To Reject One Is to Reject Them All

Number three: disbelieving in one of the anbiyāʾ is equivalent to disbelieving in all of them. Disbelieving in one messenger is equivalent to disbelieving in all of them. Allah (swt) says in Sūrat al-Nisāʾ: inna alladhīna yakfurūna bi-Allāhi wa rusulihi — the ones who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers — wa yurīdūna an yufarriqū bayna Allāhi wa rusulih, and wish to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers.

What does it mean, making a distinction between Allah and His messengers? It's explained next: by saying, we believe in some but reject others. Allah says: the ones who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers, by separating between Allah and His messengers. How do they separate between Allah and His messengers? They say: we believe in some, and we reject some.

Allah (swt) is telling you: these are My messengers; I chose them; these are Mine. These are the ones whom I sent to the world. And then you come and say: no — I'm going to accept you, but I'm not going to accept you. You're separating between them and Allah. Allah says: these are My anbiyāʾ; I'm the one who sent them to you. And you say: no, I'm going to accept Jesus, but I'm not going to accept Muhammad; and I'm going to accept Mūsā, but I'm not going to accept ʿĪsā. What does Allah (swt) call this? Allah (swt) says about this: wa yurīdūna an yattakhidhū bayna dhālika sabīlā, ulāʾika humu al-kāfirūna ḥaqqā. Allah says: they are in truth disbelievers; they are truly disbelievers. If you disbelieve in one of the anbiyāʾ of Allah (swt), it is as if you have rejected them all.

Allah (swt) says in Sūrat al-Shuʿarāʾ: kadhdhabat qawmu Nūḥin al-mursalīn — the people of Nūḥ disbelieved in the messengers, plural. How many messengers had the people of Nūḥ received? One. How come Allah (swt) said it in the plural — you disbelieved in al-mursalīn, the messengers? Because disbelieving in Nūḥ is equivalent to disbelieving in all of the anbiyāʾ of Allah.

And the same thing: Allah said kadhdhabat ʿĀdun al-mursalīn — the people of ʿĀd disbelieved in the messengers — and they only received Hūd.

Kadhdhabat Thamūdu al-mursalīn: the people of Thamūd disbelieved in the messengers — and they received only Ṣāliḥ.

Kadhdhabat qawmu Lūṭin al-mursalīn: the people of Lūṭ disbelieved in the messengers — and they only received Lūṭ (peace be upon him).

All of them. And this needs to be kept in mind when we're talking about the Yahūd and the Naṣārā — the Jews and the Christians. I mean, it's not up to you to make a choice of whom you want to follow and whom you don't. All of them are anbiyāʾ of Allah (swt). So the Jews became non-believers as soon as they rejected Jesus, ʿĪsā; and the Naṣārā, the followers of Jesus, became disbelievers the moment they disbelieved in Muhammad (peace be upon him).

So, following all of the anbiyāʾ: Allah (swt) is saying about the believers: āmana al-rasūlu bimā unzila ilayhi min rabbihi wa-l-muʾminūn, kullun āmana bi-Allāhi wa malāʾikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulih, lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulih. Allah (swt) says about the believers: we don't make any distinction between any one of the messengers. Like Muhammad (peace be upon him), we don't make any distinction between them; we accept them all as messengers of Allah (swt).