وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ
وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
٥٦. قُلْ إِنِّى نُهِيتُ
أَنْ أَعْبُدَ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ
مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَّآ أَتَّبِعُ
أَهْوَآءَكُمْ ۙ قَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا
وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِينَ
٥٧. قُلْ إِنِّى عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٍ
مِّن رَّبِّى وَكَذَّبْتُم بِهِۦ ۚ مَا عِندِى
مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِۦٓ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ
إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ يَقُصُّ ٱلْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ
خَيْرُ ٱلْفَـٰصِلِينَ
٥٨. قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى
مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِۦ لَقُضِىَ
ٱلْأَمْرُ بَيْنِى
وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
٥٩. وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلْغَيْبِ
لَا يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ
مَا فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا
تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا
وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِى ظُلُمَـٰتِ ٱلْأَرْضِ
وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا
فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ
And thus do We explain
the Ayat in detail, that
the way of the criminals,
may become manifest.
Say: “I have been forbidden
to worship those whom
you invoke (worship) besides
Allah.” Say: “I will not
follow your vain desires.
If I did, I would go astray,
and I would not be
one of the rightly guided.”
Say: “I am on clear proof
from my Lord, but you
deny it. I do not have what
you are hastily seeking
(the torment). The decision
is only for Allah, He declares
the truth, and He is the
best of judges.” Say: “If I
had that which you are asking
for impatiently (the torment),
the matter would have been
settled at once between
you and I, but Allah knows
best the wrongdoers.” And
with Him are the keys of
the Ghayb (all that is hidden),
none knows them but He.
And He knows whatever
there is on the land and
in the sea; not a leaf falls,
but he knows it. There is
not a grain in the darkness
of the earth nor anything
fresh or dry, but is written
in a Clear Record.
The Prophet Understands What He Conveys; Torment is in Allah’s Hands Not the Prophet’s
Allah says, just as We mentioned the clear signs that testify and direct to the path of guidance, all the while chastising useless arguments and defiance,
كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ
And thus do We explain the Ayat in detail
that is, whatever responsible adults need explained to them, in the affairs of life and religion,
وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
That the way of the criminals may become manifest
so that the path of the criminals who defy the Prophets is apparent and clear. This Ayat was also said to mean, so that you, O Muhammad , are aware of the path of the criminals. Allah’s statement,
قُلْ إِنِّى عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى
Say: “I am on clear proof from my Lord…”
means: I have a clear understanding of the Law of Allah that He has revealed to me,
وَكَذَّبْتُم بِهِ
but you deny it
meaning, but you disbelieve in the truth that came to me from Allah.
مَا عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ
(I do not have what you are hastily seeking
meaning, the torment,
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ للَّهِ
The decision is only for Allah
for the ruling of this is with Allah. If He wills, He will punish you soon in response to your wish! If He wills, He will give you respite, out of His great wisdom. This is why Allah said,
يَقُصُّ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْفَـصِلِينَ
He declares the truth, and He is the best of judges.
and the best in reckoning between His servants. Allah’s statement,
قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
بِهِ لَقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ
Say: “If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I,”
means, if I have what you ask for, I will surely send down what you deserve of it,
وَاللهُ أَعْلَمْ بِالظَّالِمِيَن
but Allah knows best the wrongdoers
Someone might ask about the meaning of this Ayat compared to the Hadith in the Two Sahihs, from `A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said to the Messenger, “O Allah’s Messenger ! Have you encountered a day harder than the day (of the battle) of Uhud” The Prophet replied,
لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْ قَوْمِكِ، وَكَانَ أَشَدَّ مَا لَقِيتُ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْعَقَبَةِ،إِذْ عَرَضْتُ نَفْسِي عَلَى ابْنِ عَبْدِيَالِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِكُلَالٍ، فَلَمْ يُجِبْنِي إِلَى مَا أَرَدْتُ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ وَأَنَا مَهْمُومٌ عَلَى وَجْهِي، فَلَمْ أَسْتَفِقْ إِلَّا بِقَرْنِ الثَّعَالِبِ، فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِسَحَاَبَةٍ قَدْ ظَلَّلَتْنِي، فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا فِيهَا جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَنَادَانِي فَقَالَ: إِنَّ الله قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ، وَمَا رَدُّوا عَلَيْكَ، وَقَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْكَ مَلَكَ الْجِبَالِ، لِتَأْمُرَهُ بِمَا شِئْتَ فِيهِمْ، قَالَ: فَنَادَانِي مَلَكُ الْجِبَالِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ، وَقَدْ بَعَثَنِي رَبُّكَ إِلَيْكَ، لِتَأْمُرَنِي بِأَمْرِكَ فِيمَا شِئْتَ، إِنْ شِئْتَ أَطْبَقْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَخْشَبَيْن
فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِصلى الله عليه وسلّم:
بَلْ أَرْجُو أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللهُ مِنْ أَصْلَابِهِمْ، مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللهَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا
Your people have troubled me alot and the worst trouble was on the day of `Aqabah when I presented myself to Ibn `Abd Yalil bin `Abd Kulal, who did not respond to my call. So I departed, overwhelmed with severe sorrow, proceeded on and could not relax until I found myself at Qarn Ath-Tha`alib where I raised my head towards the sky to see a cloud unexpectedly shading me. I looked up and saw Jibril in it and he called me saying, `Indeed Allah has heard what you said to the people and what they have responded to you. Therefore, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.’ The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, `O Muhammad! verily, Allah has heard how your people responded to you and He has sent me to you so that you could order me to do what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akhshabayn (two mountains to the north and south of Makkah) fall on them.’ The Prophet said, No, but I hope that Allah will let them generate offspring who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship none besides Him.
This is the wording of Muslim. Tormenting the disbelievers of Quraysh was offered to the Prophet , but he chose patience and asked Allah for respite for them, so that Allah might let them generate offspring who will not associate anything with Him in worship. Therefore, how can we combine the meaning of this Hadith and the honorable Ayat,
قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ
بِهِ لَقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ
وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّـلِمِينَ
Say: “If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I, but Allah knows best the wrongdoers.”
The answer to this question is, Allah knows the best, that the Ayat states that if the punishment that they asked for was in the Prophet’s hand at the time, he would have sent it on them as they asked. As for the Hadith, the disbelievers did not ask the Prophet to send the torment down on them. Rather, the angel responsible for the mountains offered him the choice to let the two mountains to the north and south of Makkah close in on the disbelievers and crush them. The Prophet did not wish that and asked for respite out of compassion for them.
Allah said next,
وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلاَّ هُوَ
And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He
Al-Bukhari recorded that Salim bin `Abdullah said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلَّا الله
The keys of the Unseen are five and none except Allah knows them:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ
السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الاٌّرْحَامِ
وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا
تَكْسِبُ غَداً وَمَا تَدْرِى
نَفْسٌ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware)” (Luqman 34)
Allah’s statement,
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ
And He knows whatever there is on the land and in the sea
means, Allah’s honored knowledge encompasses everything, including the creatures living in the sea and on land, and none of it, not even the weight of an atom on earth or in heaven, ever escapes His knowledge. Allah’s statement,
وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا
not a leaf falls, but He knows it.
means, He knows the movements of everything including inanimate things. Therefore, what about His knowledge of the living creatures, especially, those whom the Divine laws have been imposed upon such as mankind and the Jinns In another Ayat, Allah said;
يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ
Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. (Ghafir 19)