#FridayReminders 19: Prophetic Perseverance
Quran Reflections by Talha Ghannam
---
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
There certainly has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.
(9:128)
Perseverance is tough, particularly in serving those who reject you.
Working in the community can be exhausting and, at times, thankless. It can feel like a tunnel with no end, and it’s easy to become disillusioned. Many become exhausted from all the work, lonely from the lack of help, and burnt out from emotional toll it brings. When I once came close to this point, a dear friend reminded me of something that still rings in my ears: This is the Prophetic way. Allah ﷻ describes in the Quran:
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
There certainly has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.
(9:128)
In his tafsir, Imam Tabari describes something the translation of this verse doesn't quite capture: The Prophet's ﷺ concern included those who rejected Him.
To those who ignored Him, mocked Him and even beat Him, He not only persevered, but He felt genuine concern for their well-being.
Ibn Mas’ud (ra) described the Messenger of Allah ﷺ like the Prophets were before Him; scourged by their people, made to bleed by their afflictions; they would wipe the blood from their face calling upon Allah ﷻ: "O Allah! Forgive my people, because they certainly do not know".
After being stoned out of Ta’if, bloodied head to toe, Allah ﷻ sent angel Gabriel to ask Him if He wished to crush the people who had rejected him between the mountains they lived in. Our Prophet’s ﷺ reply: “Perhaps their descendants will become believers.”
This post is not calling for us to be passive against oppression; it is inviting us to take the higher ground and persist in reaching out even to those who reject us. The inevitable consequence of this work is rejection, and it is our test to continue despite it. Guidance comes from Allah ﷻ; our job is simply to call to Him.
The beauty of the work of the Quran Club is that it operates on a level above demand, it’s a need. Reading, reflecting and connecting with the Quran is something Allah ﷻ wishes all of us to do, even if we do not know or want it. Our job is to be creative and patient in making that reality appealing to you all. This same truth goes for anyone working to learn, teach or spread the words of God
