Page 28 - The Struggle of the Messengers

26 The Struggle of the Messengers

to obey them. When the people accept this, they become believers
in Allah and abandon whatever else they had been worshipping.
As this signifies the end of the leaders' power and authority, they
become the Messengers' greatest opponents. Another reason why
the people in question react against Messengers is that according
to their own foolishness and inappropriate criteria they are jealous
of these holy individuals who are so valuable and superior in the

Sight of Allah.

WHY THE MESSENGERS ARE OPPOSED

The way that leaders foolishly try to set traps for a Messenger is
based on the fact that Allah's Messengers and believers who
support them spoil the immoral and perverted order established
by unbelievers. Messengers summon their people to serve only

Allah. When they begin to do so, the Qur'anic understanding of
justice and morality begin to take hold in society. The resulting
honesty, sincerity, self-sacrifice, industriousness, and similar
moral qualities will upset those who are corrupt and unjust, as
well as those who exploit others to gain rank and position. It will
also make those who have adopted a shameless, immoral lifestyle
and who transgress the limits that Allah has set uncomfortable.
Those who control others by making them dependent upon
their wealth, rank, and position fear that they will lose the
people's obedience, for now they will listen only to the Messenger,
submit themselves to Allah, and act according to the Qur'anic
teachings and norms. These are the genuine people who follow

the Qur'anic teachings of what is lawful and unlawful. In other
words, they do not steal or engage in corruption, defend the poor
and the orphaned. Therefore, they ignore their unbelieving