The Criterion, The Standard — Verse 9

What the Disbelievers said about the Messenger , refutation of Their Words, and Their ultimate Destiny Allah tells us about the disbelievers' stubborn resistance to and rejection of the truth, with no proof or evidence for doing so. Their excuse was, as they said: مَا لِهَـذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ (Why does this Messenger eat food,) meaning, `as we eat, and why does he need food as we need it' وَيَمْشِى فِى الاٌّسْوَاقِ (and walk about in the markets.) means, he walks around and goes there often seeking to trade and earn a living. لَوْلا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَهُ نَذِيراً (Why is not an angel sent down to him to be a warner with him) They were saying: why doesn't an angel come down to him from Allah, to be a witness that what he is claiming is true This is like when Fira`wn said: فَلَوْلاَ أُلْقِىَ عَلَيْهِ أَسْوِرَةٌ مِّن ذَهَبٍ أَوْ جَآءَ مَعَهُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ مُقْتَرِنِينَ ("Why then are not golden bracelets bestowed on him, or angels sent along with him") (43:53). These people had a similar mentality and said the same kind of thing. They said: أَوْ يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ كَنْزٌ (Or (why) has not a treasure been granted to him) meaning, treasure that he could spend on his needs and wants. أَوْ تَكُونُ لَهُ جَنَّةٌ يَأْكُلُ مِنْهَا (or why has he not a garden whereof he may eat) meaning, a garden that would go with him wherever he went. All of this is easy for Allah, but He had a reason for not doing any of these things, and with Him is the perfect proof and argument. وَقَالَ الظَّـلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلاَّ رَجُلاً مَّسْحُوراً (And the wrongdoers say: "You follow none but a man bewitched.") Allah said: انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُواْ لَكَ الاٌّمْثَالَ فَضَلُّواْ (See how they coin similitudes for you, so they have gone astray,) meaning, they accused you and belied you when they said that you were a sorcerer or bewitched or crazy or a liar or a poet, but all of these are false ideas. Everyone who has the slightest understanding will recognize that they are lying. Allah says: فُضِّلُواْ (so they have gone astray) from the path of guidance. فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعْونَ سَبِيلاً (and they cannot find a path.) Everyone who steps outside of the way of truth and guidance has gone astray, no matter what direction he takes, because the truth is one and its methodology is unified, parts of it confirming other parts. Then Allah tells His Prophet that if He willed, He could bestow on him in this world something far better than what they were saying. He said: تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى إِن شَآءَ جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْراً مِّن ذلِكَ (Blessed be He Who, if He wills, will assign you better than (all) that...) Mujahid said, "This means in this world." And he said: "The Quraysh used to call every house that was made of stone a `palace', whether it was large or small." بَلْ كَذَّبُواْ بِالسَّاعَةِ (Nay, they deny the Hour,) means, they say this in stubborn disbelief, not because they are seeking insight and guidance, but because their disbelief in the Day of Resurrection makes them say what they say. وَأَعْتَدْنَا (And We have prepared) means, `We have made ready,' لِمَن كَذَّبَ بِالسَّاعَةِ سَعِيراً (for those who deny the Hour, a flaming Fire.) means, an unbearably hot and painful torment in the fire of Hell. إِذَا رَأَتْهُمْ (When it sees them) means, when Hell sees them, مِن مَّكَانِ بَعِيدٍ (from a far place,) means from the place of gathering (on the Day of Resurrection), سَمِعُواْ لَهَا تَغَيُّظاً وَزَفِيراً (they will hear its raging and its roaring.) means, (it will make those sounds) out of hatred towards them. This is like the Ayah, إِذَآ أُلْقُواْ فِيهَا سَمِعُواْ لَهَا شَهِيقًا وَهِىَ تَفُورُ تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الغَيْظِ (When they are cast therein, they will hear the (terrible) drawing in of its breath as it blazes forth. It almost bursts up with fury) (67:7-8), which means that parts of it almost separate from other parts because of its intense hatred towards those who disbelieved in Allah. Imam Abu Ja`far bin Jarir narrated that Ibn `Abbas said: "A man will be dragged towards Hell, which will be expanding and contracting, and Ar-Rahman will say to it: `What is the matter with you' It will say: `He is seeking refuge from me.' So Allah will say, `Let My servant go.' Another man will be dragged towards Hell and he will say, `O Lord, I never expected this from You.' Allah will say, `What did you expect' The man will say, `I expected that Your mercy would be great enough to include me.' So Allah will say, `Let My servant go.' Another man will be dragged towards Hell, and Hell will bray at him like a donkey braying at barley. Then it will give a moan that will instill fear in everyone." Its chain of narrators is Sahih. سَمِعُواْ لَهَا تَغَيُّظاً وَزَفِيراً (they will hear its raging and its roaring. ) `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that `Ubayd bin `Umayr said: "Hell will utter a moan such that there will be no angel who is close to Allah and no Prophet sent to mankind, but he will fall on his face, shaking all over. Even Ibrahim, peace be upon him, will fall to his knees and say: `O Lord, I do not ask You for salvation this Day except for myself."' وَإَذَآ أُلْقُواْ مِنْهَا مَكَاناً ضَيِّقاً مُّقَرَّنِينَ (And when they shall be thrown into a narrow place thereof, chained together,) Qatadah narrated from Abu Ayyub that `Abdullah bin `Amr said: "Like the point of a spear, i.e., in its narrowness." مُقْرِنِينَ (chained together,) Abu Salih said, "This means, tied from their shoulders." دَعَوْاْ هُنَالِكَ ثُبُوراً (they will exclaim therein for destruction.) means, they will utter cries of woe, regret and sorrow. لاَّ تَدْعُواْ الْيَوْمَ ثُبُوراً وَحِداً (Exclaim not today for one destruction...)

