Pondering on this Quranic Verse Which Is Mostly Misunderstood "Muhammad the Messenger of God And Those with him..." (48:29)
Published in March 12, 2019
Translated by: Ahmed Fathy
Introduction: how the name of Muhammad is mentioned in the Quran:
The name of (Muhammad) is mentioned four times only in the Quranic text, within contexts which have very special meanings.
1- The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "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." (3:144). This Quranic verse comments on a critical situation within a self-defense battle when some men assumed wrongly that Muhammad got killed. In the Quranic verse 3:144, we read that Muhammad is merely a mortal messenger like the rest of messengers of God before him; the Message of Islam (i.e., the Quran) remains after his death until the end of days, because the Message is not linked to his being alive: the Omnipotent Lord God preserves the Quranic text Himself until the Day of the Resurrection.
2- The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men; but he is the messenger of God, and the seal of the prophets. God is Cognizant of everything." (33:40). This Quranic verse predicts that Muhammad's sons will not live until adulthood and will have no sons of their own; no messengers/prophets will be sent by the Lord God and Muhammad is the last one of them. This means that no other human beings will receive divine revelation until the Hour comes.
3- The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "While those who believe, and work righteousness, and believe in what was sent down to Muhammad - and it is the Truth from their Lord - He remits their sins, and relieves their concerns." (47:2). This Quranic verse means that we are to believe in the Quran which descended upon (and was revealed to) Muhammad and not in Muhammad as believing in persons means to deify them, and this contradicts monotheism of (There is no God but Allah). The Muhammadans are polytheists who assume that Muhammad (as well as other mortals) is a god/deity besides Allah. their polytheism contradict real Islam which entails believing in the divine message of the prophet/messenger: "Had they believed in God and with the prophet, and in what was revealed to him, they would not have allied themselves to them. But many of them are sinful." (5:81); "O you who believe! Believe in God and with His messenger, and in the Book He sent down to His messenger, and the Book He sent down before. Whoever rejects God, His angels, His Books, His messengers, and the Last Day, has strayed far in error." (4:136). This means that believing in the Divine Book includes the belief in the Lord God and all His Scriptures sent down to prophets/messengers and in the Last Day; this is the essence of faith within Islam/monotheism; hence, we are to believe in the fact that Muhammad was a mortal prophet/messenger who conveyed the Quran which is the divine revelation; we are not to believe in Muhammad or any persons as immortal deities.
4- The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "Muhammad the messenger of God and those with himare stern against the disbelievers, yet compassionate amongst themselves. You see them kneeling, prostrating, seeking blessings from God and approval. Their marks are on their faces from the effects of prostration. Such is their description in the Torah, and their description in the Gospel: like a plant that sprouts, becomes strong, grows thick, and rests on its stem, impressing the farmers. Through them He enrages the disbelievers. God has promisedthose among them who believe and do good deeds forgiveness and a great reward." (48:29). We discuss this Quranic verse briefly in this article.
Firstly: about the Torah and the Gospel:
1- We notice that the Torah and the Gospel are mentioned in the Quranic verse 48:29 within the metaphor of sprouting plant which describes true believers (among those with Muhammad) and how they are merciful towards one another and stern against the disbelievers.
2- This means that the authentic texts of the Torah and the Gospel existed in Arabia during Muhammad's lifetime; both Scriptures contain prediction about the advent of Muhammad as the last prophet of the Lord God and they mention (those with Muhammad). Of course, both texts of the Torah and the Gospel are missing now; the Bible's New Testament and Old Testament never mention Muhammad at all.
3- We infer that previous divine scriptures existed in Arabia with some of the People of the Book during the era when the Quran was being revealed.
3/1: The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "Or was he not informed of what is in the Scriptures of Moses? And of Abraham, who fulfilled? " (53:36-37); this means that the Divine Books which descended upon Moses and Abraham existed with the People of the Book in Arabia; thus, some of the verses of these Divine Books are mentioned in the Quranic verses 53:38-62.
3/2: The Lord God says the following in the Quran: "This is in the former Scriptures. The Scriptures of Abraham and Moses." (87:18-19); this means that the previous verses in the Quranic Chapter 87 are verses also mentioned in the Divine Books which revealed to Moses and Abraham.
3/3: The Lord God has challenged and defied the Israelites of Arabia to bring the authentic Torah they have hidden and to read it to get to know the Truth mentioned in the Quran revealed by the Lord God: "...Say, "Bring the Torah, and read it, if you are truthful."" (3:93).
3/4: The Lord God has responded here to the People of the Book in Arabia who resorted (hypocritically in public) to Muhammad as their judge and rejected his judgment soon enough: "But why do they come to you for judgment, when they have the Torah, in which is God's Law? Yet they turn away after that. These are not believers." (5:43). This means the true Torah was with them at the time.
