One of the recurring themes of the Qur’an is the unity of the prophetic mission. Although Allah sent many prophets throughout history, each to a different people and in a different age, they all came with the same fundamental call: to worship Allah alone and to submit to Him.
A remarkable example of this appears in the story of Prophet Nūḥ (as). Allah says:
وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ لَمَّا كَذَّبُوا الرُّسُلَ أَغْرَقْنَاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ آيَةً وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
"And the people of Nūḥ, when they rejected the messengers, We drowned them and made them a sign for mankind, and We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment." (Qur'an 25:37)
At first glance, one word appears unexpected.
An Unexpected Plural
The people of Nūḥ did not encounter multiple messengers. History tells us that they were sent only one prophet: Nūḥ (as).
One might therefore expect the Qur’an to say:
“When they rejected the messenger…”
Instead, the Qur’an says:
“…when they rejected the messengers.”
Why does the Qur’an use the plural?
One Messenger, One Mission
Scholars of Laṭāʾif al-Qur’an have long pointed to the rhetorical beauty of this expression.
Although the people of Nūḥ rejected only one prophet, the Qur’an describes their rejection as though it were directed against all the messengers. This is because the prophets did not come with competing messages or separate religions. They all conveyed the same essential call: to worship Allah alone, to obey Him, and to follow His guidance.
To reject the messenger whom Allah sends to your own generation is therefore to reject the very mission that every messenger came to deliver.
The Brotherhood of the Prophets
This understanding is reinforced throughout the Qur’an. Each prophet confirms those who came before him and calls people back to the same foundational truth. While details of religious law may differ from one nation to another, the essence of the message remains unchanged.
Seen in this light, the Qur’an’s wording becomes deeply meaningful. The people of Nūḥ were not merely rejecting a single man standing before them. By rejecting the divine message entrusted to him, they were taking the same position as every nation that rejected its messenger. The Qur’an therefore speaks of their rejection as a rejection of “the messengers.”
A Reflection
The Qur’an often conveys profound theological ideas through remarkably subtle linguistic choices. Here, a single plural noun reminds the reader that the prophets of Allah should never be viewed as isolated figures. They are united by one source, one purpose, and one message.
Rejecting the messenger sent to one’s own people is therefore more than rejecting an individual. It is a rejection of the continuous chain of divine guidance that Allah has sent to humanity throughout history.
It is observations such as these that form part of the study of Laṭāʾif al-Qur’an, where careful attention to the Qur’an’s language reveals layers of meaning that might otherwise pass unnoticed.