See how they strike similitudes for you of the fact that the Prophet is a person bewitched and one in need of something to expend from and of an angel to help him carry out the task of delivering the Message so that they go astray thereby from guidance and are unable to find a way a means thereto to guidance.

انظر - أيها الرسول - كيف قال المكذبون في حقك تلك الأقوال العجيبة التي تشبه -لغرابتها- الأمثال؛ ليتوصلوا إلى تكذيبك؟ فبَعُدوا بذلك عن الحق، فلا يجدون سبيلا إليه؛ ليصححوا ما قالوه فيك من الكذب والافتراء.

قال الله تعالى "انظر كيف ضربوا لك الأمثال فضلوا" أي جاءوا بما يقذفونك به ويكذبون به عليك من قولهم ساحر مسحور مجنون كذاب شاعر وكلها أقوال باطلة كل أحد ممن له أدنى فهم وعقل يعرف كذبهم وافتراءهم في ذلك ولهذا قال "فضلوا" عن طريق الهدى "فلا يستطيعون سبيلا" وذلك أن كل من خرج عن الحق وطريق الهدى فإنه ضال حيثما توجه لأن الحق واحد ومنهجه متحد يصدق بعضه بعضا.

وقد رد الله - تعالى - على مقترحاتهم الفاسدة ، بالتهوين من شأنهم و بالتعجيب من تفاهة تفكيرهم ، وبالتسلية للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم عما أصابه منهم فقال : ( انظر كَيْفَ ضَرَبُواْ لَكَ الأمثال فَضَلُّواْ فَلاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلاً ) .أى : انظر - أيها الرسول الكريم - إلى هؤلاء الظالمين ، وتعجب من تعنتهم ، وضحالة عقولهم . وسوء أقاويلهم . حي وصفوك تارة بالسحر . وتارة بالشعر . وتارة بالكهانة . وقد ضلوا عن الطريق المستقيم فى كل ما وصفوك به . وبقوا متحيرين فى باطلهم ، دون أن يستطيعوا الوصول إلى السبيل الحق . وإلى الصراط المستقيم .فالآية الكريمة تعجيب من شأنهم ، واستعظام لما نطقوا به . وحكم عليهم بالخيبة والضلال ، وتسلية للرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم عما قالوه فى شأنه .

يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: انظر يا محمد إلى هؤلاء المشركين الذين شبهوا لك الأشباه بقولهم لك: هو مسحور, فضلوا بذلك عن قصد السبيل، وأخطؤوا طريق الهدى والرشاد، فلا يستطيعون يقول: فلا يجدون سبيلا إلى الحقّ, إلا فيما بعثتك به, ومن الوجه الذي ضلوا عنه.وبنحو الذي قلنا في تأويل ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثنا ابن حميد, قال: ثنا سلمة, عن ابن إسحاق, قال: ثني محمد بن أبى محمد, عن سعيد بن جُبير, أو عكرمة, عن ابن عباس ( انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا لَكَ الأمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا فَلا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلا ) أي التمسوا الهدى في غير ما بعثتك به إليهم فضلوا, فلن يستطيعوا أن يصيبوا الهدى في غيره.وقال آخرون في ذلك ما حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء، جميعا عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد ( فَلا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلا ) قال: مخرجا يخرجهم من الأمثال التي ضربوا لك.وقوله: ( تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي إِنْ شَاءَ جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْرًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأنْهَارُ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: تقدس الذي إن شاء جعل لك خيرا من ذلك.واختلف أهل التأويل في المعني ب: " ذلك " التي في قوله: ( جَعَلَ لَكَ خَيْرًا مِنْ ذَلِكَ ) فقال بعضهم: معنى ذلك: خيرا مما قال هؤلاء المشركون لك يا محمد: هلا أوتيته وأنت لله رسول، ثم بين تعالى ذكره عن الذي لو شاء جعل له من خير مما قالوا, فقال: ( جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأنْهَارُ ).* ذكر من قال ذلك.

