In the Shade of the Qur'an by Sayyid Qutb

This third passage begins by showing the state mankind reached after the generations which witnessed God’s messengers. This is the state God’s last Messenger found them in. They were in dispute over the single truth preached by all God’s messengers.

The sūrah shows people oblivious of the truth the final Messenger put before their eyes. In their ignorance, they were totally unaware of the consequences they were bound to face. By contrast, believers worship God alone, do good deeds and remain apprehensive of what lies before them. They are in awe over the fact that they will inevitably be returned to God. The two situations are in perfect contrast: a believer is alert, cautious and heeding the warnings, while an unbeliever is deep in ignorance, unaware of what lies ahead.

The passage addresses them in different ways, at times denouncing their attitude, and at others discussing their doubts and providing clear answers to them. The passage also addresses their finer nature, pointing out what encourages people to believe, whether it be within themselves or in the universe at large. It also picks up some of what they take for granted, using these as argument against them.

As the passage concludes, it leaves them to their inevitable destiny. It tells the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that he should continue his efforts, explaining his message. He should not be distressed at their obstinate rejection. He should repel their evil deeds with good ones, and seek refuge with God against Satan who tries hard to lead mankind along the path of error.

But people have divided themselves into factions, each delighting in what they have.

So, leave them alone, lost in ignorance, till a time appointed. Do they think that by all the wealth and offspring We provide for them We hasten to them all that is good? By no means! But they are devoid of perception. (Verses 53-56)

All messengers (peace be upon them all) belonged to a single nation, preaching the same message, worship and pursuing the same direction. But when the messengers had gone, mankind splintered into different groups which could not agree on what line to follow.

The Qur’ān portrays such divergence as people in conflict, splitting into factions, quarrelling and pulling apart from each other. The picture drawn here is full of effort and movement. In the end each faction is left with only a portion of the whole, delighting at their ability to hold on to this. Hence, no faction thinks of anything other than what it supposedly possesses. Each goes its separate way, shutting up all inlets so that no ray of light or fresh breath of air comes through. All live in their isolated quarters, busy with what they have, ignorant of everything else.

Once this image has been drawn, the sūrah addresses God’s Messenger: “So, leave them alone, lost in their ignorance, till a time appointed.” (Verse 54) Let them take their time, preoccupied with their own affairs, until their appointed time inevitably comes, spelling out their destiny.

The sūrah adds a derisive question that highlights their lack of awareness. They think that the time they have been given, and the wealth and offspring they are allowed to enjoy means that they are favoured with blessings. “Do they think that by all the wealth and offspring We provide for them We hasten to them all that is good?” (Verses 55-56) Little do they realize the truth that it is all but a test which they have to go through: “By no means! But they are devoid of perception.” (Verse 56) They simply do not perceive the destiny to which they are heading after having enjoyed what has been given in this life.

By contrast, the believers are always on the alert, taking necessary precautions:

Truly, those who stand in reverent awe of their Lord, and who believe in their Lord’s revelations, and who do not associate any partners with their Lord, and who give away whatever they have to give with their hearts filled with awe, knowing that to their Lord they shall certainly return: these vie with one another in doing good works, and they are the ones who are foremost in them. (Verses 57-61)

Here we see how faith affects hearts, imparting to them a special kind of refinement, sensitivity and aspiration to attain perfection. They are the ones who consider the consequences of their actions. They are always ready and willing to do their duties.

We see that believers are always in awe of their Lord, God-fearing, believing in His revelations and His signs, attributing no share of Godhead to anyone other than Him, fulfilling the duties He requires of them. Beyond all this, they ‘give away whatever they have to give with their hearts filled with awe, knowing that to their Lord they shall certainly return.’ This is a manifestation of their feeling that they actually fall short of what they should do. It is true that they have done their utmost, but they consider it far from adequate.

`Ā’ishah reports that she asked the Prophet about this verse, saying: “Does the expression ‘those who give away whatever they have to give with their hearts filled with awe...’ refer to people who may steal, commit adultery and drink intoxicants but fear God?” He said: “No. It refers to a person who offers prayers, fasts, gives away to charity and at the same time fears God.” [Related by al-Tirmidhī] A believer senses God’s care and feels His favours with his every and heartbeat.

