Traps Set For the Messengers

Many accounts of the Messengers relate the opposition, assaults, plots, and accusations that the unbelievers launch against them. No Messenger has ever been exempted from such abuse. The struggle between Allah's Messengers and leading unbelievers has been going on ever since Allah sent the Prophet Adam (as) to earth.

But there is an interesting aspect to this abuse, which the elite set about opposing the Messengers but which had actually been defeated before they even began it: The leaders generally do not deny Allah's existence and thus reject His ordinances; on the contrary, they claim that they genuinely believe in Allah but lie in saying the Messenger is not Allah's envoy. They even utterly foolishly and immorally slander these holy Messengers of Allah by saying they are solely interested in their own worldly advantage. They issue another slander by saying that his followers are "deceived" and "bewitched," and, in their own foolish minds, organize themselves to "save society from him." According to their distorted logic, they think that their own traditional social organization is right and that "someone with no wealth or rank" must be trying to sow confusion and ruin the existing order for his own interests. But it is they who have strayed into perversion. The only true path is that shown by Allah and His Messenger. But those people are suffering the pain and anguish of not living by the moral values revealed by Allah. The Messenger invites them to true salvation from the disasters afflicting them. People who heed that call are acting in their own interests, while those who not are acting against those interests.

The general spiritual condition of the people who set traps for these superior, intelligent, worthy, and highly moral individuals is certainly in a state of decay. We can understand from the Qur'anic accounts that those who set traps for the Messengers are those who could easily commit murder. For example, in the Qur'an Allah tells us about the Prophet Joseph's (as) brothers, who planned to martyr him out of jealousy:

Those who set the trap claim to be good people. In fact, this is a major ploy that the unbelievers use to "prove" that they are working for the good of society. Leaders of unbelievers, who have literally become expert at portraying good as evil, and evil as good, strive to spread propaganda against believers by way of lies, slanders and false accusations, and carefully wage a campaign of psychological warfare. Pharaoh tried to justify threatening the Prophet Moses (as) with martyrdom because he lied that he did not want to impugn religion and to unleash disorder. In spite of his cruelty and oppression, he proclaimed himself to be the protector of society's values. The real aim here, of course, was to try to turn society against the Prophet Moses (as) by misusing areas in which people are particularly sensitive. Pharaoh's words are revealed in the Qur'an:

In other words, Pharaoh supposedly wanted to save the people from the Prophet Moses (as). But it was actually Pharaoh himself causing corruption on Earth, while society's true savior was the Prophet Moses (as) and the true path he called people to. This disingenuousness is a common characteristic of all unbelievers. The following conversation between the Prophet Noah (as) and the leaders of his people is related in the Qur'an:

Such unbelieving leaders spread amazing propaganda against the Messengers. They deny one of religion's most important foundations: the existence of the hereafter. They do not admit that they reject Allah, but foolishly portray the Messengers as "inventors of lies in His name and exploiters of religion." This is certainly terribly immoral and a total lie and slander. But some people, who have lost the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong from living far removed from religious moral values, fall under the spell of this propaganda based on lies. But for believers, albeit in few in number, upon whom Allah bestows faith, these slanders, attacks and propaganda are all excellent means whereby they love the Messenger even more, become more genuinely attached to him and increase their religious fervor and excitement. That is because each one of these phenomena takes place as promised by Allah and is created as one of our Lord's wise tests. Another irrational claim that unbelievers make is that the Messengers are just normal people who eat and drink like everyone else. Therefore, there is no advantage in following them. But this is nonsense, because a Messenger is a human being who lives like everyone else – the only difference is that Allah has chosen him, made him superior with blessings from His Presence and led him to the truth. For this reason, those who obey the one true Messenger have chosen to follow a guide to the truth.

It is revealed in the Qur'an that people with no faith expect a Messenger to be an extraordinary individual, but that this is a mistake. Allah speaks of these people thus:

The main reason why unbelievers oppose the Messengers is not, as they untruthfully maintain, because they want to protect the people from the Messenger's ideas. Rather, it is because such people seek only their own advantage and thus are hostile to a Messenger, who is viewed as a threat to these advantages. Therefore, the leading unbelievers think they must stop a Messenger from communicating his message.

