Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 110

(Ayah 110) ➊ { قُلْ اِنَّمَاۤ اَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ …:} Out of the never-ending words of Allah, all the prophets and our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) brought words, but the disbelievers refused to believe in them because the bringers were human beings. In their view, a human could not be a messenger of Allah. See the exegesis of Surah Ibrahim (11) and Bani Isra'il (94). Look at these blind ones of intellect: they are not ready to accept the best-formed human as Allah's messenger, but they are accepting lifeless stones as deities. Allah Almighty said, say to them that I am nothing but a human like you; I am not a Lord, nor do I have any share in being a Lord, nor am I Knower of the unseen, nor am I the owner of any benefit or harm for myself or for you. Rather, I am only a human like you, a descendant of Adam (peace be upon him). I have parents, a wife and children, and I share with you in the need for food, drink, and countless other things. In birth, childhood, youth, old age, health, sickness, and death, I am just like you. Yes, Allah Almighty has favored me by granting me the honor of revelation to convey His words, whose fundamental principle is the worship of one Allah. So, accept my prophethood and believe in the oneness of Allah.

It should be clear that according to the Noble Qur'an, the messenger is a human whom Allah chooses for messengership. If someone says that a human cannot be a messenger, or says that a messenger cannot be a human, both have the same belief and there is no difference between them. Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) has explained this verse as follows: "Say to these polytheists who deny your messengership that I am only a human like you. Then, whoever thinks I am a liar, let him bring a discourse like the one I have brought. See, I have told you about past events (such as the People of the Cave, Dhul-Qarnayn, etc.) exactly as they happened, without being Knower of the unseen. If Allah had not informed me, I could never have told you." This is also a good explanation.

➋ The meaning of {فَمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُوْا لِقَآءَ رَبِّهٖ … : ’’ يَرْجُوْا ‘‘ ’’رَجَاءٌ‘‘} is hope, and within it is also fear that perhaps the hope may not be fulfilled. Thus, its meaning includes both hope and fear. By highlighting the relationship between the servant and his Lord, it is said that whoever hopes to meet his Lord and see Him, or fears His punishment at the time of meeting, two things are necessary for him: first, that he does righteous deeds, and righteous deeds are those which Allah Almighty has prescribed through His Messenger; everything else is innovation and misguidance. Second, that he does not associate anyone with his Lord in worship, neither by worshipping another nor by showing off, because worshipping other than Allah is major shirk, and showing off (riya) is minor shirk. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ قَالَ اللّٰهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالٰی أَنَا أَغْنَی الشُّرَكَاءِ عَنِ الشِّرْكِ، مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلاً أَشْرَكَ فِيْهِ مَعِيَ غَيْرِيْ تَرَكْتُهُ وَ شِرْكَهُ ] [ مسلم، الزھد، باب تحریم الریاء : ۲۹۸۵، عن أبي ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, says: I am more free from any need of partners than all partners. Whoever does a deed in which he associates someone else with Me, I leave that deed and its share. That is, I do not accept even the part of that deed which he did for Me, because someone else is also a partner in it, so I leave My share and give it to him; now let him take his reward from that one. I only accept the deed which is done entirely for Me, with no share for anyone else in it." Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) says that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: [ مَنْ سَمَّعَ سَمَّعَ اللّٰهُ بِهِ، وَ مَنْ يُرَائِيْ يُرَائِي اللّٰهُ بِهِ ] "Whoever acts to be heard (for fame), Allah will make his intention heard by all, and whoever acts to be seen by people, Allah will make him visible to all people." [ بخاری، الرقاق، باب الریاء والسمعۃ : ۶۴۹۹ ]

Umm al-Mu'minin Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the king of Abyssinia, Najashi, who was a Christian, said to Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him): "If you remember any part of the Book that was revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), then recite it to me." So Ja'far (may Allah be pleased with him) recited the beginning part of Surah Maryam to him. By Allah, upon hearing it, Najashi began to weep until his beard became wet, and all the priests sitting with him also began to weep until their books became wet. Then Najashi said: [ إِنَّ هٰذَا وَاللّٰهِ! وَالَّذِيْ جَاءَ بِهٖ مُوْسَی لَيَخْرُجُ مِنْ مِشْكَاةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ ] [ مسند أحمد : 202/1، ۲۰۳، ح : ۱۷۴۵، حسنہ محققوہ ] "By Allah! This word and the word which Musa (peace be upon him) brought are both coming from the same niche (source of light)."