Hence, he thinks that whatever he offers of and good action is too little by comparison. At the same time, every grain in a believer feels God’s greatness and power. With all his faculties he perceives how God regulates everything around him.

Hence, he stands in awe of Him. He dreads meeting God, for fear of having fallen short of fulfilling his duties towards Him, or not having given Him what is due to Him of worship and gratitude.

It is these people who vie with one another in doing what is good. They are the ones who hasten to do good deeds, and are in the lead among those who do good.

Their watchful eyes, alert hearts and minds prompt them to do what is required of them. Theirs is a totally different situation from the others who are lost in ignorance, thinking that God’s blessings are given to them because they are favoured. They are no better than game animals rushing towards bait. Such people are everywhere: they are overwhelmed with what they are given of life’s comforts, distracted from their duties, full of their own importance. But then they only wake up to their fate when it is too late.

Islam ensures that its followers’ hearts are always alert. This is an alertness generated by faith right from the moment it settles in a person’s heart. It neither defies human power, nor is too hard for man to sustain. It is a question of sensitivity enhanced by a believer’s bond with God and his watchfulness in all situations, guarding against sin. It is perfectly within people’s power when the light of faith shines in their hearts: “We do not charge a soul with more than it can bear. We have a record that speaks the truth. None shall be wronged.” (Verse 62)

God has established people’s duties as He knows their inclinations and abilities.

He will hold them to account on the basis of what they do within their ability. He neither charges them with what they cannot bear, nor dismisses any little thing they do. All their deeds are documented in a ‘record that speaks the truth,’ highlighting it in its full value. Needless to say, God is precise in His reckoning.

People, however, tend to overlook the truth because their hearts are not touched by its invigorating light. Hence, they remain preoccupied with petty concerns, lost in a perpetual maze. They are only awakened when faced with inevitable doom, looking at the suffering that awaits them and enduring a humiliatingly and strong reproach:

Nay, their hearts are blind to all this. But apart from all that, they have deeds which they will continue to commit. Then, when We shall have overwhelmed with suffering those of them that live in luxury, they cry out in belated supplication.

[But they will be told:] Do not cry out this day, for from Us you shall receive no help. Time and again were My revelations recited to you, but every time you would turn about on your heels, revelling in your arrogance, and talking senselessly far into the night. (Verses 63-67)

Thus, the reason for their headlong pursuit of worldly affairs is nothing like being burdened with what they cannot bear. It is simply that their hearts are blinded, unable to see the truth as clearly stated in the Qur’ān. They are wont to follow a line different from the course charted by the Qur’ān: “They have deeds which they will continue to commit.” (Verse 63)

The sūrah then paints a picture of their being awakened by a sudden calamity:

“When We shall have overwhelmed with suffering those of them that live in luxury, they cry out in belated supplication.” (Verse 64) People who live in luxury are indeed the ones who are most preoccupied with life’s comforts, totally oblivious to what lies ahead.

Now they find themselves suddenly overtaken by suffering, and they cry out for mercy, making a passionate appeal for it to be lifted. It is a picture that contrasts with the life of luxury and arrogance they lead in this world. Hence, they receive a strong reproach: “Do not cry out this day, for from Us you shall receive no help.” (Verse 65) The scene is described as though it is taking place now. They are strongly reproached, made certain of having no support, and reminded of what they used to do in life:

“Time and again were My revelations recited to you, but every time you would turn about on your heels, revelling in your arrogance, and talking senselessly far into the night.” (Verses 66-67) It is as though what was being recited was a danger or a calamity you needed to avoid. You were too proud to submit to the truth. Indeed, you compounded your insolence, adding insult to injury, speaking ill of the Prophet and his message, but you, nevertheless, are willing to spend hours in idle chit-chat.

