(13–30) “Set forth for them the example of the people of the town, when the messengers came to it,” to the end of the account.
That is: Set forth for those who deny your messengership and reject your call an example from which they may take heed and which may serve as an admonition to them, if they are granted success in accepting good. That example is the people of the town: how they rejected Allah’s messengers and what befell them of His punishment and chastisement.
Had there been any benefit in identifying that town, Allah would have identified it. Delving into this and similar matters is therefore a form of affectation and speaking without knowledge. When someone discusses such matters, you will find so much confusion, muddling, and disagreement in his words that no firm conclusion can be reached. From this you will recognize that the path of sound knowledge consists in adhering to established facts and refraining from matters that offer no benefit. Through this, the soul is purified and knowledge increases. Yet the ignorant person imagines that knowledge is increased by citing opinions for which there is neither evidence nor proof and from which no benefit is gained except a confused mind and familiarity with doubtful matters.
The point is that Allah made this town an example for those being addressed. “When the messengers came to it” ⦗694⦘ from Allah Most High, commanding its people to worship Allah alone and devote their religion sincerely to Him, and forbidding them from polytheism and acts of disobedience.
“When We sent two to them, but they rejected them both, so We strengthened them with a third.” That is, We reinforced the two with a third, making them three messengers. This was out of Allah’s concern for those people and to establish the proof against them through the successive arrival of messengers. “They said” to them, “Indeed, we have been sent to you.” The people answered them with the response that has always been common among those who reject the messengers’ call: “You are nothing but human beings like us.” That is, what makes you superior to us, and why have you been singled out instead of us? The messengers said to their peoples: “We are only human beings like you, but Allah bestows His favor upon whomever He wills of His servants.”
“The Most Merciful has not sent down anything.” That is, they first denied messengership altogether and then denied the particular men addressing them, saying, “You are only lying.”
These three messengers said, “Our Lord knows that we have indeed been sent to you.” Had we been liars, Allah (1) would have exposed our disgrace and swiftly punished us.
“Our duty is only to convey the message clearly.” That is, to convey it in a manner that plainly explains what needs to be made clear. Anything beyond this—such as the signs demanded at whim or the swift arrival of punishment—is not for us to bring. We have fulfilled our duty of clear conveyance and explained the message to you. If you accept guidance, it will be to your benefit and by the success granted to you; but if you go astray, we have no control over the matter.
The people of the town said to their messengers, “We regard you as an evil omen.” That is, since your arrival among us and your association with us, we have seen nothing but evil. This is among the strangest of all things: they regarded one who came to them bearing the greatest blessing that Allah bestows upon His servants, the greatest honor He grants them, and something they needed more urgently than anything else, as having brought an evil worse than the evil they already practiced, and they took his arrival as an ill omen. Yet divine abandonment and lack of enabling grace can do to a person far worse than what (2) his enemy can do to him.
They then threatened the messengers, saying, “If you do not desist, we will surely stone you”—that is, we will stone you to death, the most hideous manner of killing—“and a painful punishment from us will surely afflict you.”
Their messengers replied, “Your evil omen lies with yourselves.” It consists of the polytheism and evil within them, which necessarily bring about adversity and punishment and cause the loss of what is loved and of blessings. “Is it because you have been reminded?” That is, is it because we reminded you of what would secure your welfare and benefit that you said such things to us?
“Rather, you are a people who transgress all bounds”—exceeding every limit and speaking recklessly. Thus [their call] only increased the people’s aversion and arrogance.
“There came from the farthest end of the city a man, hurrying,” eager to counsel his people. He had heard what the messengers were calling to, believed in it, and learned how his people had responded to them. He therefore said [to them], “My people, follow the messengers.” He instructed them to follow the messengers, sincerely urged them to do so, and testified that they were truly messengers.
He then gave further support for his testimony and his call, saying, “Follow those who ask no payment of you.” That is, follow those whose sincere counsel brings good back to you and who do not [seek your wealth or any payment for counseling and guiding you. These qualities warrant following anyone so described. It remains] to be said that perhaps a person calls others and takes no payment, yet is not upon the truth. He forestalled this reservation with the words, “and they are rightly guided,” for they call only to what sound reason recognizes as good and forbid only what sound reason recognizes as evil.
It was as though his people did not accept his counsel but instead turned upon him, reproaching him for following the messengers and devoting his religion sincerely to Allah alone. He said, “Why should I not worship the One who created me, and to Him you will be returned?” That is, what could prevent me from worshipping the One who alone deserves worship? He is the One who brought me into being, created me, and provided for me, and to Him all creation will ultimately return, whereupon He will recompense them for their deeds. The One in whose hand are creation, provision, and judgment between His servants in this world and the Hereafter is the One who deserves to be worshipped, praised, and glorified—not those who possess neither benefit nor harm, neither the power to give nor to withhold, and neither life, death, nor resurrection.
He therefore said, “Should I take gods besides Him? If the Most Merciful intends harm for me, their intercession will be of no avail to me.” No one can intercede with Allah except by His permission, so their intercession would avail me nothing, “nor can they rescue me” from the harm Allah intends for me.
“Then indeed I would be”—if I worshipped gods of this description—“in manifest error.” In this statement, he combined sincere counsel to his people, testimony that the messengers were truly sent and rightly guided, a declaration of the necessity (3) of worshipping Allah alone, and the evidence for it. He also affirmed the falsity of worshipping anyone besides Him and cited the proofs of that falsity; declared that whoever worshipped such gods was astray; and openly proclaimed his faith despite his intense fear that they would kill him. He said, “Indeed, I believe in your Lord, so listen to me.” His people killed him after hearing his words and the response he gave them.
He was immediately told, “Enter Paradise.” Informing them of the honor he had attained because of his affirmation of Allah’s oneness and his sincere devotion, and continuing to counsel his people after his death just as he had counseled them during his life, he said, “If only my people knew how my Lord has forgiven me”—that is, by what means He forgave me and removed every kind of punishment from me—“and made me one of the honored,” ⦗695⦘ granting me every kind of reward and delight. In other words, had knowledge of this reached their hearts, they would not have persisted in their polytheism.