The Letter Sad — Verse 9

The Idolators were amazed at the Message, Tawhid and the Qur'an Allah tells us that the idolators wondered at the sending of the Messenger of Allah as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner. This is like the Ayah: أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ النَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ قَالَ الْكَـفِرُونَ إِنَّ هَـذَا لَسَـحِرٌ مُّبِينٌ (Is it a wonder for mankind that We have sent Our revelation to a man from among themselves (saying): "Warn mankind, and give good news to those who believe that they shall have with their Lord the rewards of their good deeds" (But) the disbelievers say: "This is indeed an evident sorcerer!") (10:2). And Allah says here: وَعَجِبُواْ أَن جَآءَهُم مٌّنذِرٌ مِّنْهُمْ (And they wonder that a warner has come to them from among themselves.) meaning, a human being like themselves. وَقَالَ الْكَـفِرُونَ هَـذَا سَـحِرٌ كَذَّابٌأَجَعَلَ الاٌّلِهَةَ إِلَـهاً وَحِداً (And the disbelievers said: "This is a sorcerer, a liar. Has he made the gods into One God") meaning, does he claim that the One Who is to worshipped is One and there is no god besides Him The idolators -- may Allah curse them -- denounced that and were amazed at the idea of giving up Shirk, because they had learned from their forefathers to worship idols and their hearts were filled with love for that. When the Messenger called them to rid their hearts of that and to worship Allah Alone, this was too much for them and they were astounded by it. They said: أَجَعَلَ الاٌّلِهَةَ إِلَـهاً وَحِداً إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَىْءٌ عُجَابٌ وَانطَلَقَ الْمَلأُ مِنْهُمْ ("Has he made the gods into One God Verily, this is a curious thing!" And the leaders among them went about) meaning the chiefs and masters and nobles, امْشُواْ ((saying): "Go on...") meaning, `persist in your religion,' وَاْصْبِرُواْ عَلَى ءَالِهَتِكُمْ (and remain constant to your gods!), meaning, `do not respond to Muhammad's call to Tawhid.' إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَىْءٌ يُرَادُ (Verily, this is a thing designed!) Ibn Jarir said, "The Tawhid to which Muhammad is calling you is something by which he wishes to gain power over you, and exalt his own position, so that he will have followers among you, but we will not respond The Reason for the Revelation of These Ayat Abu Ja`far bin Jarir recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "When Abu Talib fell sick, some of the people of the Quraysh, including Abu Jahl, entered upon him and said, `Your brother's son is insulting our gods; he does such and such and says such and such. Why don't you send for him and tell him not to do that' So he sent for the Prophet and he entered the house. There was space enough for one man to sit between them and Abu Talib, and Abu Jahl, may Allah curse him, was afraid that if the Prophet were to sit beside Abu Talib he would be more lenient with him, so he jumped up and sat in that spot, and the Messenger of Allah could find nowhere to sit near his uncle, so he sat by the door. Abu Talib said to him, `O son of my brother, why are your people complaining about you and claiming that you insult their gods and say such and such' They made so many complaints against him. Thereupon, he said, «يَا عَمِّ إِنِّي أُرِيدُهُمْ عَلَى كَلِمَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ يَقُولُونَهَا تَدِينُ لَهُمْ بِهَا الْعَرَبُ، وَتُؤَدِّي إِلَيْهِمْ بِهَا الْعَجَمُ الْجِزْيَة» (O uncle, all I want from them is one word which, if they say it, the Arabs will become their followers and the non-Arabs will pay Jizyah to them.) They were worried about what he said, so they said, `One word Yes, by your father, (we will say) ten words! What is it' Abu Talib said, `What word is it, O son of my brother' He said, «لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا الله» (La ilaha illallah.) They stood up in agitation, brushing down their clothes, saying, أَجَعَلَ الاٌّلِهَةَ إِلَـهاً وَحِداً إِنَّ هَـذَا لَشَىْءٌ عُجَابٌ (Has he made the gods into One God. Verily, this is a curious thing!) Then this passage was revealed, from this Ayah to the Ayah: بَل لَّمَّا يَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِ (Nay, but they have not tasted (My) torment!)" This is the wording of Abu Kurayb. Something similar was also recorded by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasa'i, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan." مَا سَمِعْنَا بِهَـذَا فِى الْمِلَّةِ الاٌّخِرَةِ (We have not heard (the like) of this in the religion of these later days.) means, `we have not heard anything like this Tawhid to which Muhammad calls us in the religion of these later days.' Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "`We have not heard of this from the religion of these later days (meaning Christianity); if this Qur'an were true, the Christians would have told us about it." إِنْ هَـذَا إِلاَّ اخْتِلاَقٌ (This is nothing but an invention!) Mujahid and Qatadah said, "A lie." Ibn `Abbas said, "A fabrication." أَءَنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ مِن بَيْنِنَا (Has the Reminder been sent down to him (alone) from among us) They thought it unlikely that he would be singled out from among them to receive the Qur'an. This is like the Ayat: لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ (And they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns") (43:31). Allah said: أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَّعِيشَتَهُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَـتٍ (Is it they who would portion out the mercy of your Lord It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks) (43:32). When they said this, it indicated their ignorance and lack of understanding since they thought it was unlikely that the Qur'an would be revealed to the Messenger and not to somebody else. بَل لَّمَّا يَذُوقُواْ عَذَابِ (Nay, but they have not tasted (My) torment!) means, they say this because they have not yet tasted the punishment and vengeance of Allah. But they will come to know the consequences of what they say and what they rejected on the Day when they are herded into the fire of Hell. Then Allah points out that He is the One Who is in control of His Creation and Who does whatever He wills, Who gives whatever He wants to whomever He wants, and honors whomever He wants and humiliates whomever He wants, and guides whomever He wants and misguides whomever He wants, and sends the Ruh (Jibril) by His command upon whomsoever He wants among His servants, and seals the hearts of whomever He wants, so no one can guide him apart from Allah. His servants do not possess any power and have no control over His dominion, not even a speck of dust's weight; they do not possess even a thin membrane over a date stone. Allah says, denouncing them: أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ (Or have they the treasures of the mercy of your Lord, the Almighty, the Real Bestower) meaning, the Almighty Whose might cannot be overcome, the Bestower Who gives whatever He wills to whomsoever He wills. This Ayah is like the Ayah: أَمْ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِّنَ الْمُلْكِ فَإِذاً لاَّ يُؤْتُونَ النَّاسَ نَقِيراً - أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَآ ءَاتَـهُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ ءَالَ إِبْرَهِيمَ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَءَاتَيْنَـهُمْ مُّلْكاً عَظِيماً - فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ ءَامَنَ بِهِ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّن صَدَّ عَنْهُ وَكَفَى بِجَهَنَّمَ سَعِيراً (Or have they a share in the dominion Then in that case they would not give mankind even a speck on the back of a date stone. Or do they envy men for what Allah has given them of His bounty Then, We had already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah, and conferred upon them a great kingdom. Of them were (some) who believed in him, and of them were (some) who averted their faces from him; and enough is Hell for burning (them).) (4:53-55). قُل لَّوْ أَنتُمْ تَمْلِكُونَ خَزَآئِنَ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّى إِذًا لأمْسَكْتُمْ خَشْيَةَ الإِنفَاقِ وَكَانَ الإنْسَـنُ قَتُورًا (Say: "If you possessed the treasure of the mercy of my Lord (wealth), then you would surely hold back for fear of (being exhausted), and man is ever miserly!") (17:100). This is after Allah tells us the story of how the disbeliever denied the sending of a human Messenger, as He tells us that the people of Salih, peace be upon him, said: أَءُلْقِىَ الذِّكْرُ عَلَيْهِ مِن بَيْنِنَا بَلْ هُوَ كَذَّابٌ أَشِرٌ - سَيَعْلَمُونَ غَداً مَّنِ الْكَذَّابُ الاٌّشِرُ ("Is it that the Reminder is sent to him alone from among us Nay, he is an insolent liar!" Tomorrow they will come to know who is the liar, the insolent one!) (54:25, 26) أَمْ لَهُم مٌّلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيَنَهُمَا فَلْيَرْتَقُواْ فِى الاٌّسْبَابِ (Or is it that the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them is theirs If so, let them ascend up with means.) means, if they have that, then let them ascend up with means. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah and others said, "The ways to the heaven." Ad-Dahhak, said, "Then let them ascend into the seventh heaven." Then Allah says, جُندٌ مَّا هُنَالِكَ مَهْزُومٌ مِّن الاٌّحَزَابِ (they will be a defeated host like the Confederates of the old times.) meaning, these hosts of disbelievers who are in false pride and opposition will be defeated and overwhelmed and disgraced, just as the Confederates of the old times were disgraced before them. This Ayah is like the Ayah: أَمْ يَقُولُونَ نَحْنُ جَمِيعٌ مُّنتَصِرٌ - سَيُهْزَمُ الْجَمْعُ وَيُوَلُّونَ الدُّبُرَ (Or say they: "We are a great multitude, victorious" Their multitude will be put to flight, and they will show their backs.) (54:44-45) -- which is what happened on the day of Badr -- بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ أَدْهَى وَأَمَرُّ (Nay, but the Hour is their appointed time, and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.) (54:46)

Or do they possess the treasuries of your Lord’s mercy the Mighty the Victor the Bestower? treasuries such as prophethood and otherwise so that they might give it to whomever they want?

