16:36 An-Nahl (The Bee)

يخبر تعالى أن حجته قامت على جميع الأمم، وأنه ما من أمة متقدمة أو متأخرة إلا وبعث الله فيها رسولا، وكلهم متفقون على دعوة واحدة ودين واحد، وهو عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له { أَنِ اُعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ ْ} فانقسمت الأمم بحسب استجابتها لدعوة الرسل وعدمها قسمين، { فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ ْ} فاتبعوا المرسلين علما وعملا، { وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَالَةُ ْ} فاتبع سبيل الغي. { فَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ ْ} بأبدانكم وقلوبكم { فَانْظُروا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ ْ} فإنكم سترون من ذلك العجائب، فلا تجدون مكذبا إلا كان عاقبته الهلاك.

وبعث في كل أمة أي في كل قرن وطائفة من الناس رسولا وكلهم يدعون إلى عبادة الله وينهون عن عبادة ما سواه "أن اعبدوا الله واجتنبوا الطاغوت" فلم يزل تعالى يرسل إلى الناس الرسل بذلك منذ حدث الشرك في بني آدم في قوم نوح الذين أرسل إليهم نوح وكان أول رسول بعثه الله إلى أهل الأرض إلى أن ختمهم بمحمد صلى الله عليه وسلم الذي طبقت دعوته الإنس والجن في المشارق والمغارب وكلهم كما قال الله تعالى "وما أرسلنا من قبلك من رسول إلا نوحي إليه أنه لا إله إلا أنا فاعبدون" وقوله تعالى "واسأل من أرسلنا من قبلك من رسلنا أجعلنا من دون الرحمن آلهة يُعبدون" وقال تعالى في هذه الآية الكريمة "ولقد بعثنا في كل أمة رسولا أن اعبدوا الله واجتنبوا الطاغوت" فكيف يسوغ لأحد من المشركين بعد هذا أن يقول "لو شاء الله ما عبدنا من دونه من شيء" فمشيئته تعالى الشرعية عنهم منتفية لأنه نهاهم عن ذلك على ألسنة رسله وأما مشيئته الكونية وهي تمكينهم من ذلك قدرا فلا حجة لهم فيها لأنه تعالى خلق النار وأهلها من الشياطين والكفرة وهو لا يرضى لعباده الكفر وله في ذلك حجة بالغة وحكمة قاطعة ثم إنه تعالى قد أخبر أنه أنكر عليهم بالعقوبة في الدنيا بعد إنذار الرسل فلهذا قال "فمنهم من هدى الله ومنهم من حقت عليه الضلالة فسيروا في الأرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المكذبين" أي اسألوا عما كان من أمر من خالف الرسل وكذب الحق كيف "دمر الله عليهم وللكافرين أمثالها" فقال "ولقد كذب الذين من قبلهم فكيف كان نكير".

The Idolators Argument that their Shirk was Divinely decreed, and the Refutation of this Claim

Allah tells us about the idolators delusion over their Shirk, and the excuse they claimed for it based on the idea that it is ordained by divine decree. He says:

لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ نَّحْنُ وَلا ءَابَاؤُنَا وَلاَ حَرَّمْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ

((They say:) "If Allah had so willed, neither we nor our fathers would have worshipped any but Him, nor would we have forbidden anything without (a command from) Him.") They had superstitious customs dealing with certain animals, e.g. the Bahirah the Sa'ibah and the Wasilah and other things that they had invented and innovated by themselves, with no revealed authority. The essence of what they said was: "If Allah hated what we did, He would have stopped by punishing us, and He would not have enabled us to do it." Rejecting their confusing ideas, Allah says:

فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ

(Are the Messengers charged with anything but to clearly convey the Message) meaning, the matter is not as you claim. It is not the case that Allah did not rebuke your behavior; rather, He did rebuke you, and in the strongest possible terms, and He emphatically forbade you from such behavior. To every nation - that is, to every generation, to every community of people - He sent a Messenger. All of the Messengers called their people to worship Allah (Alone) as well as forbidding them from worshipping anything or anybody except for Him.

أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ

(Worship Allah (Alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).) Allah continued sending Messengers to mankind with this Message, from the first incidence of Shirk that appeared among the Children of Adam, in the people to whom Nuh was sent - the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people of this earth - until He sent the final Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ, whose call was addressed to both men and Jinn, in the east and in the west. All of the Messengers brought the same Message, as Allah says:

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ

(And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (alone and none else).") (21:25)

وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ

(And ask (O Muhammad) those Messengers of Ours whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appointed to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)") (43:45) And in this Ayah, Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ

(And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community, nation) (saying): "Worship Allah (alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).") So how could any of the idolators say,

لَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِن دُونِهِ مِن شَىْءٍ

(If Allah had so willed, we would not have worshipped any but Him,) The legislative will of Allah is clear and cannot be taken as an excuse by them, because He had forbidden them to do that upon the tongue of His Messengers, but by His universal will i.e., by which He allows things to occur even though they do not please Him He allowed them to do that as it was decreed for them. So there is no argument in that for them. Allah created Hell and its people both the Shayatin (devils) and disbelievers, but He does not like His servants to disbelieve. And this point constitutes the strongest proof and the most unquestionable wisdom. Then Allah informs us that He rebuked them with punishment in this world, after the Messengers issued their warning, thus He says:

فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَـلَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

(Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be left to stray. So travel through the land and see the end of those who denied (the truth).) This means: ask about what happened to those who went against the Messengers and rejected the truth, see how:

دَمَّرَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلِلْكَـفِرِينَ أَمْثَـلُهَا

(Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers.) (47:10) and,

وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نكِيرِ

(And indeed those before them belied (the Messengers of Allah), so then how terrible was My denial (punishment)) (67:18) Then Allah told His Messenger that His eagerness to guide them will be of no benefit to them if Allah wills that they should be misguided, as He says:

وَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئاً

(And for whoever Allah wills to try with error, you can do nothing for him against Allah) (5:41). Nuh said to his people:

وَلاَ يَنفَعُكُمْ نُصْحِى إِنْ أَرَدْتُّ أَنْ أَنصَحَ لَكُمْ إِن كَانَ اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يُغْوِيَكُمْ

("And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give you good counsel, if Allah's will is to keep you astray.")(11:34). In this Ayah, Allah says:

إِن تَحْرِصْ عَلَى هُدَاهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ

((Even) if you desire that they be guided, then verily, Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray,) As Allah says:

مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ

(Whomsoever Allah allows to stray, then there is no guide for him; and He lets them wander blindly in their transgressions.) (7:186)

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِمْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَلَوْ جَآءَتْهُمْ كُلُّ ءايَةٍ حَتَّى يَرَوُاْ الْعَذَابَ الاٌّلِيمَ

(Truly! Those deserving the Word (wrath) of your Lord will not believe, even if every sign should come to them - until they see the painful torment) (10:96-97).

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ

(then verily, Allah) meaning, this is the way in which Allah does things. If He wills a thing, then it happens, and if He does not will a thing, then it does not happen. For this reason Allah says:

لاَ يَهْدِى مَن يُضِلُّ

(Allah does not guide those whom He allowed to stray,) meaning the one whom He has caused to go astray, so who can guide him apart from Allah No one.

وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـصِرِينَ

(And they will have no helpers.) means, they will have no one to save them from the punishment of Allah,

أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالاٌّمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

(Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all that exists!) (7:54).

And verily We sent forth among every community a messenger just as We have sent you forth among these Meccans to say ‘Worship God profess belief in His Oneness and shun false deities’ graven images and do not worship them. Then among them were some whom God guided and they believed and among them were some who deserved to be in error according to God’s knowledge and so they did not believe. So travel O disbelievers of Mecca in the land and observe the nature of the consequence of those who denied their messengers in that they were destroyed.

Has a Rasul of Allah appeared in India and Pakistan too?

From verse 36 in the present Surah: وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّ‌سُولًا (And We did raise a messenger among every people), as well as from verse 24 of Surah Fatir: وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ‌ (And there is no group of people among whom there has not been a warner - 35:24), it outwardly appears that messen-gers may have also been sent to areas now known as India and Pakistan - whether residents of the area, or located in another country whose deputies or emissaries had reached there. Then, there is the verse of Surah Al-Qasas: لِتُنذِرَ‌ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ‌ (so that you may warn a people unto whom came no warner - 28:46). The sense released by the verse is that no warner had come before him to the people unto whom the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sent. This can be answered by saying that this obviously refers to the people of Arabia who became the first addressees of the prophetic mission of Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ - the fact being that no prophet since Sayyidna Ismail (علیہ السلام) had appeared among them. Therefore, the title given to these people in the Holy Qur'an was "Ummiyyin" (the unlettered ones). This does not necessarily imply that no prophet came before him in the rest of the world as well. Allah knows best.