by Shaykh Rizwan Arastu
I read this book slowly over a 3 month period, savoring every story and lesson along the way. I found this book to be an exquisite contribution to the genre of Prophetic stories and have not, to date, come across a compilation of Prophetic stories and traditions structured in the way that Shaykh Rizwan has achieved. This book sets a new standard by not only gathering and translating scripture and traditions, but also presenting a comprehensive, engaging and believable set of stories, with references on every page to demonstrate that the content is theologically sound. God’s Emissaries: Adam to Jesus portrays the prophets as the heroes they were, with exemplary human traits that we can strive to emulate. The author skillfully weaves together Quranic verses and plausible traditions to tell the captivating stories of God’s vicegerents on earth, while also sharing about Gods unwavering justice and mercy in guiding humankind.
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Highlights
Pre Adam a.s.
Imam al-Baqir a.s is narrated to have said “It seems you think that God only created this world and that he did not create other than you. Rather, by God! He created millions of worlds and millions of Adams, and you are simply in the last of those worlds, descended from the last of those Adams”
(Nur al-Thaqalayn vol. 1 p. 16)
Allah swt created the earth lifetimes before the creation of Adam a.s. He fashioned it with all the essentials to sustain life – water, air, soil and more. He created the planets, dancing in their own elegant celestial orbits, the sun a signal for work, alertness and striving in God’s way, and the moon for the tired and the wanderers. Setting the perfect stage for his ultimate plan. A beautiful intricate world for the Beloved’s creation. What beauty has this earth witnessed, and what horrors?
Allah swt created animal life, and then winged-jinn that exalted Him night and day. Then came a human-like being that could not fly and required food and water to survive just like us – the nasnaas, who coexisted with the jinn on earth. As time went by, the nasnaas, along with a group of the jinn, began to lose their way. Perhaps they were tempted by the lure of power, possessions and succumbed to the desires of the lower self, they turned away from the creator and rejected the Divine, rebelling against Allah swt. The nasnaas and some jinn grew increasingly selfish and cruel. Havoc ensued. The earth grew increasingly saturated with innocent blood, and the rebellious creatures rejected Allah swt as their Lord. The angels bore witness to the evil acts taking place on earth, and were appalled at the blatant sinning, corruption and bloodshed. They were angered for Allah swt’s sake. They witnessed the blessings that the Lord had showered upon his earthly creation, and how they brazenly disobeyed Him in response. That is, until Allah swt, in His wisdom, decided that their time on earth had come to an end. He announced his plan to the angels, “I shall instate a vicegerent on earth” – Quran 2:30.
The Angels Question
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” They said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He [Allah] said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.
Quran 2:30
The angelic nature is logical, purposeful and obedient to Allah swt. The angels displayed curiosity as to what their Lord had planned for His new creation. The nasnaas and the jinn were endowed with free will, and many used it to rebel against Allah swt, causing turmoil and shedding blood. Pattern based logic had the angels inclined to understand that humankind would follow suit.
Their curiosity is understandable. Just look at the state of the world today. Greed has seen entire ecosystems destroyed, innocent people killed, humans deprived access to basic necessities like shelter, drinking water and nutritious food. Extreme poverty increases while a small percentage of people own the majority of the world’s existing wealth. Children are bombarded with dangerous and confusing propaganda to draw them to indecency and deviation. Immorality is rife.
What the angels could not foresee is that somewhere, a sister begins her day with “In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful”. Despite billion dollar industries targeting her with all their wicked tricks, attacking her self esteem and self worth, promising her freedom and empowerment – as if freedom and empowerment come with flaunting her sexuality. Instead, she carefully tucks her hair away before wrapping her hijab securely in place, and steps out into the world for all to see that she is a servant of the Almighty.
The angels could not foresee that somewhere, a brother gifted with the most heavenly of voices would turn deaf to the whispers of Satan. In a world where those blessed with beautiful voices are worshipped like Gods, he chooses instead to sing the praises of his Lord and dedicates his life to the beautiful recitation of the words of Allah swt.
