The Helplessness of the gods of the Idolators Here Allah states clearly that He is the One and Only God, the Self-Sufficient Master, Who has no peer or partner; He is independent in His command and there is no one who can share or dispute with Him in that, or overturn His command. So, He says: قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ Say:Call upon those whom you assert besides Allah... meaning, the gods who are worshipped besides Allah. لَاا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَاا فِي الاْاَرْضِ they possess not even the weight of a speck of dust, either in the heavens or on the earth, This is like the Ayah: وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِن قِطْمِيرٍ And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmir. (35:13) وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِن شِرْكٍ nor have they any share in either, means, they do not possess anything, either independently or as partners. وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُم مِّن ظَهِيرٍ nor there is for Him any supporter from among them. means, nor does Allah have among these rivals any whose support He seeks in any matter; on the contrary, all of creation is in need of Him and is enslaved by Him. Then Allah says وَلَا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits. meaning, because of His might, majesty and pride, no one would dare to intercede with Him in any matter, except after being granted His permission to intercede. As Allah says: مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission. (2:255) وَكَمْ مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ لَا تُغْنِى شَفَـعَتُهُمْ شَيْياً إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ أَن يَأْذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَأءُ وَيَرْضَى And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with. (53:26) وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى وَهُمْ مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him. (21:28) It was reported in the Two Sahihs through more than one chain of narration that the Messenger of Allah, who is the leader of the sons of Adam and the greatest intercessor before Allah, will go to stand in Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud(the praised position) to intercede for all of mankind when their Lord comes to pass judgement upon them. He said: فَأَسْجُدُ للهِ تَعَالَى فَيَدَعُنِي مَااَشاءَ اللهُ أَنْ يَدَعَنِي وَيَفْتَحُ عَلَيَّ بِمَحَامِدَ لَاأ أُحْصِيهَا الاْأنَ ثُمَّ يُقَالُ يَامُحَمَّدُ ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ وَقُلْ تُسْمَعْ وَسَلْ تُعْطَهُ وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّع Then I will prostrate to Allah, may He be exalted, and He will leave me (in that position), as long as Allah wills, and He will inspire me to speak words of praise which I cannot mention now. Then it will be said, O Muhammad, raise your head. - Speak, you will be heard; - ask, you will be given; - intercede, your intercession will be accepted... حَتَّى إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُوا الْحَقَّ So much so that when fear is banished from their hearts, they say: What is it that your Lord has said! They say the truth. This also refers to the great degree of His might and power. When He speaks words of revelation, the inhabitants of the heavens hear what He says, and they tremble with fear (of Allah) so much that they swoon. This was the view of Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, Masruq and others. حَتَّى إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمْ (So much so that when fear is banished from their hearts) means, when the fear leaves their hearts. Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, Abu Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami, Ash-Sha`bi, Ibrahim An-Nakha`i, Ad-Dhahhak, Al-Hasan and Qatadah said concerning the Ayah, حَتَّى إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَن قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُوا الْحَقَّ (So much so that when fear is banished from their hearts, they say:What is it that your Lord has said! They say the truth), When the fear is lifted from their hearts. When this happens, some of them say to others, What did your Lord say! Those (angels) who are carrying the Throne tell those who are next to them, then they in turn pass it on to those who are next to them, and so on, until the news reaches the inhabitants of the lowest heaven. Allah says, قَالُوا الْحَقَّ (They say the truth) meaning, they report what He said, without adding or taking away anything. وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ And He is the Most High, the Most Great. In his Tafsir of this Ayah in his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him said, The Prophet of Allah said: إِذَا قَضَى اللهُ تَعَالَى الاَْمْرَ فِي السَّمَاءِ ضَرَبَتِ الْمَلَيِكَةُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا خُضْعَانًا لِقَوْلِهِ كَأَنَّهُ سِلْسِلَةٌ عَلَى صَفْوَانٍ فَإِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ رَبُّكُمْ قَالُوا لِلَّذِي قَالَ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ فَيَسْمَعُهَا مُسْتَرِقُ السَّمْعِ وَمُسْتَرِقُ السَّمْعِ هَكَذَا بَعْضُهُ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ وَوَصَفَ سُفْيَانُ بِيَدِهِ فَحَرَّفَهَا وَنَشَرَ بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ فَيَسْمَعُ الْكَلِمَةَ فَيُلْقِيهَا إِلَى مَنْ تَحْتَهُ ثُمَّ يُلْقِيهَا الاْخَرُ إِلَى مَنْ تَحْتَهُ حَتْى يُلْقِيَهَا عَلَى لِسَانِ السَّاحِرِ أَوِ الْكَاهِنِ فَرُبَّمَا أَدْرَكَهُ الشِّهَابُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُلْقِيَهَا وَرُبَّمَا أَلْقَاهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهُ فَيَكْذِبُ مَعَهَا مِايَةَ كَذْبَةٍ فَيُقَالُ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ قَالَ لَنَا يَوْمَ كَذَا وَكَذَا كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيُصَدَّقُ بِتِلْكَ الْكَلِمَةِ الَّتِي سُمِعَتْ مِنَ السَّمَاء When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to His Words, making a sound like a chain striking a smooth rock. When the fear is banished from their hearts, they say, What is it that your Lord has said! They say the truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great. Then the one who is listening out hears that, and those who are listening out are standing one above the other. -- Sufyan (one of the narrators) demonstrated with his hand, holding it vertically with the fingers outspread. So he hears what is said and passes it on to the one below him, and that one passes it to the one who is below him, and so on until it reaches the lips of the soothsayer or fortune-teller. Maybe a meteor will hit him before he can pass anything on, or maybe he will pass it on before he is hit. He tells a hundred lies alongside it, but it will be said, Did he not tell us that on such and such a day, such and such would happen? So they believe him because of the one thing which was heard from heaven. This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, not by Muslim. Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah also recorded it. And Allah knows best Allah has no partner in anything whatsoever Allah says: قُلْ مَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضِ قُلِ اللَّهُ Say:Who gives you provision from the heavens and the earth! Say:Allah. Allah tells us that He is unique in His power of creation and His giving of provision, and that He is unique in His divinity also. As they used to admit that no one in heaven or on earth except Allah gave them provision, i.e., by sending down water and causing crops to grow, so they should also realize that there is no god worthy of worship besides Him. وَإِنَّا أَوْ إِيَّاكُمْ لَعَلَى هُدًى أَوْ فِي ضَلَإلٍ مُّبِينٍ And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error. `One of the two sides must be speaking falsehood, and one must be telling the truth. There is no way that you and we could both be following true guidance, or could both be misguided. Only one of us can be correct, and we have produced the proof of Tawhid which indicates that your Shirk must be false.' Allah says: وَإِنَّا أَوْ إِيَّاكُمْ لَعَلَى هُدًى أَوْ فِي ضَلَإلٍ مُّبِينٍ And verily, (either) we or you are rightly guided or in plain error. Qatadah said, The Companions of Muhammad said this to the idolators:`By Allah, we and you cannot be following the same thing, only one of us can be truly guided.' Ikrimah and Ziyad bin Abi Maryam said, It means:we are rightly guided and you are in plain error. قُل لاَّ تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا أَجْرَمْنَا وَلَا نُسْأَلُ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ Say: You will not be asked about our sins, nor shall we be asked of what you do. This indicates disowning them, saying, `you do not belong to us and we do not belong to you, because we call people to Allah, to believe that He is the Only God and to worship Him alone. If you respond, then you will belong to us and we to you, but if you reject our call, then we have nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with us.' This is like the Ayat: وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّى عَمَلِى وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ أَنتُمْ بَرِييُونَ مِمَّأ أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَاْ بَرِىءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ And if they deny 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) قُلْ يأَيُّهَا الْكَـفِرُونَ لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَـبِدُونَ مَأ أَعْبُدُ وَلَا أَنَأ عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَـبِدُونَ مَأ أَعْبُدُ لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ Say: O disbelievers! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping. Nor will you worship that which I worship. To you be your religion, and to me my religion. (104:1-6) قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا Say:Our Lord will assemble us all together... means, `on the Day of Resurrection, He will bring all of creation together in one arena, then He will judge between us with truth, i.e., with justice.' ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ then He will judge between us with truth. Each person will be rewarded or punished according to his deeds; if they are good, then his end will be good, and if they are bad, then his end will be bad. On that Day they will know who has attained victory, glory and eternal happiness, as Allah says: وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَيِذٍ يَتَفَرَّقُونَ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ فَهُمْ فِى رَوْضَةٍ يُحْبَرُونَ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا وَلِقَأءِ الاَّخِرَةِ فَأُوْلَـيِكَ فِى الْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ And on the Day when the Hour will be established -- that Day shall (all men) be separated. Then as for those who believed and did righteous good deeds, such shall be honored and made to enjoy luxurious life (forever) in a Garden of Delight. And as for those who disbelieved and denied Our Ayat, and the meeting of the Hereafter, such shall be brought forth to the torment. (30:14-16) Allah says: وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ And He is the Just Judge, the All-Knower of the true state of affairs. قُلْ أَرُونِي الَّذِينَ أَلْحَقْتُم بِهِ شُرَكَاء Say:Show me those whom you have joined with Him as partners... means, `show me those gods whom you made as rivals and equals to Allah.' كَلَّ Nay, means, He has no peer, rival, partner or equal. Allah says: بَلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ But He is Allah, meaning, the One and Only God Who has no partner. الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ the Almighty, the All-Wise. means, the Owner of might with which He subjugates and controls all things, the One Who is Wise in all His Words and deeds, Laws and decrees. Blessed and exalted and sanctified be He far above all that they say. And Allah knows best The Prophet was sent to all of Mankind Allah says to His servant and Messenger Muhammad: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا And We have not sent you except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, i.e., to all of creation among those who are accountable for their deeds. This is like the Ayah: قُلْ يَأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا Say:O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah. (7:158) تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَـلَمِينَ نَذِيراً Blessed be He Who sent down the Criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to the all creatures. (25:1) بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا a giver of glad tidings and a warner means, to bring the glad tidings of Paradise to those who obey you and to warn of the fire of Hell to those who disobey you. This is like the Ayat: وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ and most of men know not. وَمَأ أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُوْمِنِينَ And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly. (12:103) وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى الاٌّرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path. (6:116) Muhammad bin Ka`b said concerning the Ayah: وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ (And We have not sent you except to all mankind) meaning, to all the people. Qatadah said concerning this Ayah, Allah, may He be exalted, sent Muhammad to both the Arabs and the non-Arabs, so the most honored of them with Allah is the one who is most obedient to Allah. In the Two Sahihs it was reported that Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him said, The Messenger of Allah said: أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الاَْنْبِيَاءِ قَبْلِي نُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ مَسِيرَةَ شَهْرٍ وَجُعِلَتْ لِيَ الاَْرْضُ مَسْجِدًا وَطَهُورًا فَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي أَدْرَكَتْهُ الصَّلَةُ فَلْيُصَلِّ وَأُحِلَّتْ لِيَ الْغَنَايِمُ وَلَمْ تَحِلَّ لاَِحَدٍ قَبْلِي وَأُعْطِيتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ وَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ يُبْعَثُ إِلَى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً وَبُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ عَامَّة I have been given five things which were not given to any of the Prophets before me. I have been aided by fear (the distance of) a month's journey. The entire earth has been made a Masjid and a means of purification for me, so that when the time for prayer comes, any man of my Ummah should pray. The spoils of war have been made permissible for me, whereas they were not permitted for any before me. I have been given the power of intercession; and the Prophets before me were sent to their own people, but I have been sent to all of mankind. It was also recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said: بُعِثْتُ إِلَى الاَْسْوَدِ وَالاَْحْمَر I have been sent to the black and the red. Mujahid said, This means to the Jinn and to mankind. Others said that it meant the Arabs and the non-Arabs. Both meanings are correct. How the Disbelievers asked about when the Resurrection would happen, and the Response to Them Allah tells us how the disbelievers believed it unlikely that the Hour would ever come to pass: وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ And they say:When is this promise if you are truthful! This is like the Ayah: يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لَا يُوْمِنُونَ بِهَا وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it, while those who believe are fearful of it, and