⦗22⦘ “Say: No one can protect me from Allah.”

That is, no one whose protection I might seek can save me from Allah’s punishment. If the Messenger—the most perfect of creation—has no power to cause harm or bring guidance, and cannot protect himself from Allah in any way should He intend harm for him, then this is even more certainly true of every other created being.

“Nor will I find any refuge or protector apart from Him.”

“My only task is to convey from Allah and deliver His messages.” That is, I possess no distinction over other people except that Allah has specially entrusted me with conveying His messages and calling creation to Allah. By this (1), the proof is established against people.

“Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger will have the Fire of Hell, remaining there forever.” What is meant here is disobedience that constitutes disbelief, as other definitive texts have qualified it.

Mere disobedience, however, does not necessitate remaining in the Fire forever, as is demonstrated by the verses of the Quran and the hadiths of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and as unanimously affirmed by the early generations and leading scholars of this nation.

“Until, when they see what they have been promised”—that is, when they witness it with their own eyes and become certain that it will befall them—“they will truly know who has weaker supporters and is fewer in number.” This will occur when no one else aids them, they cannot defend themselves, and they are gathered individually, just as they were created the first time.

“Say” to them, if they ask you, saying, “When is this promise?”: “I do not know whether what you are promised is near or whether my Lord has appointed for it a distant term.” That is, a far-off limit. Knowledge of this rests with Allah.

“He is the Knower of the unseen and does not disclose His unseen to anyone” among creation. He alone possesses knowledge of what hearts conceal, of secrets, and of the unseen. ⦗892⦘ “Except a messenger whom He has chosen.” That is, He informs him of whatever His wisdom requires Him to disclose. This is because the messengers are unlike all others: Allah supported them with aid unlike that granted to any other created being, and He protected what He revealed to them until they conveyed it exactly as it was, without the devils throwing them into confusion; nor (2) could they add anything to it or omit anything from it. Hence He said: “He stations watchmen before and behind him.” That is, they guard him at Allah’s command, “so that He may know that they have delivered the messages of their Lord,” through the means He provided for them. “He encompasses all that is with them”—that is, all that they possess and all that they conceal or disclose—“and He has counted every single thing.”

This surah contains many lessons. Among them is affirmation of the jinn’s existence and that they are morally accountable: they receive commands, are charged with obligations and prohibitions, and are recompensed for their deeds, as this surah explicitly states.

Another is that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was sent to the jinn just as he was sent to humankind (3). Allah directed a group of jinn to listen to what was being revealed to him and then convey it to their people.

Another is the intelligence of the jinn and their recognition of the truth. What led them to faith was their realization of the Quran’s guidance. The surah also demonstrates their excellent manners in speech.

Another is Allah’s care for His Messenger and His preservation of the message he brought. When the first signs of his prophethood appeared, heaven was guarded by stars, the devils were driven from their customary places and forced away from their observation posts, and through him Allah bestowed upon the earth and its inhabitants a mercy beyond measure. Their Lord intended guidance for them and willed to make manifest upon earth such knowledge of His religion, His law, and Himself as would delight hearts, bring joy to people of understanding, make the rites of Islam manifest, and subdue the worshippers of idols and images.

Another is the intense eagerness of the jinn to listen to the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and how they crowded around him.

Another is that this surah commands that Allah alone be worshipped, forbids associating partners with Him, and explains the condition of created beings: not one of them deserves even the smallest particle of worship. If the Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, has no power to bring anyone benefit or harm—or even to do so for himself—then it is evident that the same is true of all created beings. It is therefore erroneous and mistaken (4) to take one whose condition is such as another god alongside Allah.

Another is that Allah alone possesses knowledge of unseen matters. No created being knows them except one whom Allah has chosen and specially granted (5) knowledge of some part of them.

This completes the commentary on Surah “Say: It Has Been Revealed to Me.” All praise belongs to Allah (6).