until Muhammad ﷺ; for no messenger was ever sent to the Arabs after Ishmael except his descendant, Muhammad ﷺ.

Question: In the verse the word “warner” – is he someone chosen from among them, or merely sent to them?

Answer: From among them. Although the call of Abraham, peace be upon him, and the appeals of the earlier prophets had reached them, no messenger of their own lineage was commissioned except Muhammad ﷺ. Allah says, “Their forefathers had never been warned, so they were heedless” (Yā Sīn 6).

“The word has indeed been fulfilled against most of them” (Yā Sīn 7) means that punishment became inevitable for them because of their disbelief, their stubborn rejection of this Messenger ﷺ, and their refusal to heed his summons. The decree of torment thus came into effect and they will not believe.

“Indeed, We have placed shackles around their necks up to the chins, so their heads are forced upward. And We have set a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them so they cannot see. It is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them—they will not believe. You can only warn those who follow the Reminder and fear the Most Merciful in the unseen” (Yā Sīn 8–11).

All of these verses up to the words “You can only warn…” describe the obstinate ones who recognized the truth and to whom the message had arrived, yet they waxed arrogant, clung to the worship of idols and the religion of their forefathers, and showed indifference to the truth brought by this Messenger ﷺ. Therefore Allah—magnified and exalted—sealed their hearts as a punishment; the sentence of torment became binding upon them and there is no escape. Their inner sight was blinded. Their likeness is that of a man whose hands are chained to his neck, his head forced upward, walking between two barriers: if he advances he trips over the barrier before him, and if he retreats he strikes the barrier behind him. Thus several impediments converge upon him: