PART II: Ponderings on the Quranic verses 7:156-158

An important preliminary note:

 When we write in the title above that (Those Who Believe In Muhammad Are Disbelievers), our intention is to introduce peaceful religious reform by showing the Quranic facts about what Islam/monotheism is and what disbelief/polytheism is. Our writings aim at advising the polytheistic Muhammadans or the so-called Umma of Muhammad so that they would one day turn themselves into Muslims/monotheists who never deify mortals, tombs, and things/items. This is the intention of our declaring those who believe in Muhammad (i.e., they deify him) as disbelievers. In contrast, when the Muhammadans, in their wicked religions of Satan, declare others as infidels or disbelievers, this means seeking to put them to death a heretics/apostates.

About the context of the Quranic verses 7:156-158:

1- It is about a dialog between the Lord God and Moses at Mount Al-Tur, in Sinai, Egypt, after the majority of the Israelites worshiped the calf statue made of gold; Moses said and did the following: "And Moses chose from his people seventy men for Our appointment. When the tremor shook them, he said, “My Lord, had You willed, You could have destroyed them before, and me too. Will you destroy us for what the fools among us have done? This is but Your test - with it You misguide whomever You will, and guide whomever You will. You are our Ally, so forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are the Best of Forgivers.” “And inscribe for us goodness in this world, and in the Hereafter. We have turned to You.”..." (7:155-156). This is the reply from the Lord God: "...He said, “My torment - I inflict it upon whomever I will, but My mercy encompasses all things. I will specify it for those who act righteously and perform Zakat, and those who believe in Our Verses.” Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession. He directs them to righteousness, and deters them from vice, and allows for them all good things, and prohibits for them evils, and unloads the burdens and the shackles that are upon them. Those who believe in him, and respect him, and support him, and follow the Light that came down with him - these are the successful." (7:156-157); the Lord God has addressed the following directly to Muhammad: "Say, “O people, I am the Messenger of God to you all - He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life and causes death.” So believe in God and His Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, who believes in God and His words. And follow him, that you may be guided." (7:158). This is a prediction, given to Moses, or bringing glad tidings of the Gospel and the Quran and the advent of the last prophet, Muhammad, who is also the prophet of the Gentiles.

2- We ponder in the points below the Quranic verses 7:156-158 in relation to our topic: The belief is not in Muhammad but in what has descended upon Muhammad: those who believe in Muhammad are disbelievers.

Firstly: the Islamic/monotheistic belief means to believe in the Quran and not in the mortal human being named Muhammad:

1- This is about the Lord God's mercy: "...My mercy encompasses all things. I will specify it for those who act righteously and perform Zakat, and those who believe in Our Verses.” Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles..." (7:156-157). Following the prophet of the Gentiles does not mean to believe in him, or to deify him, but to believe in his being a mortal prophet/messenger sent by the Lord God and to believe in the Messenger; i.e., the Divine Message or the Holy Quran revealed to him. thus, we are not to deify the mortal prophet Muhammad; we are to follow the Light given to him; i.e., the Quran itself. Thus, following Muhammad is not to deify him as a person but to follow the Quranic Message he conveyed.

2- This is about the true monotheists who deserve the mercy of the Lord God: "...Those who believe in him, and respect him, and support him, and follow the Light that came down with him - these are the successful." (7:157). This does NOT mean to believe in the mortal prophet, Muhammad, as a deity, but to believe in the Messenger, or the Quranic verses, he read and conveyed; we are to believe in the fact that the Lord God has sent Muhammad as a prophet/messenger with a Celestial Book: the Quran; we are to follow and to believe in the Quranic Light; we are not to believe in Muhammad (i.e., we are not to deify Muhammad) but in the Quran itself as the Messenger or Message granted by the Lord God to Muhammad. 

3- "...So believe in God and His Messenger, the Prophet of the Gentiles, who believes in God and His words. And follow him, that you may be guided." (7:158). The divine command here is not about to believe in Muhammad or to deify him; the term (Messenger) here refers only to the Quran itself; as for Muhammad, monotheist should believe in the Quranic fact that he was a mortal messenger/prophet, and the last one of them, sent by the Lord God with the sole mission of conveying the Holy Quran to humanity; we are to believe in his prophethood or his ministry as a prophet; this is a Quranic fact; he is the prophet of the Gentiles. This means that the local context of 7:156-158 mentions three times the belief in his prophethood and in the Quran and NOT in him as a person or a human being so as not to deify mortals since this polytheism contradicts the Quranic call for monotheism. 

