Ya Sin, Ya-Seen — Verse 15

The Story of the Dwellers of the Town and Their Messengers, a Lesson that Those Who belied Their Messengers were Destroyed Allah says, `O Muhammad, tell your people who disbelieve in you,' مَّثَلاً أَصْحَـبَ القَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَآءَهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ (a similitude; the Dwellers of the Town, when there came Messengers to them.) In the reports that he transmitted from Ibn `Abbas, Ka`b Al-Ahbar and Wahb bin Munabbih - Ibn Ishaq reported that it was the city of Antioch, in which there was a king called Antiochus the son of Antiochus the son of Antiochus, who used to worship idols. Allah sent to him three Messengers, whose names were Sadiq, Saduq and Shalum, and he disbelieved in them. It was also narrated from Buraydah bin Al-Husayb, `Ikrimah, Qatadah and Az-Zuhri that it was Antioch. Some of the Imams were not sure that it was Antioch, as we shall see below after telling the rest of the story, if Allah wills. إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا (When We sent to them two Messengers, they denied them both;) means, they hastened to disbelieve in them. فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ (so We reinforced them with a third,) means, `We supported and strengthened them with a third Messenger. ' Ibn Jurayj narrated from Wahb bin Sulayman, from Shu`ayb Al-Jaba'i, "The names of the first two Messengers were Sham`un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was Bulus, and the city was Antioch (Antakiyah). فَقَالُواْ (and they said) means, to the people of that city, إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ مُّرْسَلُونَ (Verily, we have been sent to you as Messengers.) meaning, `from your Lord Who created you and Who commands you to worship Him Alone with no partners or associates.' This was the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah. Qatadah bin Di`amah claimed that they were messengers of the Messiah, peace be upon him, sent to the people of Antioch. قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا (They said: "You are only human beings like ourselves...") means, `so how could you receive revelation when you are human beings and we are human beings, so why do we not receive revelation like you If you are Messengers, you should be angels.' This is like what many of the nations said who disbelieved, as Allah has told us in the Ayah: c ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ كَانَت تَّأْتِيهِمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ فَقَالُواْ أَبَشَرٌ يَهْدُونَنَا (That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they said: "Shall mere men guide us") (64: 6) meaning that they were amazed by that and they denied it. And Allah says: قَالُواْ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا تُرِيدُونَ أَن تَصُدُّونَا عَمَّا كَانَ يَعْبُدُ ءَابَآؤُنَا فَأْتُونَا بِسُلْطَـنٍ مُّبِينٍ (They said: "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority.") (14:10). And Allah tells us that they said: وَلَئِنْ أَطَعْتُمْ بَشَراً مِّثْلَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ إِذاً لَّخَـسِرُونَ ("If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, then verily, you indeed would be losers.") (23:34). And Allah says: وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ إِذْ جَآءَهُمُ الْهُدَى إِلاَّ أَن قَالُواْ أَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ بَشَرًا رَّسُولاً (And nothing prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them, except that they said: "Has Allah sent a man as (His) Messenger") (17:94). These people said: قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَآ أَنَزلَ الرَّحْمَـنُ مِن شَىْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَكْذِبُونَ - قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّآ إِلَيْكُمْ لَمُرْسَلُونَ (You are only human beings like ourselves, and the Most Gracious has revealed nothing. You are only telling lies." The Messengers said: "Our Lord knows that we have been sent as Messengers to you.") This means that the three Messengers answered them saying: "Allah knows that we are His Messengers to you. If we were lying, He would have taken the utmost vengeance against us, but He will cause us to prevail and will make us victorious against you, and you will come to know whose will be the happy end in the Hereafter." This is like the Ayah: قُلْ كَفَى بِاللَّهِ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ شَهِيداً يَعْلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَالَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ بِالْبَـطِلِ وَكَفَرُواْ بِاللَّهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْخَـسِرُونَ (Say: "Sufficient is Allah for a witness between me and you. He knows what is in the heavens and on earth." And those who believe in falsehood, and disbelieve in Allah, it is they who are the losers.) (29:52) وَمَا عَلَيْنَآ إِلاَّ الْبَلَـغُ الْمُبِينُ (And our duty is only to convey plainly.) means, `all we have to do is to convey to you the Message with which we have been sent; if you obey, then happiness will be yours in this world and the Hereafter, and if you do not respond, you will soon know the consequences of that.' And Allah knows best. قَالُواْ إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهُواْ لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِّنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

They said ‘You are nothing but humans like us and the Compassionate One has revealed nothing. You are only lying!’

