Umm Muhammed Umar

Allah Rabbul Izzah had sent the Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) with a clear message, and he conveyed that to mankind. In Verse 49 of Surah Hajj, Allah Ta’aala instructs His Nabi ((Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam):

Qul ya ayuhan naas innama ana lakum nadheerum mubeen.

Say: O people, I am a clear Warner unto you.

Radio Islam’s Mufti Yusuf Moosajee says that the duty of the Ambiya (Alay Salaam) was merely to warn people of the consequences of not believing, and they were not entrusted with the task of making people believe. He says, “They could not do that, they had to just warn”, and that a ‘nadheer’ is one who compassionately warns. He is one who warns with the well-being and the interest of the people at heart. So, Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) is saying that his interest is to warn and caution us. It was not within his power to produce the punishment, that is in the control of Allah. Allah will pass judgment on every obedient and disobedient, and to convey to each person the destination. What is the destination? The Qur’aan goes on to say:

Falladheena āmanū waʿamilūl-ṣāliḥāti lahum maghfiratun wariz’qun karīmun

So those who believe and do good deeds, they are granted forgiveness for their sins, and for them is an honourable sustenance.

They will be bestowed with various types of fruit and various bounties and all of this will be in Jannah. The ability to see Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala will be part of the great bounties of Jannah. Then Allah says:

Lakin olik al-thain isaoun dad al-ayyat ledina ulaaika ashabul Jaheem.

But those who strive against Our verses to defeat them, they will be dwellers of the Hellfire.

So those who exerted themselves in attempt to subdue or change Our versus, they are the dwellers of the inferno, of Jahannam; that is where they will dwell, that is where they will remain, and that is the end result for these people. Allah Rabbul Izzah then tells us about the challenges that the Ambiya (Alay Salaam) had to face. Whenever the divine Scriptures were recited, Shaytaan cast doubts and objections in the hearts of the listeners. So, Allah tells Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) all the previous Ambiya (Alay Salaam) also suffered the same hinderances that he was suffering that Shaytaan was making people doubt, and that this is what he did to previous nations as well. This is a general principle – when you are in a situation and you’re alone, you start to feel dejected, you feel down and out. But the moment you realize that you’re not alone, “there are others also, this is a similar thing, this is a common occurrence, it happened before and is happening to me”, it lightens the burden. This is the human psychology. When we know that we’re not alone and that others are also in the same situation, then it lightens the situation. Allah is telling Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) that Shaytaan is causing a hindrance in your propagation of your Deen, and do not feel disheartened because he did this to all the previous Ambiya (Alay Salaam). Shaytaan surely whispers evil into the hearts , so that they may dispute with you. Shaytaan and his allies from the human race never accepted Islam, nor do they wish it for others. They therefore continue to sow seeds of doubt in the hearts of the people. Allah eradicates the doubts of Shaytaan cast into people’s hearts, and He consolidates establishes His verses.

This is the understanding of this verse in terms of looking at the general meaning. Allah establishes the meaning in those that want to understand and those that want to be guided to the right path. There are differences of opinion in terms of some of the interpretations in regard to this verse, but those different interpretations are not discussed here. Much of these have been reported from the Israeli riwaayaat, and they have various narrations in this regard. What we need to understand from this verse is that Allah Rabbul Izzah had supported his Nabi (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam). Allah is the All Knowing and the Wise. Allah makes the doubts cast by Shaytaan a test to see whether they accept it or reject it. Those who have hypocrisy in their hearts become beguiled, and they get deceived, and they get thrown off the path as a result of these doubts that come about. And the end result is, they then fall into the path of deviation.  Allah then says that those who are the oppressors, are far removed. They will argue at all costs, they will continue with the evil plots, they will continue with the disputing and that is how they will pass the time. So, this is an important message for us. May Allah Rabbul Izzah save us from the whispers of Shaytaan. Shaytaan and his allies have always launched an attack on mankind, they’ve attempted to launch attacks at the Ambiya (Alay Salaam), they continue to attempt to attack mankind, and we can never say we will be free of it, because we will never be free. Our only hope is to continue asking Allah for his protection.