4- Of course, the thematic contexts in the entirety of the Quranic text entails volumes/tomes of ponderings; more details about this topic will be mentioned in the following sections of this book which you are reading now. Yet, we briefly mention here that the Quranic notion of (following) does not mean to follow Muhammad as a person or an individual but to follow exclusively the Divine Message he conveyed. This fact is proven by the Quranic verses which indicate that Muhammad as a mortal human being made mistakes; he was not infallible; the Lord God has rebuked and reproached him in some Quranic verses. Thus, within Islam, (following) means only to follow the Quran itself; this is the only thing conveyed to us by Muhammad. We provide brief details in the points below.

4/1: Muhammad was a mortal prophet and he has been commanded in the Quran to follow only the Quranic Message. The Lord God has commanded him to announce the following.

4/1/1: "Say, “I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of God, nor do I know the future, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is inspired to me.” Say, “Are the blind and the seeing alike? Do you not think?”" (6:50); we see here that the Lord God has commanded Muhammad to announce the fact that he never knew the future or the unseen and that he followed nothing but the Quran itself.

4/1/2: "If you do not produce a miracle for them, they say, “Why don’t you improvise one.” Say, “I only follow what is inspired to me from my Lord.” These are insights from your Lord, and guidance, and mercy, for a people who believe." (7:203); again, we find the assertion that Muhammad never followed anything but the Quran itself.

4/1/3: "And when Our Clear Verses are read to them, those who do not hope to meet Us say, “Bring a Quran other than this, or change it.” Say, “It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. I fear, if I disobeyed my Lord, the torment of a Terrible Day.”" (10:15); the Lord God has commanded Muhammad here to declare his following the Quran only which has been rejected by most of his contemporaries. The deniers of the Quran rejected it and demanded another Quranic text which would suit their whims and desires; in the same manner, the Muhammadans have rejected the Quran in order to follow the devilish narratives/hadiths based on their whims and desires; such hadiths are attributed to an imaginary immortal deity they have fashioned and named as (Muhammad).  

4/1/4: "Say, “I am not different from the other messengers; and I do not know what will be done with me, or with you. I only follow what is inspired in me, and I am only a clear warner.”" (46:9); within the assertion that he did not differ from the previous messengers and that he could not predict the future, we notice the assertion that he never followed anything but the Quran revealed to him. 

4/2: The Quranic command to follow the Book (i.e., the Quran itself) is addressed to all monotheists. The Lord God says the following in the Holy Quran.

4/2/1: "This is My Path, straight, so follow it. And do not follow the other paths, lest they divert you from His Path. All this He has enjoined upon you, that you may adhere to piety." (6:153); this is the last one among the Quranic Ten Commandments; it is a command regarding following the Book, i.e. the Quran itself or God's Word, and nothing else besides it; there is a prohibition here regarding following anything else. There is no in-between stance or medial position here; one cannot vacillate between polytheism and monotheism or choose a middle course between them.

4/2/2: "This too is a blessed Book that We revealed; so follow it, and be righteous, that you may receive mercy." (6:155). To follow the Quran, which is the Divine, Celestial Book of the Lord God, means to obtain mercy.

4/2/3: "A Book was revealed to you, so let there be no anxiety in your heart because of it. You are to warn with it - and a reminder for the believers. Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord, and do not follow other allies besides Him. Little you remember." (7:2-3). Within this command about following the Divine Book, which is the Quran, as well as the prohibition of following anything else, there is no in-between stance or medial position here; one cannot vacillate between polytheism and monotheism or choose a middle course between them.

4/3: To follow the Holy Quran means to follow the Divine Book, the Messenger, and the Insights; the Lord God has commanded Muhammad to announce the following: "Say, “This is my way; I invite to God, based on clear knowledge - I and whoever follows me. Glory be to God; and I am not of the polytheists.”" (12:108). We notice here the equality between Muhammad and the believers who followed him in following the Quran itself and nothing else besides it.

Secondly: about the Quranic phrase: "...whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel in their possession..." (7:157):

  This means that the People of the Book knew beforehand about the descent of the Quran before it was revealed to Muhammad and centuries before the birth of Muhammad; the Scripture given to Moses mentions Muhammad and so do the other Celestial Books revealed to the other messengers/prophets of the Israelites such as the Torah and the Gospel. These predictions are about the Quran itself and not about Muhammad as a person or as a deified being at all. We talk about three features regarding that topic.

The first feature: the People of the Book in Arabia knew that the Quran is the Truth granted by the Lord God:

1- "...Those who were given the Book know that it is the Truth from their Lord; and God is not unaware of what they do. Even if you were to bring to those who were given the Book every proof...and if you were to follow their desires, after the knowledge that has come to you, you would be in that case one of the unjust ones. Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children. But some of them conceal the Truth while they know. The Truth is from your Lord, so do not be a skeptic." (2:144-147); they knew the Book (i.e., the Quran) as much as they knew their offspring.

