مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ
ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ
ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟
عِبَادًا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ
وَلَـٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّـٰنِيِّـۧنَ بِمَا
كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ
وَلَا يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُوا۟
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةَ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ أَرْبَابًا ۗ أَيَأْمُرُكُم
بِٱلْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
It is not (possible) for any
human being to whom Allah
has given the Book and
Al-Hukm and prophethood
to say to the people: “Be
my worshippers rather than
Allah’s.” On the contrary
(he would say): “Be you
Rabbaniyyun, because you
are teaching the Book, and you
are studying it.” Nor would he
order you to take angels
and Prophets for lords. Would
he order you to disbelieve
after you have submitted to
Allah’s will?
No Prophet Ever Called People to Worship him or to Worship Other Than Allah
Al-i’Imran 79 means, it is not for a person whom Allah has given the Book, knowledge in the Law and prophethood to proclaim to the people, “Worship me instead of Allah,” meaning, along with Allah. If this is not the right of a Prophet or a Messenger, then indeed, it is not the right of anyone else to issue such a claim.
This criticism refers to the ignorant rabbis, priests and teachers of misguidance, unlike the Messengers and their sincere knowledgeable followers who implement their knowledge; for they only command what Allah commands them, as their honorable Messengers conveyed to them. They also forbid what Allah forbade for them, by the words of His honorable Messengers. The Messengers, may Allah’s peace and blessings be on all of them, are the emissaries between Allah and His creation, conveying Allah’s Message and Trust. The messengers indeed fulfilled their mission, gave sincere advice to creation and conveyed the truth to them. Allah’s statement,
وَلَـكِن كُونُواْ رَبَّـنِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ
On the contrary (he would say), “Be you Rabbaniyyun, because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.”
means, the Messenger recommends the people to be Rabbaniyyun. Ibn `Abbas, Abu Razin and several others said that Rabbaniyyun means, “Wise, learned, and forbearing.” Ad-Dahhak commented concerning Allah’s statement,
بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَـبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ
because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it.
“Whoever learns the Qur’an deserves to become a Faqih (learned).”
وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ
and you are studying it
preserving its words.
Allah then said,
وَلاَ يَأْمُرَكُمْ أَن تَتَّخِذُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ وَالنَّبِيِّيْنَ أَرْبَابًا
Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords.
The Prophet does not command worshipping other than Allah, whether a sent Messenger or an angel.
أَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted to Allah’s will
meaning, he would not do that, for whoever calls to worshipping other than Allah, will have called to Kufr. The Prophets only call to Iman which commands worshipping Allah Alone without partners. Allah said in other Ayat,
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ
إِلاَّ نُوحِى إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ أَنَاْ فَاعْبُدُونِ
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): “None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me” (Al-Anbya 25)
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً
أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّـغُوتَ
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid Taghut (all false deities).” (An-Nahl 36) and,
وَاسْئلْ مَنْ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رُّسُلِنَآ
أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَـنِ ءَالِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَ
And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: “Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)” (Az-Zukhruf 45)
Allah said concerning the angels,
وَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّى إِلَـهٌ مِّن دُونِهِ
فَذلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الظَّـلِمِينَ
And if any of them should say: “Verily, I am a god besides Him (Allah),” such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the wrongdoers. (Al-Anbya 29)