Who are the messengers in 36:14?

Question

Rumanthia- What we know for sure is that they were not "Messengers". Instead they probably are disciples of a messenger.

Answer 1

وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلاً أَصْحَابَ الْقَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَاءهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ {13}

[Shakir 36:13] And set out to them an example of the people of the town, when the messengers came to it.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 36:13]

According to some commentators the reference in this verse is to Antioch which was a Greek city founded by Selcucus Nicator, one of the successors of Alexander, in about 300 B.C. in memory of his father, Antiochus. The city may be a symbolic entity populated by human society.

إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُم مُّرْسَلُونَ {14}

[Shakir 36:14] When We sent to them two, they rejected both of them, then We strengthened (them) with a third, so they said: Surely we are messengers to you.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 36:14]

Aqa Mahdi Puya says:

In line with the style of the Quran whereby stories are forwarded as example it is told that Isa had sent two of his disciples to preach his message. When they came to the outskirts of a city, they met a shepherd who asked as to who they were. They replied that they were the messengers from Isa, the prophet of Allah, and had been sent to invite people to the religion of Allah. The shepherd wished to see if they had any signs to prove their bonafide. They said that they could cure the sick and restore sight to the born blind and cure the born lepers. On this, the shepherd took those men to his son who was sick for long and no one could help him. They prayed to Allah and the sick son of the shepherd was cured. The shepherd embraced the religion of Allah preached by Isa.

Hearing about the arrival of these men in the city, the man known as "mumin of ali Yasin", who believed in the advent of the Holy Prophet, even 680 years before his coming, came out from his retreat and embraced the true faith, and a great number of sick in the city were cured by the disciples of Isa.

The King, who was a stubborn non-believer, imprisoned those messengers of Isa. On hearing the fate of his messengers, Isa sent another of his disciple Simon who came to the city and pretended to belong to the King's faith (an example of taqiyyah) and gained influence over him. See Acts 11: 16.

Thus, the despatch of two messengers was more strengthened by the third from Isa. This refers to the first two,.

Simon's conduct here indicates the validity of taqiyyah and its proper use.

قَالُوا مَا أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَا أَنزَلَ الرَّحْمن مِن شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَكْذِبُونَ {15}

[Shakir 36:15] They said: You are naught but mortals like ourselves, nor has the Beneficent Allah revealed anything; you only lie.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 36:15]

When Simon had gained sufficient influence over the King, he asked the King one day to bring those two men to be questioned about their faith.

The two messengers came but did not give the indication of recognising Simon who asked them as to who they were and what was the purpose of their visit to that place. They said that they were the messengers of Isa, the prophet of Allah, sent to invite the King to give up his idolatry and embrace the faith in the only true Lord. On being asked about their bonafides they said that they can cure the sick and even born lepers and could give sight to the blind.

Simon told the king as to why the king and he should not ask the idol gods to show some kind of miracles The king laughed and replied: "How can we expect these things from idols which neither can speak nor hear." Then Simon said that they should have also joined those two men in worshipping Allah who has such powers.

The king agreed and embraced the religion of Allah but the people rejected the truth and said that the two messengers were only men who were mortals like themselves and called the disciples of Isa liars.

Answer 2

Tafsir Ibn Kathir says :-

وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَّثَلاً أَصْحَـبَ القَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَآءَهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ - إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ

فَقَالُواْ إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ مُّرْسَلُونَ - قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَآ أَنَزلَ الرَّحْمَـنُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَكْذِبُونَ - قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمُرْسَلُونَ - وَمَا عَلَيْنَآ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ

(13. And put forward to them a similitude; the Dwellers of the Town, when there came Messengers to them.) (14. When We sent to them two Messengers, they denied them both; so We reinforced them with a third, and they said: "Verily, we have been sent to you as Messengers.'') (15. They said: "You are only human beings like ourselves, and the Most Gracious has revealed nothing. You are only telling lies.'') (16. The Messengers said: "Our Lord knows that we have been sent as Messengers to you,'') (17. "And our duty is only to convey plainly.'')

______________________________________...

The Story of the Dwellers of the Town and Their Messengers, a Lesson that Those Who belied Their ...

Allah says, `O Muhammad, tell your people who disbelieve in you,'

مَّثَلاً أَصْحَـبَ القَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَآءَهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ

(a similitude; the Dwellers of the Town, when there came Messengers to them.) In the reports that he transmitted from Ibn `Abbas, Ka`b Al-Ahbar and Wahb bin Munabbih - Ibn Ishaq reported that it was the city of Antioch, in which there was a king called Antiochus the son of Antiochus the son of Antiochus, who used to worship idols.

