إِذ أَرسَلنا إِلَيهِمُ اثنَينِ فَكَذَّبوهُما فَعَزَّزنا بِثالِثٍ فَقالوا إِنّا إِلَيكُم مُرسَلونَ
When We sent to them two [apostles], they impugned both of them. Then We reinforced them with a third, and they said: ‘We have indeed been sent to you.’
EXEGESIS
Kadhdhabūhumā (they impugned the two). One of the features of Arabic grammar is that one word can be a complete sentence composed of a verb, subject, and object, such as kadhdhabūhumā in this verse.
The word kadhdhaba means belied, denied, rejected, impugned, or accused of lying. It is as if the Quran informs Prophet Muhammad (s) that the previous nations rejected and denied the messengers throughout history; thus, Prophet Muhammad (s) should not be surprised by it.
ʿAzzaznā (we reinforced): ʿazzaza is a perfect verb tense that can be used for various meanings, such as he rendered him mighty, powerful, potent, and strong. It is attached to the suffix nā (we), a first-person plural pronoun that refers to God Himself. The verb’s object is implicit; it may refer to the two messengers, or, as some have said, refer to the truth, meaning: We reinforced the truth by a third one. This is because the main aim of the messengers was to strengthen the religion by providing strong, clear, and intellectual arguments.
There are several verses in the Quran where a plural pronoun is used to refer to God. On the other hand, in many verses God is referred to in the first person singular. There is no decisive criterion for when and why God uses the singular or the plural pronouns when referring to Himself. Still, it is said that when the verse wants to convey a sense of majesty and glory it uses a plural pronoun for God; and when it wants to trigger the feeling of closeness, passion, and comfort in the heart of a servant, it refers to God in the first person singular. Such is observed in His address to Prophet Moses (a) on Mount Sinai, to ease the confounding state he was experiencing, Indeed I am Allah – there is no god except Me. So worship Me, and maintain the prayer for My remembrance (20:14), in which all the pronouns are in the first person singular, thereby creating a sense of intimacy and closeness.
Similarly, when He invites his servants to supplicate Him or worship Him alone, He uses the singular pronoun as in the verse, When My servants ask you about Me, [tell them that] I am indeed nearmost. I answer the supplicant’s call when he calls Me. So let them respond to Me, and let them have faith in Me, so that they may fare rightly (2:186).
In this verse, God has referred to Himself by a plural pronoun to express His greatness and might, manifesting in His support to the two messengers who were rejected, weakened, and perhaps tortured. It is also manifested in His wrath and punishment that would befall them if they continued their wickedness and evil attitude.
EXPOSITION
It could be understood from Then We reinforced them with a third that the two messengers sent to the town were not only rejected but were perhaps in danger, which necessitated the dispatch of a third messenger. One can imagine that the reason for sending the third messenger was that he was already known to the prominent people of the town and was hence more influential than those sent previously. By sending him, God wanted to give the people of the town another chance before they brought destruction upon themselves.
The addressee of they said should have been the authorities in the town. Although the ordinary people may have had a tough stance against the messengers due to their ignorance, it is usually the authorities and the prominent people, like the king or the clergy who take such stances and make threats.
We have indeed been sent to you shows that the third messenger identified himself wholly with the other two trying to convince them of their veracity.
