Commentary on a verse of the Holy Quran

MAY 1985 HOLY QUR’AN COMMENTARY In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Ever Merciful We praise Him and invoke His blessings on His Noble Prophet COMMENTARY ON A VERSE OF THE HOLY QUR’AN Laqad Mannallaho Alal Mo’mineena Is Ba’asa Feehim Rasoolan Min Anfosehim Yatloo Alaihim Aayaatehee Wa Yozakkeehim Wa Yo’allemohumul Kitaaba Wai Hikmata, Wa In Kaanoo Min Qablo La Fee Zalaalin Mobeen. “Verily, Allah has conferred a favor on the believers by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves who recites to them His Signs, and purifies them and teaches them the Book and Wisdom; and, before that, they were surely in manifest error.” (3:165) The expression, by raising among them a Messenger from among themselves, is intended to awaken in the hearts of Muslims a desire to follow the example of the Holy Prophet who was like them and one of them. The Prophet was not only a man like them but was ac- tually one of them. If he could rise to such spiritual heights, why could not they? All Messengers of God are raised from among human beings and they possess the same faculties and are actuated by the same desires and aspirations as other human beings, and therefore they can serve as true models for their fellow-beings. But a so-called “son of God” does not possess the same desires and the same faculties as we have, and cannot therefore be a model for us. Our model should be from our own kind. He who is not of our kind, being a divine being, free from human passions and human weaknesses, cannot be held out to us as a model for imitation. The verse also points to the fulfilment of the prayer of Abraham