Who is the messenger in 3:81?

(by M. Hamed)

75:16, “Move not thy tongue concerning (the Quran) to make haste therewith.” 75:17, “It is for Us to collect it and to recite it” 75:18, “But when We have recited it, follow thou its recital.” 75:19, “Nay more, it is for Us to explain it.”

This is my analysis from the Quran regarding this issue and I hope it will help this discussion go in the right direction and that we can all have good benefit from this forum. Insha Allah.

3:81, “Wa idh akhadhal lahu mithhagan nabiyyeena lama ateytukum min kitabin wa hikmatin thuma ja akum rasoolum musadiqun lima ma&akum latu’minuna bihi wa la tansurunahu qal a aqrartum wa akhdhtum &ala dhalikum isri, qalu aqrarnaa qal fash hadoo wa ana ma&akum minsh shahideen.”

“And when God took the covenant from nabiyyeena saying “ as for what I give you of a book and wisdom and then comes to you a messenger confirming what you have you believe in him and you support him” said God “ Do you agree and take this as binding on you ?” They said: “We agree” He said “ Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses”

Do we have to take this word *nabiyyen* in this verse as all the prophets by names or as a concept, notion, or idea?

If we take literally, that is all the prophets in names were standing on a hill (brother Abu Jamil’s experssion) and listening to the instruction then we will have a problem to see the realization of this covenant as such.

If we accept that they were all there agreeing to support the messenger who will confirm what they brought with them then we have to accept that they have to be all gathered in one place to believe in him and support him when he comes!

We just can not take one part of the verse literally and the other part in some other sense.

So, it is clear that we have to get the right understanding for this verse instead of forcing something that does not fit.

This concept, notion or idea is seen from many Quraic verses and in many places it can not be viewed literally but as a concept. Look at the following verse:

In 23:51 God says: “ Ya ayuhar rusulu kulu minat teyyibati wa&malu salihan, in ni bima ta&maluna &aleem”

“O, ye messengers enjoy (all) things good and pure, and work righteousness: for I am well-acquainted with (all) that ye do”

Does God address all the messengers gathered together before Him or is it a concept and law that is valid for all messengers to behave in this direction and to be aware of God and that He is under control. In other words, this is God’s message to mankind that God, the Merciful and their Creator allows them to eat of all good things and to do righteousness and be aware that God is under control. The essence of the one message and one law declared by God to mankind. God never changes His words and law.

Where God speaks generally about the concept and the divine idea of the world, rusul (plural) are the same as rasool (singular) or rasoolaa (dual). The message remains the same.

21:25 “wa ma arsalna min qablika min rasoolin ila nuwhi ileiyhi anahu la ilaha ila ana fa&budoon”

“Not a messenger we sent before thee without this inspiration sent by Us to him: “there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.”

So, this is the essence of the message. Each messenger is aware about this simple fact. When a messenger comes with a message from God he automatically supports the previous messengers, prophets.

Those, who had received a message from God, knew this when a new messenger came to them and they were supposed to support him (the new message) because believers understand that a messenger from God, when proves so with the message he is carrying to them, is nothing new and is sent to them with the same message.

46:9, “ qul, ma kuntu bid&an minar rusuli wa ma adri ma yuf&alu bi wala bikum, in at tabi&u ila ma yuwha ileya wa ma ana ila nadheerun mubeen.”

“ Say “ I am not an innovation among messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a warner open and clear.”

To see that the concept rasool, rusul or rasoola, (singular, plural, and dual) is more than a physical messenger, that is more than just someone who delivers a message, let us look at these verses:

Musa and haroon are two messengers sent to Fir&awn and we see that in this verse.

20:47, “fa’tiyahu (dual) faqula (dual)in na rasoola (dual) rabika fa arsil ma&ana bani isreail wa la tu&adhibahum ..”

“So, go ye both to him and say,” Verily we are messengers (dual) sent by thy Lord; send forth, the children of Isreal with us and afflict them not..”

And in 26:16 we read.

“fa ‘tiya (dual) Fir&awna faqula (dual) in na rasool (singular) rabil &aalameen”

“So, go forth both of you to Fir&awn and say : We are a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.”

