Allah addresses His servant and Messenger Muhammad by the title `Messenger' and
commands him to convey all that He has sent him, a command that the Prophet has
fulfilled in the best manner. Al-Bukhari recorded that `A'ishah said, "Whoever says
to you that Muhammad hid any part of what Allah revealed to him, then he is uttering
a lie. Allah said,
﴿يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ
أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ﴾
(O Messenger! Convey what has been sent down to you from your Lord.)'' Al-Bukhari
collected the short form of this story here, but mentioned the full narration in
another part of his book. Muslim in the Book of Iman, At-Tirmidhi, and An-Nasa'i
in the Book of Tafsir of their Sunans also collected this Hadith. In is recorded
in the Two Sahihs that `A'ishah said, "If Muhammad hid anything from the Qur'an,
he would have hidden this Ayah,
﴿وَتُخْفِى فِى نِفْسِكَ مَا اللَّهُ
مُبْدِيهِ وَتَخْشَى النَّاسَ وَاللَّهُ أَحَقُّ أَن تَخْشَـهُ﴾
(But you did hide in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear
the people while Allah had a better right that you should fear Him.)'' Al-Bukhari
recorded that Az-Zuhri said, "From Allah comes the Message, for the Messenger is
its deliverance and for us is submission to it.'' The Ummah of Muhammad has testified
that he has delivered the Message and fulfilled the trust, when he asked them during
the biggest gathering in his speech during the Farewell Hajj. At that time, there
were over forty thousand of his Companions. Muslim recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah
said that the Messenger of Allah said in his speech on that day,
«أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ مَسْؤُولُونَ
عَنِّي، فَمَا أَنْتُمْ قَائِلُونَ؟»
(O people! You shall be asked about me, so what are you going to reply) They said,
"We bear witness that you have conveyed (the Message), fulfilled (the trust) and
offered sincere advice.'' The Prophet kept raising his finger towards the sky and
then pointing at them, saying,
«اللَّهُمَّ هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ؟ اللَّهُمَّ
هَلْ بَلَّغْتُ؟»
(O Allah! Did I convey O Allah! Did I convey) Allah's statement,
﴿وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ
رِسَالَتَهُ﴾
(And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.) meaning: If you do
not convey to the people what I sent to you, then you have not conveyed My Message.
Meaning, the Prophet knows the consequences of this failure. `Ali bin Abi Talhah
reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah,
﴿وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ
رِسَالَتَهُ﴾
(And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message.) "It means, if you hide
only one Ayah that was revealed to you from your Lord, then you have not conveyed
His Message.'' Allah's statement,
﴿وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ﴾
(Allah will protect you from mankind.) means, you convey My Message and I will protect,
aid and support you over your enemies and will grant you victory over them. Therefore,
do not have any fear or sadness, for none of them will be able to touch you with
harm. Before this Ayah was revealed, the Prophet was being guarded, as Imam Ahmad
recorded that `A'ishah said that the Prophet was vigilant one night when she was
next to him; she asked him, "What is the matter, O Allah's Messenger'' He said,
«لَيْتَ رَجُلًا صَالِحًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِي
يَحْرُسُنِي اللَّيْلَة»
(Would that a pious man from my companions guard me tonight!) She said, "Suddenly
we heard the clatter of arms. The Prophet said,
«مَنْ هَذَا؟»
(Who is that''.) He (the new comer) replied, "I am Sa`d bin Malik (Sa`d bin Abi
Waqqas).'' The Prophet asked,
«مَا جَاءَ بِكَ؟»
(What brought you here) He said, "I have come to guard you, Allah's O Messenger.''
`A'ishah said, "So, the Prophet slept (that night) and I heard the noise of sleep
coming from him.)'' This Hadith is recorded in Two Sahihs. Another narration for
this Hadith reads, "The Messenger of Allah was vigilant one night, after he came
to Al-Madinah...'', meaning, after the Hijrah and after the Prophet consummated
his marriage to `A'ishah in the second year of Hijrah. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that
`A'ishah said, "The Prophet was being guarded until this Ayah,
﴿وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ﴾
(Allah will protect you from mankind) was revealed.'' She added; "The Prophet raised
his head from the room and said;
«يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ انْصَرِفُوا
فَقَدْ عَصَمَنِي اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَل»
(O people! Go away, for Allah will protect me.)''' At-Tirmidhi recorded it and said,"This
Hadith is Gharib.'' It was also recorded by Ibn Jarir, and Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak,
where he said, "Its chain is Sahih, but they did not record it.'' Allah's statement,
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ
الْكَـفِرِينَ﴾
(Verily, Allah guides not those who disbelieve.) means, O Muhammad, you convey,
and Allah guides whom He wills, and misguides whom He wills. In other Ayat, Allah
said,
﴿لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ
اللَّهَ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ﴾
(Not upon you is their guidance, but Allah guides whom He wills,) and,
﴿فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا
الْحِسَابُ﴾
(Your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning.)
﴿قُلْ يَـأَهْلَ الْكِتَـبِ
لَسْتُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ حَتَّى تُقِيمُواْ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ
إِلَيْكُمْ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيراً مِّنْهُمْ مَّآ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ
مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَـناً وَكُفْراً فَلاَ تَأْسَ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَـفِرِينَ - إِنَّ
الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ وَالَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالصَّـبِئُونَ وَالنَّصَـرَى مَنْ ءَامَنَ
بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ وعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ
يَحْزَنُونَ ﴾
(68. Say: "O People of the Scripture! You have nothing till you act according to
the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to you from your Lord (the
Qur'an).'' Verily, the revelation that has come to you from your Lord makes many
of them increase in rebellion and disbelief. So do not grieve for the people who
disbelieve.) (69. Surely, those who believe, and those who are the Jews and the
Sabians and the Christians, whosoever believed in Allah and the Last Day, and worked
righteousness, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.)