It was common practice for them to use obscene language when they gathered in circles around the Ka`bah, close to the idols they worshipped. Now the Qur’ān paints for them a scene of when they are called to account for their indulgence, showing them raising their voices with cries for help. It is at this point that they are reminded of what they do now in their circles, as though both take place at the same time. This is a familiar method of the Qur’ān, frequently depicting the Day of Judgement as though it were actually occurring at that precise moment.

In their hostility towards the Prophet and with their disparaging remarks about him and the Qur’ān in their gatherings, the unbelievers represent an ignorant arrogance that is blinded to the truth. With such blind ignorance, the truth becomes the subject of derision and ridicule. Such people are encountered no matter what the time or place. Yet the state of ignorance that prevailed in Arabia at the time when the Islamic message was revealed serves as an example of similar past and future situations where ignorance prevails.

Having shown the unbelievers this scene of reproach in the hereafter, the sūrah takes them back to this world, questioning them about their attitude: what stops them from accepting what they are told by God’s Messenger, whom they know to be a man of trust? What doubts do they have to prevent them from following divine guidance? Why do they turn away from it, ridiculing it when it represents the absolute truth?

Have they, then, never tried to understand this word [of God] Or has there come to them something that never came to their forefathers of old? Or do they not recognize their Messenger, and so they deny him? Or do they say that there is in him a touch of madness? Nay, he has brought them the truth; and the truth do most of them detest.

Had the truth been in accord with their desires, the heavens and the earth, together with all that lives in them, would surely have been in utter corruption. Nay, We have given them all that brings them glory. Yet from this their glory they turn away. Or do you ask of them any recompense? But the recompense given by your Lord is best, since He is the best of providers. Most certainly, you call them to a straight path. But those who will not believe in the life to come are bound to deviate from the right path.

(Verses 68-74)

The message Muhammad, God’s Messenger, preached could not be rejected by anyone who looks at it carefully, using his reason. It is a model of beauty, perfection, consistency and attraction. It fits with human nature, addresses people’s minds and hearts, outlines a course to elevate human life, and lays down a fine constitution to follow and a perfect code of justice. It also includes what answers the needs of human nature and what helps its development and advancement. “Have they, then, never tried to understand this word (of God]?” (Verse 68) This is, then, the secret behind their attitude.

“Or has there come to them something that never came to their forefathers of old?” (Verse 68) If so, it would have been strange for them and for their forefathers that a messenger came to call on them to believe in God’s oneness. But the history of divine messages proves that messengers followed one another, and all of them preached the same message advocated by Muhammad, God’s last Messenger.

“Or do they not recognize their Messenger, and so they deny him?” (Verse 69) Could this have been the reason for their insolent rejection? Yet they knew their Messenger well. They knew his birth and ancestry. They also knew his character, honesty and integrity. Long before he received his message, they nicknamed him al-amīn, which means ‘the trustworthy’.

“Or do they say that there is in him a touch of madness?” (Verse 70) Some of the lowest in their ranks used to say this about him, knowing full well that he was the wisest and most reasonable person among them. They never knew him slip once.

None of such possibilities had any foundation whatsoever. The fact is that most of them hated the truth because it deprived them of their false values and contradicted their desires and preferences: “Nay, he has brought them the truth; and the truth do most of them detest.” (Verse 70)

The truth cannot be subservient to personal desires and preferences. For it is on the basis of truth that the universe is sustained, life flourishes and the laws of nature function: “Had the truth been in accord with their desires, the heavens and the earth, together with all that lives in them, would surely have been in utter corruption.” (Verse 71)

The truth is unique and consistent, while desires are numerous and changing. It is on the basis of the unique truth that the whole universe moves along the course that ensures its existence. Thus, its laws are not made to deviate or change in order to accommodate fleeting desires. Had the universe been subject to such changing or sudden desires it would have become corrupted. Indeed, human life, values, standards and systems would also have become corrupted. They would have staggered to and fro, in response to anger, pleasure, hatred, caprice, fear, laziness, activity, reaction and influence. But the physical universe and its progress towards its goal requires consistency and reliability as well as the following of a clearly charted course that is subject to no modification or deviation.