The first thing they do is spread negative propaganda about the Messenger and his message. Some classic accusations are related in the Qur'an. But it is useful here to recall an important matter: No matter what the unbelievers do to disparage a Messenger and his followers, at least in their own foolish eyes, and no matter what accusations they allege, they will fail. Contrary to what they expect, their insults, accusations, and calumnies will have no ill effect on the believers, who are aware that they will be rewarded in this life in the finest manner and the hereafter for enduring such things patiently, reacting to them properly, and holding fast to His way and religious morality.

Slanders against Messengers

Believers know that all such accusations made against them are gossip and slander created by Allah to test them. That is because it is foretold in the Qur'an that all these things will certainly befall believers. It is revealed as follows in one verse:

Allah has promised that these tests will purify those who endure them in this world. For example, the unbelievers tried, in their own eyes, to oppress the Prophet Moses (as) with accusations and insults, but Allah exonerated him:

In the same way, they leveled serious accusations against the Prophet Joseph (as) with regard to his chastity. Although everyone knew that he had preserved his chastity, that he had committed no crime, that he was an innocent and immaculate individual, and although everyone realized this and that all the evidence proved the Prophet Joseph's (as) innocence, they nonetheless threw him into prison:

Hz. Yusuf hiçbir suçu olmadığı halde kendisine atılan iftiradan, hakkında oluşturulan şaibelerden ötürü yıllar yılı zindanda tutulmuştur. Ancak sonunda gerçek Although the Prophet Joseph (as) has committed no crime, he spent years in prison. Later on, the truth came out and he was cleared. And Allah made this holy individual responsible for the Egyptian Treasury. This is described as follows in verses:

After his innocence became known, the Prophet Joseph (as) came to lead his people and assume power. Allah reveals thus in verses on the subject:

The Messengers are not concerned with being exonerated in the eyes of others. It is enough for them that All-Knowing Allah knows what they are doing and what is in their hearts. But it is revealed in the Qur'an that the pangs of hell await those who make false accusations against the Messengers and believers:

In another verse it is revealed what will happen to those who accuse believing men and women of committing sins, which they did not:

Now we will examine the accusations made against the Messengers, as well as the methods used to sully their characters.

The accusation that messengers seek their own advantage

The most frequent accusation made by the unbelievers' leaders is the totally immoral lie that the Messenger does not believe in what he proclaims, but rather is only seeking his own advantage and personal gain. Furthermore, they claim that the Messenger's "thirst for power" underlies his demand to be obeyed. The fact is, however, that Messengers are immaculate people who charge people nothing, who have no worldly expectations, who look for Allah's approval alone and who live in the hope of His mercy, good pleasure and paradise. Messengers expect nothing in worldly terms, although Allah bestows the world's finest blessings on these sincere and righteous servants of His. For example, Pharaoh and his circle claimed that the Prophet Moses (as) was not interested in calling people to religion; all he wanted was to "gain greatness in the land":

It is revealed in the Qur'an that the same ugly accusation was made about the Prophet Noah (as):

These verses show that one of the unbelievers' foolish errors lies in maintaining that the Messengers are ordinary people like themselves. The fact is that every Messenger is a superior and holy person in the Sight of Allah. The Prophet Moses (as) and all other Messengers, without exception, call their people to obey them – but only for the sake of gaining Allah's approval. Each Messenger and those who believe in and obey him are Allah's servants. Thus, when a Messenger calls people to obey him, he is actually calling them to serve Allah:

However, as we have seen, Pharaoh and other leading unbelievers foolishly and supposedly claimed to be "gods" (surely Allah is beyond that). This is one of the reasons why, unless these unbelievers repent and change their ways, they will be rewarded with great torment.

The accusation that messengers are crazy

Another of the slanderous techniques frequently employed by unbelievers is to accuse the Messenger, and sometimes also the believers with him, of "madness." This foolish accusation has been made about nearly all Messengers. This is often referred to in the Qur'an. For example, the Prophet Noah (as) was called a "madman":

The same accusation was made against our Prophet (saas):

The same slander was directed against the Prophet Moses (as):

Allah tells us that all peoples tend to make false accusations against the Messengers sent to them:

Since the leading unbelievers are unable to properly appreciate the might of Allah they are also unable to comprehend the courage of the Messengers, their determination in their struggle and the source of their relevant strength and influence. While personal gain is their first criterion, a Messenger gives up his personal advantage to deliver Allah's message. Personal gain is an unbelievers' sole criterion; they observe only their own interests. In contrast, the Messenger sacrifices all his personal interests in order to preach the word. According to the distorted logic of the unbelievers, such behavior is opposed to worldly gain and is, therefore, a type of madness.