( انظر ) يا محمد ، ( كيف ضربوا لك الأمثال ) يعني الأشباه ، فقالوا : مسحور ، محتاج ، وغيره ، ) ( فضلوا ) عن الحق ، ( فلا يستطيعون سبيلا ) إلى الهدى ومخرجا عن الضلالة .

انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا لَكَ الْأَمْثَالَ فَضَلُّوا فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا (9){ومعنى : { انظر كيف ضربوا لك الأمثال فضلوا } أنهم ضربوا لك الأمثال الباطلة بأن مثلوك برجل مسحور .وقوله : { انظر } مستعار لمعنى العلم تشبيهاً للأمر المعقول بالأمر المرئي لشدة وضوحه .و )كيف )اسم للكيفية والحالة مجرد هنا عن معنى الاستفهام .وفرع على هذا التعجيب إخبار عنهم بأنهم ضلوا في تلفيق المطاعن في رسالة الرسول فسلكوا طرائق لا تصل بهم إلى دليل مقنع على مرادهم ، ففعل { ضلوا } مستعمل في معنييه المجازيين هما : معنى عدم التوفق في الحجة ، ومعنى عدم الوصول للدين الحق ، وهو هنا تعجيب من خَطَلِهم وإعراضٌ عن مجاوبتهم .

{ انْظُرْ كَيْفَ ضَرَبُوا لَكَ الْأَمْثَالَ } وهي: أنه هلا كان ملكا وزالت عنه خصائص البشر؟ أو معه ملك لأنه غير قادر على ما قال، أو أنزل عليه كنز، أو جعلت له جنة تغنيه عن المشي في الأسواق أو أنه كان مسحورا. { فَضَلُّوا فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ سَبِيلًا } قالوا أقوالا متناقضة كلها جهل وضلال وسفه، ليس في شيء منها هداية بل ولا في شيء منها أدنى شبهة تقدح في الرسالة، فبمجرد النظر إليها وتصورها يجزم العاقل ببطلانها ويكفيه عن ردها، ولهذا أمر تعالى بالنظر إليها وتدبرها والنظر: هل توجب التوقف عن الجزم للرسول بالرسالة والصدق؟ ولهذا أخبر أنه قادر على أن يعطيك خيرا كثيرا في الدنيا

انظر كيف ضربوا لك الأمثال أي ضربوا لك هذه الأمثال ليتوصلوا إلى تكذيبك . فضلوا عن سبيل الحق وعن بلوغ ما أرادوا . فلا يستطيعون سبيلا إلى تصحيح ما قالوه فيك .

Every preacher giving the call for Truth has had to face the same experience, as that of a Prophet. While his contemporaries looked down upon him with contempt, the people of succeeding ages venerated the preacher like a god. This is so because during his lifetime, a prophet lives the life of an ordinary human being and his contemporaries therefore fail to appreciate the wisdom he propagates. They see him cast in an overly idealized form, wearing the halo conferred by legend, and therefore, feel obliged to pay homage to him and glorify him in an exaggerated manner. The minds of succeeding generations develop such deep-seated notions about the extraordinary greatness of the prophet, that nobody is held superior to or even at par with him. A living prophet, however, is treated scornfully by the majority of his contemporaries. The few who develop a reasoned understanding of his message are also ‘advised’ to disassociate themselves from one who is “possessed”. Having no rational arguments, the unrelenting contemporaries of a prophet, resort to unfair vilification of his image so as to curb the preaching of his message.

The Second Objection was that if the Holy Prophet ﷺ was a prophet, he should not have been eating and drinking like common people; instead he should have been free from eating and drinking like angels. And if this was not so, he should have at least enough wealth and gardens to take care of his day to day needs, so that he may not need to care for his living. Furthermore, how could he be accepted as a prophet when he is neither an angel nor does an angel accompany him to endorse what he preaches, therefore it appears that he has been charmed by someone which has turned his head and that is why he talks like this. A general answer to this objection is given in the verse انظُرْ‌ كَيْفَ ضَرَ‌بُوا لَكَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ at is (See how they coined similes for you, so they have gone astray and cannot find a way. - 25:9). The detailed answer to the objection is given in the next few verses.

(See how they coin similitudes for thee) see how they explain things to you and call you names: magician, fortune teller, liar, poet, and madman; it is also said that this means: see how they liken you to a bewitched person, (so that they are all astray) their scheming went amiss and they fell in error (and cannot find a road) they cannot find a way out of what they said about you, nor do they have any proof about what they say about you!