Bearing this in mind, Islam considers legislation for human life to be part of the universal law, formulated by the same hand that conducts the affairs of the universe and establishes coherence between all its parts. Human beings are part of the universe and subject to its law. Hence, it is only fitting that the One who legislates for the entire universe should also legislate for human life. When this is done, human life is no longer subjected to personal desires and preferences. Thus, it is immune to corruption: “Had the truth been in accord with their desires, the heavens and the earth, together with all that lives in them, would surely have been in utter corruption.” (Verse 71)

The community addressed by Islam should be keen to follow its truth, not only because it is the truth, but also because it represents its glory. Without Islam, it would have had no place in history: “Nay, We have given them all that brings them glory. Yet from this their glory they turn away.” (Verse 71) The Arabs were ignored throughout history until they were given the message of Islam. Since then, this community continued to be glorious as long as it adhered to Islam. Its position on the world stage, however, gradually shrank when it abandoned Islam, until it reached its present low depth. It will not recover its glory until it reverts to its true, guiding light.

The sūrah resumes its questioning of their attitude and the doubts that may be the cause for their refusal to believe in the Messenger: “Or do you ask of them any recompense?” (Verse 72) Had you demanded any wages from them, such a request might be their cause for refusal. The fact is that you seek nothing from them, because “the recompense given by your Lord is best, since He is the best of providers.” (Verse 72)

What could a prophet seek from human beings, poor and needy as they are, when he has access to God’s inexhaustible favours? Indeed, what would a prophet’s followers hope to gain of this world’s comforts when they seek what may be provided by God who grants everything people have? The fact is that when a human heart is in touch with God, this whole universe, with all that it contains, dwindles into insignificance.

You only seek to guide them to the best method: “Most certainly, you call them to a straight path”; a path that brings them into line with the law that governs their nature.

It bonds them with the rest of the universe, guiding them straight, without deviation, to God, the Creator of all.

Yet, like everyone else who does not believe in the life to come, these people deviate from the perfect way: “But those who will not believe in the life to come are bound to deviate from the right path.” (Verse 74) Had they been well guided, they would have reflected on the stages of their existence, because such reflection is bound to lead to belief in the hereafter, when perfection and absolute justice are attainable. The life to come is merely a stage in the line God has charted for all existence.

These unbelievers are people who have lost their way and no longer benefit from the tests to which they are exposed, be they tests of plenty and affluence or those of hardship. Hence, when they are tested with favour “they think that by all the wealth and offspring We provide for them We hasten to them all that is good?” (Verses 55-56) Even if they are tested with difficulty and hardship, their hearts are not softened, nor are their consciences awakened. They do not turn back to God, appealing to Him to remove their hardship. They remain in such a condition until, on the Day of Judgement, they are visited with an even greater suffering. Then they will be truly desperate and bewildered.

Even were We to show them mercy and remove whatever distress might afflict them, they would still persist in their overweening arrogance, blindly stumbling to and fro.

Indeed, We took them to task, but they neither humbled themselves before their Lord, nor do they submissively entreat [Him]. Yet when We open before them a gate of truly severe suffering, they will plunge in despair. (Verses 75-77)

These are common features among such people. They are hard hearted, oblivious of their duties to God, and they deny the hereafter. The idolaters who opposed the Prophet when he delivered his message were of the same type.

Showing humility at a time of hardship, and turning to God, entreating Him and recognizing Him as the only refuge and resort are indicative of a change of heart and a returning to faith. A heart which establishes such links with God is bound to soften.

Reflection and remembrance then provide protection against further slips and errors.

Thus, hardship brings about real benefit. But the person who persists in arrogance is a lost case, without hope. He is left to his destiny when he will be overwhelmed with suffering in the life to come. He will then plunge into despair, finding neither refuge nor support.

