Overview (Verses 151 - 152)

Abraham’s Prayers Are Answered
 
The sūrah goes on to remind the Muslims of more divine favours reserved for them. By one such special favour God has sent them a Messenger, Muĥammad, in fulfilment of the prayer made by Abraham, the first custodian of the Sacred Mosque in Makkah, the permanent and universal qiblah of all Muslims.
 
Thus We have sent forth to you a Messenger from among yourselves to recite to you Our revelations, purify you, and instruct you in the Book and in wisdom and teach you what you did not know. Remember Me, then, and I will remember you; give thanks to Me and never deny Me. (Verses 151-152)
 
The same words of Abraham’s prayer (Verse 129) are used here, thus establishing a direct and significant link between the two Prophets and their religion. Islam was not, then, invented or born out of expediency, but had its origins firmly rooted in history. The direction of prayer that was being instituted had not been chosen haphazardly or without purpose. It was the answer to Abraham’s passionate and sincere prayers.
 
As a result of this boundless divine grace, the Muslims were sent a messenger, one of their own number, who was to be the last human Messenger from God to mankind, and had their own exclusive direction of prayer designated for them by God, thereby giving them a distinctive character and a privileged status in the world.
 
Another aspect of God’s favour is that, through Muĥammad, He was addressing the Muslims, a humble and insignificant band of believers, with His own words. Who were those people? What did they represent, for God and for mankind? What did they do or have to deserve God’s attention and special favour?
 
“Thus We have sent forth to you a Messenger from among yourselves to recite to you Our revelations, purify you...” The fact that Muĥammad had come from that society, and was chosen to receive God’s revelations, the Qur’ān, represented God’s limitless favour. God’s Messenger, Muĥammad (peace be upon him) was also sent to cleanse the Arabs of the sad misconceptions, corruption and ignorance that went with their idolatrous beliefs and lax way of life. Those whose souls are not purged by submission to God, at whatever time or place they may live, sink into a stinking depth of worldly desires that are unbecoming of man. In such a condition, man sinks lower than animals, controlled as animals are by their desires. The Prophet also purges their society of usury, cheating, looting and illegal earnings; all of which are impurities that contaminate souls, feelings, society and human life altogether. He further purges their lives of injustice, putting in place a superior standard of justice to which their community aspires.
 
“... And instructs you in the Book and in wisdom...“ This incorporates what has been mentioned earlier about reciting God’s revelations included in His book, and emphasizes its essential subject matter, i.e. wisdom. Wisdom is acquired as the fruit of instruction in this book, i.e. the Qur’ān. It is a quality which ensures that anyone who has it views matters in their proper perspective and evaluates them correctly.
 
He has the necessary understanding to appreciate the aims behind God’s commandments and teachings.
 
Before Islam, the Arabs were a heedless and xenophobic people, living in total darkness and moral corruption, given to inhuman practices such as usury, infanticide, slavery, piracy and other forms of crime. Islam had come to purge that vile and destructive way of life and transform the Arabs into a pioneering society that would uphold justice and strive to promote and preserve the humanity of man.
 
Muĥammad had also been sent to “instruct you in the Book and in wisdom and teach you what you did not know”. One of Muĥammad’s duties was to teach his followers how to understand and interpret the Qur’ān, and translate it into a practical code for daily life. Through the Qur’ān they acquired the wisdom and the ability to appreciate and understand God’s commands, evaluate ideas and concepts, and judge values and objectives.
 
It was through that slow and painstaking process of education and development that the first group of Muslims was raised out of an almost uncultured tribal desert people. Out of that community, within a phenomenally short time, came a nation with a rich ideology and a dynamic spirit, fit to assume a leading role in the world.
 
That pioneering generation was raised on the ideas and teachings of the Qur’ān and under the instruction of the Prophet Muĥammad, which was inspired by and derived from the Qur’ān. The Prophet’s mosque in Madinah was the focal point of Muslim life and its centre of learning, which produced a unique civilization and a community that has been unrivalled throughout history.
 
That divine legacy and those teachings, which were responsible for raising the first generation of Islam, remain intact and accessible today. It is vital for Muslims to return to their original source of knowledge and greatness, and to look at the Qur’ān as a guide and an instrument for change, rather than as lyrics to be melodiously chanted for idle pleasure.
 
When God Remembers His Servants
 
This passage is concluded with yet another reminder of God’s favours to the Muslim community. God calls on Muslims to remember and praise Him, and in return He will remember them: “Remember Me, then, and I will remember you; give thanks to Me and never deny Me.’’ (Verse 152)
 
What honour, what benevolence and compassion! God Almighty, in all His greatness and glory, exchanges these sentiments on an equal level with His humble servants. What grace and generosity!
 
“Remember Me, then, and I will remember you” — it is the greatest privilege any human being can receive from God, whose generosity is limitless and whose benevolence knows no bounds. The Prophet Muĥammad is reported to have quoted God as saying: “Whoever remembers Me privately to himself I will remember him to Myself; and whoever remembers Me in the company of people I will remember him in a better company.”
 
The Prophet also quotes God as saying: “Son of Adam! When you remember Me to yourself, I will remember you to Myself. When you remember Me in the company of others I will remember you in a company of angels. When you draw closer to Me by a handspan, I will draw closer to you by an arm’s length; and when you draw closer to Me by an arm’s length, I will draw closer to you by a longer distance; and when you walk towards Me, I will run towards you.”
 
No words could possibly describe the effects and scope of this divine grace. Man can only reciprocate such feelings through prayer, meditation and total submission to God Almighty. This will eventually lead him to see and recognize no other power in this world but that of God.
 
The recognition of God’s power and the expression of one’s gratitude to Him come in several stages. The least of them is to acknowledge God’s grace and blessings and refrain from disobeying Him. The highest stage is that of total dedication of one’s thoughts, talents, energies and actions to the service of God.
 
The words “give thanks to Me and never deny Me” also carry a warning that negligence of, ingratitude to, and rebellion against God would lead to denying Him altogether, which is a most hopeless and dismal end.
 
All the instructions and warnings conveyed in the above passage are extremely pertinent to the issue of the direction of prayer, the focus of Muslims and the distinctive symbol of acknowledging God’s oneness. They are also pertinent to the confrontation with the Jews of Madinah, whose ultimate objective was to mislead the Muslims in the hope that they might revert to unbelief. Thus, they would deprive them of God’s favours and blessings, the greatest and foremost of which is that of faith.
 
The Jews were aware that the Arabs without Islam would go back to their aimless tribal existence, with no influence on the rest of the world or role in history. A people without sound principles or creed, or a philosophy of life, would have no reason to assume a position of leadership in the world.
 
To be remembered by God, Muslims have to remember that Islam is more than a religion concerned only with the spiritual or personal aspects of life. It is a complete way of life with teachings, laws and practices for the organization and development of all human affairs. History tells us that whenever Muslims showed awareness of God and dedication to His cause, they progressed and achieved prominence, and their standing in the world rose high above all others; but when they neglected Islam and forgot God, they declined and were crushed and left behind.
 
Yet, the door will always remain open. In His blessed book, the Qur’ān, God calls on Muslims: “Remember Me, then, and I will remember you; give thanks to Me and never deny Me.” (Verse 152)