11:120 Hud (Hud)

لما ذكر في هذه السورة من أخبار الأنبياء، ما ذكر، ذكر الحكمة في ذكر ذلك، فقال: { وَكُلًّا نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الرُّسُلِ مَا نُثَبِّتُ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ ْ} أي: قلبك ليطمئن ويثبت ويصبر كما صبر أولو العزم من الرسل، فإن النفوس تأنس بالاقتداء، وتنشط على الأعمال، وتريد المنافسة لغيرها, ويتأيد الحق بذكر شواهده، وكثرة من قام به. { وَجَاءَكَ فِي هَذِهِ ْ} السورة { الْحَقُّ ْ} اليقين، فلا شك فيه بوجه من الوجوه، فالعلم بذلك من العلم بالحق الذي هو أكبر فضائل النفوس. { وَمَوْعِظَةٌ وَذِكْرَى لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ْ} أي: يتعظون به، فيرتدعون عن الأمور المكروهة، ويتذكرون الأمور المحبوبة لله فيفعلونها.

يقول تعالى وكل أخبار نقصها عليك من أنباء الرسل المتقدمين من قبلك مع أممهم وكيف جرى لهم من المحاجات والخصومات وما احتمله الأنبياء من التكذيب والأذى وكيف نصر الله حزبه المؤمنين وخذل أعداءه الكافرين كل هذا مما نثبت به فؤادك أي قلبك يا محمد ليكون لك بمن مضى من إخوانك المرسلين أسوة وقوله "وجاءك في هذه الحق" أي هذه السورة قاله ابن عباس ومجاهد وجماعة من السلف وعن الحسن في رواية عنه وقتادة في هذه الدنيا والصحيح في هذه السورة المشتملة على قصص الأنبياء وكيف أنجاهم الله والمؤمنين بهم وأهلك الكافرين جاءك فيها قصص حق ونبأ صدق وموعظة يرتدع بها الكافرون وذكرى يتذكر بها المؤمنون.

The Conclusion

Allah, the Exalted, is saying, `We relate all of these stories to you (Muhammad) concerning what happened with the Messengers who came before you with their nations. This is an explanation of what transpired in their arguments and disputes and how the Prophets were all rejected and harmed. These stories also explain how Allah helped His party of believers and disgraced His enemies, the disbelievers. We relate all of this to you (Muhammad) in order to make your heart firm and so that you may take an example from your brothers who passed before you of the Messengers.' Concerning Allah's statement,

وَجَآءَكَ فِى هَـذِهِ الْحَقُّ

(And in this has come to you the truth,) This is referring to this Surah itself. This was said by Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and a group of the Salaf and it is the correct view. This means, `This comprehensive Surah contains the stories of the Prophets and how Allah saved them, and the believers along with them and how He destroyed the disbelievers. There has come to you (Muhammad) stories of truth and true events in this Surah. In this Surah is an admonition that prevents the disbelievers, and a reminder that causes the believers to reflect.'

And all that kullān is in the accusative because it is the direct object of naqussu ‘We relate’; and the nunation compensates for a missing genitive annexation that is all that is necessary We relate to you of the accounts of the messengers that mā substitutes for kullan ‘all that’ with which We might strengthen reassure your heart. And in these accounts or verses there has come to you the Truth and an admonition and a reminder to the believers they are specifically mentioned here because they are the ones to benefit from them through their belief in them in contrast to the case with the disbelievers.

Difference: Blameworthy and Praiseworthy

When it was said in the fifth verse (118) - ` had your Lord willed, He would have made all the people a single community' - the sense is that had it been the will of Allah, He would have made all human beings accept Islam by force. All of them would have then become nothing but Muslims without any difference remaining between them. But, such are the dictates of His wisdom that, in this world, Allah Ta` ala does not compel anyone to do something. Instead, He has entrusted man with a kind of choice under which he could do whatever good or bad he wishes to do. Then, human temperaments differ, ways differ and deeds differ. The outcome is that there always will be some people who would keep at loggerheads against the true faith - of course, with the exception of those whom Allah Ta` ala has blessed with His mercy, that is, those who have been following the noble prophets.

This tells us that ` difference' at this place means hostility and op-position to the true faith and the teachings of prophets. The difference based on Ijtihad, which is inevitable among religious authorities and jurists of Islam, an ongoing process since the period of the Sahabah, is not included under this purview, nor is it contrary to Divine mercy. In fact, it is the very dictate of Allah's wisdom and mercy. Those who have declared the differences among Mujtahid Imams to be counter to Mercy in terms of this verse, have done something which is itself counter to the context of this verse as well as counter to the consistent practice of the Sahabah and Tabi` in.

واللہُ سُبحَانہ و تعالیٰ اَعلم

And Allah is Pure and High and He knows everything best.