Surah Ya-Sin (3)

إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ (Indeed, you are one of the messengers.)

Issue 1: The Disbelievers denied that Muhammad (PBUH) was a messenger, and the claim must be established by proof, not merely by an oath. What, then, is the wisdom behind swearing the oath?

We offer several perspectives on this:

1. Respect for Oaths among Arabs: The Arabs highly valued oaths, believing that a false oath would lead to the ruin of the world. The Prophet (PBUH) affirmed this concept, saying, "The false oath leaves dwellings desolate." Furthermore, the disbelievers claimed that the Prophet (PBUH) would suffer torment from their gods (the stars). Therefore, the Prophet (PBUH) swore by the command of God, the revelation of His word to him, and various other things. Since no torment afflicted him, but rather his status and position were elevated daily, this necessitated the belief that he was not a liar.

2. The Limit of Argumentation: When two debaters argue and one overwhelms the other with the strength of his proof, silencing the opponent, the defeated party might claim: "You established this through the force of your argument, but you know in your heart that your statement is weak, even if you presented a semblance of proof that I could not refute." This often happens in debates. At this point, the victor cannot introduce another proof, because the silenced opponent will say about the second proof what he said about the first. Nothing remains except the oath. Thus, the opponent is compelled to say, "By God, I am not being obstinate, and the matter is as you stated. If I knew otherwise, I would retract my position." In such a situation, the oath becomes necessary. Similarly, when the Prophet (PBUH) presented clear proofs, and the disbelievers responded by saying, "This is nothing but a man who wants to turn you away [from your gods]" or "This is nothing but plain magic when the truth came to them," resorting to oaths became necessary due to the futility of further argumentation.

3. The Oath as Proof in Disguise: This is not merely an oath; rather, it is a proof presented in the form of an oath. This is because the Qur'an itself is a miracle and the proof of his messengership.

If it is asked: Why was the proof not presented in the form of a proof? What is the wisdom in presenting the proof as an oath?

We reply: Presenting the proof directly might not be accepted by the listener; his heart might reject it. However, when it is introduced in the form of an oath—and an oath, especially from the Most High, is a momentous matter—there is a strong incentive to pay attention to it. The form of the oath makes bodies eager to listen, and because it is a conclusive proof, the heart absorbs it, it settles in the hearing, and benefits the heart.

Issue 2: The wisdom of the Qur'an being Hakim (wise/authoritative) is contingent upon Muhammad being a messenger. Therefore, they might argue that this is not an oath.

The answer to this is twofold:

1. If they deny that the Qur'an is a miracle, they are challenged: "Then produce a Surah like it."
2. A rational person does not trust the oath of another unless that person swears by something he believes to be great. A disbeliever swearing by Muhammad would not be trusted as much as if he swore by the Cross or an idol. If he swore by our true religion, it would not be trusted as much as if he swore by his false religion. Since it is known that the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions held the Qur'an in high esteem, his swearing by it is what necessitates their trust in him.

عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (upon a straight path.)

And His saying, the Exalted: {عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ} (upon a straight path.)