Teachings and Commentary
§ Such beautiful, meaningful and sublime prose that was setting the highest moral
and ethical standards cannot be the words of a mad man or a possessed man;
§ The hardships he is enduring and the sacrifices he is making are going to be amply
rewarded in the form of never-ending bliss in the Hereafter and it is his opponents
that are headed for an ignoble end and total failure;
§ His superb character and unparalleled excellence in conduct which they practically
witness on a daily basis is exactly as he preaches to be the message of the Qur-aan.
It is because of his highest moral standard that he continues to care for everyone’s
salvation to save them from punishment, despite such a violent reaction from the
same people he cares for. The Makkans should come to their senses and ask themselves
if it is possible for a mad or possessed man to have that kind of a personality.
They need to ask themselves if there is anywhere a match for: his unblemished truthfulness;
his meticulous honouring of trusts; his proverbial credibility; his care and concern
for the poor, elderly, orphans and other disadvantaged people of the society; his
magnanimity and graciousness; his forgiving nature; his lack of response against
attacks on his person, honour and property; his forbearance; his perseverance and
steadfastness; his charming personality despite the hardship and criticism inflicted
by his opponents; and so on and so forth?
Although these verses are addressed to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,
their aim is to make his opponents and the general public think rationally, instead
of reacting emotionally and blindly.
Continuing to address the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, verses 5 and 6
stress upon the facts that if the opponents continue to oppose the mission, then
despite their propaganda, time will tell and make it evident to everyone which of
the two groups is really afflicted. The word used here is “Maftoon”, meaning “one
who is afflicted with a Fitnah.” Fitnah is something that makes a person adopt wrong,
unfair and destructive behaviour.
In this case, the opponents of the Islamic mission had been trapped by Shayŧaan
into the Fitnah of their ego and social status that they feared would be compromised
if they accepted the message of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. To preserve
their perceived status and to satisfy their ego, they were making themselves deserve
the punishment from Allaah. Thus they were, in fact, the mad people who were destroying
their everlasting life in the Hereafter for the valueless notions of this transitory
world.
Verse 7 is a reminder to all that although in time it will become evident to everyone,
Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala is well aware of the two sides and where they stand.
He knows exactly who has strayed away from the Islamic path of peace and salvation
onto the path of serving their own desires, lusts and egos which results in His
anger and punishment. He is also fully aware of those who are following the guidance
He has sent through His own Messenger and Prophet. He is watching the hardships
and sacrifices His Prophet and the followers of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam are making, and He has prepared unlimited bounties and pleasures matching
or exceeding in excellence the level of their steadfastness and perseverance.
In the hope that the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would yield under pressure
or at least compromise his strict stand against their evils and their idolatry,
the Makkan chiefs were putting extreme pressure on him. The Prophet ŝall Allaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam had so far resisted every kind of pressure without any emotional
reaction and without any slow down in his work or compromise in his stance. However,
the Makkans continued to hope that if they increased the intensity of their opposition,
at some point he would break down. The next two verses dashed their hopes. They
commanded the Prophet not to yield to them in any instance, thus letting the Makkan
chiefs know that none of their pressure was going to work because the Prophet was
not allowed to yield. It was on similar occasions that the Prophet told the Makkans
that he could not stop working for his mission or soften his stance just as the
sun could not stop shining or make its shine any cooler.
8 So do not yield to the rejecters. 9 They would have had you soften, so that they
may soften.
Verse 9 exposes their true motives. Their opposition to the mission of the Prophet
ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was not based on any principles. All their opposition
and pressure tactics were intended just to make him soften his efforts and compromise
his strict stand against their evil behaviour and their idolatry. It was to compel
him to bargain and arrive at some compromising position through give and take. They
knew that he was not a mad man. Had he been a mad man promoting crazy ideas, there
was no sense in arriving at a give and take proposition. In reality they knew that
there was nothing wrong with him or his message. They just wanted him to become
soft and compromising in his message of reformation, so that they could save face,
maintain their egos and continue doing the evils they were doing.
