Surah Fussilat (41) — Ayah 4

(Ayah 4) ➊ { بَشِيْرًا وَّ نَذِيْرًا:} This is the fourth and fifth attribute, that this Book gives glad tidings of the best outcome in both worlds, this world and the Hereafter, to those who believe, and warns the deniers of the worst outcome in this world and the Hereafter.

➋ { فَاَعْرَضَ اَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوْنَ:} After mentioning the attributes of the Noble Qur’an, the reaction of people to it is described, that most of them turned away, so they do not listen. Here, “most” refers to the disbelievers. Not listening means that they do not listen at all, rather they get up from the gathering (see: Saad: 6), or they put their fingers in their ears and cover themselves with their garments (see: Nuh: 7), or they make noise and commotion so that neither do they listen themselves nor let anyone else listen, as is mentioned in verse (26) of this Surah Ha Meem As-Sajdah. Not listening also means that they do not accept it, because if they are not going to accept, then listening or not listening is the same, as He said: «وَ لَقَدْ ذَرَاْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيْرًا مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَ الْاِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوْبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُوْنَ بِهَا وَ لَهُمْ اَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُوْنَ بِهَا وَ لَهُمْ اٰذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُوْنَ بِهَا اُولٰٓىِٕكَ كَالْاَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ اَضَلُّ اُولٰٓىِٕكَ هُمُ الْغٰفِلُوْنَ » [ الأعراف : ۱۷۹ ] “And surely, We have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle, rather they are more astray. They are the heedless ones.” And in the next verse of this Surah: « وَ قَالُوْا قُلُوْبُنَا فِيْۤ اَكِنَّةٍ مِّمَّا تَدْعُوْنَاۤ اِلَيْهِ وَ فِيْۤ اٰذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَّ مِنْۢ بَيْنِنَا وَ بَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ اِنَّنَا عٰمِلُوْنَ» [ حٰمٓ السجدۃ : ۵ ] “And they said: Our hearts are in coverings from that to which you call us, and in our ears is a heaviness, and between us and you is a barrier, so do (as you will), indeed, we are doing (as we will).”

➌ Regarding the majority of people, the Noble Qur’an said: « اَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ » [ البقرۃ : ۱۰۰ ] “Most of them do not believe.” And He said: «اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ» [ الأنعام : ۳۷ ] “Most of them do not know.” And He said: « اَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُوْنَ » [الأنعام : ۱۱۱ ] “Most of them act ignorantly.” And He said: « وَ لَا تَجِدُ اَكْثَرَهُمْ شٰكِرِيْنَ» [الأعراف : ۱۷ ] “And you will not find most of them grateful.” And He said: « وَ اِنْ وَّجَدْنَاۤ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَفٰسِقِيْنَ» [ الأعراف : ۱۰۲ ] “And indeed, We found most of them defiantly disobedient.” And He said: «وَ مَا يَتَّبِعُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ اِلَّا ظَنًّا » [ یونس : ۳۶ ] “And most of them follow nothing but assumption.” And He said: « وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُوْنَ» [ یونس : ۶۰ ] “But most of them are not grateful.” And He said: « وَ مَا يُؤْمِنُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ بِاللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَ هُمْ مُّشْرِكُوْنَ» [ یوسف : ۱۰۶ ] “And most of them do not believe in Allah except while they associate partners with Him.” And He said: « اِنَّ فِيْ ذٰلِكَ لَاٰيَةً وَ مَا كَانَ اَكْثَرُهُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ» [ الشعراء : ۸ ] “Indeed, in that is surely a great sign, but most of them were not believers.” Whereas regarding the believers and grateful servants, He said that they are very few, as He said: « اِلَّا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَ قَلِيْلٌ مَّا هُمْ » [ صٓ : ۲۴ ] “Except those who believed and did righteous deeds, and they are very few.” And He said: « وَ قَلِيْلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُوْرُ» [ سبا : ۱۳ ] “And few of My servants are truly grateful.” From these verses, the reality of the disbelievers’ prevailing system of democracy becomes clear, whose foundation is on the majority of the people, whether they are Muslims or disbelievers, righteous or defiantly disobedient. Then this majority is also given the authority to make constitutions and laws, whether they are in accordance with Allah’s religion or in conflict with it. That is why the disbelievers of the world use all their efforts to establish democracy in all Muslim countries, because through this they can prevent the commands of Allah and His Messenger from being implemented in these countries and can maintain their own influence.

4. 1. The bearer of glad tidings of success and Paradise for those who possess faith and righteous deeds, and the warner of the punishment of the Fire for the polytheists and deniers.

4. 2. That is, they do not listen with the intention of reflection, contemplation, and reasoning, from which they could benefit. That is why the majority of them are deprived of guidance.

4. A bringer of glad tidings and a warner [2], yet most of them turn away and do not listen.

[2]
Mention of Four Attributes of the Quran:

These are introductory verses in which some attributes of the Quran are mentioned to introduce it. Its first attribute is that it is neither the word of Muhammad (ﷺ) himself nor of any other person, but rather it is revealed from that Being who is the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. He is extremely kind to His creation, and it is a demand of His mercy that He has sent down such a great blessing as the Quran for the success and prosperity of His servants. And if someone does not benefit from this blessing, then he is extremely ungrateful and unappreciative. The second attribute of this Book is that its verses have been explained in detail. They have been presented repeatedly in new ways so that there remains no ambiguity, no complexity, and no confusion in understanding. Furthermore, hundreds of different subjects have been presented completely distinct from one another. Its third attribute is that this Quran is in the Arabic language, so that there is no difficulty in reading, teaching, understanding, or explaining it, and so that the nation has no excuse for misunderstanding. However, only those people can benefit from it who are people of knowledge and wisdom. Those who stubbornly persist in ignorance cannot benefit from it. Its fourth attribute is that this Book is neither a product of fanciful imagination nor a specimen of literary composition, but rather it is warning the entire world that the results of accepting its teachings are magnificent, and the consequences of rejecting them are extremely dreadful.