3.53 Supplication of the apostles of Jesus (Isa)
This is the supplication of the disciples of the prophet Isa (peace be upon him), deeply believing, God-fearing and sincere people with pure hearts. It is mentioned in the Quran in Surah Aal Imran. With the supplication they addressed to the Almighty Creator many centuries ago, these believers set us a beautiful example.
Despite its brevity, this supplication is very rich in meaning. It is a real treasure for those who wish, using few words, to ask the Almighty for a great good.
“Our Lord!” these good and righteous people called out some twenty centuries ago. Maker of all that exists, Protector of all living and non-living things, Governor of the universe, who gives sustenance and maintains life in all His creations, Lord of the worlds, who covers with His mercy whom He wills, who accepts the repentance of those who repent, the Great, the Wise, the Knower of everything in the world!
“We believe in Your revelations.” We have believed. We have believed, first of all, in You, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, the Merciful. We have believed that You exist, in Your oneness, Your divinity, Your Lordship, Your beautiful, unique names and attributes. That there is no one equal or similar to You. That You alone are worthy of worship.
And believing in You, we have believed in everything You have sent down. And therefore in all Your prophets and messengers, for it is through them, through the Revelation sent down to them, that You introduced humanity to Your religion. To believe in the prophets means not only to acknowledge them as messengers of God, but also to accept the message with which the Almighty Lord sent them to humanity, to follow them and not to stray from the path they showed.
And faith in the prophets of God is unthinkable without faith in the Scriptures the Almighty sent down to them. They were to convey these Scriptures to people, and with their help they were commanded to teach humanity to live righteously, acquainting the children of Adam with the wise laws of the Almighty. So it is not surprising that these believers added: “And follow the messenger.” We have believed in You, submitted to You and followed the one You sent to us in Your mercy, to preach the truth, to teach us what is good, to guide us to the true path and to serve as an example for us.
Having acknowledged His Lordship and mentioned their faith and their following of the messenger as a means of drawing near to Him, these believers came to the most important thing, to what was the essence and main goal of their turning to the Lord, the spirit of their sincere supplication. Such is the custom of the prophets of the Almighty and of sincere believers: first to mention His Lordship or His beautiful names and to seek to draw near to Him, striving to earn His pleasure, and only then to ask Him for something, however cherished and vital their wish may be. Courtesy towards the Creator is the trait they share.
“So count us among those who bear witness.” This is what they wished to ask for. This is what all believers should ask the Lord for, at all times and in all places. Record us with the other sincere believers, let us be among those who have witnessed to the truth, who have submitted to You, who have chosen Your religion, who profess monotheism, who carry out Your commands and observe Your prohibitions. Include us among these successful ones and help us to become like them, so that we may attain what they attained: Your pleasure, rescue from the Fire and the gardens of Paradise.
This supplication reminds us that faith cannot be selective: we must believe in everything that has come to us from the Almighty through His prophets, accept it with all our heart and put it into practice. Only then will our faith be sincere and real.
This supplication also teaches us to seek the company of good, righteous, God-fearing people, association with whom brings us beneficial knowledge, strengthens our faith, inspires in us love for the Almighty and a striving for good and for building, and makes our aspirations noble and our goals high. If a person wishes to follow the straight path, he should see to it that he has good companions. For it is always easier to walk together.