Quranic Terminology: Truth/True/Truly/Truthful: (2) in the Sense of Fulfillment of Divine Promises

Published in November 16, 2017

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

1- God never breaks His promises, covenants, and words: "...God never breaks a promise." (13:31); "...God will never break His promise." (3:9); "...The promise of God; and God never breaks a promise." (39:20); "The promise of God-God never breaks His promise, but most people do not know." (30:6); "...And who is more true to his promise than God?..." (9:111); "...The promise of God is true-and who is more truthful in speech than God?" (4:122). There are divine promises within this world that have been fulfilled and there are other promises related to the Hereafter which are bound to be fulfilled; both types of God's promises come in the Quranic contexts of the inevitability of their fulfillment as part of the Truth by God. 

2- The divine promises might be conditional; for instance, the divine promise made to the early believers in Yathreb provided they would be true monotheists: "God has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds, that He will make them successors on earth, as He made those before them successors, and He will establish for them their religion-which He has approved for them-and He will substitute security in place of their fear. They worship Me, never associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that-these are the sinners." (24:55). This divine promise has been fulfilled after the victory within the battle of Badr: "And remember when you were few, oppressed in the land, fearing that people may capture you; but He sheltered you, and supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things-so that you may be thankful." (8:26). In other cases, divine promises are unconditional; for instance, the divine promise to the mother of Moses: "We inspired the mother of Moses: "Nurse him; then, when you fear for him, cast him into the river, and do not fear, nor grieve; We will return him to you, and make him one of the messengers." Pharaoh's household picked him up, to be an opponent and a sorrow for them. Pharaoh, Haman, and their troops were sinners. Pharaoh's wife said, "An eye's delight for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son." But they did not foresee. The heart of Moses' mother became vacant. She was about to disclose him, had We not steadied her heart, that she may remain a believer. She said to his sister, "Trail him." So she watched him from afar, and they were unaware. We forbade him breastfeeding at first. So she said, "Shall I tell you about a family that can raise him for you, and will look after him?" Thus We returned him to his mother, that she may be comforted, and not grieve, and know that God's promise is true. But most of them do not know. And when he reached his maturity, and became established, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the virtuous." (28:7-14).

3- We demonstrate below some of these divine, true promises mentioned explicitly or implicitly in the Quran within the affirmation of them as the Truth from God.

Firstly: the divine promises in relation to this world:

1- The Israelites complained to Moses about the severe persecution inflicted on them by Pharaoh and Moses told them about the promise of the Lord God, and after the death of Pharaoh, this promise was fulfilled when the Israelites inherited his kingdom: "Moses said to his people, "Seek help in God, and be patient. The earth belongs to God. He gives it in inheritance to whomever He wills of His servants, and the future belongs to the righteous." They said, "We were persecuted before you came to us, and after you came to us." He said, "Perhaps your Lord will destroy your enemy, and make you successors in the land; then He will see how you behave."" (7:128-129); "And We made the oppressed people inherit the eastern and western parts of the land, which We had blessed. Thus the fair promise of your Lord to the Israelites was fulfilled, because of their endurance. And We destroyed what Pharaoh and his people had built, and what they had harvested." (7:137); "And We settled the Children of Israel in a position of honor, and provided them with good things..." (10:93); "So We drove them out of gardens and springs. And treasures and noble dwellings. So it was. And We made the Israelites inherit them." (26:57-59).  

2- The disciples of Jesus were not real believers; though they witnessed the miracles that Jesus performed by the help of God, they asked for yet another miracle: a table of food descending upon them from Heaven! They made this request in an impolite manner: ""And when the disciples said, 'O Jesus son of Mary, is your Lord able to bring down for us a table from heaven?'..." (5:112); their impoliteness and disbelief is manifested by questioning the omnipotence (or ability) of the Lord God and by the fact that they said to Jesus "your Lord" and NOT (our Lord). This is why Jesus said to them: "...'Fear God, if you are believers.'" (5:112). These disciples insisted on their request and God answered the supplication of Jesus while asserting that those who would witness this miracle and then disbelieve will be punished severely in Hell: "They said, "We wish to eat from it, so that our hearts may be reassured, and know that you have told us the Truth, and be among those who witness it." Jesus son of Mary said, "O God, our Lord, send down for us a table from heaven, to be a festival for us, for the first of us, and the last of us, and a sign from You; and provide for us; You are the Best of providers." God said, "I will send it down to you. But whoever among you disbelieves thereafter, I will torment him with a torment the like of which I never torment any other being."" (5:113-115). This was the last miracle performed by a prophet; the miracle that goes on until the end of days is the Quran and how it addresses the mind.