know that it is the very truth... (42:18) Then Allah says: قُل لَّكُم مِّيعَادُ يَوْمٍ لاَّ تَسْتَأْخِرُونَ عَنْهُ سَاعَةً وَلَا تَسْتَقْدِمُونَ Say:The appointment to you is for a Day, which you cannot for an hour move back nor forward. meaning, `you have an appointed time which is fixed and cannot be changed or altered. When it comes, you will not be able to put it back or bring it forward,' as Allah says: إِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ إِذَا جَأءَ لَا يُوَخَّرُ Verily, the term of Allah when it comes, cannot be delayed. (71:4) وَمَا نُوَخِّرُهُ إِلاَّ لاًّجَلٍ مَّعْدُودٍ يَوْمَ يَأْتِ لَا تَكَلَّمُ نَفْسٌ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ فَمِنْهُمْ شَقِىٌّ وَسَعِيدٌ And We delay it only for a term (already) fixed. On the Day when it comes, no person shall speak except by His leave. Some among them will be wretched and (others) blessed. (11:104-105) How the Disbelievers have agreed in this World to deny the Truth, and how They will dispute with One Another on the Day of Resurrection Allah tells us about the excessive wrongdoing and stubbornness of the disbelievers, and their insistence on not believing in the Holy Qur'an and what it tells them about the Resurrection. Allah says: وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَن نُّوْمِنَ بِهَذَا الْقُرْانِ وَلَا بِالَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ And those who disbelieve say:We believe not in this Qur'an nor in that which was before it. وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ But if you could see when the wrongdoers are made to stand before their Lord, Allah threatens them and warns them of the humiliating position they will be in before Him, arguing and disputing with one another: يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ الْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak (this refers to the followers) -- لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا to those who were arrogant -- (this refers to the leaders and masters) -- لَوْلَا أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُوْمِنِينَ Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers! meaning, `if you had not stopped us, we would have followed the Messengers and believed in what they brought. قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا And those who were arrogant will say to those who were deemed weak: i.e. their leaders and masters, those who were arrogant, will say to them: أَنَحْنُ صَدَدْنَاكُمْ عَنِ الْهُدَى بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءكُم Did we keep you back from guidance after it had come to you? meaning, `we did nothing more to you than to call you, and you followed us without any evidence or proof, and you went against the evidence and proof which the Messengers brought because of your own desires; it was your own choice.' They will say: بَلْ كُنتُم مُّجْرِمِينَ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ ...Nay, but you were criminals. Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day... meaning, `you used to plot against us night and day, tempting us with promises and false hopes, and telling us that we were truly guided and that we were following something, but all of that was falsehood and manifest lies.' Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said: بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ (Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day), means, You plotted by night and day. Malik narrated something similar from Zayd bin Aslam. إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَادًا when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals to Him! means, `to set up gods as equal to Him, and you created doubts and confusion in our minds, and you fabricated far-fetched ideas with which to lead us astray.' وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ And each of them (parties) will conceal their own regrets, when they behold the torment. means, both the leaders and the followers will feel regret for what they did previously. وَجَعَلْنَا الاَْغْلَلَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا And We shall put iron collars round the necks of those who disbelieved. This is a chain which will tie their hands to their necks. هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلاَّ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ Are they requited aught except what they used to do. means, they will be punished according to their deeds:the leaders will be punished according to what they did, and the followers will be punished according to what they did. قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعْفٌ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَعْلَمُونَ He will say:For each one there is double (torment), but you know not. (7:38) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, The Messenger of Allah said: إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمَّا سِيقَ إِلَيْهَا أَهْلُهَا تَلَقَّاهُمْ لَهَبُهَا ثُمَّ لَفَحَتْهُمْ لَفْحَةً فَلَمْ يَبْقَ لَحْمٌ إِلاَّ سَقَطَ عَلَى الْعُرْقُوب When the people of Hell are driven towards it, it will meet them with its flames, then the Fire will burn their faces and the flesh will all fall to their hamstrings.