Surah al-Ma'idah (The Table) 5 : 109

Overview (Verse 109)
 
This whole passage serves as a complement to the efforts undertaken in this sūrah to keep faith pure and to purge it from all the errors and deviations Christians have introduced. They forced their faith away from its Divine origins and fundamental principles when they diverted it from belief in the absolute oneness of God. That was the belief preached by Jesus (peace be upon him) and by every former messenger of God. They introduced into it certain aspects of disbelief which had nothing to do with Divine faith.
 
As such, this passage aims to establish the truth about Godhead and servitude to God, as these are conceived by Islam. This truth is presented through a great scene portrayed here in which Jesus states in front of all God’s messengers and all humanity that he never said to his people anything of what they have alleged that both he and his mother were deities. He declares that he could have never said any such blasphemy.
 
The sūrah presents this truth in a vivid scene taken from the Day of Judgement in the same way as the Qur’ān presents various scenes of that great day. In all such presentations, the picture is portrayed in such an inspiring, vivid and effective way that we almost see it before our very eyes. We are moved by each such scene as though it were taking place here and now. We see what is taking place, hear what is being said and feel every reaction and response. So, what does this scene at the end of this sūrah present?
 
When All Messengers Are Gathered Together
 
On the day when God will gather all [His] messengers and ask them, “What response did you receive?” they will answer, “We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You alone who has full knowledge of all that lies beyond the reach of human perception. (Verse 109)
 
Those messengers were sent at different times to their respective people, each going his own way to his city or village, and belonging to different races and nations, all preaching the same message to their communities. Then, the last of them, Muĥammad, is given a single message addressed to all people of all races in all generations. Those messengers are gathered together by the One who sent them individually, and as they come together they bring with them the different responses they received. Now, in this scene, those messengers, representing humanity throughout its life span on earth, come together and stand before God, the Lord of all mankind on an awesome day.
 
The scene is full of life: “On the day when God will gather all [His] messengers and ask them: `What response did you receive?” (Verse 109) Today, everything is brought together, and messengers account for their messages. The results are declared before all humanity.
 
“What response did you receive?” Messengers are human. They know what they see and feel with their senses, but they have no knowledge of what lies beyond. They had called on their peoples to follow Divine guidance. Some responded positively while others turned away. A messenger does not know the full truth about a person responding positively, even though he may know the truth of the one turning away. He can only tell by appearances; it is God who knows the full truth and what is concealed. Those messengers are now in the presence of God and, among all human beings, they know God best, fear Him most and are too modest to speak out, in His presence, on the basis of their limited knowledge when He knows all.
 
This is an awesome interrogation, on the day when all creatures are gathered, the Supreme Company is present and all humanity is looking on. This is a confrontation, when all humanity is put face to face with the Messengers, and especially the unbelievers who are now arrayed before those Messengers to whom they used to lie. Then the declaration is made that those noble messengers simply preached the Divine faith, and that they are now in His presence stating what happened to their messages and giving an account of the reaction of their communities which denied them. Those messengers declare that true knowledge belongs to God alone. Whatever they knew should not, in all modesty and humility, be stated by them to God whose knowledge is perfect, absolute. “They will answer: ‘We have no knowledge. Indeed, it is You alone who has full knowledge of all that lies beyond the reach of human perception.’“ (Verse 109)
 
Those messengers who were sent before the time of Jesus were believed by some people and denied by others. Their account is thus completed with this general answer that they give, leaving all knowledge to God and putting the whole matter into His hands. Hence, the sūrah adds nothing here about them. The address is made to Jesus alone, who was a total wonder to his people. It was Jesus who was surrounded with mystery and around whom all sorts of myth and superstition have circulated. A great deal of confusion has been made about his qualities, nature, birth and end.