One of the lessons that can be learned from We reinforced is that God supports His dedicated servants who strive to support Him, in this case by reinforcing the two messengers by sending the third; and His support is further evident to these three messengers through the believer coming from the suburbs of the town.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- It has been narrated that Prophet Jesus (a) sent two of his disciples as messengers to the city of Antioch, and they met Ḥabīb, an elderly shepherd, who is considered the believer mentioned in this surah. After they introduced each other, the messengers invited him to the oneness of God, indicating that they could support their truthfulness by miraculously giving sight to the blind, as well as healing the sick and those afflicted with leprosy, all by the permission and will of God. After they healed the paralysed son of Ḥabīb through their prayers, the news spread throughout the city and eventually they healed many sick people through the power of God. After that, their polytheist king invited them and asked them to introduce themselves, so they said they were sent by Prophet Jesus (a), and that they had come to invite him to believe in the oneness of God. The king did not believe in them and his supporters tortured them and kept them in prison. Then Prophet Jesus (a) sent Simon, the head of the disciples, to go and help those two messengers. Simon was able to establish a good relationship with the king, and he was able to convince him to give them a chance and hear them. Thus the king decided to hear them and see the signs of their truth. The king asked them to heal a youth born without eyes, so they both started supplicating to God until the eyes appeared on that youth’s face. The king was astonished by the miracle and confessed that the idols could never do such a wonder. However, the king wanted them to give life to a rotten dead body that was dead for seven days to believe in them and the oneness of God. After the public supplication of the two messengers along with Simon’s secret supplication, the dead body stood up and warned the king and the public about the hellfire as a consequence of idol worship. The king was amazed, so he believed in the oneness of God; however, his people in the kingdom were divided into believers and disbelievers.
Note: Historically, none of the recorded earthquakes or the destructions that hit the city of Antioch happened in the time of Prophet Jesus (a) or any of his apostles, although there are a few recorded destructions of that city before and after that era. Finally, there is no indication of Ḥabīb or his martyrdom in the lengthy narration that the exegetes have related to these verses. Therefore, if the lengthy hadith is valid, it definitely indicates a different event from the one mentioned in this surah for all the reasons we have mentioned. The ones that will be mentioned under Insights from Other Traditions indicate that Antioch was not entirely polytheist, and Jews were also living there. In the era of Prophet Jesus (a) and his apostles, there were the Christians in it as well. Therefore, it seems that the event in these verses and the event in the lengthy narration are two different events.
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
Ṭabrisī mentions when the people of the town rejected the two messengers, they beat them and imprisoned them, and God sent a third messenger. Some exegetes said that the first two were Simon and John, and the third was Paul. Others mentioned that their names were Ṣādiq and Ṣadūq, and the third was Salūm. It was also said that these apostles were from the disciples of Prophet Jesus (a), who sent them to the town by the command of God.
Rāzī states that even though the messengers were sent by Prophet Jesus (a), it could be said that God sent them because Prophet Jesus (a) was representing God; thus, rejecting those messengers would be rejecting God, similar to the concept of authorising an attorney who represents his client in a legal system.
The reason for sending two messengers was that they may have a more significant impact in setting out a complete proof against the people. It can be said that the people could have considered the two messengers as two witnesses testifying to the truthfulness of Prophet Jesus (a); however, Prophet Abraham (a) only sent Prophet Lot (a) to the people of Sodom, and therefore, there may be some other wisdom of God for it. Similar support is observed when God supported Prophet Moses (a) by choosing Prophet Aaron (a), He said: ‘We will strengthen your arm by means of your brother, and invest both of you with such authority that they will not touch you. With the help of Our signs, you two, and those who follow the two of you, shall be the victors’ (28:35).
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
Antioch was a cosmopolitan society which, besides Jerusalem, played an important role in the early beginnings of Christianity. With its excellent geographical location, it became an ideal base for the missionary journeys of Paul, Barnabas, Peter, and other Christian disciples. Jesus (a) sent the disciples to the Children of Israel around Jerusalem, as indicated in the following verses of the Bible:
- Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. These twelve, Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.”
- Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits … They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil, and healed them.
- After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
- Now, those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also … and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts … Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So, for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch … During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.
[1] Lane, p. 2599.
[2] Lane, p. 2031.
[3] Ezz in the online Quranic Arabic Corpus, < https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Ezz >.
[4] Mizan, 17/72.
[5] Razi, 26/260.
[6] Mizan, 17/81-83; Tabrisi, 8/656; Daqaiq, 11/67.
[7] Tabrisi, 8/654.
[8] Razi, 26/260.
[9] Razi, 26/260.
[10] Razi, 26/260.
[11] https://www.worcesterart.org/exhibitions/past/coa.html
[12] (33) Where Did the Apostles Go? - YouTube < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5VDwAGFPA4 >.
[13] Matthew 10:1-42.
[14] Mark 6:6-13.
[15] Luke 10:1-24.
[16] Acts 11:19-30.