3- Within brining glad tidings, God promised early believer's before the battle of Badr to attain victory or to confiscate the Qorayish caravan, and most of them wished to confiscate the caravan without having to fight. The promise was fulfilled because they fought for God's sake; i.e., within self-defense endeavors and to stop aggression of polytheists. "God has promised you one of the two groups-that it would be yours-but you wanted the unarmed group to be yours. God intends to prove the truth with His words, and to uproot the disbelievers. In order to confirm the truth and nullify falsehood, even though the guilty dislike it." (8:7-8).

4- In contrast, the defeat in the battle of Uhud occurred as the Yathreb fighters were keen on spoils and never sought to please God; thus, after the initial victory as per God's promise, they were defeated: "God has fulfilled His promise to you, and you defeated them by His leave; until when you faltered, and disputed the command, and disobeyed after He had shown you what you like. Some of you want this world, and some of you want the next. Then He turned you away from them, to test you; but He pardoned you. God is Gracious towards the believers" (3:152).

5- God's promise of victory was repeated when the armies of the confederates sieged Yathreb, and hypocrites mocked the divine promise, whereas this divine promise increased the belief of real believers: "There and then the believers were tested, and were shaken most severely. When the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is sickness said, "God and His Messenger promised us nothing but illusion." And when a group of them said, "O people of Yathreb, you cannot make a stand, so retreat." And a faction of them asked the Prophet to excuse them, saying, "Our homes are exposed," although they were not exposed. They only wanted to flee." (33:11-13); "And when the believers saw the confederates, they said, "This is what God and His messenger have promised us; and God and His messenger have told the truth." And it only increased them in faith and submission." (33:22). This promise was fulfilled as the armies of the confederates were defeated without fighting.

6- Muhammad saw in a vision/dream that he performed pilgrimage, and the Qorayish tribe at the time was repelling him and the early believers away from the Kaaba by preventing them from entering Mecca. This vision/dream of Muhammad was a divine promise that was fulfilled: "God has fulfilled His messenger's vision in Truth: "You will enter the Sacred Mosque, God willing, in security, heads shaven, or hair cut short, not fearing. He knew what you did not know, and has granted besides that an imminent victory."" (48:27).

7- The imminent victory in 48:27 predicts that Mecca will submit to Muhammad and the early believers later on without fighting; this was an implicit  true divine promise fulfilled when Muhammad saw people entering into peace (i.e., God's religion) in multitudes: "When there comes God's victory, and triumph. And you see the people entering God's religion in multitudes. Then celebrate the praise of your Lord, and seek His forgiveness. He is the Accepter of Repentance." (110:1-3).

8- God has fulfilled His divine promise to smite ancient nations of disbelievers while delivering the good believers in many eras: "Then We fulfilled Our promise to them, and We saved them together with whomever We willed, and We destroyed the extravagant." (21:9); "Before you, We sent messengers to their people. They came to them with clear proofs. Then We took revenge on those who sinned. It is incumbent on Us to help the believers." (30:47).

9- There are divine promises transcending all eras and localities; they apply once their conditions are present: "God has promised those of you who believe and do righteous deeds, that He will make them successors on earth, as He made those before them successors, and He will establish for them their religion-which He has approved for them-and He will substitute security in place of their fear. They worship Me, never associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that-these are the sinners." (24:55). This type of divine promises includes the following points.

9/1: The asserted conditional divine promise of attaining victory over aggressors if believers fight only for God's sake: "O you who believe! If you support God, He will support you, and will strengthen your foothold." (47:7); "...God supports whoever supports Him. God is Strong and Mighty." (22:40); "Most surely We will support Our messengers and those who believe, in this life, and on the Day the witnesses arise." (40:51).