4- Likewise, this is about the true Gospel: "In their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, fulfilling the Torah that preceded him; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah that preceded him, and guidance and counsel for the pious ones. So let the people of the Gospel rule according to what God revealed in it. Those who do not rule according to what God revealed are the sinners." (5:46-47); this means the true Gospel was with them at the time.
5- The Quranic text repeats the fact that most of the People of the Book in Arabia who rejected the Quran knew about it very well in their Scriptures but they chose to conceal the truth and they are the losers in the Hereafter: "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." (2:146); "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).
6- Within certain historical circumstances, the true Torah and Gospel were concealed and distorted versions have emerged (including the Bible's New Testament and the Old Testament); hence, a falsified or fake history/biography of Jesus spread in the same manner (by anonymous authors) like the fake biography of Muhammad written by Ibn Hisham and Ibn Ishaq during the Abbasid Era.
Secondly: the dwellers of Yathreb during Muhammad's lifetime:
The Quranic Chapter Nine is among the last chapters revealed shortly before the death of Muhammad; it naturally contains classification of the dwellers of the Yathreb city-state as per (dis)belief.
1- "The Pioneers - The first of the Migrants and the Supporters, and those who followed them in righteousness. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. That is the sublime triumph." (9:100).
2- "Others have confessed their sins, having mixed good deeds with bad deeds. Perhaps God will redeem them. God is Forgiving and Merciful. Receive charity contributions from their wealth, to purify them and sanctify them with it; and pray for them. Your prayer is comfort for them. God is Hearing and Knowing." (9:102-103).
3- "Others are held in suspense, awaiting God's decree, as to whether He will punish them, or accept their repentance. God is Omniscient and Wise." (9:106). This is about those who repented shortly before their death and had no time to atone for their sins/disbelief by performing many good deeds and acts of worship.
4- There were hypocrites among them who pretended to be believers but they were disbelievers who rejected the Quran; they are of two types as follows.
4/1: Frank, overt hypocrites whose deeds, words, and stances exposed them; the Islamic legislations allowed them political freedom and absolute religious freedom as long as they are peaceful and never raise arms or resort to violence/aggression; those hypocrites who never repented before their death will end up in Hell; the Lord God will forgive those among them who repented, embraced monotheism, and believed in the Quran before their death: "The hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the Hell-Fire, and you will find no helper for them. Except those who repent, and reform, and hold fast to God, and dedicate their religion to God alone. These are with the believers; and God will give the believers a great reward." (4:145-146).
4/2: There are those who concealed their hypocrisy very well and pretended to be pious and loyal to Muhammad; they got very close to him; they were (with him) and enjoyed high stature during his lifetime and after his death; once he died, they showed their true colors; the Lord God predicts that they will never repent and will be punished during their lifetime and forever in Hell as they will die as hypocrites: "Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of the city too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will torment them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment." (9:101).
Thirdly: the reason why the frank, overt hypocrites are not included in this Quranic verse: "Muhammad the messenger of God and those with him..." (48:29):
1- Those who were with Muhammad as true believers worshiped the Lord God with him, prayed with him, etc. In contrast, the frank, overt hypocrites were too reluctant to pray; when they prayed, they tried to deceive God, Muhammad, and believers.
1/1: "The hypocrites try to deceive God, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing off in front of people, and remembering God only a little." (4:142).
1/2: "What prevents the acceptance of their contributions is nothing but the fact that they disbelieved in God and His Messenger, and that they do not approach the prayer except lazily, and that they do not spend except grudgingly." (9:54).
2- They never participated in self-defense battles along with Muhammad and believers; they always excused themselves so as to avoid defending Yathreb against aggressors.
2/1: "And that He may know the hypocrites. And it was said to them, "Come, fight in the cause of God, or contribute." They said, "If we knew how to fight, we would have followed you." On that day they were closer to infidelity than they were to faith. They say with their mouths what is not in their hearts; but God knows what they hide." (3:167).
2/2: This is also repeated in the context of 33:12-20.
2/3: This is also repeated in the contexts of 9:42 and 9:81.
3- They always refused to be (with Muhammad); i.e., they refused to obey Muhammad as the leader of the Yathreb city-state; they refused to admit to their sins and they used God's Holy Name in vain.
3/1: "And when it is said to them, "Come, the messenger of God will ask forgiveness for you," they bend their heads, and you see them turning away arrogantly." (63:5).
3/2: "We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by God's leave. Had they, when they wronged themselves, come to you, and prayed for God's forgiveness, and the messenger had prayed for their forgiveness, they would have found God Relenting and Merciful." (4:64).
4- Some of those hypocrites were very envious and intended to drive Muhammad and believers out of Yathreb as they hated them; they could not, but they wished they could: "They say, "If we return to the city, the more powerful therein will evict the weak." But power belongs to God, and His messenger, and the believers; but the hypocrites do not know." (63:8).
