“They have no knowledge of it, nor did their forefathers. How monstrous is the word that comes out of their mouths! They utter nothing but a lie. * Perhaps you will destroy yourself with grief over them if they do not believe in this message.”
“How monstrous is the word that comes out of their mouths!” That is, its hideousness is immense and the punishment it incurs is severe. What could be more hideous than describing Him as having taken a child (1)—a claim that implies imperfection in Him, that another shares with Him the exclusive attributes of lordship and divinity, and that a lie is being told about Him? “And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah?” Hence He says here: “They utter nothing but a lie”—that is, sheer falsehood containing not the slightest trace of truth.
Observe how He refutes this claim by stages, moving from one ground of invalidity to another that demonstrates its falsehood even more conclusively. First, He states: “They have no knowledge of it, nor did their forefathers.” Making claims about Allah without knowledge is unquestionably forbidden and false. Second, He states that it is a vile and hideous assertion: “How monstrous is the word that comes out of their mouths!” Third, He identifies its degree of vileness: it is a lie, the very opposite of truth.
Since the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was deeply concerned to guide people and strove his utmost to do so, he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—would rejoice and be delighted when people embraced guidance, and grieve and sorrow over the deniers who went astray, out of the compassion and mercy he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—felt for them. Allah therefore instructed him not to preoccupy himself with sorrow over those who would not believe in this Quran. As He says in another verse: “Perhaps you will destroy yourself because they will not become believers.” He also says: “So do not let yourself waste away in sorrow over them.” Here He says: “Perhaps you will destroy yourself,” meaning: kill yourself through anguish and sorrow over them.
Your reward is already assured by Allah. Had Allah known any good in these people, He would have guided them; but He knew that they were fit only for the Fire. He therefore withheld His aid from them, and they were not guided. Preoccupying yourself with anguish and sorrow over them will bring you no benefit.
This verse and others like it contain a lesson. Anyone commanded to call people to Allah must convey the message, pursue every means that leads to guidance, and block the paths of error and misguidance to the fullest extent possible, while relying upon Allah throughout. If they are guided, that is well and good; otherwise, he must neither grieve nor sorrow, for doing so weakens the spirit, saps one’s strength, and achieves nothing. Rather, he should continue performing the task assigned to him and toward which he has been directed. Whatever lies beyond that is outside his power.
If even the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is told by Allah, “Indeed, you do not guide whom you love,” while Moses—peace be upon him—says, “My Lord, I have no power over anyone except myself and my brother,” to the end of the verse, then this applies even more emphatically to everyone else. The Exalted says: “So remind them, for you are only one who reminds. You have no power to compel them.”