They could not foresee that communities would be strengthened by their common love for Allah swt and allegiance to His vicegerents.
The angels were never tested with cardinal desires, feelings of jealousy, envy, ego, greed. Could this new creation, tested with free will, choose to forego instant satisfaction in pursuit of Allah swt’s pleasure and walk through shattered glass towards a heavenly abode which they have never seen?
This believer is like that tree which grows from the earth from which he or she originates. Receiving sunlight and nourishing rain from Allah swt, the earth grows trees with firm roots that reach for the heavens and bear fruits to benefit the rest of humanity, provide comforting shade for others around them, cleansing the atmosphere, giving selflessly of themselves, not causing harm except to those who wish to chop them down and veer them away from their true purpose – to exist for the purpose of serving Allah swt.
The angel’s knew only that of which Allah swt had taught them. It is argued that the main difference between the nasnaas and bani Adam is the latter’s intellectual capacity, divinely appointed vicegerents that would act as leaders, guides and witnesses over humanity until the end of time, and a book containing the words of the Divine.
The Creation of Adam, and Iblis’s Rage
Azrael a.s, also now known as the angel assigned with the task of collecting souls at the time of a person’s appointed death, was tasked with the responsibility to collect the element which would be used to create Adam a.s’s lifeless form. The figure of the first human being was formed, and for forty years it was left to dry and cure. The angel’s did not know that this lifeless statue was to become the vicegerent that God Almighty vowed to create, but for years they would come and go and wonder what Allah swt had planned for this new creation.
Iblis was a jinn that had earned a place amongst the angels for his absolute fidelity to Allah swt. One day, he gazed upon the lifeless form of Adam a.s and a thought crossed his mind, “Is it possible that this unassuming and timid creature made of vile earth, be the vicegerent that Allah swt will place on earth?”. For the first time in his long life, Iblis felt the distinct flame of jealousy in his heart. “If this is God’s vicegerent, I will rebel!”. But just as quickly, he cast the thought from his mind and decided that he must be mistaken. He knew that God is all wise and would never do something that to him seemed foolish and ridiculous.
When God Almighty assembled the angels, Iblis amongst them, he informed them of the true status of this new creation and blew life in to Adam. He taught him the names of all things – creatures, seen and unseen, the created and the yet to be, the divine guides, prophets and messengers to come from his progeny. The best of these were Prophet Muhammad (p), his family, their true companions and their followers. The knowledge that Allah swt taught to Adam was complete and intimate.
Allah swt addressed the assembly, and for this I want to include an excerpt from the book:
“Adam and the righteous from his progeny are far superior to you because they will bear whatever burdens they are made to bear, and they will persevere against predicaments in which they find themselves: against attacks by Satan’s allies, against their carnal souls; against the burdens of supporting a family; against the struggle to earn a lawful living; against the annoying fear of an attack by enemies like frightful bandits and tyrannical kings; against hardships in travelling on roads and through impasses and frightening places, through valleys and over mountains and hills to gather what lawful and good sustenance they can find to sustain themselves and their families…the best of the believers will bear all these hardships, fulfill their obligations, combat satanic forces and rout them, struggle against their carnal souls and bar them from attaining what they desire and overpower them despite the forces that have been combined within them: sexual desire, desire for fine clothes, food, honor, power, and an inclination to boastfulness and conceit… And you, my angels, are free from all of that. Neither does sexual desire arouse you, nor does the desire for food drive you, nor does fear for your worldly or spiritual well-being enter your hearts, nor will Satan be engaged in misguiding you, for you shall be protected from him. O my angels! Any of these humans who obeys me and guards his religion against these pitfalls and challenges has hereby borne for the sake of his love for me what you have not borne and has earned in proximity to me what you have not earned. For this reason, I hereby order you all to prostrate before Adam”
(Bihar al-anwar vol. 11 p. 137 tr. 1)
Hearing this, all present prostrated except for Iblis. His ego, his pride, did not allow him to accept that this. Thousands of years of absolute devotion to Allah swt and he could not bring himself to fulfil this order from his Lord. He refused. Why was this so hard for him to do? Why was he willing to gain the anger of Allah swt after achieving a status never reached by a jinn before him? Why was he willing to accept expulsion from heaven?
