ﱤ ﱥ ﱦ ﱧ ﱨ ﱩ ﱪ ﱫ ﱬ ﱭ ﱮ ﱯ ﱰ ﱱ ﱲ ﱳ ﱴ ﱵ ﱶ ﱷ ﱸ ﱹ ﱺ ﱻ ﱼ ﱽ ﱾ ﱿ ﲀ ﲁ
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship Allah and avoid Taghut." And among them were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers.
Tafsir
Verse range: 16:36
ولقد بعثنا في كل أمة رسوﻻ أن اعبدوا الله واجتنبوا الطاغوت
And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community, nation) (saying): "Worship Allah (alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).'' Allah continued sending Messengers to mankind with this Message, from the first incidence of Shirk that appeared among the Children of Adam, in the people to whom Nuh was sent - the first Messenger sent by Allah to the people of this earth - until He sent the final Messenger, Muhammad, whose call was addressed to both men and Jinn, in the east and in the west. All of the Messengers brought the same Message, as Allah says:
وما أرسلنا من قبلك من رسول إﻻ نوحى إليه أنه ﻻ إله إﻻ أنا فاعبدون
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (alone and none else).'' (21:25)
واسيل من أرسلنا من قبلك من رسلنا أجعلنا من دون الرحمن ءالهة يعبدون
And ask (O Muhammad) those Messengers of Ours whom We sent before you: "Did We ever appointed to be worshipped besides the Most Gracious (Allah)'' (43:45) And in this Ayah, Allah says:
ولقد بعثنا في كل أمة رسوﻻ أن اعبدوا الله واجتنبوا الطاغوت
And We have indeed sent a Messenger to every Ummah (community, nation) (saying): "Worship Allah (alone), and shun the Taghut (all false deities).'' So how could any of the idolators say,
لو شاء الله ما عبدنا من دونه من شيء
(If Allah had so willed, we would not have worshipped any but Him), The legislative will of Allah is clear and cannot be taken as an excuse by them, because He had forbidden them to do that upon the tongue of His Messengers, but by His universal will (i.e., by which He allows things to occur even though they do not please Him). He allowed them to do that as it was decreed for them. So there is no argument in that for them. Allah created Hell and its people both the Shayatin (devils) and disbelievers, but He does not like His servants to disbelieve. And this point constitutes the strongest proof and the most unquestionable wisdom. Then Allah informs us that He rebuked them with punishment in this world, after the Messengers issued their warning, thus He says:
فمنهم من هدى الله ومنهم من حقت عليه الضﻼلة فسيروا في اﻻرض فانظروا كيف كان عاقبة المكذبين
Then among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be left to stray. So travel through the land and see the end of those who denied (the truth). This means: ask about what happened to those who went against the Messengers and rejected the truth, see how:
دمر الله عليهم وللكفرين أمثلها
Allah destroyed them completely, and a similar (end awaits) the disbelievers. (47:10) and,
ولقد كذب الذين من قبلهم فكيف كان نكير
And indeed those before them belied (the Messengers of Allah), so then how terrible was My denial (punishment). (67:18) Then Allah told His Messenger
إن تحرص على هداهم فٳن الله ﻻ يهدي من يضل وما لهم من ناصرين