Allah sent to him three Messengers, whose names were Sadiq, Saduq and Shalum, and he disbelieved in them. It was also narrated from Buraydah bin Al-Husayb, `Ikrimah, Qatadah and Az-Zuhri that it was Antioch. Some of the Imams were not sure that it was Antioch, as we shall see below after telling the rest of the story, if Allah wills.

إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا

(When We sent to them two Messengers, they denied them both;) means, they hastened to disbelieve in them.

فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ

(so We reinforced them with a third,) means, `We supported and strengthened them with a third Messenger. ' Ibn Jurayj narrated from Wahb bin Sulayman, from Shu`ayb Al-Jaba'i, "The names of the first two Messengers were Sham`un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was Bulus, and the city was Antioch (Antakiyah).

فَقَالُواْ

(and they said) means, to the people of that city,

إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ مُّرْسَلُونَ

(Verily, we have been sent to you as Messengers.) meaning, `from your Lord Who created you and Who commands you to worship Him Alone with no partners or associates.' This was the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah. Qatadah bin Di`amah claimed that they were messengers of the Messiah, peace be upon him, sent to the people of Antioch.

قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا

(They said: "You are only human beings like ourselves...'') means, `so how could you receive revelation when you are human beings and we are human beings, so why do we not receive revelation like you If you are Messengers, you should be angels.' This is like what many of the nations said who disbelieved, as Allah has told us in the Ayah: c

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ كَانَت تَّأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ فَقَالُواْ أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا

(That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall mere men guide us'') (64: 6) meaning that they were amazed by that and they denied it. And Allah says:

قَالُواْ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ

(They said: "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority.'') (14:10). And Allah tells us that they said:

وَلَئِنْ أَطَعْتُمْ بَشَراً مِّثْلَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَّخَـسِرُونَ

("If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, then verily, you indeed would be losers.'') (23:34). And Allah says:

وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ إِذْ جَآءَهُمُ الْهُدَى إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ أَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُولاً

(And nothing prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, except that they said: "Has Allah sent a man as (His) Messenger'') (17:94). These people said:

قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَآ أَنَزلَ الرَّحْمَـنُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَكْذِبُونَ - قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمُرْسَلُونَ

(You are only human beings like ourselves, and the Most Gracious has revealed nothing. You are only telling lies.'' The Messengers said: "Our Lord knows that we have been sent as Messengers to you.'') This means that the three Messengers answered them saying: "Allah knows that we are His Messengers to you. If we were lying, He would have taken the utmost vengeance against us, but He will cause us to prevail and will make us victorious against you, and you will come to know whose will be the happy end in the Hereafter.'' This is like the Ayah:

﴿قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ شَهِيداً يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَالَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَكَفَرُواْ بِاللَّهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ ﴾

(Say: "Sufficient is Allah for a witness between me and you. He knows what is in the heavens and on earth.'' And those who believe in falsehood, and disbelieve in Allah, it is they who are the losers.) (29:52)

﴿وَمَا عَلَيْنَآ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ ﴾

(And our duty is only to convey plainly.) means, `all we have to do is to convey to you the Message with which we have been sent; if you obey, then happiness will be yours in this world and the Hereafter, and if you do not respond, you will soon know the consequences of that.' And Allah knows best.

edit @ Rumaitha - OneUmmah! you can not think like that what you think is the best and other are wrong.There are many Views regarding this and arguments between scholars.AND i think you haven't read my Answer carefully.

Answer 3

Verse under Question:

36:14

إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُم مُّرْسَلُونَ

When We (first) sent to them two apostles, they rejected them: But We strengthened them with a third: they said, “Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you.” – [Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali]

“The names of the first two Messengers were Sham`un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was Bulus, and the city was Antioch (Antakiyah).”

BULUS

Gender: Masculine

Usage: Arabic

Arabic form of PAUL

Edit- Rumaitha Paratha = Four prophets lived during the intermission period between Jesus Chirst and Mohammad (peace be upon them) , three of them were from the children of Israel and one of them was an Arab Khaled the prophet.

