21:109 Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets)

{ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا } عن الانقياد لعبودية ربهم، فحذرهم حلول المثلات، ونزول العقوبة. { فَقُلْ آذَنْتُكُمْ } أي: أعلمتكم بالعقوبة { عَلَى سَوَاءٍ } أي علمي وعلمكم بذلك مستو، فلا تقولوا - إذا أنزل بكم العذاب: { مَا جَاءَنَا مِنْ بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ } بل الآن، استوى علمي وعلمكم، لما أنذرتكم، وحذرتكم، وأعلمتكم بمآل الكفر، ولم أكتم عنكم شيئا. { وَإِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ أَمْ بَعِيدٌ مَا تُوعَدُونَ } أي: من العذاب لأن علمه عند الله، وهو بيده، ليس لي من الأمر شيء.

فإن تولوا " أي تركوا ما دعوتهم إليه " فقل آذنتكم على سواء " أي أعلمتكم أني حرب لكم كما أنكم حرب لي برئ منكم كما أنتم برآء مني كقوله " فإن كذبوك فقل لي عملي ولكم أعمالكم أنتم بريئون مما أعمل وأنا بريء مما تعملون " وقال " وإما تخافن من قوم خيانة فانبذ إليهم على سواء " أي لكن علمك وعلمهم بنبذ العهود على السواء وهكذا ههنا " فإن تولوا فقل آذنتكم على سواء " أي أعلمكم ببراءتي منكم وبراءتكم مني لعلمي بذلك. وقوله " وإن أدري أقريب أم بعيد ما توعدون " أي هو واقع لا محالة ولكن لا علم لي بقربة ولا ببعده.

The main Objective of Revelation is that Allah be worshipped

Allah commands His Messenger to say to the idoators:

إِنَّمَآ يُوحَى إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـهُكُمْ إِلَـهٌ وَحِدٌ فَهَلْ أَنتُمْ مُّسْلِمُونَ

("It is revealed to me that your God is only one God. Will you then be Muslims") meaning, will you then follow that and submit to it

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ

(But if they turn away) means, if they ignore that to which you call them.

فَقُلْ ءَاذَنتُكُمْ عَلَى سَوَآءٍ

(say: "I give you a notice to be known to us all alike...") meaning, `I declare that I am in a state of war with you as you are in a state of war with me. I have nothing to do with you just as you have nothing to do with me.' This is like the Ayah:

وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّى عَمَلِى وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ أَنتُمْ بَرِيئُونَ مِمَّآ أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَاْ بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And if they belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!") 10:41

وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِن قَوْمٍ خِيَانَةً فَانبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَى سَوَآءٍ

(If you fear treachery from any people, throw back (their covenant) to them (so as to be) on equal terms (that there will be no more covenant between you and them)) 8:58 which means: so that both you and they will know that the treaty is null and void. Similarly, Allah says here:

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَقُلْ ءَاذَنتُكُمْ عَلَى سَوَآءٍ

(But if they turn away say: "I give you a notice to be known to us all alike...") meaning, `I have already informed you that I have nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with me.'

No one knows when the Hour will come

وَإِنْ أَدْرِى أَقَرِيبٌ أَم بَعِيدٌ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ

(And I know not whether that which you are promised (i.e., the Day of Resurrection) is near or far.) meaning: `it will inevitably come to pass, but I have no knowledge of whether it is near or far.'

إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْتُمُونَ

(Verily, He (Allah) knows that which is spoken aloud (openly) and He knows that which you conceal.) Allah knows the Unseen in its entirety; He knows what His creatures do openly and what they do secretly. He knows what is visible and what is concealed; He knows what is secret and hidden. He knows what His creatures do openly and in secret, and He will requite them for that, for both minor and major actions.

وَإِنْ أَدْرِى لَعَلَّهُ فِتْنَةٌ لَّكُمْ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ

(And I know not, perhaps it may be a trial for you, and an enjoyment for a while.) meaning, `I do not know, perhaps it is a trial for you, and an enjoyment for a while.' Ibn Jarir said: `perhaps that is being delayed for you as a test for you, and enjoyment for an allotted time.' This was narrated by `Awn from Ibn `Abbas. And Allah knows best.

قَالَ رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ

(He said: "My Lord! Judge You in truth!) means, judge between us and our people who disbelieve in the truth. Qatadah said: "The Prophets (peace be upon them) used to say:

رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَـتِحِينَ

("Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the Best of those who give judgment.") 7:89, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was commanded to say this too." It was reported from Malik from Zayd bin Aslam that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ witnessed any fighting, he would say:

رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ

("My Lord! Judge You in truth!")

وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَـنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ

(Our Lord is the Most Gracious, Whose help is to be sought against that which you attribute!) means, `against the various lies and fabrications that you utter, some of which are worse than others; Allah is the One Whose Help we seek against that.' This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Anbiya'. To Allah be praise and blessings.

But if they turn away from this say ‘I have proclaimed to you I have notified you of my declaration of war on you all alike ‘alā sawā’ is a circumstantial qualifier referring to both the subject of the verb and the object that is to say you are all equal in having knowledge of this I shall not proceed independently without having first informed you in order for you to make preparations although I do not know whether near or far is that which you have been promised’ with respect to chastisement or to the Day of Resurrection that comprises this chastisement; only God knows it.

Commentary

وَمَا أَرْ‌سَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَ‌حْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (And We have not. sent you but as mercy for all the worlds. - 21:107) عَالَمِينَ is plural of عَالَم which means 'world' and includes all creatures including humans, animals, plants, Jinns etc. In order to properly understand the meaning of the verse one should also understand that the true essence of the entire universe is the invocation of Allah Ta` ala and His worship. When this essence departs from this world and no one is left to worship Allah, everything in it will perish. In other words that is the day when Qiyamah would occur. When it is understood that the invocation and worship of Allah Ta` ala is the essence of all living things, then the reason for describing the Holy Prophet ﷺ as mercy to the Worlds becomes obvious because it is his teachings and the purity of his personal life alone which keep alive the worship of Allah Ta` ala until Qiyamah. That is why he declared "I am the blessing sent by Allah اَنَا رَحمَۃُ مُھدَاۃُ (Ibn ` Asakir quoting Abu Hurairah). Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar , has reported that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said اَنَا رَحمَۃُ مُھدَاۃُ بِرَفعِ قَومِ وَخفضِ آخرِینَ that is "I am the blessing sent by Allah so that I lift up the people (who obey Allah) and humble the other people (who disobey Allah). (Ibn Kathir)

It, therefore, follows that performing jihad against the unbelievers in order to lessen shirk and kufr (unbelief) and in the hope of reclaiming those who transgress the Divine Commands of Allah Ta` ala is an act of mercy.