14:10 Ibrahim (Abraham)

ولهذا { قَالَتِ } لهم { رُسُلُهُمْ أَفِي اللَّهِ شَكٌّ } أي: فإنه أظهر الأشياء وأجلاها، فمن شك في الله { فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ } الذي وجود الأشياء مستند إلى وجوده، لم يكن عنده ثقة بشيء من المعلومات، حتى الأمور المحسوسة، ولهذا خاطبتهم الرسل خطاب من لا يشك فيه ولا يصلح الريب فيه { يَدْعُوكُمْ } إلى منافعكم ومصالحكم { لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِنْ ذُنُوبِكُمْ وَيُؤَخِّرَكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى } أي: ليثيبكم على الاستجابة لدعوته بالثواب العاجل والآجل، فلم يدعكم لينتفع بعبادتكم، بل النفع عائد إليكم. فردوا على رسلهم رد السفهاء الجاهلين { قَالُوا } لهم: { إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا } أي: فكيف تفضلوننا بالنبوة والرسالة، { تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ آبَاؤُنَا } فكيف نترك رأي الآباء وسيرتهم لرأيكم؟ وكيف نطيعكم وأنتم بشر مثلنا؟ { فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَانٍ مُبِينٍ } أي: بحجة وبينة ظاهرة، ومرادهم بينة يقترحونها هم، وإلا فقد تقدم أن رسلهم جاءتهم بالبينات.

يخبر تعالى عما دار بين الكفار وبين رسلهم من المجادلة وذلك أن أممهم لما واجهوهم بالشك فيما جاءوهم به من عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له قالت الرسل " أفي الله شك " وهذا يحتمل شيئين " أحدهما "أفي وجوده شك فإن الفطر شاهدة بوجوده ومجبولة على الإقرار به فإن الاعتراف به ضروري في الفطر السليمة ولكن قد يعرض لبعضها شك واضطراب فتحتاج إلى النظر في الدليل الموصل إلى وجوده ولهذا قالت لهم الرسل ترشدهم إلى طريق معرفته بأنه " فاطر السموات والأرض " الذي خلقهما وابتدعهما على غير مثال سبق فإن شواهد الحدوث والخلق والتسخير ظاهر عليهما فلا بد لهما من صانع وهو الله لا إله إلا هو خالق كل شيء وإلهه ومليكه ; والمعنى الثاني في قولهم " أفي الله شك " أي أفي إلهيته وتفرده بوجوب العبادة له شك وهو الخالق لجميع الموجودات ولا يستحق العبادة إلا هو وحده لا شريك له فإن غالب الأمم كانت مقرة بالصانع ولكن تعبد معه غيره من الوسائط التي يظنونها تنفعهم أو تقربهم من الله زلفى ; وقالت لهم رسلهم " يدعوكم ليغفر لكم من ذنوبكم " أي في الدار الآخرة " ويؤخركم إلى أجل مسمى " أي في الدنيا كما قال تعالى " وأن استغفروا ربكم ثم توبوا إليه يمتعكم متاعا حسنا إلى أجل مسمى ويؤت كل ذي فضل فضله " الآية فقالت لهم الأمم محاجين في مقام الرسالة بعد تقدير تسليمهم المقام الأول وحاصل ما قالوه " إن أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا " أي كيف نتبعكم بمجرد قولكم ولما نرى منكم معجزة " فأتونا بسلطان مبين " أي خارق نقترحه عليكم.

The Argument between the Prophets and the Disbelievers

Allah narrates to us the arguments that ensued between the disbelievers and their Messengers. When their nations doubted the Message of worshipping Allah alone without partners, the Messengers said,

أَفِى اللَّهِ شَكٌّ

((What!) Can there be a doubt about Allah...) about His Lordship and having the exclusive right to be worshipped alone, being the only Creator of all creatures Verily, none besides Allah is worthy of worship, alone without partners with Him. Most nations were, and still are, affirming the existence of the Creator, but they call upon intermediaries besides Him whom they think will benefit them or bring them closer to Allah. Their Messengers said to them,

يَدْعُوكُمْ لِيَغْفِرَ لَكُمْ مِّن ذُنُوبِكُمْ

(He calls you that He may forgive you of your sins) in the Hereafter,

وَيُؤَخِّرْكُمْ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى

(and give you respite for a term appointed.), in this worldly life. Allah said in other Ayat,

وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُواْ إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُمْ مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ

(Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding grace to every owner of grace.) 10:3 However, their nations went on arguing against their prophethood, after they had to submit to the first evidence (that Allah Alone created everything).

Disbelievers reject Prophethood because the Messengers were Humans!

Their nations said,

إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا

(You are no more than human beings like us!) so why should we follow you just because you say so, even though we did not witness a miracle by your hands,

فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ

(Then bring us a clear authority.), a miracle of our choice.

قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ

(Their Messengers said to them: "We are no more than human beings like you...") affirming that truly, they were only human being like their nations,

وَلَـكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ

(but Allah bestows His grace to whom He wills of His servants.), with prophethood and messengership which is His choice,

وَمَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نَّأْتِيَكُمْ بِسُلْطَـنٍ

(It is not ours to bring you an authority) according to your choice,

إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

((except by the permission of Allah. ), after we beg Him and He provides us with a miracle,

وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(And in Allah (alone) let the believers put their trust.) in all their affairs. Their Messengers said to them next,

وَمَا لَنَآ أَلاَّ نَتَوَكَّلَ عَلَى اللَّهِ

(And why should we not put our trust in Allah), after He had guided us to the best, most clear and plain way,

وَلَنَصْبِرَنَّ عَلَى مَآ آذَيْتُمُونَا

(And we shall certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may cause us), such as foolish actions and abusive statements,

وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ

(and in Allah (alone) let those who trust, put their trust.)

Their messengers said ‘Can there be doubt concerning God an interrogative meant as a denial in other words there can be no doubt concerning His Oneness given the manifest proofs of it the Originator the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you to obedience of Him so that He might forgive you your sins min dhunūbikum min is extra since through submission to the One God all that may have been committed previously is forgiven or else it min ‘some of’ is partitive intended to state that forgiveness which is due to God’s servants and defer you without chastisement to an appointed term’ the term of death. They said ‘You are but mortals like us desiring to bar us from that which our fathers used to worship in the way of idols. So bring us a clear warrant’ a manifest argument demonstrating your truthfulness.

In the last verse here (8), it was said: قَالَ مُوسَىٰ إِن تَكْفُرُ‌وا أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ جَمِيعًا (And Musa said, "If you are ungrateful, you and all those on earth, then, Allah is free of all needs, worthy of every praise.) " This was said by Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) to his people. He is telling them that should they or, for that matter, all inhabitants of the earth become ungrateful to Allah Ta’ ala, it is not going to cause any loss to Allah Ta’ ala. As for Him, He needs no praise or gratitude for Himself. He is Independent. He is beyond that. He is intrinsically Praised and deserving of praise. If you do not praise Him, the angels do, all of them, and so does every particle of this universe.

So, whatever good there is in gratitude, that is for you alone. There-fore, when you are asked to be grateful by Allah Ta’ ala, there is no gain for Him in doing so. In fact, it is His infinite mercy reaching out to you in your interest.