Does Quran 61:14 Include Paul As A Supported Disciple?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Does the statement in Sura 61:14 about Allah supporting the true followers of Jesus imply that Paul was among them, given that some tafsir sources quote Ibn Ishaq as including him among the supported disciples?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question.
“O believers! Stand up for Allah, as Jesus, son of Mary, asked the disciples, ‘Who will stand up with me for Allah?’ The disciples (hawariyyun) replied, ‘We will stand up for Allah.’ Then a group from the Children of Israel believed, while another disbelieved. We then supported the believers against their enemies, so they prevailed.” [Quran, 61:42]
“Al-Hawariyyun” is a title given to the companions of Jesus (peace be upon him) — those who believed in him and remained close to him. It is an Arabized word from the Nabataean language, and its singular form is hawari. This is mentioned in Al-Itqan by Imam Suyuti, quoting Ibn Hatim from Al-Dahhak, who claimed that its meaning is “washer,” i.e., a washer of clothes.
However, scholars of the Arabic language have interpreted it to mean: “Someone who belongs to the inner circle or is among the closest of those associated with a person.” Over time, the term came to be specifically associated with the companions of Jesus.
In the hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Every prophet has a ḥawari (disciple/supporter), and my hawari is Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam.” Commentators and linguists have offered many different views about the root and meaning of the word, attempting to connect it to various Arabic roots involving the letters haʾ (ح), waw (و), and ra’ (ر) — but none of these derivations are definitive.
The disciples (Al-hawariyyan) were twelve men, and they are:
- Simon Peter (Sama‘an Butrus)
- His brother Andrew (Andrawis)
- John, son of Zebidi (Yuḥanna ibn Zabdi)
- His brother James (Ya‘qub) — all of the above were fishermen
- Matthew the tax collector (Matta al-‘Ashshar)
- Thomas (Tuma)
- Philip (Filibbs)
- Bartholomew (Barthulmawus)
- James, son of Alphaeus (Yaqub ibn Ḥalfi)
- Lebbaeus (Labawis)
- Simon the Zealot (Sim‘an al-Qanawa)
- Judas Iscariot (Yahudha al-Iskhariuti) [Ibn ‘Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]
Paul
Please read about Paul in the link below by Dr. Ali Ataie, a scholar of biblical hermeneutics with field specialties in Sacred Languages, Comparative Theology, and Comparative Literature.
Please go through the valuable answers and links below. Insha’Allah, they will provide you with guidance and direction.
Related
- Pauline Christianity, the Prophet’s Access to the Bible, and Similarities in the Gospels
- Complete Quran Tafsir
- Trinity Archives
- Why Is Islam True?
- Confused about Christianity
- Ali Ataie
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