قال أهل القرية للمرسلين: ما أنتم إلا أناس مثلنا، وما أنزل الرحمن شيئًا من الوحي، وما أنتم -أيها الرسل- إلا تكذبون.

"قالوا ما أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا" أى فكيف أوحي إليكم وأنتم بشر ونحن بشر فلم لا أوحي إلينا مثلكم ولو كنتم رسلا لكنتم ملائكة وهذه شبهة كثير من الأمم المكذبة كما أخبر الله تعالى عنهم في قوله عز وجل "ذلك بأنه كانت تأتيهم رسلهم بالبينات فقالوا أبشر يهدوننا" أي استعجبوا من ذلك وأنكروه وقوله تعالى: "قالوا إن أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا تريدون أن تصدونا عما كان يعبد آباؤنا فائتونا بسلطان مبين" وقوله تعالى حكاية عنهم في قوله تعالى "ولئن أطعتم بشرا مثلكم إنكم إذا لخاسرون" وقوله تعالى: "وما منع الناس أن يؤمنوا إذ جاءهم الهدى إلا أن قالوا أبعث الله بشرا رسولا".

ثم حكى - سبحانه - ما دار بين الرسل وأصحاب القرية من محاورات فقال : ( قَالُواْ مَآ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُنَا وَمَآ أَنَزلَ الرحمن مِن شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلاَّ تَكْذِبُونَ ) .أى : قال أصحاب القرية للرسل على سبيل الاستنكار والتطاول : أنم لستم إلا بشراً مثلنا فى البشرية ، ولا مزية لكم علينا ، وكأن البشرية فى زعمهم تتنافى مع الرسالة ، ثم أضافوا إلى ذلك قولهم : وما أنزل الرحمن من شئ مما تدعوننا إليه .ثم وصفوهم بالكذب فقالوا لهم : ما أنتم إلا كاذبون ، فيما تدعونه من أنكم رسل إلينا .وهكذا قابل أهل القرية رسل الله ، بالإِعراض عن دعوتهم وبالتطاول عليهم ، وبالإِنكار لما جاءوا به ، وبوصفهم بالكذب فيم يقولونه .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : قَالُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا وَمَا أَنْزَلَ الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلا تَكْذِبُونَ (15)يقول تعالى ذكره: قال أصحاب القرية للثلاثة الذين أرسلوا إليهم حين أخبروهم أنهم أرسلوا إليهم بما أرسلوا به: ما أنتم أيها القوم إلا أُناس مثلنا، ولو كنتم رسلا كما تقولون، لكنتم ملائكة ( وَمَا أَنـزلَ الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ) يقول: قالوا: &; 20-502 &; وما أنـزل الرحمن إليكم من رسالة ولا كتاب ولا أمركم فينا بشيء ( إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلا تَكْذِبُونَ ) في قيلكم إنكم إلينا مرسلون

( قالوا ما أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا وما أنزل الرحمن من شيء إن أنتم إلا تكذبون ) ما أنتم إلا كاذبون فيما تزعمون .

قَالُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا وَمَا أَنْزَلَ الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ (15)كان أهل ( أنطاكية ) والمدن المجاورة لها خليطاً من اليهود وعبدة الأصنام من اليونان ، فقوله : { ما أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا } صالح لأن يصدر من عبدة الأوثان وهو ظاهر لظنهم أن الآلهة لا تبعث الرسل ولا تُوحي إلى أحد ، ولذلك جاء في سفر أعمال الرسل أن بعض اليونان من أهل مدينة ( لسترة ) رأوا معجزة من بولس النبي فقالوا بلسان يوناني : إن الآلهة تشبهوا بالناس ونزلوا إلينا فكانوا يدعون ( برنابا ) ( زفسَ ) . أي كوكب المشتري ، و ( بولسَ ) ( هُرمسَ ) أي كوكب عطارد وجاءهما كاهن ( زفس ) بثيران ليذبحها لهما ، وأكاليل ليضعها عليهما ، فلما رأى ذلك ( بولس وبرنابا ) مزّقا ثيابهما وصرخا : «نحن بشر مثلكم نعظكم أن ترجعوا عن هذه الأباطيل إلى الإِله الحي الذي خلق السماوات والأرض» الخ .وصالح لأن يصدر من اليهود الذين لم يتنصّروا لأن ذلك القول يقتضي أنهما وبقية اليهود سواء وأن لا فضل لهما بما يزعمون من النبوءة ويقتضي إنكار أن يكون الله أنزل شيئاً ، أي بعد التوراة . فمن إعجاز القرآن جمع مقالة الفريقين في هاتين الجملتين .واختيار وصف { الرحمان } في حكاية قول الكفرة { وما أنزل الرحمان من شيء } لكونه صالحاً لعقيدة الفريقين لأن اليونان لا يعرفون اسم الله ، وربُّ الأرباب عندهم هو ( زفس ) وهو مصدر الرحمة في اعتقادهم ، واليهود كانوا يتجنبون النطق باسم الله الذي هو في لغتهم ( يَهْوَه ) فيعوضونه بالصفات .والاستثناء في { إن أنتم إلا تكذبون } استفهام مفرغ من أخبار محذوفة فجملة { تكذبون } في موضع الخبر عن ضمير { أنتم } .

