Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-A'raf -> Muhammad's Message is Universal

Allah says to His Prophet and Messenger Muhammad ,

﴿قُلْ﴾

(Say), O Muhammad,

﴿يَـأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ﴾

(O mankind!), this is directed to mankind red and black, and the Arabs and non-Arabs alike,

﴿إِنِّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا﴾

(I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah,) This Ayah mentions the Prophet's honor and greatness, for he is the Final Prophet who was sent to all mankind ﴿and the Jinns﴾. Allah said,

﴿قُلِ اللَّهِ شَهِيدٌ بِيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَأُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ﴾

(Say, "Allah is Witness between you and I; this Qur'an has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.'') ﴿6:19﴾,

﴿وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ﴾

(but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place)﴿11:17﴾, and,

﴿وَقُلْ لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَـبَ وَالاٍّمِّيِّينَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُواْ فَقَدِ اهْتَدَواْ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ﴾

(And say to those who were given the Scripture and to the illiterates (Arab pagans): "Do you (also) submit yourselves (to Allah in Islam)'' If they do, they are rightly guided; but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message.) ﴿3:20﴾ There are many other Ayat and more Hadiths than can be counted on this subject. It is also well-known in our religion that the Messenger of Allah was sent to all mankind ﴿and the Jinns﴾. Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "Abu Bakr and `Umar had an argument in which Abu Bakr made `Umar angry. So `Umar went away while angry and Abu Bakr followed him asking him to forgive him, but `Umar refused. `Umar shut his door closed in Abu Bakr's face and Abu Bakr went to the Messenger of Allah while we were with him. The Messenger of Allah said,

«أَمَّا صَاحِبُكُمْ هَذَا فَقَدْ غَامَر»

(This fellow of yours (Abu Bakr) has made someone angry! `Umar became sorry for what he did, went to the Prophet and greeted him with the Salam and sat next to him, telling him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah became angry (at `Umar), and realizing that, Abu Bakr said, `O Allah's Messenger! It was me who was unjust.' The Messenger of Allah said,

«هَلْ أَنْتُمْ تَارِكُو لِي صَاحِبِي؟ إِنِّي قُلْتُ: يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَقُلْتُمْ: كَذَبْتَ وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: صَدَقْت»

(Will you leave my Companion (Abu Bakr) alone! I said, `O People! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all,' and you said, `You lie,' but Abu Bakr declared, `You said the truth.')'' Al-Bukhari recorded it. Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said,

«أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ نَبِيٌّ قَبْلِي وَلَا أَقُولُهُ فَخْرًا بُعِثْتُ إِلَى النَّاسِ كَافَّةً الْأَحْمَرِ وَالْأَسْوَدِ وَنُصِرْتُ بِالرُّعْبِ مَسِيرَةَ شَهْرٍ وَأُحِلَّتْ لِي الْغَنَائِمُ وَلَمْ تَحِلَّ لِأَحَدٍ قَبْلِي وَجُعِلَتْ لِيَ الْأَرْضُ مَسْجِدًا وَطَهُورًا وَأُعْطِيتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ فَأَخَّرْتُهَا لِأُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَهِيَ لِمَنْ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِاللهِ شَيْئًا»

(I have been given five things which were not given to any Prophet before me, and I do not say it out of pride. I was sent to all mankind (their) black and white alike. Allah made me victorious by fright, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey. The spoils of war are lawful for me, yet it was not lawful for anyone else before me. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform purification with. I have been given the Shafa'ah (right of intercession), and I saved it for my Ummah on the Day of Resurrection. Therefore, the Shafa'ah will reach those who associate none with Allah in worship.) This Hadith's chain of narration is suitable, but the Two Sahihs did not record it. Allah's statement,

﴿الَّذِى لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ يُحْىِ وَيُمِيتُ﴾

(to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. None has the right to be worshipped but He. It is He Who gives life and causes death.) describes Allah by the words of the Messenger that He Who has sent him is the Creator, Lord and King of all things and in His Hand is the control, life, death and the decision. Just as Allah said

﴿فَـَامِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِىِّ الأُمِّىِّ﴾

(So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write,) Allah proclaims here that Muhammad is His Messenger and reiterates this fact by commanding that he be believed in and followed. Allah said,

﴿النَّبِىِّ الأُمِّىِّ﴾

(The Prophet who can neither read nor write) who you were promised and given the good news of in previous revealed books. Certainly, Muhammad was amply described in the previous books, including his description as being the unlettered Prophet. Allah's statement,

﴿الَّذِى يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَـتِهِ﴾

(who believes in Allah and His Words), means, his actions conform with his words and he believes in what he was given from his Lord.