2- "Those to whom We have given the Book recognize it as they recognize their own children; but those who have lost their souls do not believe." (6:20); they knew the Book (i.e., the Quran) as much as they knew their offspring.

3- "It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. The Honest Spirit came down with it. Upon your heart, that you may be one of the warners. In a clear Arabic tongue. And it is in the scriptures of the ancients. Is it not a sign for them that the knowledgeable ones among the Israelites recognized it?" (26:192-197); after mentioning several descriptions of the Quran, this verse in particular is about the Gentiles, or Arabs, who never received any Divine Scriptures/Books before: "Is it not a sign for them that the knowledgeable ones among the Israelites recognized it?" (261:197). The pronoun (it) here refers only to the Quran itself.

The second feature: the monotheists among the People of the Book in Arabia believed in the Quran itself and not in Muhammad as a person; i.e., they did not deify him at all; he was, to them, a mortal prophet like the ones who preceded him:

1- "With the Truth We sent it down, and with the Truth it descended. We sent you only as a bearer of good news and a warner. A Quran which We unfolded gradually, that you may read to the people over time. And We revealed it in stages. Say, “Believe in it, or do not believe.” Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read to them, they fall to their chins, prostrating. And they say, “Glory to our Lord. The promise of our Lord is fulfilled.” And they fall to their chins, weeping, and it adds to their humility." (17:105-109). This context is about the Quran itself and how the knowledgeable monotheists among the People of the Book believed in the Quran and prostrated in the similar manner done by their ancestors with Moses at Mount Al-Tur in Sinai, Egypt, when Mount Al-Tur was made to suspend upon their heads and they were frightened: "And when We suspended the Mount over them, as if it was an umbrella, and they thought it would fall on them..." (7:171). The monotheist among the People of the Book in Arabia remembered this moment and the prediction of the Lord God about the descent of the Quran. The Quranic context 17:105-109 does not mention if those believers among the People of the Book in Arabia saw Muhammad himself reading the Quran to them or not; this reading might have been done by someone else among the Arab preachers of the Truth among the early believers during Muhammad's lifetime. Even if Muhammad was the one who read the Quran to them, they believed in the Quran and not in Muhammad who read it to them. They never deified Muhammad; they prostrated to the Lord God and not to Muhammad.

2- "And when they hear what was revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears, as they recognize the Truth in it. They say, “Our Lord, we have believed, so count us among the witnesses.” “And why should we not believe in God, and in the Truth that has come to us, and hope that our Lord will include us among the righteous people?” God will reward them for what they say - Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will stay forever. Such is the reward of the righteous." (5:83-85). In this Quranic context, some believers heard the Quranic verses revealed to Muhammad whether these Quranic verses were read to them by Muhammad or by someone else, and they declared their belief in the Quranic Truth and in the Lord God and NOT in Muhammad.

The third feature: in the Quran, the Lord God calls the People of the Book to believe in the Quran and not in Muhammad; the Quran asserts and endorses the Scriptures they had in their possession:

1- "And believe in what I revealed, confirming what is with you; and do not be the first to deny it; and do not exchange My Verses for a small price; and be conscious of Me within piety." (2:41).

2- "O you who were given the Book! Believe in what We sent down, confirming what you have..." (4:47).

The Lord God says the following about those among the People of the Book who disbelieved in the Quran.

1- "And when it is said to them, “Believe in what God has revealed,” they say, “We believe in what was revealed to us,” and they reject anything beyond that, although it is the Truth which confirms what they have..." (2:91).

2- "And when there came to them a messenger from God, confirming what they had, a faction of those who were given the Book threw the Book of God behind their backs, as if they do not know." (2:101).

Thirdly: about the Quranic phrase "Say, “O people, I am the Messenger of God to you all - He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life and causes death.”..." (7:158):

1- This is about the universality of the Holy Quran as the Last Message of Islam/monotheism from the Lord God to all humanity and to jinn as well from the era of Muhammad until the advent of the Hour within the last human generation on Planet Earth; the Quran endorses and asserts all of the previous Divine, Celestial Scriptures; it even provides a Criterion regarding religious disputes of the Israelites: "This Quran relates to the Israelites most of what they differ about." (27:76).