However, by forgoing this world entirely, a Messenger gains Allah's approval and mercy, as well as the promise of paradise, which nothing else can equal in value. But unbelievers cannot grasp this.

The accusation that messengers are magicians

We are also informed in the Qur'an that these leaders of unbelievers cannot understand how anyone obeys the Messenger. Even though the majority of people are opposed to the Messenger, there are still some people – believers – who understand the truths imparted by him and are sincerely devoted to him. Believers know that he is Allah's Messenger and guides them according to His ordinances. As a result, they are loyal to him and feel great love and respect for him.

This is difficult for the leading unbelievers to understand, for according to their distorted logic, the Messenger's message is nothing "but the myths of previous peoples" (Surat al-Muminun, 83). However, believers are deeply attached to these truths, which the unbelievers call "myths." The unbelievers try to dismiss, in their own eyes at least, the wisdom and striking ability to communicate of the Messenger, which he possesses as a blessing from Allah, as sorcery, brainwashing, and casting spells. According to this lie they so frequently resort to, the Messenger is brainwashing the people around him and supposedly casting a spell over them. The fact is, however, that Messengers are responsible for much that is valuable and worthy, that the unbelievers can never understand, by cleansing believers' brains of every last vestige of immorality and unpleasantness left over from the society of ignorance.

These slanders of the unbelievers are again described in the Qur'an:

They made the same accusation against the Prophet Moses (as):

The accusation that messengers are liars

Along with the above accusations, the Qur'an also mentions another: that the Messenger is a liar. One of the unbelieving leaders' main worries is that the people will accept the truth of the Messenger's message and adopt the fine moral system commanded by Allah to which he is calling them. If this happened, their own false systems, as well as their power and authority, would crumble and collapse.

The accusations mentioned above are designed to show, at least in their own eyes, that the Messenger's message is not true. They seek to camouflage the fact that a Messenger is Allah's Messenger and to convince their people that what he says is his own invention. Otherwise, almost no one would openly show hostility toward a Messenger out of fear of opposing Allah's Messenger.

In the Qur'an this accusation is revealed as follows:

There are other accusations as well, such as ridiculing and belittling the Messengers: "We sent messengers before you among the disparate groups of previous peoples. No messenger came to them without their mocking him" (Surat al-Hijr, 10-11). They also ignore their own vices and unpleasant life styles and accuse the immaculate Messengers and their followers of "heresy" and even of "unchastity." The Prophet Joseph (as) and Hazrat Mary (as) were both accused of unchastity. Yet these slanders have in fact been a source of honor for all the Messengers, Prophets and true believers throughout the course of history, and have raised them in the Sight of Allah and the eyes of other believers many times over.

But it is absolutely certain that such accusations can never intimidate a Messenger and his followers, for their basic goal is to gain Allah's approval and mercy and to obtain the promise of paradise. For this reason, obstacles along the way never deter believers or weaken their resolve. In the Qur'an, Allah tells us about the difficulties that believers will face.

Believers know that they will be abused verbally:

You will be tested in your wealth and in yourselves, and you will hear many abusive words from those given the Book before you and from those who are idolaters. But if you are steadfast and guard against evil, that is the most resolute course to take. (Surah Al 'Imran, 186)

The Messenger and his followers pay no attention to these false accusations and slander, for they are those "who strive in the way of Allah and do not fear the blame of any censurer" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 54).

In time, the leading unbelievers will certainly notice that the accusations made against the Messenger and his followers have not achieved the desired goal. The classic behavior these leaders will then adopt is to resort to what they imagine to be more "effective" measures: they turn instead toward another piece of unpleasantness that can never bear fruit either. They try, in their own eyes, to put pressure on the Messenger.

Actual Assaults against Messengers

When a Messenger tells the people about Allah's religion, the unbelievers' leaders react more and more ferociously. When they see the true religion continue to spread despite all of their accusations and calumnies, they resort to what they consider to be more "effective," such as setting traps.

