Prophets and the Plural
- philhoraia
- Jan 1
- 9 min read
In quran, supposedly composed by Allah, supposedly God, we find the two forms of the plural for 'prophet'. Why might 'God' not be consistent?
Anbiya'
S 2:91 And when it was said to them: Believe in what Allah has sent down, they said: We believe in what was sent down upon us. And they disbelieve in what is behind it, and it is the truth confirming what is with them. Say: So why do you kill Allah’s prophets before, if you are believers?
The author slips ups on his grammar. How might they kill (non-past/present tense) before?
S 3:112 Humiliation has been struck upon them wherever they have been met with except with a rope from Allah and a rope from people. And they came back with anger from Allah and poverty was struck upon them. That is because they used to disbelieve in Allah’s verses and they kill the prophets without right. That is because they have disbelieved and used to transgress.
Allah's rope? The Jalalayn:
Abasement shall be cast upon them wherever they are found so that they have no strength and no protection save if they be clinging to a rope of God and a rope of the believing people this being the latter’s covenant of security for them on the condition that they pay the jizya in other words they have no protection other than this; they have incurred they have ended up with anger from God and poverty shall be cast upon them; that is because they disbelieved in God’s signs and slew the prophets without right; that dhālika is repeated for emphasis is because they disobeyed God’s command and used to transgress passing from what is lawful into what is unlawful.
The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs:
(Ignominy shall be their portion) the humiliation of Jizyah shall be imposed upon them (wheresoever they are found) they cannot stand against the believers (save (where they grasp) a rope from Allah) except if they believe in Allah (and a rope from men) or take a pledge with the rulers to pay the Jizyah. (They have incurred anger) they deserved anger (from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them) the attire of poverty was imposed upon them. (That) ignominy (is because they used to disbelieve the revelations of Allah) in Muhammad and the Qur'an, (and slew the Prophets wrongfully) i.e. without the prophets having committed any crime. (That) anger and humiliation (is because they were rebellious) against Allah on the Sabbath (and used to transgress) by killing the prophets and take as lawful things that were prohibited. altafsir.com
The verse actually says "they kill the prophets without right". So how might Ibn Aminah have been the last prophet? And can prophets be killed rightfully?
S 3:181 Allah has heard the speech of those who have said: Allah is poor and we are rich. We shall write what they have said and their killing the prophets without right and say: Taste the torture of the fire.
S 4:155 So because of their breaking their covenant and their kufr in Allah’s verses and their killing the prophets without right and their saying: Our hearts are uncircumcised. Rather, Allah has stamped them for their kufr so they do not believe except a few.
S 5:20 And when Musa said to his people: People, remember Allah’s grace upon you when he made prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what he had not given to anyone of the ‘alamin.
Nabiyyun
S 2:61 And when you said: Musa, we shall not be patient with one food so invoke your lord for us to bring out for us of what the Earth grows, of its green plants and its cucumbers and its fum and its lentils and its onions. He said: Would you replace that which is lower with that which is better? Go down to Egypt. Then you will have what you have asked for. And humiliation and destitution were struck upon them and they returned with anger from Allah. That is because they used to disbelieve in the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right. That is because they disobeyed and were transgressing.
Fum is probably garlic. Apparently Musa chided them for wanting better foods. He tells them to go to Egypt, whence they have come. Translators have had a problem with the idea.
S 2:136 Say: We have believed in Allah and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Ibrahim and Isma’il and Ishaq and Ya’qub and the tribes and what was given to Musa and Isa and what was given to the prophets from their lord. We do not distinguish between any of them. And we are Muslims to him.
What was sent down to Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, Ya'qub and the tribes? What was given to Musa and Isa? 'What' suggests one thing. As the author says "and what was given to the prophets from their lord.", weren't Musa and Isa prophets? "We do not distinguish between any of them." The author seems to do.
S 2:177 It is not piety to turn your faces in the direction of the rising place and the setting place but piety is he who has believed in Allah and the last day and the angels and the book and the prophets and has given money in his love of it to the two relatives and the orphans and the needy and the traveller and those who ask and on the necks and has performed salat and given the zakat and those who fulfill their covenant when they have covenanted and the patient in suffering and adversity and at the time of horribleness. Those are the ones who have told the truth and those are the fearers.
Can a man be piety? 'On the necks'. Slaves. Were slaves given money? They've told the truth? They're fearers?
S 2:213 People were one nation then Allah raised the prophets as bearers of good news and as warners and sent down with them the book in truth to judge between people in what they had differed concerning. And none differed in it except those who had been given it after the proofs had come to them out of wrong between them. And Allah guided those who had believed in what they had differed in of the truth with his permission. And Allah guides whom he wills to a straight path.
'The prophets were raised as bearers of good news and as warners'. Not necessarily as both. Ibn Aminah, supposedly a prophet, said that he was only a warner. So not a prophet. This unnamed book was sent down and the prophets were sent down? Allah guided with someone's or something's permission? How likely is it that Allah would be giving itself permission? How many straight paths might there be?
