Hud: 51

"O my people, I do not ask of you for it any reward; my reward is only from Him who created me."

Every messenger addressed his people with this [statement] to remove what they might mistakenly imagine [regarding his motives], and to ensure the sincerity of his counsel; for as long as counsel is tainted with greed, it remains far removed from being effective. The use of the relative pronoun [“He who”] is for the purpose of glorification, and the choice of the clause [“created me”]—which signifies bringing into existence and origination—is because it is farthest from any possibility that one would attribute it to their partners [idols], as it is written: "And if you asked them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?' they would surely say, 'Allah.'"

Furthermore, [this attribute] represents the most primordial of favored blessings from the presence of Allah the Exalted, which necessitates gratitude. This gratitude cannot be realized except by adhering to the requirements of His command, glory be to Him, while turning away from worldly desires, among which is the [seeking of a] reward. Perhaps there is an indication here that he (peace be upon him) is free from the need of their reward, which one only desires in order to seek help in managing one's affairs and sustaining one's livelihood; [for he is sustained] by Allah the Exalted, who brought him into existence after he was nothing, and who guaranteed his provision just as He guaranteed it for all other living creatures He created.

"Do you not then use your reason?"

That is: Are you so heedless of this that you do not grasp the counsel of one who seeks no reward for it except from Allah the Exalted? And there is nothing more effective in clearing one of suspicion than this. Will you then submit to what he invites you to, or are you so ignorant of everything that you do not reason at all? For this is a matter that should not be hidden from any person of intellect.