Has not the news reached you of those who were before you: the people of Noah, Aad, Thamud, and those who came after them? None knows them but Allah. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they put their hands into their mouths and said, ‘We certainly disbelieve in what you have been sent to convey, and we are certainly in doubt, causing misgiving, about what you invite us to.’ [Q 14:9]
Their messengers said, ‘Can there be any doubt about Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth? He invites you to forgive some of your sins and delay your death until a preordained time.’ They said, ‘You are no more than men like us. You want to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then, bring us clear evidence.’ [Q 14: 10]
Their messengers said to them, ‘We are only men like you, but Allah confers favor on whom He wants of His slaves. It is not for us to bring you evidence except by Allah’s permission. On Allah, the believers should rely.’ [Q 14: 11]
How should we not rely on Allah while He has guided us to the path of salvation? Indeed, we shall patiently endure your harassment. On Allah, those who depend should rely.
[Q 14: 12]
Relationship with the Previous Part
Messenger Moses warned his people of Allah’s punishment if they disbelieved in Him in the previous part. Then ayat mention some former nations that were destroyed because of their disbelief though they were very strong and wealthy and had great supporters.
Tafsir
Has not the news reached you of those who were before you: the people of Noah, Aad, Thamud, and those who came after them? None knows them but Allah. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they put their hands into their mouths and said, ‘We certainly disbelieve in what you have been sent to convey, and we are certainly in doubt, causing misgiving, about what you invite us to.’ [Q 14:9]
Some scholars believe that ayah [Q 14: 9] is part of Messenger Moses’ speech to his people. Accordingly, the meaning will be as follows: After Messenger Moses reminded his people of Allah’s blessings on them, he admonished them by reminding them of what happened to the former disbelievers.
Other scholars maintain that ayah [Q 14:9] is a statement directed to the nation of Messenger Muhammad. Accordingly, the meaning will be as follows: First, Allah informed the people that He revealed the Quran to Messenger Muhammad to bring people out of darknesses of disbelief into the light of belief, that He alone owns whatever in the heavens and the earth, and that severe torment will be for the disbelievers. Then, Allah addressed the disbelievers in Mecca and those who follow their footsteps.
Those who believe that the address in ayah [Q 14; 9] is directed to the nation of Messenger Muhammad say that the stories of the people of Aad and Thamud have not been mentioned in the Torah. Thus, if the ayah is part of Moses’s speech to his people, these stories should have been mentioned in the Torah.
[Has not the news reached you…] The interrogation is for emphasis and affirmation because the people of Mecca knew the story of Noah as the news of the flood befell his people was widespread as well as they knew the stories of the people of Aad and Thamud since they used to pass by their dwellings when traveling to ash-Sham for trade.
[…and those who came after them.] This refers to the people who came after the people of Noah, Aad, and Thamud, such as the people of Ibrahim, and Lot.
[None knows them but Allah.] No one knows the number, identity, and conditions of the people, who came after the people of Noah, Aad, and Thamud except Allah, Exalted be He.
[Has not the news reached you of those who were before you: the people of Noah, Aad, Thamud, and those who came after them? None knows them but Allah.]
O people of Mecca! Indeed, you have known what happened to the people of Noah, Aad, and Thamud, just as you have known what happened to the people who came after them, such as the people of Ibrahim and Lot. No one knows exactly the numbers, identities, and conditions of those people except Allah, Exalted be He. Thus, you should be admonished and learn from the torment that befell them, know that Messenger Messenger has been sent to guide you to the straight path, Islam, and save you from painful torment if you insist on disbelief.
[Their messengers brought them clear proofs.]
The messengers of Allah brought their people clear proofs and miracles, confirming their truthfulness.
[…but they put their hands into their mouths and said, ‘We certainly disbelieve in what you have been sent to convey, and we are certainly in doubt, causing misgiving, about what you invite us to.’]
Here the ayah mentions the attitude of disbelievers towards the messages of their messengers.
Flamed with anger and resentment, the disbelievers put their hands into their mouths, biting their fingers. They disbelieved in and mocked their messengers.
They said to their messengers, ‘Indeed, we have disbelieved in what you have been sent to convey, i.e. the message that Allah revealed to the messengers. Indeed, we are in doubt, causing misgiving about the message you invite us to believe in.’
Someone may say that the disbelievers confirmed their disbelief by saying, ‘Indeed, we disbelieve in what you have been sent to convey.’ Then why did they say, ‘Indeed, we are in doubt, causing misgiving, about what you invite us to.’?
The statement of the disbelievers may be interpreted as follows: The disbelievers said to the messengers, ‘Indeed, we have disbelieved in your message, and if we have not done so, we indeed, are in doubt, causing misgiving in the truthfulness of your message.’
Another interpretation is that they were two parties. One party disbelieved in the messengers and the other was in doubt, causing misgiving in the truthfulness of the messengers.
Then the ayat mention the reply of the messengers to their disbelieving people.
Their messengers said, ‘Can there be any doubt about Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth? He invites you to forgive some of your sins and delay your death until a preordained time.’ They said, ‘You are no more than men like us. You want to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then, bring us clear evidence.’ [Q 14: 10]
[Can there be any doubt…] The interrogation is for criticism and condemnation.