So, their being physically two does not change the fact that the message they were sent with from God is one and that is what I mean that nabiyyeen and mursaleen or rusul in many verses refer to the concept and the law of God prescribed to mankind.

Let us have a look at these verses too.

25:37, “ wa qawm nuhin lama kadh dhabur rusula (plural) aghraqnahum wa ja&alnahum lin nasi ayatan wa a&tadna lizh zhalimeena &adhaban aliman.”

“ And the people of Nuh,- when they rejected the messengers We drowned them and We made them as a sign for mankind and We have prepared for wrong-doers a grievous chastisement.”

So, the word rusul refers to the idea that all messengers bring to mankind.

Again in 11:59 we read:

“ watilka &adun jahadu bi ayati rabihim wa &asou rusulahu (plural).”

“Such were the people of &ad: they rejected the signs of their Lord, disobeyed his messengers, ..”

Please read from 11:50 to 11:60 to see that only Hud was sent to the people of &ad but the use of the plural is an emphasis on the fact that all messengers of God carries the same message. From the One True God “ an nahu la ilaha ila ana fa& budoon” , there is no god but I so serve Me.”

Now let us see another word in the verse under discussion (3:81). That word is musadiqan/ translated as confirming. This word, all over the Quran refers to a confirmation by means of a book/message, that is a messenger, prophet brings the confirmation from God to the previous book by a message from God.

See these examples.

2:41, “wa aaminu bima anzaltu musadiqan lima ma&akum” “and believe in what I have sent confirming that which is with you.”

2:89, “wa lama ja’hum kitabun min &indil lahi musadiqun lima ma&ahum.” “and when came o them a book from God confirming what had been eith them.”

To see the link between the meaning that the messenger who confirms previous book is no other than the book (what he brings from God) see the next verse and compare it with the previous one.

2:101, “ wa lama ja’ahum rasoolun min &idil lahi musadiqun lima ma&ahum..” “and when came to them a messenger from God confirming what had been with them.”

61:6, “ wa idh qala &isa ibnu maryama ya bani israeila in ni rasoolul lahi ileykum musadiqan lima bayna yadeya minat tawrati wa mubashiran bi rasoolin ya’ti mim ba&di ismuhu Ahmad, fa lama ja’ahum bil bey yinati qalu hadha sihrum mubeen” “And when &isa the son of Mariyam said: “O children of Isreal I am the messenger of God (sent) to you confirming the tawrat (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me whose name is Ahmad. But when he came to them with clear signs they said; “This is evident sorcery.”

So, &isa was a messenger musadiqan/confirming the previous message of God and informing or bringing good news about a messenger who will come after him whose name is Ahmad.

We understand from the Quran that, that messenger came and confirmed as well the books sent before him and all other messengers before him.

2:101 and when there came to them a messenger from God confirming what was with them, a party of the people of the book threw away the book of God behind their backs, as if (it had been something) they did not know.

Please read the previous verse (2:100) to see that they were supposed to support the messenger who came to them from God. They gave a covenant to this. That covenant was declared to them through their messenger(s) because the messengers/prophets took it from God and they did not keep it for themselves because they knew that they, physically, could not be there to support each and every messenger or the messenger who would come to confirm what is with them.

2:100, “awa kul lama &ahadu &ahdan nabadhahu fareequn minhum bal aktharuhum la yu’minoon”

“Is it not (the case) that every time they make a covenant some party among them throw it aside?- Nay, most of them are faithless.”

This is confirmed again in

37:37, “ bel ja’a bil haqi wasadaqal mursaleen” / Nay! He has come with the Truth and he confirmed (the message) of the messengers (before him).

All those who believe in God have been given the book, wisdom/judgement and nubu uwa/ prophethood through God’s messengers.

57:26, “walaqad arsalna nuhan wa ibraheema wa ja&alna fi dhuriyatihimal kitaba wan nubuwata fa minhum muhtadim wa kathirun minhum fasiqoon.”

“And We sent Nuh and Ibraheem, and established in their offspring prophethood and the book: and some of them are on the right guidance but many of them are fasiqoon/ wrong-doers.

