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45. The Twelve Disciples (Al-Hawariyyun)

 

After Jesus was baptized, He chose 12 men to follow Him.  He gave that simple command of “follow me.” These 12 first followers of Christ you may know their names: Simon Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Phillip, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Thaddeus, Bartholomew who is also called Nathanael in John's Gospel, and Judas. These men were common, everyday men, but what defined them was that they found their identity in Christ, hearing His teaching, believing His truth, witnessing His miracles and power, and knowing that He really is who He says He is. One of these men would rebel and betray Jesus, but the other eleven were faithful unto death.

·      Watch on YouTube - https://youtu.be/HhgXXUVGT4Y

·      Read in The Qur’an - 3:52-53, 5:111-114

 

Readings from The Qur’an:

·      The Qur'an 3:52-53 “Then when 'Isa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: ‘Who will be my helpers in Allah's Cause?’ Al- Hawariyyun (the disciples) said: ‘We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah).’ 53. Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger ('Isa (Jesus)]; so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth i.e. La ilaha illallah - none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).”

·      Why do no archaeological records (manuscripts) before the Qur’an ever describe the twelve disciples of Jesus as claiming to be Muslims?

·      Do the disciples or Jesus ever refer to God as Allah in the Bible?

·      Since the twelve disciples of Jesus were so important in the Bible, why does the Qur’an not give their stories more attention?

·      The Qur'an 5:111-114 “And when I (Allah) revealed to Al-Hawariyyun (the disciples) [of 'Isa (Jesus)] to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: ‘We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.’ 112. (Remember) when Al-Hawariyyiin (the disciples) said: ‘O 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Can your Lord send down to us a table spread (with food) from heaven?’ 'Isa (Jesus) said: ‘Fear Allah, if you are indeed believers.’  113. They said: ‘We wish to eat thereof and to satisfy our hearts (to be stronger in Faith), and to know that you have indeed told us the truth and that we ourselves be its witnesses.’ 114. 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: ‘O Allah, our Lord! Send us from the heaven a table spread (with food) that there may be for us - for the first and the last of us - a festival and a sign from You; and provide us with sustenance, for You are the Best of sustainers.’”

·      Why doesn’t the Christian Bible’s Gospels (Injeel), which was written 500+ years before the Qur’an, give this account?

·      How does this story differ from the biblical accounts of the feeding of the 4,000 and the feeding of the 5,000?

 

Readings from The Tanakh and The Bible:

·      Matthew 4:18–22 “While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. [19] And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” [20] Immediately they left their nets and followed him. [21] And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. [22] Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.”

·      Matthew 10:3–4 “Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; [4] Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.”

·      Mark 1:16–20 “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. [17] And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” [18] And immediately they left their nets and followed him. [19] And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. [20] And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.”

·      Mark 3:18 “Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot”

·      John 1:35–51 “The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, [36] and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” [37] The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [38] Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” [39] He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. [40] One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. [41] He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). [42] He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). [43] The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” [44] Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. [45] Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” [46] Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” [47] Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” [48] Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” [49] Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” [50] Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” [51] And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”