Аш-Шура 42:13–24

The Religion of the Messengers is One

Allah says to this Ummah:

(He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion which He ordained for Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you,) Allah mentions the first Messenger who was sent after Adam, that is, Nuh, peace be upon them, and the last of them is Muhammad . Then He mentions those who came in between them who were the Messengers of strong will, namely Ibrahim, Musa and `Isa bin Maryam. This Ayah mentions all five, just as they are also mentioned in the Ayah in Surat Al-Ahzab, where Allah says:

(And (remember) when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, and `Isa son of Maryam.) (33:7). The Message which all the Messengers brought was to worship Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, as Allah says:

(And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.) (21:25). And according to a Hadith (the Prophet said):

(We Prophets are brothers and our religion is one.) In other words, the common bond between them is that Allah Alone is to be worshipped, with no partner or associate, even though their laws and ways may differ, as Allah says.

(To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way) (5:48). Allah says here:

(saying you should establish religion and make no divisions in it.) meaning, Allah enjoined all the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all) to be as one and He forbade them to differ and be divided. t

(Intolerable for the idolators is that to which you call them.) means, `it is too much for them to bear, and they hate that to which you call them, O Muhammad, i.e., Tawhid.'

(Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance.) means, He is the One Who decrees guidance for those who deserve it, and decrees misguidance for those who prefer it to the right path. Allah says here;

(And they divided not till after knowledge had come to them,) means, their opposition to the truth arose after it had come to them and proof had been established against them. Nothing made them resist in this manner except their transgression and stubbornness.

(And had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord for an appointed term,) means, were it not for the fact that Allah had already decreed that He would delay the reckoning of His servants until the Day of Resurrection, the punishment would have been hastened for them in this world.

(And verily, those who were made to inherit the Scripture after them,) means, the later generation which came after the earlier generation which had rejected the truth.

(are in grave doubt concerning it. ) means, they do not have any firm conviction in matters of religion; they merely imitate their forefathers, without any evidence or proof. So they are very confused and doubtful.

This Ayah includes ten separate and independent ideas, each of which is a ruling on its own.

They (the scholars) said that there is nothing else like it in the Qur'an, apart from Ayat Al-Kursi 2:255, which also includes ten ideas.

(So unto this then invite (people),) means, `so call people to this which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined upon all the Prophets before you,' the Prophets of major ways of Shari`ah that were followed, such as the Messengers of strong will, and others.

(and stand firm as you are commanded, ) means, `adhere firmly, you and those who follow you, to the worship of Allah as He has commanded you.'

(and follow not their desires) means, the desires of the idolators, in the falsehoods that they have invented and fabricated by worshipping idols.

(but say: "I believe in whatsoever Allah has sent down of the Book...") means, `I believe in all the Books that have been revealed from heaven to the Prophets; we do not differentiate between any of them.'

(and I am commanded to do justice among you.) means, when judging according to the commands of Allah.

(Allah is our Lord and your Lord.) means, `He is the One Who is to be worshipped, and there is no true God but He. We affirm this willingly, and even though you do not do so willingly, everyone in the universe prostrates to Him obediently and willingly.'

(For us our deeds and for you your deeds.) means, `we have nothing to do with you. ' This is like the Ayah:

(And if they deny you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!") (10:41)

(There is no dispute between us and you.) Mujahid said, "This means, no argument." As-Suddi said, "This was before Ayah of the sword was revealed." This fits the context, because this Ayah was revealed in Makkah, and Ayah of the sword 22:39-40 was revealed after the Hijrah.

(Allah will assemble us (all),) means, on the Day of Resurrection. This is like the Ayah:

(Say: "Our Lord will assemble us all together, then He will judge between us with truth. And He is the Just Judge, the All-Knower of the true state of affairs.") (34:26).

(and to Him is the final return.) means, the final return on the Day of Reckoning.

A Warning to Those Who dispute concerning Matters of Religion

Here Allah warns those who try to hinder those who believe in Allah, from following His path.

وَالَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِى اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا اسَتُجِيبَ لَهُ

(And those who dispute concerning Allah, after it has been accepted,) means, those who dispute with the believers who have responded to Allah and His Messenger, and try to stop them from following the path of guidance.

حُجَّتُهُمْ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

(no use is their dispute before their Lord) means, it is futile before Allah.

وَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ

(and on them is wrath,) means, from Him.

وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ

(and for them will be a severe torment.) means, on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Mujahid said, "They disputed with the believers after they responded to Allah and His Messenger, and tried to prevent them from following the path of guidance, hoping that they would return to Jahiliyyah." Qatadah said, "These were the Jews and Christians who said to them, `Our religion is better than your religion, our Prophet came before your Prophet, and we are better than you and closer to Allah than you. "' This was nothing but lies. Then Allah says:

اللَّهُ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ الْكِتَبَ بِالْحَقِّ

(It is Allah Who has sent down the Book in truth,) referring to all the Books which were revealed from Him to His Prophets.

وَالْمِيزَانَ

(and the Balance.) means, justice and fairness. This was the view of Mujahid and Qatadah. This is like the Ayat:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَبَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ

(Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance that mankind may keep up justice) (57:25).

وَالسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ - أَلاَّ تَطْغَوْاْ فِى الْمِيزَانِ - وَأَقِيمُواْ الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ تُخْسِرُواْ الْمِيزَانَ

(And the heaven He has raised high, and He has set up the Balance. In order that you may not transgress (due) balance. And observe the weight with equity and do not make the balance deficient.)(55:7-9)

وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ قَرِيبٌ

(And what can make you know that perhaps the Hour is close at hand) This is encouragement (to strive) for its sake, a terrifying warning, and advice to think little of this world.

يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا

(Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it,) means, they say, `when will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth' But they say this by way of disbelief and stubbornness, thinking that it is unlikely to happen.

وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا

(while those who believe are fearful of it) means, they are afraid of it happening.

وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ

(and know that it is the very truth.) means, that it will undoubtedly come to pass, so they prepare themselves for it and strive for its sake. It was reported through various chains of narration, a number reaching the level of being Mutawatir, in Sahih and Hasan narrations, in the Books of Sunan and Musnad. According to some versions, a man addressed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  in a loud voice, when he was on one of his journeys, calling out to him, "O Muhammad!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  replied in a similar manner, "Here I am!" The man said, "When will the Hour come" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said,

«وَيْحَكَ إِنَّهَا كَائِنَةٌ فَمَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا؟»

(Woe to you! It will most certainly come. What have you done to prepare for it) He said, "Love for Allah and His Messenger." He said:

«أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْت»

(You will be with those whom you love.) According to another Hadith:

«الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَب»

("A man will be with those whom he loves.) This is Mutawatir beyond a doubt. The point is that he did not answer his question about when the Hour would happen, but he commanded him to prepare for it.

أَلاَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُمَارُونَ فَى السَّاعَةِ

(Verily, those who dispute concerning the Hour) means, who dispute whether it will happen and think it is unlikely ever to come,

لَفِى ضَلَلَ بَعِيدٍ

(are certainly in error far away.) means, they are clearly ignorant, because the One Who created the heavens and the earth is even more able to give life to the dead, as Allah says:

وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ

(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him) (30:27).

The Provision of Allah in this World and the Hereafter

Here Allah speaks of His kindness towards His creation, in that He provides for every last one of them and does not forget anyone. When it comes to His provision, the righteous and the sinner are alike. Allah says:

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِى كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

(And no moving creature is there on the earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit. All is in a Clear Book.) (11:6) And there are many similar Ayat.

يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ

(He gives provisions to whom He wills.) means, He gives generously to whomsoever He wills.