The sūrah then takes the unbelievers on a further round of reflection, in the hope that their hearts will awaken when they see the pointers to faith within themselves and in the universe at large:

It is He who has endowed you with hearing, and sight, and minds. How seldom are you grateful. And He it is who caused you to multiply on earth; and to Him you shall be gathered. And He it is who grants life and causes death; and to Him is due the alternation of night and day. Will you not, then, use your reason? (Verses 78-80)

Indeed if man would only reflect on his own form and constitution, the multi- faceted potential he has been given, and the faculties of perception with which he has been blessed, he would certainly acknowledge God. His guidance would be all these great faculties within him that testify to God’s oneness. No one other than God Almighty could produce such a creation with all these miraculous aspects, large and small. For example, how does our sense of hearing function? How are sounds picked up and distinguished? How does our eyesight function, sorting out shapes and shades of light? And then, what about our mind and how it works? How does it recognize forms and things? How does it understand meanings, concepts, values, feelings and physical forms?

The mere understanding of the nature of these senses and faculties and their ways of functioning is, in itself, a miraculous human discovery. How do we, then, look at their creation and placement in man’s body in such a way that is best suited to the nature of man’s world. The degree of harmony achieved here reflects an overwhelming delicacy. Should only one of the many ratios that need to be met, in either man’s nature or the nature of the universe, be disturbed, the whole relation no longer functions. Ears are not able to pick out sound, and eyes no longer see light. It is God’s perfect design and limitless power that has achieved this perfect balance between human nature and the universe in which man lives. But man does not show gratitude to God for His favours: “How seldom are you grateful.” (Verse 78) Gratitude begins with a clear acknowledgement of the One who has given us all these favours and blessings, glorifying Him and recognizing His attributes, then addressing all worship to Him alone. His oneness is testified by His creation. Gratitude is further enhanced when we use our faculties and senses to enjoy life in the manner of a firm believer who looks up to God before every action and in every situation.

“And He it is who caused you to multiply on earth.” (Verse 79) He has placed you in charge of building human life on earth, after He gave you your hearing, eyesight and mind, as well as all the faculties and potentials that you need to fulfil the task assigned to you. “And to Him you shall be gathered,” when you will be accountable for all that you do in your lives on earth. You will be rewarded for all the good you do, and for following divine guidance. By contrast, you will reap the fruits of any evil or corruption of which you are guilty. Your lives on earth are not meant in vain, and you are not carelessly abandoned in your habitat. It is all for a definite purpose God has determined.

“And He it is who grants life and causes death.” (Verse 80) Both life and death occur at every moment, but it is God alone who causes them both to occur. Man, the highest of all creatures on earth, cannot give life to a single cell. Similarly, man is totally incapable of depriving any living being of its life in the full sense of the word. People may be the means of ending life, but they are not the ones who truly deprive a living entity of its life. It is God alone who grants life and causes death.

“And to Him is due the alternation of night and day.” (Verse 80) He is the One who has set this alternation in operation, just like He grants life and takes it away. Both sets of parallel situations are natural laws: one operates within the human being while the other operates in the world at large. When life is taken away from a particular body, it stops functioning and becomes motionless. Similarly, when light is taken away from the earth it darkens and becomes stagnant. But then life is brought back again and light is allowed to spread as the alternation takes place and the cycle continues uninterrupted, for as long as God wills. “Will you not, then, use your reason?” (Verse 80) Will you not draw the right conclusion and admit that it is all part of God’s perfect design and elaborate planning. It is He alone who is in full control of life and the universe.

The sūrah now stops its argument with the unbelievers, and reports their claims about resurrection and reckoning in the life to come. This discussion follows a long list of signs and pointers confirming God’s oneness and His being the only Creator who causes life and death.

But they say like the people of old times used to say. They say: ‘What! After we have died and become dust and bones, shall we be raised to life? This we have been promised before, we and our forefathers! This is nothing but fables of the ancients.’ (Verses 81- 83)

Their claims sound exceptionally singular after the sūrah has enumerated many of the signs that testify to God’s elaborate planning and His definite purpose of creation. It is He who has granted man his hearing, eyesight and mind, so that he is responsible for his deeds. He will thus earn a generous reward for his good actions or punishment for his bad ones. True reckoning and reward occur in full in the life to come. What we see in this life is that reward, whether good or bad, does not take place on earth. These are left until they fall due in the life to come.

