Surah Yunus (10) — Ayah 104

(Ayah 104) {قُلْ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِيْ شَكٍّ …:} The meaning of doubt is that in the mind, the possibility of something being true or false is equal; if this mental state is weighed on a scale, one cannot call it true nor false. Now, addressing all the people of the world, it is said: {’’ اِنْ ‘‘} If you have any doubt about my religion. The word "if" indicates that there is no room for doubt, but suppose you do have some doubt, then listen to my declaration: I do not worship any of your deities except the one Allah. Here, it is noteworthy that before the worship of Allah, all false deities are denied, as in «{قُلْ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْكٰفِرُوْنَ }», then the worship of only one Allah is proclaimed, and along with it, its reasoning is mentioned: «{الَّذِيْ يَتَوَفّٰىكُمْ }» "He who seizes your souls." See also Surah Az-Zumar (42). If any other deity does this work, then bring it forth. Along with this, there is also a warning that if you persist in shirk, then what answer will you give to that Allah who seizes your souls, and in every situation, you have to return to Him alone; then He will deal with you, and I have only been commanded to remain a believer and not to bow my forehead before anyone except Him, therefore, my path and yours are entirely different from each other.

14. 1. In this verse, Allah Almighty is commanding His last Prophet, Muhammad Rasulullah ﷺ, to make it clear to all people that my way and the way of the polytheists are different from each other.
14. 2. That is, if you are in doubt about my religion, in which only one Allah is worshipped and this alone is the true religion, not any other, then remember, I will never, under any circumstances, worship those deities whom you worship.
14. 3. That is, life and death are in His hands alone, that is why when He wills, He can destroy you, because the lives of human beings are in His hands.

Say: O people! If you are in doubt about my religion, then I do not worship those whom you worship besides Allah. Rather, I worship Allah alone, the One who causes you [112] to die. And I have been commanded to be among the believers.

[112]
Three Facts About Death:

There are a few undeniable facts about death that no human can deny, whether he is a believer, a polytheist, an atheist, or a materialist. One is that every living being will inevitably face death; no human has ever escaped the grip of death, nor can anyone do so. The second is that when the appointed time of death arrives, it cannot be delayed. And the third is that death is unpleasant for every living being, and no one likes to die. Except that believers are given glad tidings of a better outcome at the time of death, or they are shown their place in Paradise, because of which they become willing to accept death with pleasure and eagerness, as is proven from the hadith of Sayyidah Aishaؓ. And all three of these aspects were also acknowledged by the polytheists of Makkah, especially the fact that their deities cannot delay death, and also that the relationship of life and death is entirely and purely in the control of Allah Almighty alone.

Types of False Deities and Their Helplessness:

The second noteworthy point is that the things which have been considered as deities, fulfillers of needs, and removers of difficulties, can only be of three types. First, imaginary spirits such as jinn, angels, the spirits of various planets or saints; considering such things as deities, fulfillers of needs, and removers of difficulties is based purely on extreme superstitions. Second, inanimate deities such as idols, statues, trees, stones, etc. And third, saints and spiritual leaders, etc. Among these, the inanimate ones are merely objects of superstition. As for the saints and spiritual leaders who are considered fulfillers of needs and removers of difficulties, the question arises: did they save themselves from the grip of something as unpleasant as death, or were they successful in delaying its time? And if they could not remove their own calamity, then how can they remove the calamity of others?

No Deity Except Allah Has Control Over Life and Death:

In this context, the polytheists are being warned, and it is being said through the tongue of the Prophet that you should say to them: I worship only that Being in whose hand is your life. None of your deities has any control over your lives, so why should I not worship that one and only Deity who has complete control over the lives of all of us? The reins of life and death for all of us are purely in His hands, and listen carefully: I can never even think of worshipping such helpless and powerless deities as those whom you worship.