There is an important lesson to be learned here. There must never be any give or
take on the matters of principles or beliefs of Deen[2]. It is hypocritical on the
part of both parties: those who expect a compromise and those who make a compromise.
This lesson especially needs to be noted by the Muslim masses who see themselves
between two groups of people: One group standing up for the pure Islamic principles
and the other group opposing them. In such situations, the masses usually put pressure
on the Muslims who want to live by pure Islamic principles and expect them to soften
up, become accommodating and not to be a hardliner, etc. On the other hand, Muslims
must also be vigilant about those people who confuse the principle of Deen with
the provision and rules of Sharee‘ah and want everyone to follow their version of
the Sharee‘ah as the only truth. No softening up or compromise or accommodation
is allowed on the principles of Deen, while there can be quite a bit of flexibility,
accommodation and adaptation on the rules of Sharee‘ah.
The next few verses portray the character sketch of those who were calling him a
mad man and pressuring him to compromise. This was described so that Makkans could
recognize evil traits in the people who were opposing the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam and mentally contrast them against the superb character of the Prophet
mentioned earlier.
Some people think that it is the description of a certain chief who could be recognized
by these features without having to mention his name. Their opinion is based on
the use of singular words, mention of being base-born and use of single pronoun
while mentioning branding in verse 16. Others think that it was a typical description
of the collective character of the chiefs of the Quraish who had banded together
to oppose him. They give three reasons for their opinion: firstly, this description
starts with “and” as a continuation of the point made in verse 8 where “rejecters”
was plural; secondly, this verse uses the word “every” which is not fitting if this
was the description of one particular person; and thirdly, the example given (verses
17-32) immediately after this description also uses the plural pronoun at the very
start of verse 17. They think the use of singular words and pronouns has been made
because the description is of a typical collective personality, not persons individually.
In any case, this character sketch further exposed the real reason for the chiefs’
opposition to the Prophet and some of the dirty tactics stemming from such evil
characteristics that were used against the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
It was now up to the Makkans to choose whom they preferred to listen to.
10 And, heed not every worthless habitual swearer, 11 a mocker by gestures, going
about with malicious gossip, 12 hindering charity, transgressing beyond limits,
shirking obligations, 13 cruel, and besides all that, a base-born. 14 Just because
he has wealth and sons. 15 When Our revelations are recited to him, he says, “Mere
fables of the earlier people.”
The personality sketch mentions the following traits:
§ Low esteem and credibility, hence, frequent resorting to oaths to convince people
to believe him – the Makkan chiefs would swear profusely to convince people that
the Prophet was mad or possessed.
§ Excessive use of mocking gestures, verbal put downs and derogatory remarks to
dishonour a person – the Makkan leaders would use this tactic when the Prophet presented
his message in public.
§ Spreading malicious gossip – for character assassination of another person or
making people fight. This technique was used to spread misgivings about the Prophet
and to cause rifts and misunderstandings among Muslims.
§ Hindering charity – being miserly and uncharitable as well as discouraging others
from giving charity and doing selfless goodness. “Khair” means good as well as wealth.
According to some commentators, here it particularly refers to wealth which they
withhold from spending on the poor and needy, and discourage others from dong so.
§ Transgressing beyond limits – Abusing others’ rights, being excessive and exceeding
all limits.
§ Shirking obligations – “Atheem” is the one who continually shirks one’s obligations
to God, society, relatives or family.
§ Cruel – “‘Utull” means one who is quarrelsome, aggressive, stone-hearted, violent
and cruel.
§ Base-born – “Zaneem” is someone who is from a lower class family but pretends
or falsely presents himself to be from a higher class. Such people socialize and
associate themselves with whoever they consider to be more influential or higher
class, indulge in flattery of that elite class while vocally opposing and belittling
those who differ in principle with such elite – all this in their efforts to be
included in that class and to prove that they are the most loyal champions for the
cause of that powerful and influential class[3].