God grants life and causes death. Hence, resurrection is by no means difficult. Life is breathed into beings at every moment, and it is only God who knows where it originates.

The point with these unbelievers is not that they fall short of appreciating God’s wisdom and ability to resurrect life. They also ridicule the promises of resurrection and reward, saying that the same promise was given to their forefathers, but nothing of the sort has yet occurred. “This we have been promised before, we and our forefathers! This is nothing but fables of the ancients.” (Verse 83) Resurrection will certainly occur at the time and place God has set for it in His elaborate plan. It will be neither brought forward nor put back at anyone’s request, or in response to the ridicule of anyone who is unable to see the truth.

The Arab idolaters of old were muddled in their faith. They did not deny God.

Nor did they deny that He is the Creator of the heavens and earth or that He is always in full control of everything in the universe. But they, nevertheless, assigned to Him partners and claimed that they worshipped those partners so that they could bring them closer to God. They also claimed that He had daughters. Exalted is God above all such claims. Hence the sūrah puts to them the facts that they acknowledge in order to set the record straight and bring them back to the true faith based on God’s absolute oneness. This is the logical conclusion to the premises they acknowledge. Indeed, they would have arrived at this conclusion themselves had they not deviated from their uncorrupted nature:

Say: To whom belongs the earth and all that lives therein? [Tell me] if you know.’ They will reply: ‘To God.’ Say: ‘Will you not, then, reflect?’ Say: ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Supreme Throne?’ They will reply: ‘ [They all belong.’ to God.’ Say: ‘Will you not, then, fear Him?’ Say: ‘In whose hand rests the sovereignty of all things, protecting all, while against Him there is no protection?

[Tell me.’ if you know.’ They will reply: ‘[They all belong! to God.’ Say: ‘How, then, can you be so deluded?’ (Verses 84-89)

This shows the extent of the confusion that lacks sound reasoning. It tells us to what extent the beliefs of the idolaters had degenerated by the time Islam was revealed. The first question asks about the ownership of this earthly world: “Say: To whom belongs the earth and all that lives therein? [Tell me] if you know.” (Verse 84) They acknowledge that they all belong to God, but they overlook this true fact when they address their worship to deities other than Him. Hence the question the Prophet is told to put to them: “Say: Will you not, then, reflect?” (Verse 85)

“Say: Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Supreme Throne?” (Verse 86) This question is about absolute Lordship that controls the whole universe and God’s Supreme Throne. The term ‘seven heavens’ may refer to seven celestial bodies, or solar systems, or seven clusters of stars, or seven galaxies, or any seven astronomical entities. When God’s Throne is mentioned, it implies a reference to His might and control of the universe and all existence. Hence when they are asked about the Lordship over all these, they give the right answer, saying that they all belong to God. Yet they do not show any fear of the Lord of the Supreme Throne who controls all seven heavens and what lies beyond them. They associate with Him idols that cannot lift themselves when they are thrown on the ground. Hence, the question: “Say: Will you not, then, fear Him?” (Verse 87)

“Say: In whose hand rests the sovereignty of all things, protecting all, while against Him there is no protection? [Tell me] if you know.” (Verse 88) This question is about power and dominion, asking them about the One who has power over all things, and who gives protection to all of His creatures so that no one can harm them in any way, other than according to His will. At the same time, no one can protect anyone or anything else against God. If God wants to inflict harm or punishment on any of His creatures, nothing can prevent it. Again they acknowledge that such power belongs to God alone. Hence the question asking them about the cause of their delusion, which leaves them like people bewitched: “Say: How, then, can you be so deluded?” (Verse 89)

Having refuted all the idolaters’ claims about God, taking to Himself a son or partners, the sūrah states in all clarity the true principle of God’s oneness as explained by His Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him):

Nay, We have revealed to them the truth; and yet, they are certainly lying. Never did God take to Himself any offspring, nor has there ever been any deity alongside Him.

