Al Ma’idah 5:117-118
117.I never told them anything except what You ordered me to say: “Worship Allah—my Lord and your Lord!” And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them. But when You took me,1 You were the Witness over them—and You are a Witness over all things.
As reported by Ibn Kathir on the authority of a narration from Sayyidna Abu Musa al-Ash` ari ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
On the day of Qiyamah, the prophets and their communities will be summoned. Then, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will be called. Then, Allah Ta` ala will remind him of His blessings and drawing him closer, He will say, ` O ` Isa son of Maryam: اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَالِدَتِكَ Remember My blessing upon you and upon your mother.’ Then, in the end, He would say: يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلْتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ : ( O ` Isa son of Maryam, did you say to the people: Take me and my mother as gods beside Allah?). Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will deny it saying that he did not. Then, the question will be asked from the Christians. They will say, ` yes, this is what he had ordered us to do.’ After that, they will be driven towards Hell.
118.If You punish them, they belong to You after all.1 But if You forgive them, You are surely the Almighty, All-Wise.”
1. As for the statement beginning with the words: إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ (If You punish them, they are Your slaves … ) appearing in the last verse (118), it means that Allah does not bring undue hardship on His servants, therefore, if punishment does come to them, it will only be just, right and wise. And should He forgive them, then, this forgiveness too will not be a matter of not being able to do otherwise – because He is Mighty, fully-capable and overpowering, from whose reach and control no wrong-doer can escape. And since He is Wise too, therefore, it is also not possible that He would let a wrong-doer walk away just for no reason. Thus, the Divine verdict in the case of wrong-doers will be absolutely wise and masterly.
Since this saying of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) will take place in the Mahshar (the day of Resurrection) – where no intercession on behalf of the disbelievers, or appeal of mercy for them, will be entertained – therefore, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) has not referred to the Divine attributes of Ghafurur-Rahim (the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful) in place of “Al-` Aziz Al-Hakim” (the Mighty, the Wise) of the text. This stands in contrast with what Sayyidna Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had said to his Lord during his life in this world:
رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضْلَلْنَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ ۖ فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي ۖ وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿36﴾
(That is, 0 my Lord, these [ idols ] have made many of the people go astray. Henceforth, whoever has followed me is one of mine. And whoever has disobeyed me, so then, You are the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful – 14:36).
It means that the likelihood still exists that Allah may, in His mercy, give them the Taufiq later on to repent and return to the path of truth and thereby forgive their sins. (Shabbir Ahmad Usmani – Notes)
Surah Ad Duha 93:5
5. And surely your Lord will give so much to you that you will be pleased.
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ
(And of course, your Lord will give you so much that you will be pleased….93:5).
Allah does not specify here what he will give him. The statement is open and general. The Holy Prophet ﷺ will be granted everything he desires so much that he will be pleased. Among his desired thing is the progress of Islam; the general spread of Islam in the world; fulfillment of every need of the Ummah; triumph of the Holy Prophet himself over his enemies and raising the word of Allah in the land of the enemy. When this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
اِذا ! لّا اَرضٰی وَ وَاحدُ مِّن اُمَّتِی فِی النَّار
‘If that is the case, then I will not be pleased as long as one [ single member ] of my Ummah [ remains ] in Fire.’ [ Qurtubi ].
In a narration by Sayyidna ` Ali ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah will accept my intercession for my Ummah [ community ]. Allah will ask: رضیتَ یا محمد ‘0 Muhammad, are you pleased?’ He will reply: یا رَبِّ رَضِیتُ “My Lord, I am pleased.” Muslim records from Sayyidna ` Amr Ibn-ul-` As to the effect that the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited a verse concerning the Prophet Ibrahim : (علیہ السلام)
فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُ مِنِّي وَمَنْ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
‘…So, one who follows me is surely mine, and the one who
disobeys me, then You are Most Forgiving, Very Merciful. [ 14:36] ‘
Then he recited a verse which contains the words of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام)
إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ
‘If You punish them, then, they are Your slaves [ 5:118] ‘
Then he raised his hands, he wept and prayed:
اَللّٰھُمَّ اُمَّتِی اُمَّتِی
‘0 Allah, my ummah, my ummah!’
Allah sent Jibra’il علیہ السلام to inquire as to why he was weeping [ while Allah knows the reason ]. Jibra’il Amin علیہ السلام came and inquired why he was weeping. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied: “I seek my ummah’s forgiveness.” Allah sent Jibra’il (علیہ السلام) back to inform him that He has pardoned them, and that Allah would please him and would not displease him regarding his ummah.
