has in him a fine example. Yet when there is an indication that the address is intended exclusively for the Messenger ﷺ—such as His words, “Have We not expanded your breast for you?” (al-Sharḥ 1), or His words, “By the morning brightness, and by the night when it grows still; your Lord has neither forsaken you nor detested you” (al-Ḍuḥā 1–3)—then that address is confined to the Messenger ﷺ alone.

As for the second category, take His words: “O Prophet, why do you forbid yourself what Allah has made lawful for you?” (al-Taḥrīm 1); this is meant for him and for his nation. Likewise, “O Prophet, when you divorce women, divorce them at the onset of their waiting period” (al-Ṭalāq 1); this is for him and his nation. And His statement, “O Messenger, convey whatever has been revealed to you from your Lord” (al-Māʾidah 67); this too is for him and for his nation, as he ﷺ said: “Convey from me.”

Thus Allah, exalted is He, says to His Messenger, “Proclaim openly what you have been commanded” (al-Ḥijr 94)—that is, make manifest what you are ordered to convey and clarify it, allowing no critic’s reproach to deter you for Allah’s sake. This injunction applies to him and to his community alike: the entire ummah must boldly proclaim whatever Allah has commanded—enjoining it upon the people—and must boldly proclaim whatever He has forbidden—prohibiting it to the people, for forbidding something is itself a command to abandon it. “Proclaim openly what you have been commanded and turn away from the polytheists” (al-Ḥijr 94), meaning: pay them no mind—neither their present state nor any harm that may come from them. Do not grieve over their unbelief, as Allah the Exalted said, “Perhaps you would destroy yourself in sorrow over them if they do not believe in this discourse” (al-Kahf 6),

and, “Perhaps you would kill yourself because they are not believers” (ash-Shuʿarāʾ 3)—that is, you might ruin yourself