﴿وَاتَّبِعُوهُ﴾

(And follow him), embrace his path and guidance,

﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ﴾

(so that you may be guided) to the Straight Path.

﴿وَمِن قَوْمِ مُوسَى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ ﴾

(159. And of the people of Musa there is a community who lead (the men) with truth and establish justice therewith.) Allah stated that of the Children of Israel there are some who follow the truth and judge by it, just as He said in another Ayah,

﴿مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ ءَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ الَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ﴾

(A party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer) ﴿3:113﴾,

﴿وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَـشِعِينَ للَّهِ لاَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِـَايَـتِ اللَّهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً أُوْلـئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ ﴾

(And there are, certainly, among the People of the Scripture, those who believe in Allah and in that which has been revealed to you, and in that which has been revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not sell the verses of Allah for a small price, for them is a reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is Swift in account.) ﴿3:199﴾

﴿الَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ مِن قَبْلِهِ هُم بِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ - وَإِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ قَالُواْ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ إِنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّنَآ إنَّا كُنَّا مِن قَبْلِهِ مُسْلِمِينَ أُوْلَـئِكَ يُؤْتُونَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُواْ﴾

(Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it, they believe in it (the Qur'an). And when it is recited to them, they say: "We believe in it. Verily, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed even before it we have been from those who submit themselves. These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient.)﴿28:52-54﴾, and,

﴿قُلْ ءَامِنُواْ بِهِ أَوْ لاَ تُؤْمِنُواْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا - وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَآ إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولاً - وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلاٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا ﴾

(Verily, those who were given knowledge before it, when it (this Qur'an) is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration. And they say: "Glory be to our Lord! Truly, the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.'' And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility.)﴿17:107-109﴾

﴿وَقَطَّعْنَـهُمُ اثْنَتَىْ عَشْرَةَ أَسْبَاطًا أُمَمًا وَأَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَى مُوسَى إِذِ اسْتَسْقَـهُ قَوْمُهُ أَنِ اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانبَجَسَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْنًا قَدْ عَلِمَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ مَّشْرَبَهُمْ وَظَلَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَمَـمَ وَأَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَنَّ وَالسَّلْوَى كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَـتِ مَا رَزَقْنَـكُمْ وَمَا ظَلَمُونَا وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ - وَإِذْ قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْكُنُواْ هَـذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ وَكُلُواْ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ وَقُولُواْ حِطَّةٌ وَادْخُلُواْ الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطِيئَـتِكُمْ سَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ - فَبَدَّلَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ قَوْلاً غَيْرَ الَّذِى قِيلَ لَهُمْ فَأَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ رِجْزًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴾

(160. And We divided them into twelve tribes (as distinct) nations. We revealed to Musa when his people asked him for water (saying): "Strike the stone with your stick,'' and there gushed forth out of it twelve springs, each group knew its own place for water. We shaded them with the clouds and sent down upon them the manna and the quail (saying): "Eat of the good things with which We have provided you.'' They harmed Us not but they used to harm themselves.) (161. And (remember) when it was said to them: "Dwell in this town (Jerusalem) and eat therefrom wherever you wish, and say, `(O Allah) forgive our sins'; and enter the gate prostrating (bowing with humility). We shall forgive you your wrongdoings. We shall increase (the reward) for the good-doers.'') (162. But those among them who did wrong, changed the word that had been told to them. So We sent on them a torment from the heaven in return for their wrongdoings.) We discussed these Ayat in Surat Al-Baqarah, which was revealed in Al-Madinah, while these Ayat were revealed in Makkah. We also mentioned the difference between the two narrations, and thus we do not need to repeat it here, all thanks are due to Allah and all the favors are from Him.

﴿وَسْئَلْهُمْ عَنِ الْقَرْيَةِ الَّتِى كَانَتْ حَاضِرَةَ الْبَحْرِ إِذْ يَعْدُونَ فِى السَّبْتِ إِذْ تَأْتِيهِمْ حِيتَانُهُمْ يَوْمَ سَبْتِهِمْ شُرَّعًا وَيَوْمَ لاَ يَسْبِتُونَ لاَ تَأْتِيهِمْ كَذَلِكَ نَبْلُوهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ ﴾

(163. And ask them about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath: when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial for them, for they used to rebel against Allah's command.)