فأجابوهم بالجواب الذي ما زال مشهورا عند من رد دعوة الرسل: فـ { قَالُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا } أي: فما الذي فضلكم علينا وخصكم من دوننا؟ قالت الرسل لأممهم: { إِنْ نَحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ } { وَمَا أَنْزَلَ الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ } أي: أنكروا عموم الرسالة، ثم أنكروا أيضا المخاطبين لهم، فقالوا: { إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ }

قالوا ما أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا تأكلون الطعام وتمشون في الأسواق وما أنزل الرحمن من شيء يأمر به ولا من شيء ينهى عنه إن أنتم إلا تكذبون في دعواكم الرسالة

The township referred to in these verses was perhaps a settlement in Egypt where two prophets, Moses and Aaron were sent to admonish the people. But they rejected both of them. Then, a third person from amongst their own community came forth to support the Prophets, but this angered His fellow-men so much that they threatened to stone him, if he did not stop. At all times, the bitterest pill for a man to swallow is the piece of advice which is not to his liking. He flares up as soon as he hears it. Consequently, he cannot consider it with a balanced mind and does not assess it in the light of reason. Swayed by obstinacy and hatred, he goes on saying irrelevant things against it. Making assessments in the light of reason is to remain within reasonable limits but irrational opposition amounts to transgressing those limits.

In the next sentence of verse 13: إِذْ أَرْ‌سَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُم مُّرْ‌سَلُونَ (when the messengers came to it... - 13). The text has briefly mentioned the coming of messengers to the town. The number of the messengers sent has been identified in verse 14:إِذْ جَاءَهَا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُم مُّرْ‌سَلُونَ (when We sent to them two (apostles), and they rejected them both, so We supported them with a third one. So they said, "We are sent to you" ) This shows that three messengers were sent to the said town. First came two, the people of the town rejected them and refused to listen to them. Then Allah Ta’ ala strengthened them by sending the third messenger. After that, all three addressed the people of the town, telling them that they had been sent to guide them to the straight path. What does 'messenger' mean? Who were these people? In the Qur'an, the word: رسول (rasul: messenger) and: مُرسل (mursal: sent) is generally used for a prophet or apostle of Allah. In this verse, Allah Ta’ ala has attributed their sending to Himself. This too indicates that they are prophets who have been sent to accomplish some mission. This is what Ibn Ishaq reports from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ Ka'b Ahbar ؓ and Wahb Ibn Munabbih. According to the reports, these three elders mentioned as the ones sent to this town were the prophets of Allah. Their names as given in this narration are Sadiq, Saduq and Shalum, while in another narration, the name of the third appears as Sham` un. (Ibn Kathir) And it has been reported from Sayyidna Qatadah ؓ that the word: مُّرْ‌سَلُونَ (mursalun: sent ones) has not been used here in its technical sense, instead, it appears in the sense of a bearer of message, and the three elders who were sent to this town were no prophets themselves, rather, were from among the disciples of Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) and were sent for the guidance of this town under his order (Ibn Kathir). And since their sender, Sayyidna ` Isa (علیہ السلام) was a messenger of Allah, therefore, in a way, his sending was indirectly the sending of Allah Ta’ ala. Hence, his sending has been attributed to Allah Ta’ ala. Out of the commentators, Ibn Kathir has opted for the first saying while al-Qurtubi and others have gone by the second. From the apparent sense of the text of the Qur'an too, it is generally gathered that these blessed souls were prophets of Allah. Allah knows best.

They said) i.e. the apostles said: (Ye are but mortals) human beings (like unto us. The Beneficent hath naught revealed) He has not revealed any Scripture or sent any messenger. (Ye do but lie) about Allah!