Prophets Untold Of, and Do Not Say Three

Allah then speaks of a number of the other prophets, saying that there are some prophets of whom We have told you — of whom We have given you revelation — and some of whom We have not. Qaṣaṣnāhum ʿalayka min qablu wa-rusulan lam naqṣuṣhum ʿalayk. Not all the prophets are known. Only some twenty-something prophets are named in the Qur'an, and there are probably many more prophets unknown to us than known. There are hadiths indicating that there were approximately 120,000 prophets, of whom some 313 or 315 were messengers with new sharīʿahs. Allah (swt) knows best.

Allah (swt) then turns to the Christians. Yā ahla al-kitāb: He addresses them; He says, O People of the Book, do not go to extremes in your religion; do not exaggerate. There is no cause for needless exaggeration — raising someone beyond his station — for that is exactly what the Christians have done in upgrading ʿĪsā (peace be upon him) to the level of a god. He is great enough as a prophet; there is no need to make him a deity.

That is why He says wa-lā taqūlū ʿalā Allāhi illā al-ḥaqq: say nothing but the truth concerning Allah, for the Masīḥ, the son of Maryam, is a messenger of Allah, and His word, alqāhā ilā Maryama wa-rūḥun minh. Fa-āminū bi-llāhi wa-rusulihi wa-lā taqūlū thalāthah: do not say it is three — three-in-one, or three, however it is put. Intahū: stop; abandon this. It is better for you, khayran lakum. This is verse 171. Innamā Allāhu ilāhun wāḥid: there is only one deity; there is only one object of worship; there is only one Being. Subḥānahu an yakūna lahu walad: how could He have a child? He is above it, transcendent — above having a child. Lahu mā fī al-samāwāti wa-mā fī al-arḍ: He has everything in the world; everything belongs to Him. Why should He need children? Wa-kafā bi-llāhi wakīlā.

Then Allah says lan yastankifa al-Masīḥ — verse 172, a most interesting one: what is wrong with you people, that you must set ʿĪsā above his station as a servant, when ʿĪsā himself has no difficulty at all, no embarrassment, in being a servant of Allah? Lan yastankifa al-Masīḥu an yakūna ʿabdan li-llāh — nor any of the angels. Then Allah gives encouragement to the believers, and to those who believe in general.