Edit-The Prophet Mohammed was born sometime between 570-571 A.D

Well I do not think There were No prophets sent  in that 500 years gap . 1,24,000 Is a Huge Number of prophets ! We Just Do not have any History about it But im sure Allah did send Out more Prophets in the intermission between jesus and Prophet Muhammad PBUH !

edit=Khalid ibn Sinan

Reagrding your first question: Khalid ibn Sinan al-`Abasi. There is a sound but mursal report from Ibn `Abbas that his daughter -- or descendent -- came to see the Prophet, Allah bless and greet him, and he said: "Welcome to the daughter of a prophet whom his own people lost (through their lack of faith)." Narrated by Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya (al-Ma`arif ed. 2:211), Ibn Hajar in al-Isaba (2:370-371), Ibn Sa`d in al-Tabaqat (1:295) and others. But the Prophet -- Allah bless and greet him -- said that there is no Prophet between him and `Isa, and this is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari. The Fusus reconcile the two reports by stating that Khalid's prophethood was not during his life on earth, but after he died and entered Barzakh, hence it does not count in the same way as the missions of other prophets, and Allah knows best.

Im confused now :\

Answer 4

' Ibn Jurayj narrated from Wahb bin Sulayman, from Shu`ayb Al-Jaba'i, "The names of the first two Messengers were Sham`un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was Bulus, and the city was Antioch (Antakiyah)

Edit:

شمعون

يوحنا

بولس

Answer 5

I kind of disagree with the answers above and believe there is a misinterpretation of that specific verse. Let's have a look at it in Arabic:

إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُم مُّرْسَلُونَ

When We (first) sent to them two apostles, they rejected them: But We strengthened them with a third: they said, “Truly, we have been sent on a mission to you.”

The word used here "مُّرْسَلُونَ" does not translate to "messengers" rather "sent ones". So this verse is not referring to messengers, but sent ones. The term "rasool" translates to "messenger", thus this verse does not refer to messengers.

There were no prophets between Jesus and Muhammad (pbuh) according to Islamic beliefs. Well, I'm not sure who I agree with, but it's three from the seven below (not Paul):

Sadiq

Saduq

Shalum

Shamoun

Yuhanna

Saman

Yahya

I know, quite a bit to choose from but I'll need to do more research on this topic.

EDIT:

Faraz -

Narrated Abu Huraira: I heard Apostle saying, “I am the nearest of all the people to the son of Mary, and all the prophets are paternal brothers, and there has been no prophet between me and him (i.e. Jesus).” Bukhari.

Now, this Hadith states that there were no prophets between Jesus and Muhammad, from what I understand. As for messengers between them, I am not sure. Again, I will have to do more research on it.

EDIT:

Adnan -

Yes, it is from the commentaries of Ibn Kathir, but quoted from Shu`ayb Al-Jaba’i who held the view that they were Sham'un, Yuhanna, and Bulus. He also quoted others like Ibn Ishaq, Qurtubi, Tabari, and Al Naqash whom hold different views.

According to Qurtubi, Jesus sent two as messengers to the king of Antioch and they told him that they were disciples of Jesus and they were whipped and jailed. Jesus then heard the news and sent the third person names Sham'oun Al-Safa.

So they all have different opinions, in which Shu`ayb Al-Jaba’i was the only one who had included Bulus in the list. All the others held different views.

EDIT:

Muhyi al Din-

The translation you have is misleading. Keep in mind the the word "مُّرْسَلُونَ"  translates to "sent (plural, male)" and not messenger (as in messenger of God), rather messengers sent by Jesus. Another problem is that you are referring to many verses which do not relate to the same story and aren't even in the same Surah, it's kind of confusing. I think a few different cases are being mixed in here? The verse if I remember correct is from Surat Yasin, the other below I don't think are if my memory serves me right.

EDIT:

Adnan-

I'm pretty sure a lot of people will have different opinions on this subject. I found a website that might help you out a bit, it's not that long, quite short actually if you would like to skim through it:

http://islam.thetruecall.com/modules.php...

EDIT:

Adnan -

To be honest, I don't really know the answer as to who exactly it refers to. I would have to read up on the history. The problem is that even those scholars are giving opinions, and not really facts. So I don't know who I would agree with. What I do know is that it is not referring to messengers but "sent ones". Who those are, I'm not sure. I will have to do more research on it.

Adnan -

Probably, but I wouldn't be too sure. Again, I don't think anyone here really has a good idea of who it is referring to. Everyone will just google it up and see what they find. I don't want to make any assumptions on who it may be, but I don't want to ignore it either. So I will continue to research on it and let you know when I find something.