Allah does not abandon his prophets even though it may seem that way from a human perspective
Divine Reassurance in the Quran: The Quran explicitly addresses and refutes the idea that Allah ever forsakes His messengers. When the pagans of Mecca mocked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during a temporary break in revelation, saying that his Lord had abandoned him.
Allah revealed Surah Ad-Dhuhaa (93:3): “Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor does He hate you.” Allah reinforces this protection and care, promising that the final outcome belongs to the righteous and His messengers, even when they face severe rejection, hardship, or persecution from their communities.
AI Generated: If Allah has determined a certain pathway for a prophet, will that pathway be carried out even if the prophet strongly objects?
Example: Jesus suffered delirium from the extreme pain and stress on the cross
Matthew 27:46: Jesus cries out on the cross in a loud voice. He says, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Mark 15:34: Jesus shouts at the ninth hour (about three in the afternoon). He says, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” This translates to the same phrase.
And for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah”—But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.
Where does this verse fit in? The perception was that the enemies of Jesus thought they had finally done him in for good. They did not. Jesus knew that his restoration from the tomb was part of God's divine plan. He knew he would be restored on the third day.
In classical Islamic commentary (tafsir), scholars have put forward a few primary explanations to interpret the phrase shubbiha lahum ("it was made to appear so to them") in Surah An-Nisa (4:157).
However, there are errors in the classical commentary that are obvious
1. The Voluntary Substitute (The Loyal Disciple)
A prominent narration cited by Ibn Kathir (sourcing a report from Ibn Abbas) suggests a loyal disciple volunteered to take Jesus’ place.
Jesus was not arrested in a room. He was arrested in the Garden with his disciples by the temple police and brought before the Sanhedrin at night. He was interrogated and struck in the face. He was interrogated by Pontius Pilate, King Herod, violently flogged and mocked before being crucified. Another person who volunteered would not have survived this ordeal up to the very end.
2. The Involuntary Substitute (The Betrayer)
Another widely cited classical narrative suggests that the person who betrayed Jesus (often associated with Judas Iscariot in parallel traditions, or a guard named Titanus) was punished by God with the physical appearance of Jesus.
3. Collective Confusion (No Specific Substitute)
Some classical commentators leaned toward a more psychological or general visual confusion rather than a single specific substitute.
4. The Spiritual/Metaphorical View (Alternative Classical Minority)
A few early and classical thinkers, including some Mu'tazilite commentators and later scholars like Al-Razi, raised theological questions about the literal substitution theories. They argued that if God could change someone's physical identity so completely to deceive onlookers, it could open the door to doubting the reliability of human senses and historical transmission.
While Al-Razi ultimately accepted the mainstream view that Jesus was saved, he and others noted that the "appearance" could mean that the report or the belief of his death was what became widespread and confused, rather than a magical physical transformation of a bystander.
Divine Reassurance in the Quran: The Quran explicitly addresses and refutes the idea that Allah ever forsakes His messengers. When the pagans of Mecca mocked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during a temporary break in revelation, saying that his Lord had abandoned him.
Allah revealed Surah Ad-Dhuhaa (93:3): “Your Lord has not abandoned you, nor does He hate you.” Allah reinforces this protection and care, promising that the final outcome belongs to the righteous and His messengers, even when they face severe rejection, hardship, or persecution from their communities.
AI Generated: If Allah has determined a certain pathway for a prophet, will that pathway be carried out even if the prophet strongly objects?
- Divine Will Always Prevails: Yes, Allah's divine plan will always happen because His power and will cannot be stopped or changed by anyone. Nobody not even a prophet can block Allah's final decrees
- Prophets are Fully Human and Subject To The Same Human Emotions as Anyone Else. Prophets feel fear, sadness, or heavy stress because they are human. While a prophet might feel overwhelmed or hesitant, they do not rebel against Allah. They always return to submission and trust His wisdom.
Example: Jesus suffered delirium from the extreme pain and stress on the cross
Matthew 27:46: Jesus cries out on the cross in a loud voice. He says, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” This means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Mark 15:34: Jesus shouts at the ninth hour (about three in the afternoon). He says, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” This translates to the same phrase.
And for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah”—But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.
Where does this verse fit in? The perception was that the enemies of Jesus thought they had finally done him in for good. They did not. Jesus knew that his restoration from the tomb was part of God's divine plan. He knew he would be restored on the third day.
In classical Islamic commentary (tafsir), scholars have put forward a few primary explanations to interpret the phrase shubbiha lahum ("it was made to appear so to them") in Surah An-Nisa (4:157).
However, there are errors in the classical commentary that are obvious
1. The Voluntary Substitute (The Loyal Disciple)
A prominent narration cited by Ibn Kathir (sourcing a report from Ibn Abbas) suggests a loyal disciple volunteered to take Jesus’ place.
- The Event: When Roman soldiers and Jewish elders surrounded the house where Jesus and his close companions were staying, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who among you will have my likeness cast upon him, be killed in my place, and be my companion in Paradise?"
- The Outcome: The youngest man in the room volunteered. Jesus asked again, and the same young man volunteered. Finally, Jesus accepted, and God cast the exact likeness of Jesus onto the youth. Jesus was then raised to heaven through an opening in the roof. The soldiers entered, arrested the young man, and crucified him, believing him to be Jesus.
Jesus was not arrested in a room. He was arrested in the Garden with his disciples by the temple police and brought before the Sanhedrin at night. He was interrogated and struck in the face. He was interrogated by Pontius Pilate, King Herod, violently flogged and mocked before being crucified. Another person who volunteered would not have survived this ordeal up to the very end.
2. The Involuntary Substitute (The Betrayer)
Another widely cited classical narrative suggests that the person who betrayed Jesus (often associated with Judas Iscariot in parallel traditions, or a guard named Titanus) was punished by God with the physical appearance of Jesus.
- The Event: According to accounts recorded by Al-Tabari and Al-Baghawi, a man entered the house to arrest Jesus or lead the soldiers to him.
- The Outcome: Before the soldiers reached him, Jesus was raised to heaven. When the betrayer or guard stepped back out to the crowd, God transformed his face and voice to exactly match Jesus. The other soldiers mistakenly arrested their own companion and crucified him while he desperately claimed he was not Jesus.
3. Collective Confusion (No Specific Substitute)
Some classical commentators leaned toward a more psychological or general visual confusion rather than a single specific substitute.
- The Event: A crowd gathered in darkness or chaos, and the soldiers grabbed a man in the commotion.
- The Outcome: Because it was dark and chaotic, they simply executed the wrong person. The phrase shubbiha lahum is interpreted here as a state of deep doubt and uncertainty hitting the crowd. This aligns with the end of verse 4:157, which notes that "those who argue for this are in doubt... only making assumptions."
4. The Spiritual/Metaphorical View (Alternative Classical Minority)
A few early and classical thinkers, including some Mu'tazilite commentators and later scholars like Al-Razi, raised theological questions about the literal substitution theories. They argued that if God could change someone's physical identity so completely to deceive onlookers, it could open the door to doubting the reliability of human senses and historical transmission.
While Al-Razi ultimately accepted the mainstream view that Jesus was saved, he and others noted that the "appearance" could mean that the report or the belief of his death was what became widespread and confused, rather than a magical physical transformation of a bystander.
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