In the Qur'an one "plot" against the Messenger is revealed as follows:

The unbelievers' goal is to have the Messenger arrested, martyred, or expelled. The word "plot" here is thought-provoking: Instead of confronting a Messenger openly, the unbelievers resort to plots in an attempt to achieve the above-mentioned goal. But as the verse says, their plots can never harm a Messenger, for Allah will protect His Messenger until his work is completed. In the Qur'an it is revealed that nearly all of the Messengers were threatened with martyrdom, prison, or torture and that the unbelievers' threats often turned into actual assaults.

Attempts to exile Messengers

As revealed in the Qur'an, exile is one of the methods unbelievers foolishly think they can use to silence the Messengers. They think scattering a Messenger and his followers by driving them away from their homes will cause them to become powerless and that this will enable them to neutralize them. For example, they tried to exile the Prophet Lot (as) and his family because they lived pure and honest lives among their corrupt people. In the Qur'an Allah relates how they ridiculed the Prophet Lot's (as) message:

The Prophet Lot (as) urged his people to avoid immorality, to stay within the limits set by Allah, and to abandon their current immoral and shameful behavior. This is why they wanted to exile him and his family. But at Allah's command, as soon as the Prophet Lot (as) left his city it was destroyed by a catastrophe, and the unbelievers' trap was neutralized:

Our Prophet (saas) and the believers were banished from their towns by their own people and forced to migrate elsewhere because they proclaimed Allah's existence and unity, invited people to accept the Qur'an, and prohibited them from doing evil. In one verse, Allah reveals that the Messengers were banished from their lands, but that those who exiled them were eventually destroyed:

This is one of Allah's eternal laws. Those who exile people from their homes because of their religion cannot remain there themselves for long. The unbelievers' traps are always foiled. After our Prophet (saas) was forced to leave Makkah, he returned years later in the company of thousands of believers and established his rule over the unbelievers. To the unbelievers' surprise, the Muslims were neither divided nor scattered; rather, they were stronger and more united and, with Allah's permission, they defeated the unbelievers. This shows that alliances formed against the believers will never succeed.

Attempts to arrest and imprison the Messengers

One of the methods used by the unbelievers' leaders is to arrest and imprison the Messengers in an attempt to silence them, at least in their own eyes, and prevent them from proclaiming His way. In fact, these leaders want to totally eliminate the Messengers and all other believers. The very existence of such people makes them extremely anxious and uncomfortable. For this reason, they spare no effort or expense to silence the Messengers in order to protect their property and to perpetuate the status quo.

For example, Pharaoh threatened the Prophet Moses (as) with prison when the latter did not offer his obedience, out of the foolish and mistaken belief that this was the best way to control him. This threat is related in the Qur'an:

When we look at Islamic history, those who strived in His way were constantly subjected to pressure, cruelty, and interference by the unbelievers. And the believers also experienced similar difficulties. Since the unbelievers always feel threatened in such circumstances, those who worked to promote His way have constantly been watched, followed, and imprisoned.

Such experiences may look extremely oppressive from the outside; however, remember that believers regard them as spiritual training, for they know that such difficulties are a source of joy and contentment, a way of purification that helps them gain Allah's approval and mercy, as well as attain the promise of paradise. Such events allow them to come closer to Allah, to witness the Qur'an's truth and Allah's close interest in what happens to them.

In the Qur'an the believers' courage is revealed as follows:

Efforts to oppress, wear down, and frighten

In order to increase their spiritual reward, Allah tests the believers' patience, trust, and determination to remain faithful to Him. He may do this in many different ways, one of which He reveals in the Qur'an:

No matter how bereft and helpless believers may appear, Allah's mercy and assistance are always with them. In other verses Allah speaks of the armies He sends to support believers:

In every period of history, unbelievers have always tried, in their own eyes, to intimidate believers. They always direct the brunt of their attacks against the Messengers. But because believers know that all power belongs to Allah, they are not intimidated or discouraged.

