Question
Salaam,
Mr Ghamidi frequently emphasizes the Law of Risalat, which states that Allah ensures victory for His Rusul and their followers and that the enemies of these Rusul cannot harm them as they are perpetually under Allah’s protection.
However, in Surahs 5:70, 3:183, and 2:187, the Children of Israel are described as having killed certain Rusul when they disapproved of their messages. This appears to contradict the Law of Risalat and also seems inconsistent with Surahs 58:21 and 40:51.
Could you please clarify this issue?
Kind regards,
Answer
Salaam,
Thank you for your inquiry.
In the verses you mentioned, the term ‘rusul’/’rasool’ is used in its literal sense, meaning a messenger, rather than as a specific term. The word “الّرُسُل” (Al-Rusul) is the plural of “الّرَسُوْل” (Al-Rasūl). As highlighted by Ghamidi, the term has two connotations: one as a general Arabic word and the other as a technical term with a specific meaning. As a general term, it means a messenger, someone who delivers a message. Therefore, the Rusul of Allah can refer to both His angels and His prophets, as both convey His messages.
The Qur’an uses the term ‘rusul’ to refer to both angels and prophets in several instances:
Signifying Angels:
إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ (١٩:١٨)
“This is the word of a gracious and mighty messenger” (81:19).
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُولِي أَجْنِحَةٍ مَّثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ (١:٣٥)
“Praise be to God, Creator of the heavens and the earth! He sends forth the angels as His messengers, with two, three, or four pairs of wings” (35:1).
اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ (٧٥:٢٢)
“God chooses messengers from the angels and from men. Indeed, God hears all and observes all” (22:75).
Signifying Prophets:
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ (٢٨٥:٢)
“The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him by his Lord, and so do the faithful. They all believe in God, His angels, His scriptures, and His prophets” (2:285).
يَا مَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي وَيُنذِرُونَكُمْ لِقَاء يَوْمِكُمْ (١٣٠:٦)
“Then He will say: ‘Jinn and men! Did there not come to you prophets of your own who proclaimed to you My revelations and warned you of this day?’” (6:130).
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ إِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي فَمَنِ اتَّقَى وَأَصْلَحَ فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ (٣٥:٧)
“Children of Adam, when prophets of your own come to proclaim to you My revelations, those that take warning and mend their ways will have nothing to fear or regret” (7:35).
In the Qur’an, the term Rasūl, when used as a technical term, signifies a specific cadre among the prophets (Anbiyā) of Allah. The distinction between a Prophet (Nabī) and a Rasūl is that the latter determines the fate of his nation in this world. The righteous are rewarded, and the wrongdoers are punished. The Qur’an states:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحَادُّونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُوْلَئِكَ فِي الأَذَلِّينَ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا وَرُسُلِي إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ (٥٨:٢٠-١)
“Indeed, those who show hostility to Allah and His Rasūl are bound to be humiliated. The Almighty has ordained that I and My Rusul shall always triumph” (58:20-21).
It is well-established that, as a technical term, the only Rasūl raised among the Bani Israel were Moses (Musa) and, subsequently, Jesus (Isa). Between these two, all individuals raised by Allah were prophets, among whom some were rejected or killed by the Israelites.
Moreover, it is not Ghamidi’s position that a Rasūl cannot be killed. A Rasūl can indeed be killed but not before Itmaam al-Hujjah, which necessitates that divine punishment befalls those who reject the Rasūl. In other words, after Itmaam al-Hujjah, a Rasūl can be killed, but ultimately, Allah’s plan will prevail, and the disbelievers will be destroyed. However, we do not know of any case where a Rasūl was killed by his enemies.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Answered by: Mushfiq Sultan
Date: 2019-07-12
