THE COMPANION OF THE TOWN VERSES NO.13-19

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Quran,Translation and Commentary in Brief (Vol. 05)
Verses 20-30Verses 13-19

      Here is a story of three apostles and a truthful believer who was martyred when they were on their mission in a town. Their message was rejected:-

      ``Strike a similitude for them of the companions of the town, when the apostles came there.''

      The Arabic, ``GHARYAH'' literally denotes to a place where a group of people live. Its connotation might be a village, a town, or a large city. In the text, no mention is made of the name, time, size, or place, of the GHARYAH; and expounders of Qurän have given their own views, and almost all of them have taken the place to have been ANTIOCH, and that the apostles were disciples of Jesus Christ. The truthful believer according to this view was a young carpenter whose name was HABIB.

      At first two apostles were sent to preach the townsfolk who were idolaters and heathens. They belied and rejected the apostles, and then a third Messenger of God was sent to help the existing two.

      If we accept the theory of ANTIOCH and the disciples, they most probably were BARNABAS, AGABUS and SAUL, (ACTS 11:25-30) according to another theory, the apostles were direct Messengers of God and not the Disciple. But anyhow the object of the verses will not change which is to teach us certain lessons on belief and disbelief.

      The townsfolk rejected the Messengers of God, telling them you are no more than men like us, and the Merciful God has not sent anything. You are lying, and that's all!

      The apostles lost no hope and defended by insisting upon their assertion saying:-

      ``Our Lord knows well that we have been sent to you, and our duty is only to convey God's Message plainly.''

 

      It is narrated that the arrival of the apostles in the town and a severe famine were coincident, and therefore the custodians of the idols said to the apostles:-

      ``We augur ill omen of you. If you do not desist we will stone you, and a painful torment will touch you from us.''

      The apostles showed no anxiety of the threats of heathens and said to them:-

      ``Your augury is with yourselves if you could think properly. But you are rather a transgressing people.''

 

 

Verses 20-30Verses 13-19
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Mitra
Nazanin
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