أم هم يملكون خزائن فضل ربك العزيز في سلطانه، الوهاب ما يشاء من رزقه وفضله لمن يشاء من خلقه؟

قال مجاهد وقتادة كذب وقال ابن عباس تخرص وقولهم "أأنزل عليه الذكر من بيننا" يعني أنهم يستبعدون تخصيصه بإنزال القرآن عليه من بينهم كلهم كما قال في الآية الأخرى "لولا نزل هذا القرآن على رجل من القريتين عظيم" قال الله تعالى "أهم يقسمون رحمة ربك نحن قسمنا بينهم معيشتهم في الحياة الدنيا ورفعنا بعضهم فوق بعض درجات" ولهذا لما قالوا هذا الذي دل على جهلهم وقلة عقلهم في استبعادهم إنزال القرآن على الرسول من بينهم قال الله تعالى "بل لما يذوقوا عذاب" أي إنما يقولون هذا لأنهم ما ذاقوا إلى حين قولهم ذلك عذاب الله تعالى ونقمته سيعلمون غب ما قالوا وما كذبوا به يوم يدعون إلى نار جهنم دعا ثم قال تعالى مبينا أنه المتصرف في ملكه الفعال لما يشاء الذي يعطي من يشاء ما يشاء ويعز من يشاء فلا يهديه ويهدي من يشاء ويضل من يشاء وينزل الروح من أمره على من يشاء من عباده ويختم على قلب من يشاء فلا يهديه أحد من بعد الله لأن العباد لا يملكون شيئا من الأمر وليس إليهم من التصرف في الملك ولا مثقال ذرة وما يملكون من قطمير ولهذا قال تعالى منكرا عليهم "أم عندهم خزائن رحمة ربك العزيز الوهاب" أي العزيز الذي لا يرام جنابه الوهاب الذي يعطي ما يريد لمن يريد وهذه الآية الكريمة شبيهة بقوله تعالى أم لهم نصيب من الملك فإذا لا يؤتون الناس نقيرا أم يحسدون الناس على ما آتاهم الله من فضله فقد آتينا آل إبراهيم الكتاب والحكمة وآتيناهم ملكا عظيما فمنهم من آمن به ومنهم من صد عنه وكفى بجهنم سعيرا وقوله تعالى " قل لو أنتم تملكون خزائن رحمة ربي إذا لأمسكتم خشية الإنفاق وكان الإنسان قتورا" وذلك بعد الحكاية عن الكفار أنهم أنكروا بعثة الرسول البشري صلى الله عليه وسلم وكما أخبر عز وجل عن قوم صالح عليه السلام حين قالوا "أألقي الذكر عليه من بيننا بل هو كذاب أشر سيعلمون غدا من الكذاب الأشر".

ثم أنكر عليهم - سبحانه - بعد ذلك اعتراضهم على اختيار نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم للرسالة ، وساق هذا الإِنكار بأسلوب توبيخى تهكمى فقال - تعالى - : ( أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ العزيز الوهاب ) أى : أنهم لم يملكوا خزائن رحمة ربك - أيها الرسول الكريم - حتى يعطوا منها من يشاءون ويمنعوها عمن يشاءون ، ويتخيروا للنبوة صناديدهم ويترفعوا بها عنك . . وإنما المالك لكل ذلك هو الله - تعالى - العزيز الذى لا يغلبه غالب - الوهاب ، أى : الكثير العطاء لعباده .والمراد بالعندية فى قوله ( عندهم ) : الملك والتصرف . وتقديم الظرف ( عند ) لأنه محل الإِنكار . وفى إضافة الرب - عز وجل - إلى الضمير العائد إلى النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم تشريف وتكريم له صلى الله عليه وسلم .وجئ بصفة ( العزيز ) للرد على ما كانوا يزعمونه لأنفسهم وآلهتهم من ترفع وتكبر .كما جئ بصفة ( الوهاب ) للإِشارة إلى أن النبوة هبة من الله - تعالى - لمن يختاره من عباده ، وهو - سبحانه - أعلم حيث يجعل رسالته .

( أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ ) يقول تعالى ذكره: أم عند هؤلاء المشركين المنكرين وحي الله إلى محمد خزائن رحمة ربك, يعنى مفاتيح رحمة ربك يا محمد, العزيز في سلطانه, الوهاب لمن يشاء من خلقه, ما يشاء من ملك وسلطان ونبوة, فيمنعوك يا محمد, ما من الله به عليك من الكرامة, وفضَّلك به من الرسالة.