When faced with these moments of difficulty, believers realize that Allah and His Messengers have told them of these things beforehand, and so they do not lose their dignity of their trust; on the contrary, their trust and determination increase. In the Qur'an, Allah reveals the believers' determination when they confronted the Confederates:

Attempts to Martyr Messengers

The unbelievers' cruelest assault against these individuals of the best and finest morality known to humanity is attempted martyrdom. Almost every Messenger has been faced with such an attempt. Sometimes these plots were successful; sometimes they were not. These unbelievers thought that martyring the Messengers would destroy Allah's religion and cause the believers to abandon their faith. The people's desire to martyr the Prophet Jethro (as) to death is an example of the unbelievers' resentment and hostility toward those following Allah's way:

When Pharaoh and his circle were planning to martyr the Prophet Moses (as), Allah informed him:

Unbelievers also tried to martyr the Messengers through kidnappings and solitary confinement. Earlier, we gave the example of how the Prophet Joseph (as) was abandoned by his brothers in a well to expose him to hunger and thirst, and thus martyr him. And the Prophet Abraham's (as) people were frenzied enough to burn this blessed Messenger alive after he had broken their idols. But Allah miraculously rescued him from this situation. In one verse Allah says this of the Prophet Abraham (as):

As revealed in the above verse, the unbelievers' attempt to "burn" the Prophet Abraham (as) ended in failure and Allah rescued him. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that this attempt failed and that Allah protects His Messengers:

... Allah will protect you from people... (Surat al-Ma'ida, 67)

Without Allah's permission, unbelievers cannot harm a believer or a Messenger.

The Unbelievers' Traps Are Doomed to Fail from the Beginning

By taking a few physical measures, unbelievers think that they can silence a Messenger's message. However, they never consider that Allah determines the outcome of everything and that He always helps the believers. They do their best to prevent the Messenger's work, but their traps always fail and rebound upon them, no matter how well and intelligently planned they are.

Some of the verses of the Qur'an that reveal how the plots and stratagems of the unbelievers will be confounded and rebound against them read as follows:

Every sort of trap, wicked ruse, accusation, and plot designed against the Messengers will turn into something good, for apart from Allah there is no power; He creates every trap and ensures that it will come to naught. In fact, He turns all traps to the believers' advantage and thereby harms the unbelievers. This person who prepares a trap for Muslims foolishly imagines he is doing it himself. The fact is, however, that he is also subject to His will. Without the slightest alteration, they set the traps just as Allah commands. In the same way, believers witness the failure of these traps just as Allah wills. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that the traps will only harm the unbelievers:

Allah also reveals in the Qur'an that no matter how damaging the trap may be, it cannot overcome what Allah has willed. To the unbelievers, these plots are seen as proofs of their power. But Allah has prepared a response for these people, and He always keeps His promise. This is one of His unchanging laws. This law is set out in several verses of the Qur'an. Some of the verses concerned read:

The lives of Allah's Messengers are full of examples of victories obtained over the unbelievers' plots. For example, Pharaoh killed all male children who had been born during a particular period, foolishly imagined he took precautions, and oppressed believers, but he still could not hinder the Prophet Moses (as). During the Hegira the pagans of Mecca followed our Prophet (saas) and sought to martyr him, but Allah miraculously protected him in a cave .

The people tried to burn the Prophet Abraham (as) alive, but Allah cooled it for him so that he could survive. The Prophet Joseph's (as) brothers threw him into a well, but Allah rescued him and had an Egyptian king put him in charge of the nation's treasures. They tried to martyr the Prophet Jesus (as), but Allah raised him to heaven. Again and again He foiled their traps in the most unexpected way. Allah creates what and when He wills, and gives victory to His Messengers.

Allah Knows All of Their Traps

Unbelievers, who have no knowledge of Allah's power, think that no one is aware of their traps for the Messengers. Quietly and behind closed doors, they make their cruel and unjust decisions. But they are mistaken in their assumption that such secrecy hides them, for Allah knows all secrets and is aware of every detail. Allah is everywhere. He hears all words and sees all things. As He reveals in the Qur'an:

Allah reveals in many verses how futile and useless are the efforts of the unbelievers, who unite their forces and plot evil actions against good people, to conceal their wickedness.

Unable to immediately see the reward of their trickery, the plotters deceive themselves. Despite all of Allah's Messengers' warnings, they persist in their wickedness. Allah is aware of each of their plans, but gives them a certain amount of time. So, believers who know of His promise endure their oppression with patient trust.

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