FRIDAY NOTES FROM THE QURAN (26/5/2023) - CONTEMPORARIES

 

Non Muslims need not read this post. However if you are Jewish or Christian this may interest you because it does mention Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jakob, Moses, Jesus, Maryam plus others. 

For today's post I am revisiting a link to an article I had posted earlier from New Signs Magazine :  The Messengers, Nabiys and Others Who Were Contemporaries,  January 28, 2023 New Signs Magazine.

Today's post will highlight verses from the Quran that connect the various messengers and nabis together in the same or approximately same time frame.

Lets begin with nabi Nuh or Noah and nabi Ibrahim / Abraham.

The following verses say that both Nuh and Ibrahim were contemporaries. 

37:79 Peace be upon Noah among the peoples.  

37:83 And surely from his party was Abraham (wa inna min shiatihi la-ibraheem).

Here are some other translators of 37:83

Arberry - Of his party was also Abraham;

Sarwar - Abraham was one of his followers.

Maulana Ali - And surely of his party was Abraham.

Qaribullah - Of his party was Abraham.

Also refer 57:26  "And surely We sent forth Noah and Abraham, and appointed the Prophethood and the Book to be given to their descendants. Some were guided, but many were impious."

57:26 supports 37:82 and 37:83 above which states that Abraham was of the party of Noah (shiatihi).

Also 29:15 and 29:16 (translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali)

29:15  But We saved him (Noah) and the companions of the Ark, and We made the (Ark) a Sign for all peoples!

29:16  And (We also saved) Abraham: behold, he said to his people, "Serve Allah and fear Him: that will be best for you- If ye understand!

So both Noah and Abraham were saved.

Nabi Ibrahim / Abraham in turn had three sons (as per the Quran). All three are mentioned as nabi. They are nabi Ishak (Isaac), nabi Ismail (Ishmael) and nabi Yakub (Jakob). 

6:84 And we granted him (Abraham)  Isaac and Jakob, and we guided both of them. 

And the son of Jakob (nabi Yakub) was Joseph (nabi Yusuf). The whole of Surah 12 (Surah Yusuf) explains in great detail the story of Yakub (Jakob) and his son Yusuf (Joseph).

So there were three generations of nabis in the family of Nabi Ibrahim ie himself, his son nabi Yakub and his grandson nabi Yusuf. And they were contemporaries (or would have lived around the same time) with nabi Nuh.

And the Quran says that nabi Ibrahim (Abraham) also personally knew Lot (nabi Lut).

21:69 We said, “O fire, be cool and safe for Abraham.”
21:70 Thus, they schemed against him, but we made them the losers.
21:71 And We saved him (Abraham) and Lot, to the land that we blessed for all the people.

29:31 our messengers went to Abraham ..” to annihilate the town..”
29:32 He said, “But Lot is living there”

So again this makes nabi Nuh, Ibrahim, Lut, Ishak, Ismail, Yakub and nabi Yusuf all contemporaries.  

Now here is a verse about nabi Shuayb. 

11:89 (SHUAYB SAID) And, O my people, do not be provoked by your opposition to me into incurring the same disasters as the people of Noah, or the people of Hood, or the people of Saaleh; and the people of Lot (qawmi Lut)  are not too far from you.

So while nabi Shuayb was talking to his people he reminded them that the people of Lot (qawmi Lut) are not too far from them. The Quran tells us that the people of Lot (qawmi Lut) would be destroyed by Allah (see 37:136 below).

Ok folks I have quoted many verses here.  I will stop for now. But this is much less than half the full story. Maybe next time.

To close here is something else to ponder about nabi Lut :

37:133 Lot was one of the messengers.
37:134 We saved him and all his family.
37:135 Only the old woman was doomed.
37:136 We annihilated all the others.
37:137 And surely you pass them in the morning (Wa-innakum la-ta' mur-roona alayhim musbiheena)
37:138 And by the night (wa bi laylin)

For comparison here are SEVEN other translations of 37:137 by different translators:

Pickthal          -    And lo! ye verily pass by them in the morning
Arberry           -    and you pass by them in the morning
Shakir             -    And most surely you pass by them in the morning,
Saheeh           -    And indeed, you pass by them in the morning
Maulana Ali   -    And surely you pass by them in the morning,
Qaribullah      -   You pass by them in the morning
Hilali/Khan     -   Verily, you pass by them in the morning.

The question to ponder is who exactly is the "you" referred to in 37:137 above?

The you in 37:137 above was a contemporary of nabi Lut. And therefore of nabi Ibrahim, Ishak, Ismail, Yakub, etc etc.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.