ثُمَّ نُنَجِّى رُسُلَنَا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ حَقًّا عَلَيْنَا نُنجِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
30:48; 40:52; 58:22.
Commentary:
Though the preceding verse referred only to the Holy Prophet, the verse under comment uses the word "Messengers" in the plural number in the expression, Then shall We save Our Messengers. The reason for using the plural number instead of the singular is twofold. Firstly, every Prophet represents in principle all other Prophets and the success or failure of one means the success or failure of them all. So if the Holy Prophet had come to grief and the cause of Islam had failed, the truth of all the Prophets would have become doubtful and obscure. Secondly, the use of the plural number also hints at the fact that in future, too, Prophets will appear among Muslims but these Prophets will be Ummati Prophets, i.e. subservient to, and followers of, the Holy Prophet. The substitution of the word "believers" at the end of the verse in place of the word "Messengers" at its beginning also supports this interpretation, for it makes it clear that, while on the one hand these Prophets will be full-fledged heavenly Messengers, on the other, they will be believers in the Holy Prophet.
30:48; 40:52; 58:22.