Allah’s Messengers said to their people, ‘Can there be any doubt about the existence and Oneness of Allah, who created the heavens and the earth? He, out of His bounty and generosity, invites you to believe in Him so that He may forgive some of your sins, and delay your death until a preordained time without tormenting you by annihilation in the worldly life, out of His mercy and hoping that you may follow the right path.’
Allah’s Messengers condemned the reaction of their people. They were astonished by the deep-rooted denial of the disbelievers of very clear evidence that a sound natural disposition could discern easily. They denied the existence and Oneness of Allah though He is the Creator of this universe and all that therein.
Referring to the creation of the heavens and earth in the ayah is mentioned specifically because their creation is so amazing that no sound intellect can deny that there must be a Great Creator, who created them, Allah.
The disbelievers’ reply was unsatisfactory. [They said, ‘You are no more than men like us. You want to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then, bring us clear evidence.’]
The disbelievers said to their messengers, ‘You are no more than men like us in respect of form and constitution. You want to prevent us from worshipping the gods that our fathers used to worship. If you are truthful in your claim that Allah has sent you to invite us to worship Him alone, bring us clear evidence that convinces us of not worshipping our gods.’
The disbelievers think that it is impossible that Allah’s Messengers could be human beings. They believe that Allah’s Messengers should be angels to believe in them.
Their reaction indicates that they considered the clear proofs and miracles that Allah’s Messenger brought were insufficient. They believed that the messengers should bring more convincing proofs.
Their messengers said to them, ‘We are only men like you, but Allah confers favor on whom He wants of His slaves. It is not for us to bring you evidence except by Allah’s permission. On Allah, the believers should rely.’ [Q 14: 11]
The messengers said to their people, ‘Yes, indeed, we are human beings like you just as you said, but this similarity between you and us does not negate the fact that Allah confers His favor on whom He wants of His slaves by making him His prophet and messenger.’
The messengers of Allah acknowledged that the statement of the disbelievers that they were human beings was true. Then they clearly and politely told the disbelievers bout their unsound understanding. They informed them that that belonging to the same species does not contradict having different ranks. All human beings are slaves of Allah, but Allah, the wise, confers His blessings on some people to the exclusion of others.
Furthermore, the messengers informed the disbelievers that they could not bring clear evidence and miracle without Allah’s permission. Finally, the messenger emphasized their determination to keep on conveying the message of Allah, relying on His help and support.
Relying on Allah means complete dependence on His help and support and at the same time uses beneficial and lawful means within their ability to achieve the desired goals. Verily, true believers depend only on Allah to achieve their goals.
How should we not rely on Allah while He has guided us to the path of salvation? Indeed, we shall patiently endure your harassment. On Allah, those who depend should rely.
[Q 14: 12]
The messengers emphasized their reliance on Allah. They said, ‘How should we not rely on Allah, who has guided us to the path of salvation and directed us to the path of knowledge? Nothing prevents us from depending on Him alone as He has guided us to the best path. We shall patiently endure your harassment and abuse.’
[On Allah, those who depend should rely.] Those who depend must keep on relying on Allah, Exalted be He. They must trust Him completely, and endure hardship and suffering for His sake.
‘The heart that feels that Allah’s help always supports and guides it has truly real connection with Allah so it does not fail to recognize Allah’s existence and His mighty and sovereignty. This feeling leaves no room for hesitation in following the path of guidance, no matter how many obstacles that it may encounter throughout the path, and no matter the existence of tyrannical forces lurking along this path.’ [Fi Zilal al-Quran, Sayyid Qutb]
Learned Lessons from Surah Ibrahim Ayah: 6-12
• People should learn lessons from the torment befell the former disbelieving nations.
• The reaction of the disbelieving nations to the call of their messengers varied. Some tried to forcefully prevent Allah’s Messengers from conveying their message, some openly said that they disbelieved in their messengers, and others said that they had doubt, causing misgive in respect of the call of their messenger. In sum, they refused to acknowledge the messenger-ship of their messengers.
• Allah’s Messengers support their call to follow the path of guidance by irrefutable proofs, such as natural disposition that submissively acknowledges the existence of a God that created this universe and the original creation of the universe with its heavens and earth. Such undeniable proofs confirm that there is one Creator for this universe, deserving sincere worship, Allah, Exalted be He.
• Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is merciful and generous. He invites people to worship Him alone to forgive their sins.
• The excuse of the disbelievers for disbelieving in Allah’s Messengers was that the messengers were human beings like them. They believed that the messengers should be angels because of their defect understanding.
• The disbelievers refused to follow their messengers out of imitating their fathers, who used to worship other gods besides Allah.
• The stubborn disbelievers rejected to believe in the message of their messengers though they brought them clear proofs. They demanded their messengers to bring them other proofs, which was not within the power of Allah’s Messengers.
• The best course that Allah’s Messengers and their followers should follow is to be patient and endure the harassment of their opponents, completely relying on Allah, Exalted be He.
• Reliance on Allah is the inexhaustible resource of true believers.
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