Tafsir of Hud 11:14

The address, as narrated from al-Dahhak, is to those commanded to call upon whomever they are able to [for help]. The third-person plural pronoun refers to those whom they are called upon to assist them against this challenge—i.e., if those whom you call upon besides Allah the Exalted do not respond to you by bringing aid or manifesting support for [your] challenge, because they know their own inability regarding it and that their power is too limited to attain it—"then know that it was sent down with the knowledge of Allah."

That is, it was sent down only while encompassed by the knowledge of the Exalted, not by the knowledge of any other, as necessitated by the word annama. For it provides restriction—like innama with the kasra [on the alif] according to the correct view. It is said: this is the meaning of the statement of one who said, "It means [sent down] while encompassed by what none knows except Allah the Exalted, and none is capable of [producing] except Him."

Some have claimed that the restriction is only provided by the genitive construction, as in His saying, “He does not disclose His unseen to anyone.” What is meant by "what none knows except the Exalted" are the modalities and distinct qualities that constitute the miracle and the challenge. Mentioning the inability of other than Him, the Sublime, is what the context necessitates; otherwise, what is mentioned in the noble arrangement is knowledge, not power. It is also said: this is because the negation of knowledge of a thing necessitates the negation of power, for no one is capable of what they do not know.

The conditional sentence is within the scope of the "say." The inclusion of a word of doubt [if], despite the certainty that no response will occur on the part of those they call upon, is meant to mock them and record against them the utter absurdity of their reason. The ordering of the command to "know" upon the mere lack of response [is given] because it is preceded by a call [to them] which itself was preceded by rendering them helpless and forcing them into a corner. It is as if it were said: "If they do not respond to you when you have taken refuge in them after you were forced into that, and schemes have failed you, and excuses have exhausted you, then know..." Or, [it is ordered] because those whom they call upon for the challenge are, in their belief, stronger than they are; so if their inability appears through their lack of response—even if this were before the appearance of your own inability—then their inability is more apparent and clearer.

With the sum of what we have mentioned, it becomes clear that there is no problem in the verse. Among the things that evoke wonder is the statement of al-‘Izz ibn ‘Abd al-Salam in his Amali: "The ordering of this condition—i.e., knowledge—upon that conditional clause—i.e., the lack of response—is problematic, and likewise His saying, 'sent down with the knowledge of Allah,' is also problematic, since the ba (in bi-'ilm) cannot be for causation, as knowledge is not the cause of its revelation, nor for concomitance, as knowledge does not accompany it in its revelation." The answer is that the intended meaning of "knowledge" is nothing other than our own knowledge, and it is attributed to Him, the Exalted and Majestic, because it is His creation. Similar to this is what is in His saying, the Exalted and Majestic, “and do not conceal the testimony of Allah,” where the testimony is attributed to Allah the Sublime in consideration of the fact that He, the Exalted, legislated it. The Quran has been revealed with the evidences of knowledge of the judgments of Allah, may His name be exalted, so He expressed it by the object [of the evidence] as the evidence itself. The estimation is: "Then know that what was sent down is accompanied by the spreading of the knowledge of the judgments," which are the evidences. There is no doubt that, when they are unable to challenge it, it is appropriate for them to know that these verses are the evidences of the judgments of Allah the Almighty. This concludes his words.

Would that I knew how this skilled scholar was heedless of this manifest interpretation! Perhaps it is as is said: "From the intensity of appearance comes concealment." And [know] that there is no god but He, meaning: know also that He, the Exalted, is the One uniquely possessing divinity and its prerogatives, and that your gods are isolated from the rank of association with Him, the Exalted, in that.

"Are you then Muslims?"

Meaning: "Are you then entering into Islam, once no trace of suspicion remains regarding its truthfulness and regarding the falsehood of what you are in of polytheism?" Submission to the fact that the Quran is from Allah the Exalted enters into this primarily; or [it means]: "Are you then submitting to the Truth, which is that the Quran is from Allah the Exalted, and abandoning the arrogance and stubbornness you are upon?"

In the interrogative lies a forceful necessity, because of the meaning of a request it contains and the alerting to the existence of the obligation and the removal of the obstacle. This is why the fa (then) was used. In expressing it as muslimun (Muslims/submitters) rather than taslamun (you submit), there is a confirmation of what the arrangement of what was mentioned before it requires, which is [its] necessity without delay. It is said: in this there is also a despairing for them that their gods could save them from the might of Allah, the Exalted is His state and mighty is His authority.

It is permitted that the pronoun in lakum (to you) refers to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This is supported by the fact that it came in another verse: “If they do not respond to you.” This was narrated from Mujahid. It would have been appropriate for the command "Say" to be singular, but it was made plural for glorification, and this is not exclusive to the first-person pronoun, as al-Radi said. Among this is: "And if you wish, you may forbid the women other than you."

The sentence is not within the scope of the "say," but is from Him, the Exalted, to judge their inability, like His saying, the Sublime: “If you do not—and you will never do it...” He expressed it as "responding" as an indication that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is in a state of complete security in his affair, as if his command, peace be upon him, for them to bring its like were a call to them for a matter he wants to occur.

It is also permitted that the pronoun refers to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the believers, because they are followers of him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the command to challenge. In this is a subtle warning that it is their right not to separate from him, peace be upon him, and to stand with him to challenge the stubborn, just as they used to do in Jihad, and a guidance that this is something that increases firmness in faith; that is why it was ordered upon what it was ordered.

The knowledge commanded is that which is at the highest rank, such that all other ranks of knowledge are, as it were, not knowledge—not to signal the inferiority of those ranks, but to signal the elevation of this rank. From this, the secret of using the word of doubt [if] while being certain of the lack of response is understood; for reducing all other ranks to the status of non-existence carries with it the reduction of the certainty of no response to the status of doubt.

It is also permitted that what is commanded is the continuation of what they are upon of knowledge, and the meaning of muslimun is "sincere in Islam" or "steadfast upon it." The speech is of the type of strengthening and promotion to the ascents of certainty. Al-Jubba'i and others chose this interpretation of the verse. Shaykh al-Islam mentioned that it is more appropriate to what preceded it of His saying, the Exalted: “and your breast is constrained by it,” and to what will come, if Allah the Exalted wills, of His saying, the Sublime: “So be not in doubt about it.” It is also supported by what follows it. It is also supported by what we have signaled, but it is not hidden that the speech, according to the first interpretation, is consistent with what precedes it, because the plural pronoun in the previous verse is for the disbelievers, and the pronoun here is a plural pronoun, so it should be for them as well; and because the disbelievers are the nearest of those mentioned, so the return of the pronoun to them is more appropriate; and because in the second interpretation there are interpretative shifts that are not needed in the first.

Hence, Abu Hayyan favored it and al-Zamakhshari approved of it. Perhaps its factors for preference are stronger than the factors for the latter [interpretation] for one who contemplates, and therefore we have put it first. Even if it is said: "If an interpretation comes to you from Mujahid, it suffices you."

"Fa-illam" is written in the Mushaf, as al-Ajhuri said, without a nun. Zayd ibn ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with them both, recited "nuzzila" with a fatha on the nun and zay, and the zay doubled. In al-Bahr, it is mentioned that ma may be a verbal noun (masdariyya), i.e., "the sending down," or it may be a relative pronoun (mawsula) meaning "that which," i.e., "that which He sent down," and the deletion of the accusative object in such cases is common. The subject of nazzala is His pronoun, the Exalted. Some permitted ma being a relative pronoun according to the reading of the majority as well, but this is viewed as unlikely according to the known [rules] in such instances, for it is a relative pronoun—so understand.