The Messengers Will be Asked About Their Nations Allah says; يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أُجِبْتُمْ قَالُواْ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them:What was the response you received (from men to your teaching)! They will say:We have no knowledge, verily, only You are the Knower of all that is hidden. Allah states that on the Day of Resurrection, He will ask the Messengers about how their nations, to whom He sent them, answered and responded to their teachings. Allah said in other Ayat, فَلَنَسْـَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْـَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ Then surely, We shall question those (people) to whom it (the Book) was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers. (7:6) and, فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَسْـَلَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينََمَّا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ So, by your Lord, We shall certainly call all of them to account. For all that they used to do. (15:92-93) According to Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri and As-Suddi, The statement of the Messengers here, لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا (We have no knowledge), is the result of the horror of that Day. Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Al-A`mash said that Mujahid said about the Ayah, يَوْمَ يَجْمَعُ اللّهُ الرُّسُلَ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أُجِبْتُمْ (On the Day when Allah will gather the Messengers together and say to them:What was the response you received)! They will become afraid and reply, لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا (We have no knowledge), Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded this explanation. Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah, They will say to the Lord, Most Honored, `We have no knowledge beyond what we know, and even that, You have more knowledge of them than us. This response is out of respect before the Lord, Most Honored, and it means, we have no knowledge compared to Your encompassing knowledge. Therefore, our knowledge only grasped the visible behavior of these people, not the secrets of their hearts. You are the Knower of everything, Who has encompassing knowledge of all things, and our knowledge compared to Your knowledge is similar to not having any knowledge at all, for أَنتَ عَلَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ (only You are the Knower of all that is hidden). Reminding `Isa of the Favors that Allah Granted him Allah إِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ (Remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection):O `Isa, son of Maryam! Allah mentions how He blessed His servant and Messenger, `Isa, son of Maryam, and the miracles and extraordinary acts He granted him. Allah said, اذْكُرْ نِعْمَتِي عَلَيْكَ Remember My favor to you, when I created you from your mother, without male intervention, and made you a sign and clear proof of My perfect power over all things. وَعَلَى وَالِدَتِكَ And to your mother, when I made you testify to her chastity and you thus absolved her from the sin that the unjust, ignorant liars accused her of. إِذْ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ when I supported you with Ruh-il-Qudus, the angel Jibril, and made you a Prophet, calling to Allah in the cradle and manhood. I made you speak in the cradle, and you testified that your mother was free from any immoral behavior, and you proclaimed that you worship Me. You also conveyed the news of My Message and invited them to worship Me. تُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ فِي الْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلً so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; Meaning you called the people to Allah in childhood and in maturity. And the word Tukallim means invited, because his speaking to people while a child is nothing strange by itself. Allah's statement, وَإِذْ عَلَّمْتُكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ (And when I taught you the Book and the Hikmah,) the power of writing and understanding, وَالتَّوْرَاةَ وَالاِنجِيلَ (and the Tawrah,) which was revealed to Musa, son of `Imran, who spoke to Allah directly. Allah's statement, وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْيَةِ الطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِي and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My permission, means:`you shaped it in the figure of a bird by My permission, and it became a bird with My permission, فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِي and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My permission, after you blew into it'. Then, it became a flying bird with a soul by Allah's permission. Allah said; وَتُبْرِىءُ الَاكْمَهَ وَالَابْرَصَ بِإِذْنِي and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My permission, This was explained before in Surah Al Imran and we do not need to repeat it here. Allah's statement, وَإِذْ تُخْرِجُ الْمَوتَى بِإِذْنِي And when you brought forth the dead by My permission, meaning, you called them and they rose from their graves by Allah's leave, power, intent and will. Allah said next, وَإِذْ كَفَفْتُ بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ عَنكَ إِذْ جِيْتَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ سِحْرٌ مُّبِينٌ and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbelievers among them said:This is nothing but evident magic. Meaning:`remember My favor, when I stopped the Children of Israel from harming you, when you brought them the clear proofs and evidence, testifying to your Prophethood and Message from Me to them. They rejected you and accused you of being a magician and tried to kill you by crucifixion, but I saved you, raised you to Me, purified you from their vulgarity and protected you from their harm.' The wording of this Ayah indicates that `Isa will be reminded of these favors on the Day of Resurrection. Allah used the past tense in these Ayat indicating that it is a forgone matter that will certainly occur. This Ayah also contains some of the secrets of the Unseen that Allah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad. Allah said وَإِذْ أَوْحَيْتُ إِلَى الْحَوَارِيِّينَ أَنْ امِنُواْ بِي وَبِرَسُولِي And when I (Allah) Awhaytu Al-Hawariyyin to believe in Me and My Messenger. This is also a reminder of Allah's favor on `Isa, by making disciples and companions for him. It is also said that Awhaytu in the Ayah means, `inspired', just as in another Ayah, Allah said; وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى أُمِّ مُوسَى أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ And We inspired the mother of Musa (saying):Suckle him... (28:7) Allah said in other Ayat, وَأَوْحَى رَبُّكَ إِلَى النَّحْلِ أَنِ اتَّخِذِى مِنَ الْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا وَمِنَ الشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعْرِشُونَ ثُمَّ كُلِى مِن كُلِّ الثَّمَرَتِ فَاسْلُكِى سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلً And your Lord Awha (inspired) the bee, saying:Take habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you). (16:68-69) Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented about the Hawariyyun, Allah inspired them, As-Suddi said, `He put in their hearts, and the Hawariyyun said, قَالُوَاْ امَنَّا وَاشْهَدْ بِأَنَّنَا مُسْلِمُونَ they said:`We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims. Sending Down the Ma'idah This is the story of the Ma'idah, the name of which this Surah bears, Surah Al-Ma'idah. This is also among the favors that Allah granted His servant and Messenger, `Isa, accepting his request to send the Ma'idah down, and doing so as clear proof and unequivocal evidence. Allah said, إِذْ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّونَ (Remember) when Al-Hawaryun said... the disciples of `Isa said, يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ رَبُّكَ أَن يُنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَأيِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاء O `Isa, son of Maryam! Can your Lord send down to us a Ma'idah from heaven! The Ma'idah is the table that has food on it. Some scholars said that; the disciples requested this table because they were poor and deprived. So they asked `Isa to supplicate to Allah to send a table of food down to them that they could eat from every day and thus be more able to perform the acts of worship. قَالَ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّوْمِنِينَ `Isa said:Have Taqwa of Allah, if you are indeed believers. `Isa answered them by saying, `Have Taqwa of Allah! And do not ask for this, for it may become a trial for you, but trust in Allah for your provisions, if you are truly believers. قَالُواْ نُرِيدُ أَن نَّأْكُلَ مِنْهَا They said:We wish to eat thereof. we need to eat from it, وَتَطْمَيِنَّ قُلُوبُنَا and to be stronger in faith, when we witness it descending from heaven as sustenance for us. وَنَعْلَمَ أَن قَدْ صَدَقْتَنَا and to know that you have indeed told us the truth, of your Message and our faith in you increases and also our knowledge. وَنَكُونَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ and that we ourselves be its witnesses. testifying that it is a sign from Allah, as proof and evidence that you are a Prophet, and attesting to the truth of what you brought us قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا أَنزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَأيِدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاء تَكُونُ لَنَا عِيداً لاَِّوَّلِنَا وَاخِرِنَا `Isa, son of Maryam, said:O Allah, our Lord! Send us from heaven a table spread (with food) that there may be for us -- for the first and the last of us -- a festival... As-Suddi commented that the Ayah means, We will take that day on which the table was sent down as a day of celebration, that we and those who come after us would consider sacred. Sufyan Ath-Thawri said that it means, A day of prayer. وَايَةً مِّنكَ and a sign from You. proving that You are able to do all things and to accept my supplication, so that they accept what I convey to them from You. وَارْزُقْنَا and provide us sustenance, a delicious food from You that does not require any effort or hardship. وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ for You are the Best of sustainers. قَالَ اللّهُ إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بَعْدُ مِنكُمْ Allah said:I am going to send it down unto you, but if any of you after that disbelieves... by denying this sign and defying its implication, O `Isa, فَإِنِّي أُعَذِّبُهُ عَذَابًا لاَّ أُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ then I will punish him with a torment such as I have not inflicted on anyone among the Alamin. among the people of your time. Allah said in similar Ayat, وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels):Cause Fir`awn's people to enter the severest torment! (40:46) and, إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ فِى الدَّرْكِ الاٌّسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire. (4:145) Ibn Jarir said that Abdullah bin `Amr said, Those who will receive the severest torment on the Day of Resurrection are three: The hypocrites, those from the people of Al-Ma'idah who disbelieved in it, and the people of Fir`awn. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas said, They said to `Isa, son of Maryam, `Supplicate to Allah to send down to us from heaven, a table spread with food.' He also said, `So the angels brought the table down containing seven fish and seven pieces of bread and placed it before them. So the last group of people ate as the first group did. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ishaq bin Abdullah said that; the table was sent down to `Isa son of Maryam having seven pieces of bread and seven fish, and they ate from it as much as they wished. But when some of them stole food from it, saying, It might not come down tomorrow, the table ascended. These statements testify that the table was sent down to the Children of Israel during the time of `Isa, son of Maryam, as a result of Allah's accepting his supplication to Him. The apparent wording of this Ayah also states so, قَالَ اللّهُ إِنِّي مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ (Allah said:I am going to send it down unto you...) `Isa Rejects Shirk and Affirms Tawhid Allah says; وَإِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): Allah will also speak to His servant and Messenger, `Isa son of Maryam, peace be upon him, saying to him on the Day of Resurrection in the presence of those who worshipped `Isa and his mother as gods besides Allah, يَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ O `Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men:`Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah!' This is a threat and a warning to Christians, chastising them in public, as Qatadah and others said, and Qatadah mentioned this Ayah as evidence, هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth. (5:119) Allah's statement, قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ He will say:Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say)... contains Allah's direction for `Isa to utter the perfect answer. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, `Isa will be taught his argument in reply to what Allah will ask him, وَإِذْ قَالَ اللّهُ يَاعِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ أَأَنتَ قُلتَ لِلنَّاسِ اتَّخِذُونِي وَأُمِّيَ إِلَـهَيْنِ مِن دُونِ اللّهِ (And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection):O `Isa, son of Maryam! Did you say unto men:`Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah!'). Abu Hurayrah then narrated that the Prophet said that Allah taught `Isa to say, سُبْحَانَكَ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أَقُولَ مَا لَيْسَ لِي بِحَقٍّ Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to say)... Ath-Thawri narrated this Hadith from Ma`mar from Ibn Tawus from Tawus. `Isa's statement, إِن كُنتُ قُلْتُهُ فَقَدْ عَلِمْتَهُ Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it. means, had I said it, You, my Lord, would have known it, for nothing escapes Your knowledge. Rather, I have not said these words nor did the thought even cross my mind, this why he said, تَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَا فِي نَفْسِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ عَلَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the Knower of all that is hidden and unseen. Never did I say to them ought except what You (Allah) did command me to say... (and convey). أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. I only called them to what You sent me with and commanded me to convey to them, أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ (Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord) and this is what I conveyed to them, . وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ And I was a witness over them while I dwelled amongst them, I was a witness over what they did when I was amongst them. فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ but when You took me (up), You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded that Ibn Abbas said, The Messenger of Allah stood up once and gave us a speech in which he said, يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ مَحْشُورُونَ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلا O people! You will be gathered to Allah while barefooted, naked and uncircumcised; كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (21:104) وَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ الْخَلَإيِقِ يُكْسَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَلَاإ وَإِنَّهُ يُجَاءُ بِرِجَالٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي فَيُوْخَذُ بِهِمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ فَأَقُولُ أَصْحَابِي فَيُقَالُ إِنَّكَ لَاإ تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثُوا بَعْدَكَ فَأَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِح The first among the creation who will be covered with clothes will be Ibrahim. Some men from my Ummah will be brought and taken to the left (to the Fire) and I will yell, `They are my followers!' It will be said, `You do not know what they innovated after you (in religion).' So I will say just as the righteous servant (`Isa) said, مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ And I was a witness over them while I dwelled amongst them, but when You took me (up), You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the Almighty, the All-Wise. فَيُقَالُ إِنَّ هوُلَاءِ لَمْ يَزَالُوا مُرْتَدِّينَ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ مُنْذُ فَارَقْتَهُم It will further be said, `These people kept reverting back on their heels after you left them.' Al-Bukhari also recorded this Hadith in the explanation of this Ayah. Allah said; إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the Almighty, the All-Wise. All matters refer back to Allah, for He does what He Wills and none can question Him about what He does, while He will question them. This Ayah also shows the crime of the Christians who invented a lie against Allah and His Messenger, thus making a rival, wife and son for Allah. Allah is glorified in that He is far above what they attribute to Him. So this Ayah has tremendous value and delivers unique news. Only Truth will be of Benefit on the Day of Resurrection Allah says; قَالَ اللّهُ Allah will say: Allah answers His servant and Messenger `Isa, son of Maryam, after he disowns the disbelieving Christians who lied about Allah and His Messenger, and when `Isa refers their end to the will of his Lord. هَذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ الصَّادِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ This is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth. Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas commented, This is the Day when Tawhid will benefit those who believed in it. لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الَانْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا Theirs are Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise) -- they shall abide therein forever. and they will never be removed from it. رَّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. وَرِضْوَنٌ مِّنَ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ But the greatest bliss is the good pleasure of Allah. (9:72) We will mention the Hadiths about this Ayah (9:72) later on. Allah's statement, ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ That is the great success. means, this is the great success, other than which there is no greater success. Allah said in another Ayat, لِمِثْلِ هَـذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَـمِلُونَ For the like of this let the workers work. (37:61) and, وَفِى ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَـفِسُونَ And for this let (all) those strive who want to strive. (83:26) Allah's statement, لِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالَارْضِ وَمَا فِيهِنَّ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is therein, and He is able to do all things. means, He created everything, owns everything, controls the affairs of everything and is able to do all things. Therefore, everything and everyone are in His domain and under His power and will. There is none like Him, nor is there rival, ancestor, son, or wife for Him, nor a lord or god besides Him. Ibn Wahb said that he heard Huyay bin Abdullah saying that Abu Abdur-Rahman Al-Habli said that Abdullah bin `Amr said, The last revealed Surah was Surah Al-Ma'idah. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Ma'idah. To Allah be praise and blessings.