(أم عندهم ) أعندهم ، ( خزائن رحمة ربك ) أي : نعمة ربك يعني : مفاتيح النبوة يعطونها من شاءوا ، نظيره : " أهم يقسمون رحمة ربك " ( الزخرف - 32 ) أي نبوة ربك ، ( العزيز الوهاب ) العزيز في ملكه ، الوهاب وهب النبوة لمحمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - .

أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ (9){ أم } منقطعة وهي للإِضراب أيضاً وهو إضراب انتقالي فإن { أم } مشعرة باستفهام بعدها هو للإِنكار والتوبيخ إنكاراً لقولهم : { أءُنزل عليه الذكر من بيننا } [ ص : 8 ] أي ليست خزائن فضل الله تعالى عندهم فيتصدّوا لحرمان من يشاءون حرمانه من مواهب الخير فإن المواهب من الله يصيب بها من يشاء فهو يختار للنبوءة من يصطفيه وليس الاختيار لهم فيجعلوا من لم يقدموه عليهم في دينهم غير أهل لأن يَختاره الله .وتقديم الظرف للاهتمام لأنه مناط الإِنكار وهوَ كقوله تعالى : { أهم يقسمون رحمة ربك } [ الزخرف : 32 ] .والخزائن : جمع خزانة بكسر الخاء . وهي البيت الذي يخزن فيه المال أو الطعام ، ويطلق أيضاً على صندوق من خشب أو حديد يخزن فيه المال .والخزن : الحِفْظ والحِرْز . والرحمة : ما به رفق بالغير وإحسان إليه ، شبهت رحمة الله بالشيء النفيس المخزون الذي تطمح إليه النفوس في أنه لا يُعطَى إلا بمشيئة خازنه على طريقة الاستعارة المكنية . وإثبات الخزائن : تخييل مثل إثبات الأظفار للمنية ، والإِضافة على معنى لام الاختصاص . والعدول عن اسم الجلالة إلى وصف لأن له مزيد مناسبة للغرض الذي الكلام فيه إيماء إلى أن تشريفه إياه بالنبوءة من آثار صفة ربوبيته له لأن وصف الربّ مؤذن بالعناية والإِبلاغ إلى الكمال . وأجري على الرب صفة { العَزِيزِ } لإِبطال تدخلهم في تصرفاته ، وصفة { الوَهَّابِ } لإِبطال جعلهم الحرمان من الخير تابعاً لرغباتهم دون موادة الله تعالى .و { العزيز } : الذي لا يغلبه شيء ، و { الوهاب } : الكثير المواهب فإن النبوءة رحمة عظيمة فلا يخول إعطاؤها إلا لشديد العزة وافر الموهبة .

{ أَمْ عِنْدَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ } فيعطون منها من شاءوا، ويمنعون منها من شاءوا، حيث قالوا: { أَءُنزِلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكْرُ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا } أي: هذا فضله تعالى ورحمته، وليس ذلك بأيديهم حتى يتحجروا على اللّه.

قوله تعالى : أم عندهم خزائن رحمة ربك العزيز الوهاب قيل : أم لهم هذا فيمنعوا محمدا - عليه السلام - مما أنعم الله - عز وجل - به عليه من النبوة . و " أم " قد ترد بمعنى التقريع إذا كان الكلام متصلا بكلام قبله ، كقوله تعالى : الم تنزيل الكتاب لا ريب فيه من رب العالمين أم يقولون افتراه [ ص: 138 ] وقد قيل إن قوله : أم عندهم خزائن رحمة ربك متصل بقوله : وعجبوا أن جاءهم منذر منهم فالمعنى أن الله - عز وجل - يرسل من يشاء ; لأن خزائن السماوات والأرض له .

God’s blessing of guidance is not meted out in such a way that one who is favoured with worldly greatness is also granted God’s guidance. If worldly greatness were enough to make people great in the eyes of God, it would have become possible for them to confer God’s grace on anybody they liked, while withholding blessings from all others. But the fact is that God bestows His grace by His own standards and not by those laid down by human beings on the basis of appearances.

In verse 6, it was said: وَانطَلَقَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْهُمْ أَنِ امْشُوا وَاصْبِرُ‌وا عَلَىٰ آلِهَتِكُمْ (And the leaders among them went forth saying (to their followers)," Walk away (from the Prophet) and stay firm on (adhering to) your gods - 12). This is pointing out to the event mentioned above that, once they heard the call to pure monotheism (tauhid), they left the meeting.

(Or are theirs the treasures of the mercy of thy Lord, the Mighty, the Bestower) He says: or do they have in their hands prophethood and the Scriptures such that they bestow them upon whomever they wish, when He is the Mighty in retribution against whoever does not believe in Him, the Bestower Who has bestowed prophethood and the Scripture upon Muhammad (pbuh)?