2- As a mortal prophet and as a person and a human being, Muhammad was limited and confined by his era and region; he lived and died in Arabia within a certain number of years in the 7^th century A.D.; during his lifetime, the Lord God has addressed him directly here about the fact that he will die and so will his foes: "You will die, and they will die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be quarrelling before your Lord." (39:30-31). This means Muhammad was a mortal prophet and his death was inevitable as is the case with all human beings: "Muhammad is no more than a messenger. Messengers have passed on before him. If he dies or gets killed, will you turn on your heels? He who turns on his heels will not harm God in any way. And God will reward the appreciative. No soul can die except by God’s leave, at a predetermined time..." (3:144-145); "We did not grant immortality to any human being before you. Should you die, are they then the immortal? Every soul will taste death. We burden you with adversity and prosperity - a test. And to Us you will be returned." (21:34-35). This refutes the polytheistic claims of the Muhammadans who assume that Muhammad is alive beneath their feet in a tomb/mausoleum in Yathreb. Bring limited to a certain time and space, Muhammad never knew about other nations in; e.g., China, Japan, and the two Americas.

3- Accordingly, the Quran itself, and not Muhammad, is described as follows.

3/1: It is a mercy for those who follow it from the era of Muhammad and in all regions and eras until the end of days: "Indeed, in this is a Message for people who worship. We did not send you except as mercy to the humankind." (21:106-107).

3/2: It is a warning for the worlds as well: "Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant, to be a warning to humanity. He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, who took to Himself no son, who never had a partner in His kingship; who created everything and determined its measure." (25:1-2).

4- The Quranic phrase "Say, “O people, I am the Messenger of God to you all - He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. There is no God but He. He gives life and causes death.”..." (7:158) is a Quranic fact asserted further here: "We sent you only universally to all people, a herald and warner, but most people do not know." (34:28); Muhammad was, of course, sent with the Holy Quran from the Dominant Lord God.

5- Moreover, the Quran is also the Divine Message addressed to the jinn; some of the jinn were sent by the Lord God to hear the Quran read by him and NOT to hear about Muhammad as about his news as a person; Muhammad could never see jinn because they are ethereal beings; those believers among the jinn warned the other jinn using the Quran itself. 

5/1: "Say, “It was revealed to me that a band of jinn listened in, and said, ‘We have heard a wondrous Quran. It leads to guidance, so we have believed in it; and we will never associate anyone with our Lord. And Exalted is the Grandeur of our Lord - He never had a mate, nor a child." (72:1-3); "And when we heard the guidance, we believed in it. Whoever believes in his Lord fears neither loss, nor burden." (72:13).

5/2: "Recall when We dispatched towards you a number of jinn, to listen to the Quran. When they came in its presence, they said, “Pay attention!” Then, when it was concluded, they rushed to their people, warning them. They said, “O our people, we have heard a Book, sent down after Moses, confirming what came before it. It guides to the truth, and to a Straight Path. O our people! Answer the caller to God, and believe in Him; and He will forgive you your sins, and will save you from a painful torment.” He who does not answer the caller to God will not escape on earth, and has no allies besides Him. Those are in obvious misguidance." (46:29-32). The underlined phrase means to deify and believe in the Lord God, of course, and not in Muhammad.

COMMENTS:

(1) Mr. Ben Levante: To trust Muhammad is to believe in the message or information he conveyed; to believe with him means to believe in the fact that the Quran he conveyed is God's Word; yet, (to believe in Muhammad) has the same meaning, I think. I don't deify Muhammad or any mortals, of course. I think that the belief in (not with) Muhammad means to believe in his being a prophet/messenger who conveyed a Divine Message and was inspired through Divine Revelation. The difference between Quranists and Wahabi Salafists/Sunnites is that Quranists assert that the only revelation granted to Muhammad is the Quran; the Sunnites assume that their hadiths are part of such revelation. As for the shocking title of this book, I'd like Dr. Mansour to change it because it might be misunderstood by all enemies of Quranism; i.e., they might assume that Dr. Mansour negates the prophethood of Muhammad. I know, of course, Dr. Mansour does not intend that meaning. I may be allowed to insist that the Quranic verbs (believe in) and (believe with) are synonymous.     

(2) Dr. Othman M. Ali: People in Arabia obeyed Muhammad's commands of righteousness only if they are linked to the Quranic Divine Commands by the Lord God and nothing else. I infer this from here: "O prophet! If believing women come to you, pledging allegiance to you, on condition that they will not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor commit adultery, nor kill their children, nor commit perjury as to parenthood, nor disobey you in anything righteous, accept their allegiance and ask God’s forgiveness for them. God is Forgiving and Merciful." (60:12). This means that not all commands of Muhammad as a leader of the Yathreb city-state were obeyed; on the contrary, Quranic commands he uttered were obeyed by true believers at the time. Hence, to believe in the prophethood of Muhammad means to believe in the Quranic Message he conveyed as a messenger of the Lord God.