وَهُوَ الْقَوِىُّ الْعَزِيزُ

(And He is the All-Strong, the Almighty.) means, there is nothing that can overpower Him. Then Allah says:

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الاٌّخِرَةِ

(Whosoever desires the reward of the Hereafter,) means, whoever does things for the sake of the Hereafter,

نَزِدْ لَهُ فِى حَرْثِهِ

(We give him increase in his reward, ) meaning, `We will give him strength and help him to do what he wants to do, and We will increase it for him. So for every good, We will multiply it and give him between ten and seven hundred good rewards,' as much as Allah wills.

وَمَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرْثَ الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِيبٍ

(and whosoever desires the reward of this world, We give him thereof, and he has no portion in the Hereafter.) means, whoever strives for the purpose of worldly gains, and never pays any heed to the Hereafter at all, Allah will deny him the Hereafter; and in this world, if He wills He will give to him and if He does not will, he will gain neither. So the one who strives with this intention in mind will have the worst deal in this world and in the Hereafter. The evidence for that is the fact that this Ayah is reinforced by the passage in Subhan (i.e., Surat Al-Isra') in which Allah says: y

مَّن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعَجِلَةَ عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ يَصْلَهَا مَذْمُومًا مَّدْحُورًا - وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الاٌّخِرَةَ وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا - كُلاًّ نُّمِدُّ هَؤُلاءِ وَهَؤُلاءِ مِنْ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَ وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا - انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً

(Whoever desires the quick-passing, We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell; he will (enter) burn therein disgraced and rejected. And whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it while he is a believer -- then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated. On each -- these as well as those -- We bestow from the bounties of your Lord. And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden. See how We prefer one above another (in this world), and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment.) (17:18-21) It was reported that Ubayy bin Ka`b, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

«بَشِّرْ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ بِالسَّنَاءِ وَالرِّفْعَةِ وَالنَّصْرِ وَالتَّمْكِينِ فِي الْأَرْضِ، فَمَنْ عَمِلَ مِنْهُمْ عَمَلَ الْاخِرَةِ لِلدُّنْيَا، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ فِي الْاخِرَةِ مِنْ نَصِيب»

(Give the glad tidings to this Ummah of sublimity, high status, victory and power in the land. But whoever among them does the deeds of the Hereafter for the sake of worldly gain, will have no portion of the Hereafter.)"

Making Legislation for the Creatures is Shirk Allah says:

أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُواْ لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ

(Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not ordained) means, they do not follow what Allah has ordained for you of upright religion; on the contrary, they follow what their devils (Shayatin), of men and Jinn, have prescribed for them. They instituted taboos, such as the Bahirah, Sa'ibah, Wasilah or Ham. They also permitted eating flesh and blood of animals not slaughtered for consumption, gambling and other kinds of misguidance, ignorance and falsehood. These are things that they invented during Jahiliyyah, when they came up with all kinds of false rulings on what was permitted and what was forbidden, and false rites of worship and other corrupt ideas. It was recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  said:

«رَأَيْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ لُحَيِّ بْنِ قَمَعَةَ يَجُرُّ قُصْبَهُ فِي النَّار»

(I saw `Amr bin Luhayy bin Qama`ah dragging his intestines in Hell) -- because he had been the first one to introduce the idea of the Sa'ibah. This man was one of the kings of the Khuza`ah tribe, and he was the first one to do these things. He was the one who had made the Quraysh worship idols, may the curse of Allah be upon him. Allah said:

وَلَوْلاَ كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ

(And had it not been for a decisive Word, the matter would have been judged between them.) means, the punishment would have been hastened for them, were it not for the fact that it had already been decreed that it would be delayed until the Day of Resurrection.

وَإِنَّ الظَّلِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

(And verily, for the wrongdoers there is a painful torment.) i.e., an agonizing torment in Hell, what a terrible destination.

The Terror of the Idolators in the Place of Gathering

تَرَى الظَّلِمِينَ مُشْفِقِينَ مِمَّا كَسَبُواْ

(You will see the wrongdoers fearful of that which they have earned,) means, in the arena of Resurrection.

وَهُوَ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ

(and it will surely befall them.) means, the thing that they fear will undoubtedly happen to them. This is how they will be on the Day of Resurrection; they will be in a state of utter fear and terror.

وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ فِى رَوْضَتِ الْجَنَّتِ لَهُمْ مَّا يَشَآءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ

(But those who believe and do righteous deeds (will be) in the flowering meadows of the Gardens. They shall have whatsoever they desire with their Lord.) What comparison can there be between the former and the latter How can the one who will be in the arena of resurrection in a state of humiliation and fear, deserving it for his wrongdoing, be compared with the one who will be in the gardens of Paradise, enjoying whatever he wants of food, drink, clothing, dwellings, scenery, spouses and other delights such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and has never crossed the minds of men. Allah says:

ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ

(That is the supreme grace.) means, the ultimate victory and complete blessing.

Good News of the Blessings of Paradise for the People of Faith

Having mentioned the gardens of Paradise, Allah then says to His servants who believe and do righteous deeds:

ذَلِكَ الَّذِى يُبَشِّرُ اللَّهُ عِبَادَهُ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ

(That is whereof Allah gives glad tidings to His servants who believe and do righteous good deeds.) meaning, this will undoubtedly come to them, because it is glad tidings from Allah to them.

قُل لاَّ أَسَْلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرْبَى

(Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except to be kind to me for my kinship with you.") means, `say, O Muhammad, to these idolators among the disbeliever of Quraysh: I do not ask you for anything in return for this message and sincere advice which I bring to you. All I ask of you is that you withhold your evil from me and let me convey the Messages of my Lord. If you will not help me, then do not disturb me, for the sake of the ties of kinship that exist between you and I.' Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, was asked about the Ayah:

إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرْبَى

(except to be kind to me for my kinship with you.) Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "To be kind to the family of Muhammad ﷺ ." Ibn `Abbas said, "No, you have jumped to a hasty conclusion. There was no clan among Quraysh to whom the Prophet did not have some ties of kinship." Ibn `Abbas said, "Except that you uphold the ties of kinship that exist between me and you." This was recorded by Al-Bukhari. It was also recorded by Imam Ahmad with a different chain of narration.

وَمَن يَقْتَرِفْ حَسَنَةً نَّزِدْ لَهُ فِيهَا حُسْناً

(And whoever earns a good righteous deed, We shall give him an increase of good in respect thereof) means, `whoever does a good deed, We will increase him in good for it, i.e., in reward.' This is like the Ayah:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

(Surely, Allah wrongs not even of the weight of a speck of dust, but if there is any good, He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward.) (4:40)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

(Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate.) means, He forgives many bad deeds and increases a small amount of good deeds; He conceals and forgives sins and He multiplies and increases the reward of good deeds.

The Accusation that the Prophet fabricated the Qur'an -- and the Response to that

Allah's saying;

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً فَإِن يَشَإِ اللَّهُ يَخْتِمْ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ

(Or say they: "He has invented a lie against Allah" If Allah willed, He could have sealed up your heart.) means, `if you had invented any lies against Him, as these ignorant people claim,'

يَخْتِمْ عَلَى قَلْبِكَ

(He could have sealed up your heart.) means, `and thus caused you to forget what had already come to you of the Qur'an.' This is like the Ayah:

وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الاٌّقَاوِيلِ - لأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ - ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ - فَمَا مِنكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَجِزِينَ

(And if he had forged a false saying concerning Us (Allah), We surely would have seized him by his right hand, and then We certainly would have cut off his life artery, And none of you could have withheld Us from (punishing) him.) (69:44-47) which means, `We would have wrought the utmost vengeance upon him, and no one among mankind would have been able to protect him.' And Allah said:

وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمَتِهِ

(and establishes the truth by His Word.) means, He establishes it and strengthens it and makes it clear by His Words, i.e., by His evidence and signs.

إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

(Verily, He knows well what are in the breasts.) means, all that is hidden in the hearts of men.