6:89, “Ulai’kal ladheena ateynahumul kitaba wal hukma wan nubuwata fain yakfur biha haau’lai’ faqad wak kalna biha qawman leysu biha bikafireena.”

“These were the men to whom We gave the book, judgement, and prophethood: if these reject it (biha), then (let them know) We have entrusted it to people who reject it not.”

To confirm, once again that rusul/messengers (plural) and anbiyaa prophets (plural) can refer to the whole concept and idea, that is the message and program of God that should be established on earth ponder on this verse:

3:194, “rab bana wa aatina ma wa&at tana &ala rusulika (plural) wa tukhzina yawmal qiyamati, in naka la tukhliful mi&aad” “Our Lord! Grant us what Thou didst promise unto us through Thy messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgement: For Thou never breakest Thy promise.”

We view this word *rusul* /messengers (plural) as one concept and one message. It is sunnetul lahi/ God’s law and system that never changes.

21:25, “wa ma arsalna min qablika mina rasoolin ila nuwhi ileyhi an nahu la ilaha ila ana fa&budoon.”

“Not a messenger did We send before thee without this inspiration by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore worship and serve Me.”

Some people state that God says that the sole duty of the messenger is to deliver the message. Interestingly, they want this to refer only to Muhamed, while the concept MESSENGER is something more that Muhamed.

They refer to 29:18 (and others) where God says: “…wama &alar rasooli ilal balaghul mubeen”

The duty of the messenger is but the clear delivery (of the message)

But if they take this to refer only to Muhamed and that Muhamed is not to do anything but to deliver the message then they have to accept this for all messengers because God says:

16:35, “..fahal &alar rusuli (plural) ilal balaghul mubeen”

“Is it not the duty of messengers the clear delivery (of the message)

Actually, in the above mentioned verses about the word *musadiqan* we saw that this word always refers to confirmation by means of book/message. So, when a messenger brings and delivers a message from God he automatically confirms the messengers before him (the one message of God as a concept)

Here are more few verses with this word (musadiqan):

5:46, “wa qaf feyna &ala aatharihim bi &isab bni meriyama musadiqan lima beyna yadeyhi minat tawrati wa atenahul injeela fihi hudan wa noor wa musadiqan lima beyna yedeyhi minat tawarti wa hudan wa mau&izhatun lil mutaqeena”

“And in their footsteps We sent &isa the son Of Mariyem, confirming the tawrat that had come before him, We sent him the injeel: therein was guidance and light and confirmation of he tawrat that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God”

5:48, “ wa anzalna ileykal kitaba bil haqi musadiqan lima beyna yadeyhi minal kitab wa muhayminan &aleyhi.”

“To thee We sent the book in truth confirming the book that came before it and guarding it”

The words RASOOL and NABIY:

These two words have two meanings and as such can point out to different things but there is a point where they meet and stand for the same. A muhan messenger sent from God delivers God’s message to people and when he does so he obtains the title of deliverer and preacher of the message.

Rasool simply means a messenger, someone that is sent with a message from another one. When that one is sent from God then he is God’s messenger, that is, someone who is sent from God with a message. When the message is delivered then he is a nabiy, that’s an announcer and deliverer.

Whenever the focus is on the message the word used is mostly rasool/rusul or rasoola, that is messenger in singular, dual and plural. While doing this research I have not found a single use of “ati&un nabiy” , that is obey the prophet. It is always “ati&ur rasool” that is obey the messenger (any of the brothers and sisters can re-check this again as I am a human being and can make mistakes). I think this use is a kind of focus on the message.

I have not found in no where that there is a sentence like “ ma&alan nabiyi ilal balaghulmubeen” that is, the prophet’s (announcer deliverer) duty is but the clear delivery (of message). It is always “ma&alar rasool or rusul” so, the delivery before being done is always by a messenger and when is done he is a nabiy.

So, I see rasool (God’s messengers) and nabiy (annnouncers) as one notion with two aspects.

Most of the uses of nabiy are more like things in private.

Please see the following verses:

66:1, “Ya ayuhan nabiyu lima tuhar rimu ma ahalal lahu laka tabtaghi mardhati azwajika”

“O, prophet! Why do you prohibit that which God has made lawful for you in seeking to please your wives.”

