Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Ash-Shura -> The Religion of the Messengers is One |
Allah says to this Ummah: ﴿ط´ظژط±ظژط¹ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظگط¯ظگظٹظ†ظگ ظ…ظژط§ ظˆظژطµظ‘ظژظ‰ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظ†ظڈظˆطط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظ‰ ط£ظژظˆظ’طظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظژ﴾ (He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion which He ordained for Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you,) Allah mentions the first Messenger who was sent after Adam, that is, Nuh, peace be upon them, and the last of them is Muhammad . Then He mentions those who came in between them who were the Messengers of strong will, namely Ibrahim, Musa and `Isa bin Maryam. This Ayah mentions all five, just as they are also mentioned in the Ayah in Surat Al-Ahzab, where Allah says: ﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگط°ظ’ ط£ظژط®ظژط°ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط¨ظگظٹظ‘ظگظٹظ’ظ†ظژ ظ…ظگظٹط«ظژط§ظ‚ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ…ظگظ†ظ’ظƒظژ ظˆظژظ…ظگظ† ظ†ظ‘ظڈظˆطظچ ظˆظژط¥ظگط¨ظ’ط±ظژظ‡ظگظٹظ…ظژ ظˆظژظ…ظڈظˆط³ظژظ‰ ظˆظژط¹ظگظٹط³ظژظ‰ ط§ط¨ظ’ظ†ظگ ظ…ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژظ…ظژ﴾ (And (remember) when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from you, and from Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, and `Isa son of Maryam.) (33:7). The Message which all the Messengers brought was to worship Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, as Allah says: ﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگظƒظژ ظ…ظگظ† ط±ظ‘ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ظچ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ†ظڈظˆطظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ط§ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژظ†ظژط§ظ’ ظپظژط§ط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ﴾ (And We did not send any Messenger before you but We revealed to him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.) (21:25). And according to a Hadith (the Prophet said): آ«ظ†ظژطظ’ظ†ظڈ ظ…ظژط¹ظ’ط´ظژط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط£ظژظ†ظ’ط¨ظگظٹظژط§ط،ظگ ط£ظژظˆظ’ظ„ظژط§ط¯ظڈ ط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژط§طھظچطŒ ط¯ظگظٹظ†ظڈظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژط§طظگط¯آ» (We Prophets are brothers and our religion is one.) In other words, the common bond between them is that Allah Alone is to be worshipped, with no partner or associate, even though their laws and ways may differ, as Allah says. ﴿ظ„ظگظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظچ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ†ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط´ظگط±ظ’ط¹ظژط©ظ‹ ظˆظژظ…ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژظ€ط¬ط§ظ‹﴾ (To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way) (5:48). Allah says here: ﴿ط£ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژطھظژظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ﴾ (saying you should establish religion and make no divisions in it.) meaning, Allah enjoined all the Prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all) to be as one and He forbade them to differ and be divided. t ﴿ظƒظژط¨ظڈط±ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ…ظژط§ طھظژط¯ظ’ط¹ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ﴾ (Intolerable for the idolators is that to which you call them.) means, `it is too much for them to bear, and they hate that to which you call them, O Muhammad, i.e., Tawhid.' ﴿ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظژط¬ظ’طھظژط¨ظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ظ…ظژظ† ظٹظژط´ظژط¢ط،ظڈ ظˆظژظٹظژظ‡ظ’ط¯ظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ظ…ظژظ† ظٹظڈظ†ظگظٹط¨ظڈ﴾ (Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides unto Himself who turns to Him in repentance.) means, He is the One Who decrees guidance for those who deserve it, and decrees misguidance for those who prefer it to the right path. Allah says here; ﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ طھظژظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ…ظژظ†ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظگ ظ…ظژط§ ط¬ظژط¢ط،ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈ﴾ (And they divided not till after knowledge had come to them,) means, their opposition to the truth arose after it had come to them and proof had been established against them. Nothing made them resist in this manner except their transgression and stubbornness. ﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ظ„ط§ظژ ظƒظژظ„ظگظ…ظژط©ظŒ ط³ظژط¨ظژظ‚ظژطھظ’ ظ…ظگظ† ط±ظ‘ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط£ظژط¬ظژظ„ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظڈط³ظژظ…ظ‘ظ‹ظ‰﴾ (And had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord for an appointed term,) means, were it not for the fact that Allah had already decreed that He would delay the reckoning of His servants until the Day of Resurrection, the punishment would have been hastened for them in this world. ﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط£ظڈظˆط±ظگط«ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظژ ظ…ظگظ† ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’﴾ (And verily, those who were made to inherit the Scripture after them,) means, the later generation which came after the earlier generation which had rejected the truth. ﴿ظ„ظژظپظگظ‰ ط´ظژظƒظ‘ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظڈط±ظگظٹط¨ظچ﴾ (are in grave doubt concerning it. ) means, they do not have any firm conviction in matters of religion; they merely imitate their forefathers, without any evidence or proof. So they are very confused and doubtful. ﴿ظپظژظ„ظگط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ظپظژط§ط¯ظ’ط¹ظڈ ظˆظژط§ط³ظ’طھظژظ‚ظگظ…ظ’ ظƒظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظڈظ…ظگط±ظ’طھظژ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژطھظ‘ظژط¨ظگط¹ظ’ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظˆظژط¢ط،ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ‚ظڈظ„ظ’ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†طھظڈ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ†ط²ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظچ ظˆظژط£ظڈظ…ظگط±ظ’طھظڈ ظ„ط§ظ‘ظ‹ط¹ظ’ط¯ظگظ„ظژ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ظژظ†ظژط¢ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ„ظڈظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژط¹ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ„ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ط§ظژ طظڈط¬ظ‘ظژط©ظژ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظٹظژط¬ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظڈ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژطµظگظٹط±ظڈ ﴾ (15. So unto this then invite (people), and stand firm as you are commanded, and follow not their desires but say: "I believe in whatsoever Allah has sent down of the Book and I am commanded to do justice among you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord. For us our deeds and for you your deeds. There is no dispute between us and you. Allah will assemble us (all), and to Him is the final return.'')
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