Had there been any, each deity would surely have taken away his own creation, and they would surely have tried to establish superiority over one another. Limitless in His glory is God, far above all that which they attribute to Him. He knows all that is beyond the reach of human perception, and all that can be witnessed. Sublimely exalted is He above anything they associate as partner with Him. (Verses 90-92)

Note how this statement employs different methods and styles. First, all argument with the idolaters is closed, and an emphatic assertion of their lying is given: “Nay, We have revealed to them the truth; and yet, they are certainly lying.” (Verse 90) Then follow some of the details of their lies: “Never did God take to Himself any offspring, nor has there ever been any deity alongside Him.” (Verse 91) Irrefutable proof is then stated rendering all their claims false and showing the absurdity of pagan beliefs based on associating partners with God: “Had there been any each deity would surely have taken away his own creation.” (Verse 91) Each deity would stress his independence and conduct the affairs of his creation according to his own law. Thus, every part of the universe, and every group of creatures would have a different basis and laws. There would be no common code applying to them all. Hence, those deities “would surely have tried to establish superiority over one another.” (Verse 91) Such superiority could take the form of a more sophisticated law operating in a particular part of the universe. However, the universe as a whole cannot function properly unless it is subject to a single law that applies to all its parts and all creatures living in it.

None of this multiplicity is found in the universe, where consistency of structure proves the oneness of its Creator, and inner harmony testifies to its being run by a single will. Indeed, we clearly see that all parts of the universe function in perfect harmony: “Limitless in His glory is God, far above all that which they attribute to Him.” (Verse 91)

“He knows all that is beyond the reach of human perception, and all that can be witnessed.” (Verse 92) None other than God has any authority over any part of His creation, knowing anything that is unknown to God. “Sublimely exalted is He above anything they associate as a partner with Him.” (Verse 92)

At this point, the sūrah stops addressing or speaking about them. It now turns its attention to God’s Messenger, commanding him to appeal to God so that he is not placed with such people, if he ever witnesses the fulfilment of the warnings of suffering they have been given. He is further instructed to seek refuge with His Lord from the evil ones, satans, so as not to be irritated by or become fed up at what the unbelievers claim:

Say: My Lord! If it be Your will to show me that which they are warned against, then, my Lord, do not let me be one of those wrongdoing folk.’ We are most certainly able to show you that which We promise them. Repel evil with that which is best. We are fully aware of all that they say. And say: ‘My Lord! I seek refuge with You from the promptings of the evil ones; and I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they come near me.’ (Verses 93-98)

The Prophet is certainly not going to be with the wrongdoers when God inflicts on them a severe punishment in fulfilment of His warnings. But this prayer which he is instructed to repeat serves as a further precaution. It is also meant as a lesson to all believers so that they do not slacken. They should also be on their guard, attending to their duties, seeking refuge with God and praying to Him to bestow His grace on them.

God is certainly able to fulfil what He has warned the wrongdoers of, and to make it all happen during the lifetime of His Messenger: “We are most certainly able to show you that which We promise them.” (Verse 95) He certainly showed him some of it in the Battle of Badr and then when Makkah surrendered to Islam.

However, at the time of the revelation of this sūrah, the Prophet was still in Makkah enduring with his followers much persecution from the idolaters. The policy followed by the Muslim community then, in implementation of God’s instructions, was to repel a bad thing with something better. Muslims also had to demonstrate their patience in the face of adversity, leaving their destiny entirely to God: “Repel evil with that which is best. We are fully aware of all that they say.” (Verse 96)

The Prophet was certainly immune to any promptings or persuasion by evil ones.

However, here he is instructed to pray for protection against all this in an urgent appeal for further immunity against their evil. Being the perfect role model for all Muslims in all generations, his appeal provides a lead for them to follow. They should also seek refuge with God against all temptation put in their way by the evil ones. Indeed the Prophet is instructed to appeal to God for protection against such evil people corning near him in any way. “I seek refuge with You, my Lord, lest they come near me.” (Verse 98)

This may also be interpreted as an appeal lest they come near him at the time of his death. This sense is strengthened by the verse that follows: “When death approaches any of them, he says: My Lord! Let me return [to life].” (Verse 99) This follows the Qur’ānic method that ensures an easy flow from one point to another.