)
Not only this, the prophets of God are
also blessed with the light of innate guidance – the light which every person
has been blessed with – in its most ultimate form. They always keep its flame
fully alight and shield it from the storms that arise within man’s inner-self.
Thus before they are blessed with divine revelation from God, their heart and
mind are very pure and the truth is already evident to them to a great extent.
The Qur’ān calls this state of their inner enlightenment as
بَيِّنَةٌ (bayyinah). It is evident
from various incidents from the lives of the prophets that they present divine
revelation as an evidence for this inner enlightenment and the vision they
possess:
About Noah (sws), the Qur’ān has said:
قَالَ
يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّيَ وَآتَانِيْ
رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِنْدِهِ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوْهَا وَأَنتُمْ
لَهَا كَارِهُونَ (٢٨:١١)
He said: “O my
people! [tell me] if I am on a clear evidence from my Lord and He has bestowed
upon me a blessing of His own and you have not been able to see it, can we
forcibly stick it on you while you are fed-up with it? (11:28)
About Sālih (sws), the Qur’ān has said:
قَالَ
يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنْتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةً مِّنْ رَّبِّيْ وَآتَانِيْ
مِنْهُ رَحْمَةً فَمَنْ يَنْصُرُنِيْ مِنَ اللّهِ إِنْ عَصَيْتُهُ (٦٣:١١)
He said: “O my
people! Have you ever thought that if I am on a clear evidence from my Lord and
then He has also bestowed on me His grace, then who would protect me from God if
I disobeyed Him?” (11:63)
About Shu‘ayb (sws), the Qur’ān has
said:
قَالَ
يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنْتُ عَلَىَ بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّيْ وَرَزَقَنِيْ
مِنْهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَمَا أُرِيْدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ
عَنْهُ (٨٨:١١)
He said: “O my
people! [Tell me] if am on a clear evidence from my Lord and then He has also
bestowed on me the gracious gift of wahī, [then what should I call you to except
this?] and I do not wish to oppose you [and thus] do what I forbid you.” (11:88)
A Prophet’s
Nature
A prophet stands at the zenith of human
nature. It is evident from what is mentioned about their lives in divine
scriptures that both anger and mercy are found in them. Anxiety and
apprehension, grief and distress also touch them and they also experience
longing and sorrow. They feel sad too and if they commit some mistake they also
feel remorse. Like humble servants of God they too express repentance before Him
and at times engage in emphatic debate and discussion with Him. They are
equipped with such emotions in order to create harmony between them and their
addressees before whom they proclaim the truth to the extent that they are left
with no excuse to deny it and in order that these addressees are influenced by
them. If, like the angels, they were devoid of such emotions, their message
would not have influenced anyone.
Not only this, besides being exemplary
human beings, they are the most perfect individuals among their people. A study
of their lives reveals that they each prophet is the most outstanding person of
his nation, a guardian of its cultural traditions and an embodiment of all its
virtues.
No doubt, he is devoid of all the vices
of his nation; however, as far as its traits and characteristics are concerned,
he is such a complete embodiment of them that both he and his people are like
mirrors for each other: they can see themselves in each other. For this very
reason, the Qur’ān has said that if the Almighty had made the angels as prophets
and messengers, He would have them human beings because without this there would
have been no effective channel and means of communication between prophets and
their people:
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ مَلَكًا لَّجَعَلْنَاهُ رَجُلاً
وَلَلَبَسْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَّا يَلْبِسُوْنَ (٩:٦)
And if We had
made a prophet an angel, We would gave given him the semblance of a human and in
this manner would have put them in doubt in which they now are in. (6:9)
However, the matter of prophets – who
only come to deliver the truth to the degree that no one among their people
would be left with an excuse to deny it – is different to some extent. One
example of this is John (sws) and Jesus (sws). By nature, they seemed more akin
to angels; thus little did their people benefit from them.
Innocence of
Prophets
Only those people are chosen as prophets
who are able to shield themselves from the lures of their inner-self as well as
those of Satan, guard themselves against sin and are the righteous and pious
among their people. In Sūrah An‘ām, after enumerating many prophets, it is saidالصَّالِحِيْن
(6: 85) كُلٌّ مِّن (all of them were among the
righteous, (6:85)):
وَاذْكُرْ عِبَادَنَا إبْرَاهِيْمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ
أُوْلِي الْأَيْدِيْ وَالْأَبْصَارِ إِنَّا أَخْلَصْنَاهُم بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى
الدَّارِ وَإِنَّهُمْ عِنْدَنَا لَمِنَ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الْأَخْيَارِ وَاذْكُرْ
إِسْمَاعِيْلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنْ الْأَخْيَارِ (٣٨:
٤٥-٤٨)
And remember
Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: men of might and vision. We chose them
for a special mission: reminding [people] about the Hereafter and with Us are
counted among the best and the most righteous of men. And also remember Ishmael,
Elisha, and Dhū al-Kifl. [We chose all of them] and all of these were the best
of men. (38:45-48)
Because of exercising care and showing
piety, the Almighty also protects them. It is clearly evident from what ensued
between the Prophet Joseph (sws) and the royal ladies of Egypt that even before
being designated as a prophet if a situation arises in which it becomes
difficult for him to shield himself, the Almighty does so with His special
burhān. This burhān is the divine spark which is found in every human being.