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{ لَقَدۡ جَاۤءَكُمۡ رَسُولࣱ مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ عَزِیزٌ عَلَیۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ حَرِیصٌ عَلَیۡكُم بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِینَ رَءُوفࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ }
[Surah At-Tawbah: 128]
There certainly has come to you a messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.
Commentary
These are the last verses of Surah At-Taubah where it has been declared that the Holy Prophet ﷺ is very kind and merciful for the entire creation of Allah, particularly so for Muslims. Then, in the last verse, he has been told that he should observe patience and trust Allah even if there are people who do not come to believe despite all his efforts.
«بُعِثْتُ بِالْحَنِيفِيَّةِ السَّمْحَة»
(I was sent with the easy Hanifiyah monotheism way.)
An authenic Hadith mentions,
«إِنَّ هَذَا الدِّينَ يُسْر»
(Verily, this religion is easy) and its Law is all easy, lenient and perfect. It is easy for those whom Allah the Exalted makes it easy.)
حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
(He is eager for you),
that you gain guidance and acquire benefits in this life and the Hereafter. Imam Ahmad recorded that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«إِنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يُحَرِّمْ حُرْمَةً إِلَّا وَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ سَيَطَّلِعُهَا مِنْكُمْ مُطَّلِعٌ، أَلَا وَإِنِّي آخِذٌ بِحُجَزِكُمْ أَنْ تَهَافَتُوا فِي النَّارِ كَتَهَافُتِ الْفَرَاشِ أَوِ الذُّبَاب»
(Verily, every matter that Allah has prohibited, He knows that some among you will breach it; but I am indeed holding you by the waist so that you do not fall in the Fire, just like butterflies and flies.) Allah’s statement next,
بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.) 9:128,
is similar to His other statement,
وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِمَنِ اتَّبَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ – فَإِنْ عَصَوْكَ فَقُلْ إِنِّى بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ – وَتَوكَّلْ عَلَى الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ
(And be kind and humble to the believers who follow you. Then if they disobey you, say: “I am innocent of what you do.” And put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful) 26:215-217. Allah the Exalted commanded His Messenger in this honorable Ayah,
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ
(But if they turn away), from the glorious, pure, perfect and encompassing Law that you — O Muhammad — brought them,
فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ اللَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ
(then say: “Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He,) Allah is sufficient for me, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and in Him I put my trust.
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93.Surah Ad Duha
Occasion of Revelation
Sayyidna Jundub ؓ عنہ narrated this incident and said that revelation of the Qur’an to the Holy Prophet ﷺ came to a halt, and that Jibra’il (علیہ السلام) stopped coming to him for a while. The unbelievers taunted, saying: “Mulhammad’s Lord has forsaken him, and is displeased with him.” Surah Ad-Duha was revealed on this occasion.
According to the narration in Bukhari by Sayyidna Jundub ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ was unable to wake up for a few nights for tahajjud prayer owing to illness. In this narration, there is no mention of ‘delay in revelation’. In Timidhi’s narration, there is mention about the ‘delay in revelation’ but no mention about his inability to wake up for tahajjud prayer. These reports are not conflicting. The narrator might have narrated one incident at one time, and reported another incident at another time.
The lady who taunted the Holy Prophet ﷺ was Umm Jamil, the wife of Abu Lahab, as other reports indicate. ‘Delay in revelation’ took place twice. Once in the very early stage of the call. This is known as fatrah al-wahy ‘temporary break in the revelation’. This was the longest period.
Another narration states that when the pagans or the Jews asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ about the soul, he promised them that he would give them a reply the next day. However, he forgot to add insha’Allah (if Allah wills). As a result, revelation ceased for a few days. The pagans began to taunt the Holy Messenger ﷺ ، saying that Allah had abandoned him, and is displeased with him. It was on this occasion that the Surah was revealed.
Imam Ahmad recorded from Jundub that he said, “The Prophet became ill, so he did not stand for prayer for a night or two. Then a woman came and said, `O Muhammad! I think that your devil has finally left you.’ So Allah revealed,
وَالضُّحَى – وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى – مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى
(By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens. Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you.)” Al-Bukhari, Muslim, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir, all recorded this Hadith. This Jundub (who narrated it) is Ibn `Abdullah Al-Bajali Al-`Alaqi. In a narration from Al-Aswad bin Qays, he said that he heard Jundub say that Jibril was slow in coming to the Messenger of Allah . So the idolators said, “Muhammad’s Lord has abandoned him.” So Allah revealed,
وَالضُّحَى – وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَى – مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَى
(By the forenoon. By the night when it darkens. Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you.)
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