You see it is addressed with “O prophet” because the focus is not on the message. The prophet was acting on his own and that is why God is not saying “O, messenger”. This explains why it is always “ati&l laha wa rasool” that is, obey God and His messenger and not His prophet (nabiy). And this is perfect consistency of the wise book.

Here are more other examples:

66:3, “ wa idh asaran nabiyu ila ba&di azwajihi hadithan..”

“ When the prophet disclosed a matter of confidence to one of his consorts ..”

This hadith or matter of confidence is not part of God’s message so God does not address him with “when the messenger”.

In the Quran God addresses his messengers with nabiy or prophets as well. These two words are used interchangeably all over the Quran. Here are few examples:

2:285, “The messenger *rasool* believes in what has been sent dawn to him from His Lord and so do the faithful. They all believe in God and His malai’ka , His books and His messengers/rusulihi, we make no distinction among any of His messengers/rusulihi.”

2:177, “ The righteous one is he who believes in God and the last day, and His mala’ika and His books and His prophets/nabiy yeen.”

2:136, “ Say: “ We believe in God and that which is sent down to us and what was sent down to Ibrahim and Isma&eel and Ishaq and Ya&qoob and the tribes and what was given to Musa and &isa and what was given to the NABIYYOON from their Lord, we make no distinction among any of them.”

See also 65:8.

In many places God addresses many of His prophets with only “O, prophet (ya ayuhan nabi) and in other places He addresses the same with only “O messenger (ya ayuhar rasool).

As mentioned above, the use of rasool and nabiy depends on the perspective and the focus.

Let us now check one of the verses under discussion:

33:40, “ wa ma kana muhammedun aba ahadin min rijalikum walakin rasoolul lahi wa khataman nabiy yeena…”

“ And Muhammed is not the father of any of your men but God’s messenger and the seal of the announcers/prophets/deliverers..”

Before we go further let us check the previous verses, usually forgotten when this verse is cited.

33:38, “ makan &alal NABIY min harajin fima faradal lahu lahu, sunnetal lahi fil ladhina khalou min qablu wa kana amrul lahi qadaran maqduran.”

“There can be no difficulty on the prophet in what God has indicated to him as a duty, (this is) the approved system of God among those who passed away. And the command of God is a decree determined.”

33:39, “al ladheena yubalighoona risalati rabihim wa yakhshawnahu wa la yakhshawna ahadan ilal laha wa kafa bila lahi jaseeban.”

“ (God’s approved system among those) who preach the messages of God and fear Him and fear none but God and God is enough to call (men) to account.”

>From these two verses we see that those who preach God’s message are nabiy yoon or preachrs/annoncers/deliverers of God. And this is confirmed by many verses cited above and by looking at this analysis in general.

Then comes the verse 33:40:

“ And Muhammed is not the father of any of your men but God’s messenger and the seal of the preachers/announcers/prophets/deliverers..”

So, back to main question: Who is the messenger in 3:81?

According to my conclusion based on this analysis, the messenger in 3:81 is no any specific messenger. It is any of God’s messengers sent to mankind.

The covenant is taken from the prophets/preachers/ announcers of God’s message separately, that is, each of them, when sent with God’s message to announce it, has the knowledge that by delivering this message he is confirming the previous message of God. He announces this to people and ask them to support him because by doing so they are supporting God’s message. Those, whom God guides to the Truth that the messenger brings with him from God, accept to support him. Because they see in this act a honorable things for them, that is to support God’s cause and to join the party that is winning with or without them. This indeed needs a great faith and well guided heart.

3:52, “ falama ahsa &isa minhumul kufra qala man ansari ila lahi”

“ And when &isa observed that they had no faith he said “ who are my helpers in the cause of God?”

5:14, “ wa minal ladheena qaloo ina nasara akhadhna mithaqahum..”

“and from those who said we are supporters We took their covenant”

5:12, “ walaqad akhadha; ;ahu mithaqa bani isreail wa ba&athna ithney &ashara naqeeban wa qal lahu in ni ma&akum, la in aqamtumus salata wa ateytumuz zakata wa aamantum birusuli wa &az zartumuhum …”

“God did aforetime took the covenant of bani isreail and We appointed twelve chieftains among them and God siad: “ I am with you, if you establish salat and approach purification and believe in My messengers, honor them and assist them..”