Verse 14 “Just because he has wealth and sons” is making three points:
1. People should not yield to or be influenced by such evil personalities just because
they are powerful and wealthy. Having many sons who could fight alongside the father
carried huge weight in Arabian society. In those days, many people were influenced
by the rich and powerful just as today’s people follow rich and famous celebrities.
Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala wants people to make a decision about who to follow
or listen to on the basis of their character, not on the basis of their wealth and
power.
2. They have adopted such a vicious personality because of their wealth and resources.
They use corrupt and cruel practices in amassing wealth, in protecting it and increasing
it; and those dirty traits become a part of their personality. Also, based on their
wealth and resources, they think they are important and deserve to be recognized
and followed as leaders. To this end, they adopt evil tactics listed above. If they
perceive someone to be a threat to their aspirations, they become vicious and use
any and all immoral techniques and tactics to discredit him.
3. Because of their wealth and resources, they become arrogant, summarily discounting
even serious matters brought up by others without due diligence on their merit.
Their rejection of the message of the Qur-aan was not because they had given it
its due consideration and reflected upon it rationally, it was because of this arrogance.
When the Qur-aan warned them about the consequences of their behaviour using example
of the previous nations, the said Makkan chiefs snubbed the Qur-aanic anecdotes
as “fables of the earlier people”, instead of thinking and reflecting on the gravity
of the matter.
The next verse concludes the mention of such people who were opposing the message
of the Qur-aan because of their pride, arrogance and egoism, with a reminder of
the consequence of such behaviour. They are being warned that they would soon be
humiliated both in this world and particularly in the Hereafter.
16 Soon We will brand him on the snout!
Just as “having one’s nose in the air” in English is an expression to indicate display
of one’s arrogance, “having a big nose” in Arabic indicates inflated pride and ego.
As the core motive behind their opposition to the Prophetic message was their pride
and egos which were excessively strong, their noses have been called snouts or “Khurtoom”
(elephant trunk). Their humiliation is termed “branding on their snouts”.
The Makkan chiefs were proud of their wealth and power, behaved as if their prosperity
was in their own control and acted as if it was going to be with them forever. Verses
17-32 quote a parable to show them that the reliance on material well-being is not
a wise attitude, conditions can change any time and human beings are helpless against
Allaah’s forces. The reality is that people who are endowed with prosperity are
being tested if they submit to Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, follow His guidance
and become charitable, or if their wealth gets to their head and they become arrogant
and miserly. The Makkan chiefs are also being tested with wealth and sons.
17 Surely We have them to test as We tested the owners of the orchard, when they
swore that they would certainly pick all its fruit next morning, 18 without leaving
any behind[4] (for the poor). 19 Then there came upon it (the garden) an affliction
from your Lord while they were sleeping. 20 So it became like a fully harvested
desolate spot. 21 As the morning broke, they called out to one another, 22 “Get
out early to your crop if you want to harvest it.” 23 So they set out muttering
to one another, 24 “No poor man shall enter the orchard upon you today.” 25 Enthusiastic
and determined, they hurried with confidence. 26 But when they saw it, they said,
"We must be lost! 27 Rather, we have been deprived.” 28 The best of them said, “Did
I not say to you, why do you not glorify Allaah?” 29 They acknowledged, “Exalted
is our Lord! We surely have been wrong-doers.” 30 Then they started blaming one
another. 31 Then they exclaimed, “O woe to us! We were indeed transgressors! 32
Maybe, our Lord will give us better than this in place thereof, We do turn to Him
repenting!”
Their discussion after witnessing the destruction indicates that when they were
vowing to deprive the poor and needy some share from the harvest, one of them did
try to convince others to fulfil their obligations to Allaah and warned them against
displeasing Him, just as the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was doing so
to the Makkan chiefs. After Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala destroyed their orchard,
they realized their wrongdoing but it was too late. Learning from their example,
the Makkans should listen to the Prophet immediately, not after the punishment of
Allaah had come.
The Makkans thought that the Prophet was crazy to be warning them of a punishment
from Allaah. After giving the parable, the next verse warns them:
33 Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter,
if they only knew! 34 On the other hand, for those who are infused with Taqwa, there
are Gardens of bliss with their Lord.