9/2: The divine promise of reward in this world and the next to those who immigrate to flee religious persecution and thus suffering many hardships before they settle down: "Those who emigrate for God's sake after being persecuted, We will settle them in a good place in this world; but the reward of the Hereafter is greater, if they only knew. Those who endure patiently, and in their Lord they put their trust." (16:41-42).

9/3: This implicit divine promise for the pious ones to be delivered when they face hardships in this life: "...And whoever fears God in piety-He will make a way out for him. And will provide for him from where he never expected..." (65:2-3); "What you are promised is True." (51:5). 

Secondly: the divine promises in relation to the Hereafter:

1- The Quran repeats the fact that Paradise and Hell are the divine promises for believers and disbelievers, respectively: "God has promised the hypocrite men and hypocrite women, and the disbelievers, the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever. It is their due. And God has cursed them. They will have a lasting torment." (9:68); "God promises the believers, men and women, gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein forever, and fine homes in the Gardens of Eden. But approval from God is even greater. That is the supreme achievement." (9:72); "God has promised those who believe and work righteousness: they will have forgiveness and a great reward. As for those who disbelieve and reject Our verses - these are the inmates of Hell." (5:9-10).

2- God's divine promises linked to the Truth (as God is the True One God) are also mentioned repeatedly for believers who perform good deeds and who will enter into Paradise: "But as for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they will abide forever. The promise of God is True - and who is more Truthful in speech than God?" (4:122); "Those are they from whom We accept the best of their deeds, and We overlook their misdeeds, among the dwellers of Paradise-the promise of Truth which they are promised." (46:16); "And they will say, "Praise be to God, who has truly fulfilled His promise to us, and made us inherit the land, enjoying Paradise as we please." How excellent is the reward of the workers." (39:74).

3- The Truth is linked to the description of Paradise: "Is it a wonder to the people that We inspired a man from among them: "Warn the humankind, and give good news to those who believe that they are on a true footing with their Lord"?..." (10:2); "In a True Dwelling, in the presence of an Omnipotent King." (54:55).

Lastly: Satan's promise to Satan's allies:

1- Satan has promised the children of Adam to seduce and misguide them with illusions (e.g., intercessions of saints/deities); this promise has been fulfilled within ancient nations: "...And he said, "I will take to myself my due share of Your servants." "And I will mislead them, and I will entice them, and I will prompt them to slit the ears of cattle, and I will prompt them to alter the creation of God." Whoever takes Satan as a lord, instead of God, has surely suffered a profound loss. He promises them, and he raises their expectations, but Satan promises them nothing but delusions." (4:118-120); "Satan was correct in his assessment of them. They followed him, except for a group of believers." (34:20).

2-  Satanist, devilish discourses/hadiths/narratives/revelations are the foundations of the earthly, man-made, fabricated religions of the Muhammadans; all of them believe in the myth of mediation/intercession that turn their faith into mere wishes and illusions. God has warned in the Quran about the false promises of Satan and devils that are mere illusions, as the Only Truth in religion is from the One and True God in the Quran: "O people! Be conscious of your Lord, and dread a Day when no parent can avail his child, nor can a child avail his parent, in anything. The promise of God is true. Therefore, do not let this life deceive you, nor let illusions deceive you regarding God." (31:33); "Satan is an enemy to you, so treat him as an enemy. He only invites his gang to be among the inmates of the Hell." (35:6). But the Muhammadans have abandoned the Quran and adhered to Satanist and devilish promises; when they enter into Hell, Satan will disown them and mock them as Satanist promises and delusions of deliverance are never fulfilled and that Satan never forced them to obey him by believing falsehoods/hadiths of Al-Bokhary and his likes. This is the speech of Satan to Hell-dwellers: "And Satan will say, when the issue is settled, "God has promised you the promise of truth, and I promised you, but I failed you. I had no authority over you, except that I called you, and you answered me. So do not blame me, but blame yourselves. I cannot come to your aid, nor can you come to my aid. I reject your associating with me in the past. The wrongdoers will have a torment most painful."" (14:22). As always, God says nothing but the AbsoluteTruth.