Topic: Message Is Only By Divine Command
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وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ أَزْوَٰجًا وَذُرِّيَّةً ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَن يَأْتِىَ بِـَٔايَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ كِتَابٌ
14:12; 40:79.
14:12; 40:79.
14:12; 40:79.
Commentary:
Disbelievers objected that the Holy Prophet had come without any worldly resources. The verse under comment replies to this objection by stating that earlier Prophets were also without any worldly resources. They, like him, had their physical needs and requirements. They, too, had wives and children whom they had to support and look after and had their duties to perform. Yet in spite of all the impediments and obstacles in their way and in spite of their physical needs and requirements and of the absence of material resources, they succeeded and triumphed. So shall the Holy Prophet.
The verse also makes it clear that signs of punishment are certainly shown to disbelievers but not at the time and in the form in which they demand them. The form and time of signs are determined by God alone, for they are shown only "by the command of Allah."
It may be asked here what, if God raised Messengers for the reformation of man, prevented Him from delegating to these Messengers the power of punishment, particularly when He knew that Signs would be demanded of them by their opponents and also when even earthly governments invest their officials with certain magisterial powers? Again, if God had invested His Prophets with the power to punish the people, it would have at least this advantage that the people would have feared and respected them and dared not oppose them. The Quran answers this question in the words, For every term there is a divine decree, which means that, as it is God Who determines the nature and form of each punishment and the time of its occurrence and He alone, being All-Knowing, knows in what form and at what time the sending down of a certain punishment will prove beneficial to the people, the power of punishing cannot be delegated to any other person. For if that delegation can at all be fair and useful, it must be accompanied by the delegation of many other divine powers, which is simply unthinkable. The infliction of punishment, therefore, could not be entrusted to the Prophets or to anybody else.
a
14:12; 40:79.
a
14:12; 40:79.
1649
Commentary:
Disbelievers objected that the Holy Prophet had come without any worldly resources. The verse under comment replies to this objection by stating that earlier Prophets were also without any worldly resources. They, like him, had their physical needs and requirements. They, too, had wives and children whom they had to support and look after and had their duties to perform. Yet in spite of all the impediments and obstacles in their way and in spite of their physical needs and requirements and of the absence of material resources, they succeeded and triumphed. So shall the Holy Prophet.
The verse also makes it clear that signs of punishment are certainly shown to disbelievers but not at the time and in the form in which they demand them. The form and time of signs are determined by God alone, for they are shown only "by the command of Allah."
It may be asked here what, if God raised Messengers for the reformation of man, prevented Him from delegating to these Messengers the power of punishment, particularly when He knew that Signs would be demanded of them by their opponents and also when even earthly governments invest their officials with certain magisterial powers? Again, if God had invested His Prophets with the power to punish the people, it would have at least this advantage that the people would have feared and respected them and dared not oppose them. The Quran answers this question in the words, For every term there is a divine decree, which means that, as it is God Who determines the nature and form of each punishment and the time of its occurrence and He alone, being All-Knowing, knows in what form and at what time the sending down of a certain punishment will prove beneficial to the people, the power of punishing cannot be delegated to any other person. For if that delegation can at all be fair and useful, it must be accompanied by the delegation of many other divine powers, which is simply unthinkable. The infliction of punishment, therefore, could not be entrusted to the Prophets or to anybody else.
c
14:12; 40:79.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا يَلِجُ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا وَمَا يَنزِلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَمَا يَعْرُجُ فِيهَا ۖ وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ
دیکھئے سورۃ سبا آیت۳ نوٹ۳۔
7:55; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5.
34:3.
The meaning is that God alone knows when a particular Divine Teaching is needed for a particular people; also when to take it back to heaven, i.e. to abrogate it, when it is corrupted and ceases to fulfil the spiritual needs of the people to whom it is given. And He alone knows when to reveal a new Teaching.
7:55; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5.
34:3
Commentary:
For a detailed note on the first part of this verse see7:55; 10:4 and 41:10-11, and for the latter part see 34:3. The six periods or stages of evolution referred to in the verse may be those of the ether, nebula, electrons, minerals, plants and animals. Very briefly, the verse may signify that after God had created the heavens and the earth in six periods or stages, He began to control and govern the universe through set laws, and that as He made provision for the physical sustenance and development of man, so did He make similar provision for his spiritual evolution. But God alone knew when a particular divine teaching was needed for a particular people; also when to take it back to heaven, i.e. to abrogate it, when it was corrupted and ceased to fulfil the spiritual needs of the people to whom it was given. And He alone knew when to reveal a new teaching. And now that God has revealed the Quran, He will be with the Muslims wheresoever they may be because to them is entrusted the preaching of the last Divine Message.
d
7:55; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5.
e
34:3.
1401
意思是, 只有安拉才知道哪一个民族需要哪一条安拉的教导; 也只有安拉才知道什么时候把他们领进天园, 即当这教导不再满足人们的精神需要时取消它。只有安拉才知道什么时候启示一条新教导。
1
دیکھئے سورۃ سبا آیت۳ نوٹ۳۔
b
7:55; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5.
c
34:3
4149
Commentary:
For a detailed note on the first part of this verse see7:55; 10:4 and 41:10-11, and for the latter part see 34:3. The six periods or stages of evolution referred to in the verse may be those of the ether, nebula, electrons, minerals, plants and animals. Very briefly, the verse may signify that after God had created the heavens and the earth in six periods or stages, He began to control and govern the universe through set laws, and that as He made provision for the physical sustenance and development of man, so did He make similar provision for his spiritual evolution. But God alone knew when a particular divine teaching was needed for a particular people; also when to take it back to heaven, i.e. to abrogate it, when it was corrupted and ceased to fulfil the spiritual needs of the people to whom it was given. And He alone knew when to reveal a new teaching. And now that God has revealed the Quran, He will be with the Muslims wheresoever they may be because to them is entrusted the preaching of the last Divine Message.
a
7:55; 11:8; 25:60; 32:5.
b
34:3.
2987
The meaning is that God alone knows when a particular Divine Teaching is needed for a particular people; also when to take it back to heaven, i.e. to abrogate it, when it is corrupted and ceases to fulfil the spiritual needs of the people to whom it is given. And He alone knows when to reveal a new Teaching.