However, according to a divine law, in people who duly honour it and accept its
guidance in the vicissitude of life it becomes stronger and brighter and in all
delicate circumstances glitters and sparkles even more to light up the darkness
that might come before the eyes. The result is that they are able to persevere
on what is right:
وَلَقَدْ
هَمَّتْ بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلا أَن رَّأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ كَذَلِكَ
لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاء إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ
(٢٤:١٢)
And that woman
had advanced to him and Joseph too would have advanced to her had he not seen a
sign from his Lord. Thus did We do in order to keep away evil and wantonness
from him. Indeed, he was from among Our chosen servants. (12:24)
The blemish of Adam (sws) mentioned in
the Qur’ān should not become a source of misunderstanding for any one. No doubt,
the Qur’ān has used the word ‘isyān (disobedience) for it; however, the Almighty
has clarified in the Qur’ān itself that the reason for this blemish was
forgetfulness. It is apparent from this that the act of disobedience did not
result from succumbing to base desires nor did he do it wilfully. It is evident
from the Qur’ān that when Satan swore many times before him and assured him that
he was his well-wisher and made him believe that he would become eternal by
eating the fruit of the very tree that has been forbidden to him, he was enticed
by Satan’s lures and being overcome with emotions ended up disobeying his Lord.
However, he never insisted on his lapse and became very ashamed and repented
before God Who graciously forgave him and blessed him with prophethood:
وَلَقَدْ
عَهِدْنَا إِلَى آدَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِيَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُ عَزْمًا
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ
فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى
فَقُلْنَا يَا آدَمُ إِنَّ هَذَا عَدُوٌّ لَّكَ وَلِزَوْجِكَ
فَلَا يُخْرِجَنَّكُمَا مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَشْقَى
إِنَّ لَكَ أَلَّا تَجُوعَ فِيهَا وَلَا تَعْرَى
وَأَنَّكَ لَا تَظْمَأُ فِيهَا وَلَا تَضْحَى
فَوَسْوَسَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْطَانُ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ هَلْ
أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى شَجَرَةِ الْخُلْدِ وَمُلْكٍ لَّا يَبْلَى
فَأَكَلَا مِنْهَا فَبَدَتْ لَهُمَا سَوْآتُهُمَا
وَطَفِقَا يَخْصِفَانِ عَلَيْهِمَا مِن وَرَقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعَصَى آدَمُ رَبَّهُ
فَغَوَى ثُمَّ
اجْتَبَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ وَهَدَى (٢٠:
١١٥-١٢٢)
And before
this We bound Adam in a directive but he forgot, and We found him lacking in
determination. And remember when We said to the angels: “Prostrate yourselves
before Adam.” They all prostrated themselves except Satan, who refused. At this,
We said to Adam: “He is an enemy to you and to your wife. Let him not turn you
both out of Paradise and you end up deprived. Here you shall neither be
afflicted with hunger nor remain naked; neither shall thirst bother you nor the
scorching heat.” But Satan enticed him saying: “Adam, shall I not lead you to
the tree of immortality and an imperishable kingdom?” At last, both of them ate
of its fruit so that their private parts became evident to them and they began
to cover themselves with the leaves of the garden [in which they lived]. Thus
did Adam disobey his Lord and strayed from the right path. Then his Lord chose
him, accepted his repentance and blessed him with guidance. (20:115-122)
No different was the case of Moses (sws).
He never killed anyone deliberately. It was a mere co-incidence that he, while
helping an oppressed person, had to encounter the arrogant oppressor in a brawl.
Moses (sws) punched him in self-defence. Unfortunately, the strike was enough to
kill him:
وَدَخَلَ
الْمَدِيْنَةَ عَلَى حِيْنِ غَفْلَةٍ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا فَوَجَدَ فِيْهَا رَجُلَيْنِ
يَقْتَتِلَانِ هَذَا مِنْ شِيْعَتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَاسْتَغَاثَهُ
الَّذِيْ مِنْ شِيْعَتِهِ عَلَى الَّذِي مِنْ عَدُوِّهِ فَوَكَزَهُ مُوْسَى فَقَضَى
عَلَيْهِ قَالَ هَذَا مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ مُّضِلٌّ
مُّبِيْنٌ قَالَ رَبِّ إِنِّيْ ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِيْ فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَغَفَرَ لَهُ
إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُوْرُ الرَّحِيْمُ (٢٨:
١٥-١٦)
And [one day]
he entered the city at a time when none of its people noticed him and found two
men engaged in a fight; one of them was from his own people and the other
belonged to his enemies. Then the person who belonged to his people asked for
Moses’ help against his enemy. So Moses struck him with his fist and killed him.
