al-Amīn (the Trustworthy). They called him that and trusted him so fully that they appointed him to arbitrate the placement of the Black Stone in the Kaaba. When they rebuilt the Kaaba and reached the level of the Stone, they asked, “Who will set the Stone in place?” They disputed among themselves, each tribe saying, “We will be the ones to place the Stone in its position.” Then the Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—arrived, and they appointed him to arbitrate between them. He instructed them to lay out a cloak and have each tribe take hold of one of its edges so that they could lift the Stone. When they had brought it level with its place, he took it with his noble hand and set it in position. (1)

Thus, they used to call him the Trustworthy. But when Allah Most High honored him with prophethood, their standards were reversed, and they began calling him a magician, a soothsayer, a poet, a madman, and a liar. They assailed him with every insult. The Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was charged with reminding, and his only duty was to remind.

From this we learn that guidance is in Allah’s hand. We cannot guide even those closest to us: “Indeed, you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills” [al-Qasas: 56]. We should therefore not despair when we remind someone only to find him stubbornly resisting, arguing, or saying, “I will do whatever I please,” or something similar. Allah Most High said to His Prophet: “Perhaps you would destroy yourself with grief because they will not become believers” [al-Shu'arā': 3]. Do not destroy yourself if they do not believe. Their faith is for their own benefit, and their disbelief is not your burden.

Hence He said: “You are not over them a controller.” This means that you have neither authority nor control over them. Authority belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Your duty is to convey the message, so convey it; sovereign authority and control belong to Allah—Glorious and Exalted.

“Except whoever turns away and disbelieves—Allah will punish him with the greatest punishment.” The scholars said that “except” here means “but”; that is, the exception in this verse is disconnected, not connected. The difference is that, in a connected exception, the excepted element belongs to the same category as that from which the exception is made, whereas in a disconnected exception it does not. If, for example, we were to regard it as connected, the meaning of the verse would be—