Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 158

(Ayah 158) ➊ {قُلْ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنِّيْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيْعًا …:} That is, my messengership is for all the people of the world and until the Day of Judgment. Both of these points are clearly evident in the meaning of { ’’ جَمِيْعًا ‘‘ }, and the One who has sent me to convey the message of guidance is He who is the King of the heavens and the earth, the only One worthy of worship, and the Owner of life and death. Now, in the case of not believing in me, consider your outcome. The mention of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) being a Messenger for all nations until the Day of Judgment has been stated by Allah Almighty at several places. See Surah Saba (28), Furqan (1), and Ahzab (40). For the explicit statement of the universality of the messengership with the words "wherever it reaches," see Surah An'am (19). For the explicit mention of Arabs and the People of the Book, see Surah Al Imran (20) and other verses.

➋ {فَاٰمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهِ …:} In the previous verse and in this one, the special mention of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as the unlettered Prophet has been made, and in several places in the Noble Qur'an, it has been stated that before prophethood, you were unlettered and completely unaware of the previous books and the reality of faith. Thus, it is said: "You did not know how to write nor did you read before this." [ العنکبوت : ۴۸ ] And it is said: "These are from the news of the unseen. Before this, neither you knew them, nor your people." [ ھود : ۴۹ ] And it is said: "Before revelation, you did not know what the Book is, nor what faith is." [ الشوریٰ : ۵۲ ] Rather, it is said: "You did not even expect that you would be given the Book." [ القصص : ۸۶ ] It is surprising about many people that they accept the Qur'an and yet say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) knew everything even before his birth. Then what remains of the special attribute of being unlettered, that a completely unlettered person became the teacher of all the literate, intellectuals, philosophers, and those who excel in other sciences of the world.

➌ { يُؤْمِنُ بِاللّٰهِ وَ كَلِمٰتِهٖ:} For the mention of the unlimitedness of Allah Almighty's words, see Surah Kahf (109) and Luqman (27).

➍ { لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُوْنَ:} It is understood that now guidance is only in believing in the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and following him, and that is to follow his guidance and footsteps in every aspect of life (whether individual or collective); apart from this, there is no way to guidance. See Surah Najm (3, 4).

158. 1. This verse is also absolutely clear in affirming the universal prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ. In it, Allah Almighty has commanded the Noble Prophet ﷺ to say: O people of the universe! I have been sent as Allah’s Messenger to all of you. Thus, you ﷺ are the savior and Messenger for the entire human race. Now, salvation and guidance are neither in Christianity nor in Judaism, nor in any other religion; if there is salvation and guidance, it is only in adopting Islam and choosing it alone. In this verse as well as in the previous verse, you ﷺ have been called النبی الأمی. This is a special attribute of yours. The meaning of "Ummi" is unlettered, i.e., you did not sit as a student before any teacher, nor did you acquire any kind of education from anyone. Yet, despite this, you ﷺ presented the Noble Qur’an, before whose miraculous eloquence and rhetoric the most eloquent scholars of the world were rendered helpless, and the teachings you presented, their truthfulness and veracity are acknowledged by the world, which is proof that you are truly Allah’s Messenger. Otherwise, an unlettered person could neither present such a Qur’an nor articulate such teachings, which are the best example of justice and fairness and indispensable for the success and prosperity of humanity. Without adopting them, the world cannot attain true peace, tranquility, comfort, and well-being.

158. Say, “O people! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all [159], the One to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words [160], and follow him so that you may be guided.”

[159]
You ﷺ are a Messenger for All People and Until the Day of Judgment:

From this sentence, it is understood that you ﷺ, unlike the previous prophets, were neither a hereditary or national prophet nor a regional one. The scope of your ﷺ preaching encompasses all the people of the world and every single person. Furthermore, you ﷺ are not a prophet for a specific time or era, but rather a prophet until the Day of Judgment, and the mission of your prophethood will continue until the Day of Judgment, because you ﷺ are the Seal of the Prophets. After you ﷺ, no prophet will come from Allah, and if anyone claims prophethood, he will be a liar and a deceiver. Throughout your ﷺ life, you fulfilled the duty of conveying the message of prophethood to the best of your ability. On the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, you ﷺ emphatically placed this responsibility upon the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, that they should convey Allah’s message to those who have not yet received it. Therefore, it is now the responsibility of this Ummah to carry out the task of spreading the message of Islam to every corner of the world, and whatever possible means can be adopted for this work should be utilized.

[160]
The Prophet Himself is the First to Believe in His Own Prophethood:

From this sentence, it is understood that it is obligatory upon every prophet and messenger that he himself is the first to believe in his own prophethood and messengership, and then invite others. And your unlettered Prophet is also the first to have believed in that Allah and His words of guidance and command, Who is the Creator and Owner of the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and is Himself the Owner of your life and death. Other than Him, none is worthy of worship nor is anyone a helper. Therefore, if you seek guidance, then believe in him and continue to follow him.