However, if they listen to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and adopt
Taqwa, they will not only avoid punishment but also enjoy wonderful eternal life
in the gardens of bliss.
But they did not believe in the life Hereafter. If there was no Hereafter, it would
mean that:
§ Every human being ends up in the same way -- dies and becomes dust!
§ Whether a person has been excellent or terrible, both will end up without any
consequences. No reward, no punishment, no justice!
§ The personal sacrifices made by a person to excel are futile;
§ A criminal goes scot-free for his or her crimes and the victims of their crimes
will have no compensation or redress.
Hence, the next verse asks them:
35 What! Shall We then treat those who are obedient like those who are guilty? 36
What is wrong with you? How do you pass such judgments?
When the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam explained the inevitability of the
life Hereafter, they would retort that the way Allaah had given them wealth and
power here in this world, He would give it to them the same way in the Hereafter.
They did not understand that what was given to them here was a test. Prosperity
is not an indication of Allaah’s pleasure. It is a test. If they fail the test they
will be punished with a humiliating and painful punishment. It is foolhardy on their
part to discount the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s advice without having
any knowledge or proof to the contrary. Thus, they were asked:
37 Do you have a book wherein you read 38 that there will be for you in the Hereafter
what you prefer? 39 Or do you have some pledge binding upon Us until the Day of
Resurrection that you will have whatever you decide upon?
Some of them thought that the prophets, saints and other personalities of the past
whose idols they were worshipping besides Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, would intercede
for them and thus they would be able to get exactly what they would like. They were
challenged to bring forth their sureties, guarantors or partners:
40 Ask them which of them will stand surety for that! 41 Or do they have any partners
in Allaah’s Divinity (to support them). Then let them bring on their “partners”,
if they are truthful.
The next two verses give them a glimpse of what that Day would be like:
42 The Day[5]of extremely severe affliction[6], they shall be called upon to prostrate
themselves to Allaah but they shall not be able to, 43 with their eyes cast down,
disgrace will overtake them. It will be so because of their attitude when they were
called upon to prostrate while they were safe and sound in the world.
When the people are gathered for Judgment and they are asked to prostrate to Allaah
Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, those who were obedient to Allaah in this world and were
accustomed to prostrating to Him will prostrate as usual. Those who refused to submit
to Allaah in this world would be unable to prostrate on that Day despite desiring
to do so. This will disclose their disobedient lifestyle in this worldly life and
they will be ashamed of themselves and feel disgraced.
From the next verse onwards, the address turns back to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam, but the message continues to focus on warnings, responses and
questions for his opponents to reflect upon.
The first verse advises the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam that Allaah will
take care of his opponents, so he should continue to focus on his mission without
worrying about them. This message was comforting to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam while serving as a dire warning to his enemies.
44 So leave Me and them who reject this Message; We will gradually lead them on
to their terrible end such that they will not even know. 45 I am extending the leash,
but surely My plan is firm.
One way Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala leads the evil people to their terrible end
is by continuing to let them have increases in prosperity/wealth and other worldly
lusts they cherish. With continued successes in their endeavours, they feel encouraged
and are more convinced that their actions have divine approval -- especially when
they see that good people like the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his
companions face more and more difficulties, lack of resources and other kinds of
hardships. What they forget is that their approach is extremely short-sighted. With
apparent worldly successes, they are getting deeper and deeper into Hell in the
eternal life. What they also do not realize is that the delay in their suffering
from the consequences of their evils does not mean that they are beyond Allaah’s
reach or that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala does not care; the leash that has been
extended for them can be pulled in at any time and it will be pulled when they least
expect it.
The next two verses pose the questions that the opponents need to reflect upon:
46 (Why are they averse to the message?) Do you ask them for compensation, so that
they are burdened with debt?
If the most truthful and honourable man of their society, even according to their
own admissions, is selflessly trying to tell them something, without asking for
anything in return or without deriving any tangible benefit from it, how can they
just summarily disregard it without duly reflecting upon it.
