The concept of servitude is deeply embedded in the relationship between individuals and God. The term “our servant” implies that each person has a role and responsibility towards those above them, creating a chain of service and accountability. For instance, a leader serves their people, while the people serve the leader and follow their directives. However, this hierarchy is not self-contained and always extends upwards to God. Similarly, when God had the angels “fall prostrate” to Adam, the reason the angels would carry out such a command was because they were serving God, which required them to serve Adam.
God’s prophets and messengers are often referred to as “our servants,” illustrating their role as agents of God who guide their people in serving God. Human messengers often get revelation from angel messengers who are commissioned by God to deliver His message. Each person in the chain is serving each other but ultimately serving God.
For example, God sent His commands to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. Muhammad, the human, was obligated to obey the angel Gabriel, who gave him the command. Then, when Muhammad, the messenger, gave this command to the people, they, too, were responsible for serving and fulfilling that command.
24:63 Do not treat the messenger’s requests as you treat each others’ requests. GOD is fully aware of those among you who sneak away using flimsy excuses. Let them beware—those who disobey his orders—for a disaster may strike them, or a severe retribution.
In the example from Sura 33, The Parties (Al-Ahzãb), we see that God gave a command from the angel Gabriel to Muhammad to marry the divorced wife of his adopted son. However, Muhammad, the man, attempted to conceal the command and stated something other than what he was commanded. Then, God fixed the situation. This required Muhammad to serve the command through the angel Gabriel from God and the believers to obey the command they received from the messenger.
33:36 No believing man or believing woman, if GOD and His messenger issue any command, has any choice regarding that command. Anyone who disobeys GOD and His messenger has gone far astray.
33:37 Recall that you said to the one who was blessed by GOD, and blessed by you, “Keep your wife and reverence GOD,” and you hid inside yourself what GOD wished to proclaim. Thus, you feared the people, when you were supposed to fear only GOD. When Zeid was completely through with his wife, we had you marry her, in order to establish the precedent that a man can marry the divorced wife of his adopted son. GOD’s commands shall be done.
But the expression for “our servant” is not limited to the messengers and can be applied to anyone who does righteous work (19:63). When the Quran asks who will lend God a loan of righteousness (2:245, 5:12, 57:11, 64:17, 73:20), we are signing up to do God’s work. Naturally, God can do all these things Himself, but out of His mercy He allows others to participate and gain credit.
36:47 When they are told, “Give from GOD’s provisions to you,” those who disbelieve say to those who believe, “Why should we give to those whom GOD could feed, if He so willed? You are really far astray.”
So when we serve others, others will inevitably serve us; therefore, we are all collectively serving each other per God’s design. While the term in the following verse is not the same word for “serve” as in “our servant” it conveys the same concept.
43:32 Are they the ones who assign your Lord’s mercy? We have assigned their shares in this life, raising some of them above others in ranks, in order to let them serve one another. The mercy from your Lord is far better than any material they may hoard.
2:23 If you have any doubt regarding what we revealed to our servant, then produce one sura like these, and call upon your own witnesses against GOD, if you are truthful.
8:41 You should know that if you gain any spoils in war, one-fifth shall go to GOD and the messenger, to be given to the relatives, the orphans, the poor, and the traveling alien. You will do this if you believe in GOD and in what we revealed to our servant on the day of decision, the day the two armies clashed. GOD is Omnipotent.
12:24 She almost succumbed to him, and he almost succumbed to her, if it were not that he saw a proof from his Lord. We thus diverted evil and sin away from him, for he was one of our devoted servants.
42:52 Thus, we inspired to you a revelation proclaiming our commandments. You had no idea about the scripture, or faith. Yet, we made this a beacon to guide whomever we choose from among our servants. Surely, you guide in a straight path.
35:32 We passed the scripture from generation to generation, and we allowed whomever we chose from among our servants to receive it. Subsequently, some of them wronged their souls, others upheld it only part of the time, while others were eager to work righteousness in accordance with GOD’s will; this is the greatest triumph.
66:10 GOD cites as examples of those who disbelieved the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were married to two of our righteous servants, but they betrayed them and, consequently, they could not help them at all against GOD. The two of them were told, “Enter the Hellfire with those who deserved it.”
All our worship and devotion as submitters is dedicated to God alone. Individuals who want to attempt to use the plural tense utilized in the Quran to justify associating partners with God are free to do so, but this will only lead to their own straying and eventual exile from God. The Quran utilizes the plural form because of precise speech and because God, out of His immense mercy and grace, wants to acknowledge the participation of others when it is warranted. Yet, those who misuse these terms to justify sinful understandings are only confirming their insincerity, and God is allowing them to feel justified in their understandings only to bring out what they hide in their hearts.
3:176 Do not be saddened by those who hasten to disbelieve. They never hurt GOD in the least. Instead, GOD has willed that they will have no share in the Hereafter. They have incurred a terrible retribution.
3:177 Those who choose disbelief, instead of belief, do not hurt GOD in the least; they have incurred a painful retribution.
3:178 Let not the disbelievers think that we lead them on for their own good. We only lead them on to confirm their sinfulness. They have incurred a humiliating retribution.
3:179 GOD is not to leave the believers as you are, without distinguishing the bad from the good. Nor does GOD inform you of the future, but GOD bestows such knowledge upon whomever He chooses from among His messengers. Therefore, you shall believe in GOD and His messengers. If you believe and lead a righteous life, you receive a great recompense.