Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 24

(Ayah 24) ➊ { فَقَالَ الْمَلَؤُا الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا مِنْ قَوْمِهٖ :} It appears that this nation had clearly distinct tribes, and the tribe of Noah (peace be upon him) itself was at the forefront of denial. Therefore, to highlight the disgrace of denial and objection coming from one's own people, it is said in {’’ مِنْ قَوْمِهٖ ‘‘}. (Biqā‘ī) In this, there is comfort for our Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because his closest relative, Abu Lahab, was his most severe opponent. (See Surah Lahab) A poet has said:
{وَ ظُلْمُ ذَوِي الْقُرْبٰي أَشَدُّ مَضَاضَةً ¤ عَلَي الْمَرْئِ مِنْ وَقْعِ الْحُسَامِ الْمُهَنَّدِ}
"And the oppression of relatives is more painful in its affliction to a person than being struck by an Indian sword."
➋ {مَا هٰذَاۤ اِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ :} The commentator Razi said: "Allah Almighty mentioned five doubts of these people, but did not answer any of them, because with a little reflection, their futility becomes clear." Their first doubt was that he is a human like you. Biqā‘ī said: "They did not accept that a human could be a prophet, so it would have been necessary for them not to accept that a human is made of clay, or that a drop of water becomes a clot, or that a clot of blood becomes a lump of flesh..." Ibn Juzayy said in al-Tashīl: "How astonishing it is that they did not accept a human as a messenger, but accepted a stone as a lord." Such is the intellect of a polytheist. Some people of our time, who are hereditary Muslims, accept Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as a prophet based on what they have heard from their ancestors, but do not accept him as a human. The people of old used to say that a human cannot be a messenger, and these people say that a messenger cannot be a human. The result of both statements is the same. The Qur'an has repeatedly refuted the idea that a messenger cannot be a human or that a human cannot be a messenger. See Surah al-A‘rāf (63–69), Yūnus (2), Hūd (27–31), Yūsuf (109), Ra‘d (38), Ibrāhīm (10, 11), Nahl (43), Banī Isrā’īl (94, 95), Kahf (110), Anbiyā’ (3), Mu’minūn (33, 34, 47), Furqān (7–20), Shu‘arā’ (154, 186), and Surah Yā Sīn (15).
➌ { يُرِيْدُ اَنْ يَّتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ:} This is the second doubt which the disbelieving leaders presented to make the prophets insignificant among the masses: that he wants to gain superiority over you. Most disbelievers said the same about their prophets, that they are hungry for power. Pharaoh and his chiefs said this to Moses and Aaron (peace be upon them): « قَالُوْۤا اَجِئْتَنَا لِتَلْفِتَنَا عَمَّا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْهِ اٰبَآءَنَا وَ تَكُوْنَ لَكُمَا الْكِبْرِيَآءُ فِي الْاَرْضِ» [ یونس : ۷۸ ] "They said, 'Have you come to us to turn us away from that upon which we found our forefathers, and so that you two may have greatness in the land?'" As if leadership and superiority are the hereditary right of these polytheists alone, and no one else has a right to it. The answer to this objection is that if the messenger seeks superiority due to his position, then being superior is his right, so that no one feels ashamed to follow him. And if he seeks superiority out of arrogance and pride, then this is a slander against him, because no one is more humble than them.
➍ { وَ لَوْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ لَاَنْزَلَ مَلٰٓىِٕكَةً :} This is the third objection. From this, it is clear that they believed in Allah, but associated partners with Him. Upon hearing from Noah (peace be upon him) the command to worship only Allah, they made the excuse that if Allah had willed to send a messenger, He would have sent angels instead of a human. This too is, in reality, a denial of the prophethood of a human. They did not consider that the Owner is the One with the will; He chooses whomever He wills for whatever task He wills. What kind of owner would He be if He were bound by your wishes?
➎ {مَّا سَمِعْنَا بِهٰذَا فِيْۤ اٰبَآىِٕنَا الْاَوَّلِيْنَ :} This is the fourth objection. From this, it appears that a long period of ignorance had passed before Noah (peace be upon him). In the first three points, there was denial of Noah (peace be upon him) being a messenger, and this is a denial of the message that Noah (peace be upon him) brought. That is, we have never heard of worshipping anyone except Allah, nor have we heard that, to attain closeness to Allah or to make someone an intercessor, one should not worship anyone else. This statement of the disbelieving leaders is also not worthy of a reply, because it is based on imitation, whereas imitation is pure ignorance, and the answer to the ignorant is silence and the greeting of peace, as He said: « وَ اِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجٰهِلُوْنَ قَالُوْا سَلٰمًا» [ الفرقان : ۶۳ ] "And when the ignorant address them, they say, 'Peace.'" (See Baqarah: 170) Tell me, what could be greater ignorance than saying that what we have not heard does not exist?