(145) “Even if you brought those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your direction of prayer. Nor will you follow their direction of prayer, nor will any of them follow the direction of prayer of the others. And if you were to follow their desires after the knowledge that has come to you, you would then certainly be among the wrongdoers.”
So great was the Prophet’s concern to guide people that he offered them the utmost counsel within his power, sought to guide them with gentleness, and grieved when they did not submit to Allah’s command. Yet among the disbelievers were those who rebelled against Allah’s command, behaved arrogantly toward His messengers, and deliberately and wrongfully abandoned guidance. These included the Jews and Christians, the recipients of the earlier Scripture, who disbelieved in Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) knowingly, not out of ignorance. Allah Most High therefore informed him that even if you “brought those who were given the Scripture every sign”—that is, every proof and evidence clarifying what you say and explaining that to which you call—“they would not follow your direction of prayer”; that is, they would not follow you, for following his direction of prayer is an indication of following him, and the direction of prayer is the particular issue under discussion. This is because they are obstinate: they recognized the truth and then abandoned it. Signs benefit only those who seek the truth while it remains unclear to them; the manifest signs then make it clear. As for one who has firmly resolved not to follow the truth, there is no remedy for him.
Moreover, they themselves are divided: some do not follow the direction of prayer of others. It is therefore hardly surprising that they do not follow your direction of prayer, O Muhammad, for they are truly hostile and envious. His statement, “Nor will you follow their direction of prayer,” is more emphatic than saying, “Do not follow,” because it indicates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was firmly characterized by opposition to them, so following them could never occur on his part. Nor did He say, “Even if they brought every sign,” because they have no evidence for their claims.
Likewise, once the truth has been established by conclusive proofs, it is not necessary to answer every specious objection raised against it, for such objections are endless. Their falsity is already known, since anything that contradicts the evident truth is false. Refuting such objections is therefore beyond what is required.
“And if you were to follow their desires”—He said “their desires,” not “their religion,” because what they follow is nothing but the whims(1) of the self. Even within their hearts, they know that it is not a religion. Whoever abandons religion inevitably follows desire. Allah Most High says, “Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god?”
“After the knowledge that has come to you”—the knowledge that you are upon the truth while they are upon falsehood—“you would then,” meaning if you followed them. This qualification ensures that the sentence is not understood as disconnected from what precedes it, even in the minds of its hearers. “Certainly be among the wrongdoers”—that is, included among them and counted as one of their number. What wrongdoing could be greater than that of someone who knows truth from falsehood yet chooses falsehood over truth? Although this address is directed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), his nation is also included. Furthermore, if he—far be it from him—would become a wrongdoer by doing so, despite his lofty rank and his many good deeds(2), then this applies all the more emphatically to anyone else.