Is it that they have access to the unseen and have noted that the Prophet’s claims
are invalid?
47 Or do they have knowledge of the Unseen, so that they are writing down?
After addressing all the issues raised by the opponents of the mission, taking care
of their guidance needs, defending the honour of the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam and acknowledging the superb character of the Prophet and the great work
he had been doing, now is the time for advice and direction to the Prophet himself.
By this time, the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam had been working for his
mission day-in and day-out so tremendously, steadfastly and uncompromisingly perseveringly
that he was dubbed a mad man. All means of educating the Makkans and reasoning with
them had been exhausted. It was natural for the Prophet to think that it was time
to move on. Moving on by a Messenger of Allaah is not an ordinary thing. It means
destruction of the people who have refused to listen to the Messenger. According
to the knowledge and wisdom of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala who is extremely kind
and merciful to people, despite the intensity of opposition and rejection, the mission
still needed to continue in Makkah. How long a mission continues at one locality
is something that Allaah decides according to His knowledge and wisdom, not the
messenger. To make these points, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala used the example of
Prophet Younus (Jonah) who decided on his own to move on because the people were
not listening. As a consequence, he had to suffer some trials and tribulations from
Allaah. He was swallowed by a fish (or more precisely, a fish like aquatic creature[7])
and then thrown on the shore. Then Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala accepted his repentance
and Du‘aa and restored him to his status as a prophet.
48 So wait patiently for the decision of your Lord, and be not like the companion
of the fish, when he called out while he was distressed. 49 Were it not that a favour
from his Lord had overtaken him, he would certainly have been thrown upon the naked
shore, while he was censured. 50 But his Lord chose him and included him among the
righteous.
The next verse adds that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala very well knows the kind of
looks they give to the Prophet ŝall Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and what they say
about him, but he must continue to ignore them as he had been superbly doing and
continue to remind them of the message of the Qur-aan.
51 And those who disbelieve would almost make you slip with their glares whenever
they hear the Reminder (the Qur-aan) and say, “He indeed is a mad man.” 52 Yet it
is merely a reminder to all people of the world.
Foote Notes
[1] Prophet Jonah
[2] Principles or beliefs of Deen must not be confused with the rules and regulation
of Sharee‘ah or Fiqh, wherein there can be much flexibility under the right conditions.
[3] Islam does not recognize or endorse division of human beings into classes. This
mention is only to portray the mentality of those who were opposing the Prophet.
[4] The Arabic phrase literally means “they did not make any exception”. Some people
think that it means that they did not say “Inshaa Allaah” making an exception to
their confident (sworn) intention. However, “making exception” does not literally
mean “saying Inshaa Allaah”. To draw such a meaning, there has to be some basis
in the textual context, which does not exist here. Rather the context suggests that
“they did not make any exception” be taken literally; that is, they vowed to pick
ALL fruit – no exception – not leaving any behind for the poor to pick, as against
the practice of some compassionate people who left some fruit unpicked for the benefit
of the needy. Also, there was no need to swear only to express their intention of
picking the fruit in the morning. They made a vow that they would not leave anything
behind. In addition, the latter meaning also fits with the objective for which this
parable is being described. The objective of the parable is not to teach whether
to say Inshaa Allaah or not. The objective is to teach people that wealth is a test,
that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala does not like arrogance and greed, and that people
should not feel invincible because of their wealth and power because Allaah Subhaanahu
wa Ta’aala can take it away and punish them any time.
[5] The Day of Resurrection
[6] The words of the verse literally mean “when the shin will be uncovered” which
is an idiom indicating the severity of hardship. This is the opinion of Ibn ‘Abbaas
and Mujaahid, the most famous exegetes of the Qur-aan.
[7] Keep in mind that the intent here is not to give a lesson in biology about the
exact nature of the creature, but to refer to an incident using the terminology
that the common people are familiar with and can relate to. For general usage, any
creature that has a fishlike body and that swims and lives in the water is referred
to as a “fish”.
ICTruth.info