9:40, “ ila tansuruhu faqad nasrahul lahhu …”

“If ye help not him (the messenger, refers to Muhamed) ( it is no matter) for God did indeed help him…”

Now, think about this verse:

7:157, “Those who follow the messenger, the gentile preacher/announcer (ar rasool an nabiyal umiy ya) whom they find written in the tawrat wal injeel who commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure) He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So, it is those who believe in him, honor him and support him, and follow the light which is sent with him,- it is they who will prosper.”

So, the idea of prophets supporting the coming messenger is in the concept and law of God that messengers support each other. This does not mean, as seen from this analysis, that all preachers/announcers/prophets must be there to support the coming messenger but it is rather a concept.

They deliver the Truth from their Lord, those guided by the Wise accept the Truth and support them. By supporting the messengers they are in fact supporting God’s cause because messengers are but God’s message to mankind.

17:95, “Say: “If there were settled on earth, malai’ka, walking about in peace and quiet, We should have certainly sent them down from the heavens a malak messenger.”

Whose who would not accept the message focus on the one sent with it but God put the accent on the message.

So, it is a continuos practice and law that was decreed from God:

2:38, “qulna ihbitu minha jami&an faim ma atiyanakum mini hudan faman tabi&a hudaya fala khawfun &aleyhim walahum yahzanoon.”

“We said: “ Get ye down all from it and if, as is sure, there comes to you guidance from Me, whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.”

Because the party fo God is the winning party (58:22)

So, concluding that rasool is not nabiy and that God says only “the seal of the prophets” and not the messenger is not correct understanding from the above analysis. If it were “the seal of prophets and messengers” then it would automatically indicate that they are two separate things but by saying “the messenger of God and the seal of the prophets God includes both notions-aspects in one verse as done in many other verses.

We saw that in 7:157 the expression used is “the messenger, the gentile preacher/announcer (ar rasool an nabiyal umiy ya)” and in 61:6 &isa, the messenger/preacher of God announced the news about “ a messenger that will come after me.”

The understanding that each nabiy, (preacher/announcer/prophet) is a rasool (messenger) but not every rasool (messenger) is a nabiy (prophet) is not quranic.

In 3:144, Go says: “ wa ma muhamadun ila rasoolun qad khalat min qablihir rusul”

“Muhamed is but a messenger many messengers have passed away before him…”

This clearly dismisses that understanding as accurate and quranic. So, I take the understanding given above as more consistent and therefore more quranic.

So, Rashad Khalifa could not be the one mentioned in 3:81 for the reasons stated above. He did not confirm any since he could not bring a book from God. (interestingly there is no any calculations done on the tawrat or injeel to confirm them too, if confirmation can be understood as verifying and checking)

If you go through the occurrences of the word tasdeeq and musadiqan you will,GW find that it always referred to confirmation by means of book/message. In no place did God mentioned that tasdeeq is done by means of calculations or any kind of work. One a messenger comes from God he does not sit down with people and say bring me the previous book and I will, GW, make a confirmation and verification on its letters to see which one belongs to it and which one is added. This is not what tasdeeq mean in the Quran.

I have already quoted few verses from the Quran to give more insight on this issue and I am putting more here.

2:97, “ he (jibreel) put it down on your heart by God’s permission musadiqan lima beyna yedyehi.

3:3, “He sent down the book to you in truth musadiqan lima yena yedeyhi.

6:92, “ and this is a book that we have sent down a blessed one musadiqul ladhi beyna yedyehi.

10:37, “ but it is a tasdeeq that which is beyna yedeyhi.

46:30, “ a book…musadiqan lima beyna yedeyhi.

Jesus (isa) did not do any calculation to confirm the previous book but he confirmed it by book.

Muhamed confirmed the previous books by a book, which is the last message and testament to mankind therefore Muhamed is the seal of all those who brought the message(s) to mankind.

He was asked to warn with the last message and to say that it is a warning to whomever it reaches because it is the last testament.