[Seeing this,] Moses said: “This is the work of Satan; he is indeed an open
enemy who leads [people] astray.” [Then] Moses prayed: “Lord! I have wronged by
soul; forgive me.” Consequently, the Almighty forgave him. Indeed, He is the
Most Forgiving, the Ever Merciful. (28:15-16)
Imām Amīn Ahsan Islāhī writes:
Neither did
Moses (sws) intend to kill the coptic nor did he imagine that such a situation
would arise. When, absolutely inadvertently, this situation arose, he
immediately felt guilt on his folly and repented before his Lord expressing the
fact that he had wronged his soul and that he be forgiven for this. Since this
folly was an inadvertent act and he immediately sought repentance after it, the
Almighty forgave him and he was divinely communicated this forgiveness also. God
is Forgiving and Merciful.
These incidents in the lives of Adam (sws)
and Moses (sws) took place before they were called to prophethood. According to
the Qur’ān, once they are given this position, prophets constantly remain under
the protection and supervision of the angels. The Almighty deputes guardians
over them from all sides. Every single thing that emanates from them is under
scrutiny and God keeps track whether they have accurately delivered His messages
in their original form. After such an arrangement, obviously the smallest of
blemishes on their part stands safeguarded:
إِلَّا
مَنِ ارْتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ
خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا
لِيَعْلَمَ أَن قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ
وَأَحْصَى كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا (٧٢:
٢٧-٢٨)
As for those
whom He chooses as His Prophets [they can say nothing of their own] because He
guards them from behind and from the front that He may know if they have
delivered the messages of their Lord; and He surrounds whatever is around them
and keeps count of all their things. (72:27-28)
Diligence in Worship of a Prophet
Keeping in view the obligation of
prophets, at times they are required to be more extensive in their worship. The
purpose of this is to provide them with peace of mind and by means of dedicated
devotion to God, bless them with purity of emotions and intellect and
perseverance on what they believe and what they do. About Moses (sws), the
Qur’ān (7:142-145) says that when it was decided that he be given the tablets of
the Torah, then, prior to this, in order to train and instruct him to bear this
heavy burden he was made to station himself in seclusion at the mount of Sinai
for forty days. John (sws) and Jesus (sws) to the extent of monasticism took to
intense devotion to God and did not even marry because they wanted to spend
every moment of their lives in the effort to communicate the truth to their
people, whose fate was being decided, to the extent that they were left with no
excuse to deny it. For this very reason, prophet Muhammad (sws) would sit in
i‘tikāf every year and keep fasts from time to time. When he was directed to
embark upon openly warning his people, besides the five obligatory prayers,
another prayer was made obligatory on him. The time of tahajjud was fixed for
this prayer and he was asked to read the Qur’ān in this prayer for less than
half the night or a little more. In Sūrah Banī Isrā’īl, this directive is stated
in the words وَ مِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِه
نَافِلَةً لَك (١٧:
٧٩) (And at night time, pray the
tahajjud; this is a further [obligation] on you, (17:79). Similarly, in Sūrah
Muzzammil, it is stated:
يَاأَيُّهَا
الْمُزَّمِّلُ قُمْ اللَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا نِصْفَهُ أَوْ انْقُصْ مِنْهُ
قَلِيلًا أَوْ زِدْ عَلَيْهِ
وَرَتِّلْ الْقُرْآنَ تَرْتِيلًا
إِنَّا سَنُلْقِي عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًا ثَقِيلًا إِنَّ نَاشِئَةَ
اللَّيْلِ هِيَ أَشَدُّ وَطْئًا وَأَقْوَمُ قِيلًا إِنَّ لَكَ فِي اَلنَّهَارِ
سَبْحًا طَوِيلًا وَاذْكُرْ
اسْمَ رَبِّكَ وَتَبَتَّلْ إِلَيْهِ تَبْتِيلًا (٧٣:
١-٨)
O you enfolded
in your shawl! stand [in prayer] by night, but not all night. Half the night, or
even less or a little more and [in this prayer of yours] recite the Qur’ān in a
slow measured tone. Because soon We shall lay on you the burden of a heavy word
[the burden of open warning]. Verily, this rising by night is very suitable for
the mind’s peace and the heart’s resolve and for the speech’s correctness.
Because during the daytime you will be hard-pressed with [this task; so pray at
this time] and remember the name of your Lord and [in this loneliness of the
night] devote yourself entirely to Him. (73:1-8)
(Translated from Ghāmidī’s Mīzān by Shehzad Saleem)
______________
|