Surah Al-Qasas (28) — Ayah 86

(Ayah 86) ➊ { وَ مَا كُنْتَ تَرْجُوْۤا اَنْ يُّلْقٰۤى اِلَيْكَ الْكِتٰبُ …:} The conditions through which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was passing in Makkah Mukarramah, and the way the disbelievers had made life unbearable for him and his companions, in such circumstances, this prophecy that your Lord will bring you back to this magnificent place after migration, apparently seemed like a prediction of an impossible event. To reassure you, Allah mentioned a favor that was far greater than this. He said, you are amazed and this matter seems very unlikely to you that you will return to your city in a most honorable manner, so just reflect on your prophethood—did you ever even think, or did such a thought or desire ever arise in your heart, that you would become the Messenger of Allah? Despite this, Allah granted you this blessing and chose you for prophethood, which was not even in your imagination, so how could He deprive you of such news which you desire and long for.

➋ This verse is also a powerful proof that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is truly the Messenger of Allah. It explains that prophethood and messengership are solely Allah’s selection; even those whom He chooses do not know that they will receive such a great blessing. It is the way of false claimants of prophethood that they start advertising their prophethood beforehand. Earlier in this surah, the mention of Musa (peace be upon him) receiving prophethood is made, and that too happened suddenly. Musa (peace be upon him) did not even have a suspicion or thought of it. Likewise, when Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the cave of Hira, it was sudden. Allah has mentioned this as a proof of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) being a true Messenger in several places—that an unlettered person, whose forty years of life passed before everyone, who neither knew how to write nor read, although he was already characterized by truthfulness, trustworthiness, and noble character, yet neither did anyone imagine this nor did he himself ever hope that he would be given such a book that even if the entire universe gathered, they could not produce a single surah like it except Allah. Thus, elsewhere He said: «{ وَ كَذٰلِكَ اَوْحَيْنَاۤ اِلَيْكَ رُوْحًا مِّنْ اَمْرِنَا مَا كُنْتَ تَدْرِيْ مَا الْكِتٰبُ وَ لَا الْاِيْمَانُ وَ لٰكِنْ جَعَلْنٰهُ نُوْرًا نَّهْدِيْ بِهٖ مَنْ نَّشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا وَ اِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِيْۤ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيْمٍ }» [ الشورٰی : ۵۲ ] “And thus We have revealed to you a Spirit by Our command. You did not know what the Book was nor what faith was, but We made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our servants. And indeed, you surely guide to a straight path.” In another place, He explicitly stated that these are news of the unseen which We are revealing to you; before this, neither you knew them nor your people. He said: «{ تِلْكَ مِنْ اَنْۢبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوْحِيْهَاۤ اِلَيْكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَاۤ اَنْتَ وَ لَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هٰذَا }» [ ھود : ۴۹ ] “These are from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you; neither you nor your people knew them before this.”

➌ { فَلَا تَكُوْنَنَّ ظَهِيْرًا لِّلْكٰفِرِيْنَ :} After reminding of the blessing of granting the Book and prophethood, Allah gave five commands, the first of which is that among your people, the Quraysh, and your brothers and relatives, those who are not supporting you in the matter of religion, rather have turned to opposition, you must not support them nor assist them in any way.