Verse Number 46
Refutation of Their Accusation that the Prophet was Insane
Allah says: `Say, O Muhammad, to these disbelievers who claim that you are crazy,’
إِنَّمَآ أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَحِدَةٍ
I exhort you to one (thing) only, meaning, I am only telling you to one thing, and that is:
أَن تَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْ مَا بِصَـحِبِكُمْ مِّن جِنَّةٍ
that you stand up for Allah s sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion. meaning, `stand sincerely before Allah, without being influenced by your own desires or tribal feelings, and ask one another, is Muhammad crazy Advise one another,’
ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْ
and reflect means, let each person look within himself concerning the matter of Muhلammad , and ask other people about him if he is still confused, then let him think about the matter. Allah says:
أَن تَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْ مَا بِصَـحِبِكُمْ مِّن جِنَّةٍ
(that you stand up for Allah’s sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion.) This meaning was stated by Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka`b, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others. This is what is meant by the Ayah.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ لَّكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
(He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment.) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on this Ayah: “One day, the Prophet climbed up As-Safa’ and shouted,
«يَا صَبَاحَاه»
(O people!) The Quraysh gathered around him, and said, `What is the matter with you’ He said,
«أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ يُصَبِّحُكُمْ أَوْ يُمَسِّيكُمْ أَمَا كُنْتُمْ تُصَدِّقُونِّي»
(What do you think If I told you that the enemy were approaching and will reach us in the morning or in the evening, would you believe me) They said, `Of course.’ He said:
«فَإِنِّي نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيد»
(I am a warner to you in the face of a severe punishment.) Abu Lahab said, `May you perish! You have called us together only to tell us this’ Then Allah revealed:
تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ
(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!) (111:1) We have already discussed this in our Tafsir of the Ayah:
وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الاٌّقْرَبِينَ
(And warn your tribe of near kindred) (26:214).
Verse Number 47-50
I do not ask for any Reward for conveying the Message
Allah commands His Messenger to say to the idolators:
مَا سَأَلْتُكُم مِّن أَجْرٍ فَهُوَ لَكُمْ
(Whatever wage I might have asked of you is yours.) meaning, `I do not want anything for conveying the Message of Allah to you, advising you and telling you to worship Allah.’
إِنْ أَجْرِىَ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ
My wage is from Allah only, means, rather I will seek the reward for that with Allah.
وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٍ
and He is a Witness over all things. means, He knows all things, and He knows everything about me and the manner in which I am conveying the Message to you, and He knows all about you.
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَّـمُ الْغُيُوبِ
(Say: “Verily, my Lord sends down the truth, the All-Knower of the Unseen.”) This is like the Ayah:
يُلْقِى الرُّوحَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
(He sends the Revelation by His command to any of His servants He wills) (40:15). meaning, He sends the angel to whomsoever He wills of His servants among the people on earth, and He is the All-Knower of the Unseen; nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him in the heavens or on earth.
قُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَمَا يُبْدِىءُ الْبَـطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ
(Say: “The truth has come, and the falsehood can neither create anything nor resurrect.”) means, truth and the great Law have come from Allah, and falsehood has gone and has perished and vanished. This is like the Ayah:
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَـطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ
(Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood, so it destroys it, and behold, it is vanished) (21:18). When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered Al-Masjid Al-Haram on the day of the conquest of Makkah, and found those idols standing around the Ka`bah, he started to hit the idols with his bow, reciting,
وَقُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَـطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَـطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا
(And say: “The truth has come and the falsehood has vanished. Surely, the falsehood is ever bound to vanish.”) (17:81), and:
قُلْ جَآءَ الْحَقُّ وَمَا يُبْدِىءُ الْبَـطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيدُ
(Say: “The truth has come, and the falsehood can neither create anything nor resurrect.”) This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i.
قُلْ إِن ضَلَلْتُ فَإِنَّمَآ أَضِلُّ عَلَى نَفْسِى وَإِنِ اهْتَدَيْتُ فَبِمَا يُوحِى إِلَىَّ رَبِّى
(Say: “If (even) I go astray, I shall stray only to my own loss. But if I remain guided, it is because of the Revelation of my Lord to me…”) means, all good comes from Allah, and in what Allah sends down of revelation and clear truth there is guidance and wisdom. So whoever goes astray, does so by himself, as `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said when he was asked about some issue. He said, “I will say what I think, and if it is correct, then it is from Allah, and if it is wrong, then it is from me and from the Shaytan, and Allah and His Messenger have nothing to do with it.”
إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ قَرِيبٌ
Truly, He is All-Hearer, Ever Near. means, He hears all the words of His servants, and He is always near to respond to them when they call on Him. An-Nasa0 0 recorded the Hadith of Abu Mu0sa0 which also appears in the Two Sلahل0hلs:
«إِنَّكُمْ لَاتَدْعُونَ أَصَمَّ وَلَا غَائِبًا، إِنَّمَا تَدْعُونَ سَمِيعًا قَرِيبًا مُجِيبًا»
(You are not calling upon one who is deaf or absent; you are calling upon One Who is All-Hearer, Ever Near and Responsive.)