5- The following verses assert the fact that these frank, overt hypocrites were not with Muhammad and the early believers.
5/1: "They swear by God that they are of you. But they are not of you..." (9:56).
5/2: "O you who believe! Do not ally yourselves to outsiders who never cease to wish you harm. They love to see you suffer. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is worse. We have made the messages clear for you, if you understand. There you are, you love them, but they do not love you, and you believe in the entire Book. And when they meet you, they say, "We believe;" but when they are alone, they bite their fingers in rage at you. Say, "Die in your rage; God knows what is within the hearts."" (3:118-119).
Fourthly: those who were (with Muhammad) as per the Quranic verse 48:29 among the dwellers of Yathreb:
Away from the frank, overt, exposed hypocrites, the other dwellers of Yathreb during Muhammad's lifetime were with him: (1) the forerunners/pioneers in faith and good deeds, (2) those who mixed good deed with bad ones (judged only by the Lord God on the Last Day), and (3) those adamant in hypocrisy who concealed their stance and their disbelief very well. We assert the following points.
1- The first part of the Quranic verse 48:29 asserts the outside aspect or the outward appearance of those who were with Muhammad: (...stern against the disbelievers, yet compassionate amongst themselves. You see them kneeling, prostrating, seeking blessings from God and approval. Their marks are on their faces from the effects of prostration. Such is their description in the Torah, and their description in the Gospel: like a plant that sprouts, becomes strong, grows thick, and rests on its stem, impressing the farmers. Through them He enrages the disbelievers...). These signs and acts of worship were seen by onlookers at the time, including Muhammad himself.
2- The second part of the Quranic verse 48:29 asserts the future of those with Muhammad in the Hereafter: (...God has promisedthose among them who believe and do good deeds forgiveness and a great reward.). The underlined words show clearly that some (and NOT all) of those who were with Muhammad will enter into Paradise and that they will die as sincere, monotheistic believers who performed good deeds and God will remit their sins and accept their repentance. This implies that some of those who were (with Muhammad) and drew near to him in terms of physical proximity were hypocrites adamant in hypocrisy and will die a such; i.e., as unrepentant disbelievers who hypocritically pretended to be believers.
3- Thus, some of those companions/contemporaries of Muhammad will enter into Paradise and some others among them will enter into Hell.
4- Thus, this phrase (...God has promisedthose among them who believe and do good deeds forgiveness and a great reward) in the Quranic verse 48:29 is explained here: "The Pioneers - The first of the Migrants and the Supporters, and those who followed them in righteousness. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. That is the sublime triumph." (9:100)
5- Of course, those who mixed good deed with bad ones will be forgiven by the Lord God if their repentance is sincere and the Lord God will accept it if they died as repentant ones who atoned for their sins and adhered to piety; some of those who had no time for atonement by performing many good deeds because they died will be judged by the Omniscient Lord God: He knows who among them were (in)sincere in their repentance.
6- This is because no one will enter into Paradise except the pious ones who seek no corruption and evil and seek to please the Lord God with their good deed: "Such is Paradise which We will give as inheritance to those of Our servants who are pious." (19:63); "That Home of the Hereafter - We assign it for those who seek no superiority on earth, nor corruption. And the outcome is for the pious ones." (28:83). This is why such people never seek superiority on earth through political and military struggle; this is why history written by men never mentions them as they avoided such evil struggle and any other grave sins; history typically sleeps in the arms of tyrants and people of authority.
7- There those who were with Muhammad during his lifetime but their fate is Hell.
7/1: They are mentioned here: "Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of the city too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will torment them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment." (9:101). Hence, they pretended to be pious in public to deceive Muhammad and other believers; they concealed their true stance of disbelief very well; their high stature as the nearest 'friends' of Muhammad allowed them to assume rule and control once he died and they committed the grave sins and the most heinous crimes (while abusing the name of Islam) within the Arabs conquests and the Arab civil strife; they are the sinful caliphs whose footsteps are followed by many rulers/sultans. More details concerning this topic are found in our "Quranic Moment" YouTube subtitled-into-English videos ( https://www.youtube.com/user/ahlalquran1/featured ) about the devilish prayers of the four sinful pre-Umayyad caliphs and within our book, in English, titled "The Unspoken-of History of the Pre-Umayyad 'Righteous' Caliphs", found on this link within our website: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/arabic/book_main.php?main_id=83
7/2: Those who will join them on the Last Day inside Hell are those so-called companions of Muhammad who participated in the heinous crimes (massacring, raping, enslaving, looting, arson, sabotage, etc.) within the Arab conquests attributed falsely to the name of Islam. Thus, Satan managed to deceive them, and they rejected the Quran, focused on the treasures/possessions of this transient world, and never thought of the Hereafter; they never repented and lived as disobedient sinners/criminals and died as such.