Translation
Those who [be they Jews, Christians, or Muslims] exchange their bond with God and their oaths [to God and to people] for a small earthly gain, God will allow them no such gain in the life to come; God will not speak to them, nor look at them nor purify them of their sins. So awful will be their punishment. And, indeed, there are people among them who lie about the revelations contained in the book so that one might consider these [their false assertions] to be part of the book while these are not part of the book. They say, “This is from God,” while it is not from God. They lie against God, and they know about it.
It is not at all fitting [or allowed] for a mortal [like Prophet Jesus, for example] that God should give him revelations, superior judgment, and prophethood, and he would say to people, “Be a servant of me, besides God.” [Rather, he would say] “Be a follower of God by having studied the revelation by yourself and by teaching it to others.” And he would not ask people to take angels and prophets as lords. How could he ask you to deny God after the fact that you have submitted to God? God [through the prophets] took a pledge from the followers of the prophets that after the revelations and wisdom were gifted to you, should there be another messenger who comes and confirms what you already have, that you should believe in him and support him [just the same]. He asked, “Do you accept such commitment?” They replied in the affirmative. The prophets and the followers then bear witness with one another. Whoever then turns back on this commitment is a transgressor, no doubt.191
Interpretation
191. Here the reality of prophethood and common human failings are illustrated with an example of Prophet Jesus. Prophets are men of God with superior intellect and grandeur of vision whose job is first, to comprehend and be informed of the realities of what is known and some of what is unknown and relay those to human beings as ambassadors and faithful servants of God and second, to seek commitment from their followers to be true to the message, maintain its purity, and align with those who continue to advance these truths and visions (see in the Bible, Authorized King James version: Deut. 18:19, John 16:13, Acts 3:21–22). Yet in practice, such followers of earlier religious books, including the Bible, ascribed divinity to prophets and to other created beings such as angels, saints, and leaders of the day (popes, tribal chiefs, gurus, shamans, etc.) to the extent and with such assertion that one is led to believe that prophets themselves encouraged and stated such dispositions and practices. This is the furthest from the truth, and the Qur’an is very emphatic to dislodge such beliefs and practices.
REFLECTION
Like previous generations and religions, many Muslims are also becoming accustomed to the practice of assuming divinity in religious leaders of the past, dervishes, religious scholars, and tribal leaders, if not in words but certainly in practice. This should not only be avoided but we need to educate each other regarding the falsity of such beliefs and practices.
ACTION
We need to study the Qur’an and other religious books and be informed of science and technology and human conditions so that we can assure ourselves of the realities of life and help others seek out the proper course in our life journeys. This is as much a personal responsibility as it is a collective responsibility of people of faith from all religious backgrounds.