It is not for a believing man or a believing woman to have a choice in their affair
if God and His messenger issue a command. Anyone who disobeys
God and His messenger has gone far astray.
33:36
The above Quranic words have been used by the hadith followers to claim that if the messenger issues any command the believers must obey his command.
On first impression it appears that this is the correct message of 33:36. However, God’s precision in choosing Quranic words always exposes all who set up partners with God in His exclusive right as the sole Law Maker, and who uphold other sources for their religion besides the word of God in the Quran.
To analyse the message in 33:36 we need to focus on the following words:
“if God and His messenger issue a command”
Here we read about God and also the messenger, the duality indicates the source of the command is plural.
Immediately after the words “God and His messenger” we read the word “command”.
The clue here is that even though the sources are dual (God and His messenger), yet the “command” is singular.
The meaning would have been totally different if God used the word “commands” (plural), for this would indicate that God has His commands while the messenger can also have his own commands.
However, the deliberate use of the word “command”, in the singular form, indicates that the messenger may not issue any command unless it is also issued by God. The messenger delivers God’s message and his sole duty is to do so (5:92).
If the messenger issues any commands which are not issued by God, he would have erred and the believers should not obey such commands.
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