Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 17

(Ayah 17) ➊ The meaning of {اَفَمَنْ كَانَ عَلٰى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّهٖ … : ’’ يَتْلُوْهُ ‘‘ ’’ تَلاَ يَتْلُوْ ‘‘} is to come after, by which is meant to support. The commentators have given several explanations of this verse, of which two seem most correct. The clearest and most correct explanation is that: Is the one who is upon a {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} (clear proof) from his Lord—by this is meant the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the believing followers with him. By {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} is meant the signs and evidences of prophethood, and in {’’ يَتْلُوْهُ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ ‘‘} (a witness from Him follows it), {’’ شَاهِدٌ ‘‘} refers to the Noble Qur’an, which is a witness to your truthfulness, and before it, the Book of Musa (peace be upon him) refers to the Torah, which bears witness to your prophethood. The meaning is: Can this Messenger and his followers, who are upon a proof from their Lord, be like those who have neither any proof from their Lord, nor any witness, nor any previous heavenly book to support them? This meaning is said to be the most correct because in this very Surah Hud, almost every prophet said that I am upon a {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} from my Lord. See, Nuh (peace be upon him) said: «{ يٰقَوْمِ اَرَءَيْتُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُ عَلٰى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّيْ وَ اٰتٰىنِيْ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِنْدِهٖ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ اَنُلْزِمُكُمُوْهَا وَ اَنْتُمْ لَهَا كٰرِهُوْنَ }» [ ھود : ۲۸ ] “O my people! Have you considered: if I am upon a (bayyinah) clear proof from my Lord, and He has granted me mercy from Himself, but it has been made obscure to you, shall we force it upon you while you are averse to it?” Salih (peace be upon him) said: «{ يٰقَوْمِ اَرَءَيْتُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُ عَلٰى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّيْ }» [ ھود : ۶۳ ] Shu’ayb (peace be upon him) said: «{ يٰقَوْمِ اَرَءَيْتُمْ اِنْ كُنْتُ عَلٰى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّنْ رَّبِّيْ }» [ ھود : ۸۸ ] In short, every prophet kept saying that I am upon a {’’بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} from my Lord, because Allah Almighty would send every prophet with a clear sign of his prophethood, and the miracle of the Noble Qur’an, the like of which no one could produce even a single surah, is a witness from Allah for you. Likewise, the Torah is also a witness to your truth.
The second explanation is that by {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} is meant sound intellect and the pure nature upon which man has been created, and that is the covenant of {’’اَلَسْتُ‘‘} upon which every person has been made a witness over himself, and that is the oneness of Allah and recognition of his Lord, as He said: «{ اَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ }» [الأعراف : ۱۷۲ ] “Am I not your Lord?” And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ كُلُّ مَوْلُوْدٍ يُوْلَدُ عَلَی الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ أَوْ يُنَصِّرَانِهِ أَوْ يُمَجِّسَانِهِ ] [ بخاری، الجنائز، باب ما قیل فی أولاد المشرکین : ۱۳۸۵ ] “Every child is born upon the fitrah (Islam), then his parents make him a Jew, Christian, or Magian.” That is, are those who are established upon pure nature, use sound intellect, and along with that, a witness from Allah has come to them, i.e., the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) or the Qur’an, and before it the Torah also bears witness, which was both a guide and a mercy—are these people like those who have neither any {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} from their Lord, nor any witness from Him, nor any testimony from a previous heavenly book? Never! A believer and a disbeliever can never be the same.
➋ { اُولٰٓىِٕكَ يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهٖ :} That is, these people established upon the {’’ بَيِّنَةٍ ‘‘} believe in this Messenger.
➌ { وَ مَنْ يَّكْفُرْ بِهٖ مِنَ الْاَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهٗ:} And whoever disbelieves in it, whether he belongs to any group—Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.—his abode is the Fire, as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ وَالَّذِيْ نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهٖ ! لاَ يَسْمَعُ بِيْ أَحَدٌ مِّنْ هٰذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ يَهُوْدِيٌّ وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ ثُمَّ يَمُوْتُ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِيْ اُرْسِلْتُ بِهٖ إِلاَّ كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ ] [ مسلم، الإیمان، باب وجوب الإیمان برسالۃ نبینا محمد صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم … : ۱۵۳ ، عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] “By Him in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! There is none from this ummah (of invitation), whether Jew or Christian, who hears about me and then dies without believing in what I was sent with, except that he will be among the people of the Fire.” The polytheists and nominal Muslims, who do not accept your messengership in their hearts, are also included among them. See also Surah al-Baqarah (62) and al-Nisa’ (150–152).
➍ { فَلَا تَكُ فِيْ مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ:} Apparently, the address is to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but the intent is every person of reason.
➎ { وَ لٰكِنَّ اَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ :} The state of the majority has been mentioned many times in the Qur’an, for example, see Surah Yusuf (103), al-An’am (116), and Saba’ (20). Those who equate the religion of democracy with the religion of Islam should reflect.