S 3:21 Those who disbelieve in Allah’s verses and kill the prophets without right and kill those who command equity among people--give them good news of painful torture.
So Ibn Aminah was not the last prophet? Might torture be good news? What kind of torture in the ancient world wasn't painful?
S 3:80 And he does not command you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he command you to kufr after when you are Muslims?
S 3:81 And when Allah took the covenant of the prophets: What I have given you of a book and wisdom then a messenger has come to you confirming what is with you, you shall believe in him and help him. He said: Have you ratified and taken my compact upon that? They said: We have ratified. He said: Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.
The Jalalayn for this odd verse say:
And mention when God made a covenant with the prophets ‘What if read lamā it would be introducing a subject clause and emphasising the aspect of the oath in this ‘making of the covenant’; if it is read limā it would then be connected to the verb akhadha ‘He took’; the mā ‘what’ is a relative particle in both cases meaning la’lladhī or li’lladhī respectively I have given you ātaytukum or in a variant reading ātaynākum ‘We have given you’ of the Book and wisdom; then there shall come to you a messenger confirming what is with you of the Book and wisdom and that is Muhammad (s) — you shall believe in him and you shall help him’ this constitutes the response to the oath if you reach his time and perceive him and their communities of descendants follow them in what is incumbent upon them. He God exalted be He said to them ‘Do you affirm this? And do you take do you accept My load My covenant on you on that condition?’ They said ‘We affirm’. He said ‘Then bear witness to this before your own souls and those of your followers and I shall be with you among the witnesses’ before you and them.
The Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs:
Allah then explained His covenant with the prophets on the day of “Yes, indeed!” regarding Muhammad's traits and description, saying: (When Allah made (His) covenant with the Prophets) He says: Allah made a covenant with the prophets that they will show to one another the traits, description and merit of Muhammad, ((He said): Behold that which I have given ye) when I did give you (of the Scripture and knowledge) containing details of the lawful and the unlawful. (And) you also made a covenant with your nation that (afterward there will come unto you a messenger, confirming) by calling to Allah's divine Oneness (that which ye possess) of Scripture. (Ye shall believe in him) He says: you shall acknowledge him and his virtue (and ye shall help him) with the sword against his enemies and also by expositing his trait. (He said: Do ye agree?) Allah asked them whether they accepted (and will you take My burden) My covenant (in this) what I said? (They) the prophets (answered: We agree) we accept. (He) Allah (said: Then bear ye witness) of this. (I will be a witness with you) of this also. Allah thus made them witnesses of one another and He Himself is a witness. And so each prophet explained this to his nation, and each prophet made the members of his nation witnesses for each other, just as each prophet bore witness to it. altafsir.com
S 3:84 Say: We have believed in Allah and what was sent down upon us and what was sent down upon Ibrahim and Isma’il and Ishaq and Ya’qub and the tribes and what was given to Musa and Isa and the prophets from their lord. We do not distinguish between any of them and we are Muslims to him.
See notes to S 2:136 above.
S 4:69 And those who obey Allah and the messenger, then those are with those whom Allah has graced of the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous. And good was those as a fellow.
Were some prophets not graced?
S 4:163 We have inspired you as we inspired Nuh and the prophets after him and we inspired Ibrahim and Isma’il and Ishaq and Ya’qub and the tribes and Isa and Ayyub and Yunus and Harun and Sulayman and we gave Dawud a Zabur.
How might Ibn Aminah have been inspired? Was Nuh 'inspired' by means of the sound of bells and by a youth turning up? Did he writhe on the ground and froth at the mouth? 'The prophets after him'. It doesn't say 'the other prophets'. Were they 'inspired' in the same way? Were Ibrahim, Isma'il, Ishaq, and Ya'qub not prophets? Whole tribes were inspired? Were Isa, Ayyub, Yunus, Harun and Sulayman not prophets? Was Dawud not a prophet and was just given a 'zabur'?
S 5:44 We sent down the Torah; therein is guidance and light. The prophets, those who have surrendered for those who were Jewish, judge by it, and the rabbaniyun and the rabbis what they were entrusted with of Allah’s Book and they were witnesses over it. So do not fear people but fear me. And do not buy my verses at a low price. And those who have not judged by what Allah has sent down--those are the kafirun.
The prophets judge by it? If the Torah was corrupted after Ibn Aminah popped his clogs, do they still judge by it?
S 17:55 And your lord knows what is in the skies and the Earth. And we have preferred some of the prophets to others. And we gave Dawud a Zabur.
No distinction is made but some prophets have been preferred to others.
S 19:58 Those are the ones Allah graced of the prophets of Adam’s offspring and of him we carried with Nuh and of Ibrahim’s offspring and Isra’il's and of those we guided and selected. When Al-Rahman’s verses are read to them they fell doing sujud and weeping.
Another grammar slip-up. When the verses are read to them they fell doing sujud and weeping.
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