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Ayah
Word by Word
فَإِن
But if
تَوَلَّوۡاْ
they turn away
فَقُلۡ
then say
ءَاذَنتُكُمۡ
I (have) announced to you
عَلَىٰ
equally
سَوَآءٖۖ
equally
وَإِنۡ
And not
أَدۡرِيٓ
I know
أَقَرِيبٌ
whether is near
أَم
or
بَعِيدٞ
far
مَّا
what
تُوعَدُونَ
you are promised
فَإِن
But if
تَوَلَّوۡاْ
they turn away
فَقُلۡ
then say
ءَاذَنتُكُمۡ
I (have) announced to you
عَلَىٰ
equally
سَوَآءٖۖ
equally
وَإِنۡ
And not
أَدۡرِيٓ
I know
أَقَرِيبٌ
whether is near
أَم
or
بَعِيدٞ
far
مَّا
what
تُوعَدُونَ
you are promised
Translation
But if they turn away, then say, "I have announced to [all of] you equally.1 And I know not whether near or far is that which you are promised.
Footnotes
1 - The Prophet (ﷺ) made this message known to all people, not concealing any of it from anyone or preferring any group over another.
Tafsir
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 ('alaa ﷺaa' 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.
The main Objective of Revelation is that Allah be worshipped
Allah commands His Messenger:
قُلْ
Say:i.e. say to the idolators:
إِنَّمَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَهَلْ أَنتُم 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 تَوَلَّوْا
But if they turn away,
means, if they ignore that to which you call them.
فَقُلْ اذَنتُكُمْ عَلَى سَوَاء
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 بَرِييُونَ مِمَّأ 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 سَوَاءٍ
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 تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ اذَنتُكُمْ عَلَى سَوَاء
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
And He (Muhammad) says:
وَإِنْ أَدْرِي 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 أَدْرِي 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 was commanded to say this too.
It was reported from Malik from Zayd bin Aslam that;
when the Messenger of Allah witnessed any fighting, he would say:
رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ
My Lord! Judge You in truth!
وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَنُ 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 Surah Al-Anbiya'. To Allah be praise and blessings.
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