Ali 'Imran · Madani · ayah 79 of 200

Ali 'Imran 3:79

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَـٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

“It is not for a human [prophet][134] that Allāh should give him the Scripture[135] and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allāh," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied."”

Saheeh International

Essence

No prophet would tell people to serve him instead of Allah; he would say, become people of the Lord through teaching and study.

A reflection

Leaders who point beyond themselves

A charismatic mentor builds a devoted circle of students. After five years, none of them can make a decision without messaging him first. Across town, a quieter teacher's former students barely remember her name. But they still pray the way she taught them, and teach their own children the same.

The ayah draws the line between these two kinds of influence. It would never be fitting, it says, for a person given the Book, wisdom and prophethood to tell people: be my servants instead of Allah's. A classical commentator draws the obvious conclusion. If that is unfitting for a prophet, it is all the more unfitting for anyone else. An early scholar is quoted: it is not fitting for any believer to command people to worship him.

Few leaders say 'worship me' out loud. The temptation is quieter. It is building people's dependence on you rather than on Allah. It is becoming the one voice that must be consulted. It is enjoying being needed.

The prophetic model runs the other way. A prophet succeeds when people need him less and Allah more. He makes himself a door, not a destination.

This applies to imams and sheikhs, but also to parents, managers, coaches and influencers. Ask of your influence: are the people I lead becoming more able to stand on their own before Allah? Or are they becoming more attached to me?

The teacher whose name is forgotten has succeeded. The mentor whose students cannot move without him has, in this ayah's terms, quietly failed.

The full entry has 5 more reflections, questions to sit with, and "Live it today" - with the words, the roots and the tafsir alongside. Free, no account, works offline.