This keeps me up at night. We curse the likes of Iblis, yet we also disobey Allah swt. We have been given the opportunity to achieve a status higher than angels in a mere 20, 50, 80 years – but every opportunity not taken is lost. At the end of our worldly lives, will our devotion resemble that of angels? Or will it be conditional like that of Iblis?
Through the exposure of Iblis’s sin, I have been able to draw a few practical lessons that I can hope to reflect on and implement.
1. Worship Allah swt in the way He demands, not the way I please.
2. Not understanding the wisdom of Allah swt is a result of my own limitations and feeble nature, as He is all Knowing and all Wise. There are certain jurisprudential rulings and religious obligations that have a secret underlying wisdom that is known only to the Creator and those upon whom He has selected to bestow with the secrets.
3. Even thousands of years of worship does not compensate for not recognising the vicegerent of our time and his right over us. Read that again.
4. Fighting egotism within us may seem hard, but when the options before us are eternal bliss OR eternal damnation, putting “I/me” aside doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
Common themes
Each prophetic story in the book takes you on a journey as you learn about the vicegerent of the time, their servitude and devotion to the Creator, their commitment to their purpose and mission, their recognition of the status of Prophet Muhammad (p) and his holy progeny that are to come, and Allah swt’s divine Justice and absolute Mercy.
I was surprised by just how HUMAN these revered personalities were, despite their elevated status and certitude in faith, making them relatable as they grow and learn. They felt anger, worry, loss, and were tested with the worldly things they loved. They were triumphant because of their unwavering reliance on Allah swt, and undoubtedly, thanks to God’s Mercy.
Another common lesson I picked up was how Allah swt truly is the RABB, commonly used in Arabic interchangeably with Lord, Creator, Master, but in essence means the one who brings-up, raises, nurtures.
Similar to the way a loving and concerned parent is active in the upbringing of their offspring, Allah swt is the ultimate Nurturer, Provider, Educator, Protector and Custodian. Allah swt hold this position in our everyday lives. He tests us and provides us with opportunities to show kindness, control our ego and temper, practice patience. He has equipped us with innate traits to hate what is evil and unjust and to love what is good and pure. Despite the attempts of Satan to beautify evil, the soul innately finds peace in the remembrance of Allah swt with a clear conscience.
In the case of God’s emissaries, the author describes instances where Allah swt intervenes directly or through his specially appointed Angels to teach, guide, nurture, and mentor His chosen vicegerents.
One incredible example of this was in the story of Prophet Abraham (a.s). Allah swt showed Abraham the dominion of the heavens and the earth. With his new found perception, he saw God’s grandeur, as well as the good and evil deeds of the people in a new light. One of the sins that Abraham witnessed many instances of was adultery. This angered Abraham for the sake of Allah swt so much that he would call down God’s punishment on the perpetrators and have them destroyed.
After several such instances, Allah swt intervened and gave Abraham a lesson on mercy.
He told him, “Cease calling down my punishment upon my servants, for I am the Absolver, the Merciful, the Compassionate, and the Forbearing. My servants’ sin does not harm me just as their obedience does not benefit me. I do not train them, as you have been of late, by taking revenge upon them. So cease calling down my punishment upon my servants for you are but a warner, not a partner in my dominion or an overseer for me and my servants. My servants who sin against me fall into one of three categories, and I treat them accordingly. If they repent, I accept their repentance and conceal their faults. If they do not repent, but I know that they will have righteous progeny, I withhold my punishment from them for a while so that their progeny can be born. Once they are born, I mete out my punishment upon the sinful parents. And if they neither repent nor will they have righteous progeny, I punish them. And the punishment I have prepared for them is far more severe than anything you could imagine, for I punish them according to my might and grandeur.
So Abraham, leave my servants’ judgement to me, for I am more merciful than you are and I am the Compeller, the Forebearing, the Omniscient, and the Wise. I manage their affairs through my knowledge and enforce upon them my decrees.”
Jalsa Jaafariya 
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