The Superiority of the Followers of the Messiah until the Day of Resurrection

It is among divine traditions that the true followers of the Messiah (a.s.) will always be superior to the disbelievers, and the disbelievers will always be condemned: “and I shall set those who follow you above the faithless until the Day of Resurrection.”

Some exegetes hold that cultural superiority is meant, not political or military victory;(556) however, this limitation cannot be proven, because in the verse the phrase “until the Day of Resurrection” and “I shall set” which is an assimilated attribute (on the pattern of the active participle) and a sign of divine tradition, are used. Therefore, God always does this and this superiority is for the true followers of the Messiah (a.s.).

Christians who accepted the Trinity, divinity, and divine sonship of the Messiah (a.s.) are not counted among his followers. Only the disciples and a special group who said: “Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the messenger, so write us among the witnesses”,(557) as well as Muslims who believe in the messengership and infallibility of the Messiah (a.s.), enjoy this superiority and excellence.

In summary, the intended superiority is not exclusively moral superiority, although that is also considered; likewise, the intended superiority is not exclusively doctrinal and theological precedence, although that too is relevant; nor is the intended superiority that of Muslims over Christians and Jews. The intended superiority refers to the political and social superiority, along with the moral and doctrinal superiority of those who believe in the Messiah and have faith in his prophethood and messengership, and those who affirm his truthfulness. These have superiority over the Jews, and if in some Christian countries, Zionists are involved in the rise and fall of governments, this is due to wealthy Jews being economic instruments in the Christian sphere, because political power, fundamental governance, and military dominance are in the hands of Christians, and wealthy Zionists provide the springboard and ladder for Christian political advancement and are ultimately under Christian rule.

This superiority, just as it is not limited to the cultural dimension - like the principle “Islam is superior and nothing is superior to it” (al-Islām yaʿlū wa-lā yuʿlā ʿalayhi)(558) - is also not limited to the era of the Messiah (a.s.), rather this tradition continues until the Day of Resurrection.

The verse under discussion is stronger and more comprehensive than the verse “and God will never provide the faithless any way [to prevail] over the faithful”(559) in negating the dominance of disbelievers, because the latter verse negates the acceptance of dominance, while the verse under discussion establishes the dominance of Muslims.

From “Indeed the nearest of all people to Abraham are those who follow him, and this prophet and those who have faith, and God is the guardian of the faithful”,(560) one can also understand that the best followers of the Messiah (a.s.) are Muslims, because according to this verse, the closest people to Abraham (a.s.) are the true believers of Abraham’s (a.s.) time, the blessed presence of the Messenger of God (s.a.w.), and those who believed in the noble Prophet (s.a.w.).

It is very clear that this meaning is not limited to following Abraham (a.s.), but rather expresses a general principle. Therefore, believers in the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) are closer to Moses (a.s.) than any Jew, and closer to Jesus (a.s.) than any Christian. In other words, the true Christians, Jews, and followers of Abraham are the Muslims, and they are the inheritors of the prophets (a.s.). However, since the religion of the prophets (a.s.) and their scriptures are Abrahamic, Abraham the Friend (a.s.) is mentioned.

This verse tells Muslims to be like the disciples of Jesus (a.s.), and also indicates that the content of “The Disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers!’… Then We strengthened the faithful against their enemies, and they became the dominant ones”(561) is a general principle. Therefore, the followers of the Messiah (a.s.) are always victorious over the disbelievers, and if in some cases they have not been victorious, their following was not complete and perfect. This is like God’s promise of victory to the believers who help Him: “O you who have faith! If you help God, He will help you and make your feet steady.”(562) If in some cases believers did not receive divine help, it becomes clear that they did not sincerely help God’s religion, because God never breaks His promise.

Supporting the point that the followers of the Messiah (a.s.) enjoy not only cultural superiority but also political supremacy and military victory is this verse: “As for those who are faithless, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.”(563) This severe punishment cannot be limited to just a few jurisprudential matters like the permissibility of backbiting against disbelievers or the difference between Muslims and disbelievers in laws of retribution and blood money, as some exegetes have imagined, because these matters cannot justify the superiority of the followers of the Messiah (a.s.) over disbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Firstly, because these mentioned cases are not exclusive to the followers of the Messiah (a.s.), as Jews also share many of these laws with Christians.

Secondly, these matters do not constitute severe punishment. The superiority that brings severe punishment is political and military superiority, not spiritual superiority. For example, scientific superiority - “God will raise those of you who have faith and those who have been given knowledge in rank”(564) - never causes the punishment of others. Thirdly, such punishment that is understood from the verse is not specific to any particular period of time, but rather applies as an ongoing tradition upon them.

Indeed, if only the superiority of the doctrine had been mentioned, cultural dominance might have been meant. However, since the discussion is about the superiority of the followers of the doctrine and the leader: “and I shall set those who follow you above the faithless…”, political dominance and military victory are also intended. Whenever this superiority and dominance is not present, it becomes clear that the following was not in its true sense, because this concerns divine tradition, and it is impossible for someone to be a follower of truth and, in the words of Imam Khomeini, to have pure Islam, yet not achieve superiority. Even if some other groups appear to have dominance somewhere, in reality, they are under the humiliating cover of others and have no share of honor, because all honor belongs to God, and He grants honor to the noble Prophet (s.a.w.) and the believers: “Yet all might belongs to Allah and His Messenger, and the faithful.”(565)

From “O you who have faith! Be God’s helpers, just as Jesus son of Mary said to the disciples, ‘Who will be my helpers for God’s sake?’ The Disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers!’ So a group of the Children of Israel believed, and a group disbelieved. Then We strengthened the faithful against their enemies, and they became the dominant ones”,(566) it can also be understood that victory and superiority encompasses cultural, political, and military aspects, because the message of the verse describes the conflict and struggle between those who believed in the Messiah and those who disbelieved in him.