| An-Nisa (The Women): (80) Whoever obeys the Messenger...

The meaning is that whoever obeys the Messenger, because he is a messenger conveying God's rulings to creation, has in reality only obeyed God. This obedience, in reality, can only occur through God's success (Tawfiq).

As for "And whoever turns away, We have not sent you over them as a guardian," if God has blinded someone from righteousness and led them astray from the path, then no one among creation has the power to guide them.

Know that whoever God illuminates their heart with the light of guidance is certain that the matter is as we have described. You see a single piece of evidence presented to two people in the same gathering: one increases in faith upon hearing it, while the other increases in disbelief upon hearing it. If the one who loves that speech wished to expel the love for it and the belief in its truth from their heart, they could not. Likewise, if the one who hates it wished to expel the hatred for it and the belief in its falsehood, they could not. Then, after days, the lover might become a hater, and the hater might become a lover. Whoever contemplates the conclusive proof we mentioned—that all contingent things must be attributed to the Necessary Existent (Wajib al-Wujud)—and then considers the induction (istiqra') we mentioned from themselves, and yet is not certain that everything is by God's decree and predestination, then their own experience serves as the strongest evidence that guidance is not attained except by God's creation. This is because, despite knowing such a proof and knowing such an induction, the fact that this belief did not settle in their heart can only be because God prevented them from it and withheld it from them.

There remain several issues concerning the verse:

This is one of the strongest proofs that the Messenger is infallible (Ma'sum) in all commands and prohibitions, and in everything he conveys from God. For if he erred in any of these matters, his obedience would not be obedience to God. Furthermore, he must be infallible in all his actions, because the Almighty commanded following him in His saying: {So follow him} (Al-An'am: 153, 155). Following (Mutaaba'ah) means performing an action similar to another's action because that other person performed it. Thus, the one who performs a similar action is obeying God in the command {So follow him}. Therefore, submission to him in all his sayings and all his actions—except what evidence has exempted—is obedience to God and submission to God's ruling.

Imam Ash-Shafi'i, may God be pleased with him, stated in Ar-Risalah in the chapter on the obligation of obedience to the Messenger: His saying, {Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah}, indicates that every obligation God has enjoined upon His servants regarding purification (Wudu'), prayer, Zakat, fasting, Hajj, and all other matters in the Qur'an, for which the obligation itself was not detailed in the Qur'an—then we have no way to fulfill those obligations except through the Messenger's explanation. If this is the case, it necessitates affirming that obedience to the Messenger is identical to obedience to God. This is the meaning of Al-Shafi'i's statement.

His saying, {Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah}, indicates that there is absolutely no obedience except to God. This is because the Messenger's obedience, in his capacity as a Messenger concerning what he is sent for, can only be obedience to God. Thus, the verse indicates that there is no obedience to anyone except to God.

Muqatil said regarding this verse: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "Whoever loves me has loved God, and whoever obeys me has obeyed God." The hypocrites said: "This man has approached Shirk (polytheism); he forbids us from worshipping other than God, yet he wants us to take him as a Lord, just as the Christians took Jesus." Then God revealed this verse.

We have already clarified how the verse indicates that there is no obedience to the Messenger per se; rather, obedience is to God.

As for His saying, {And whoever turns away, We have not sent you over them as a guardian}, there are two opinions:

1. The intended meaning of "turning away" (Tawalli) is turning away in the heart. Meaning, O Muhammad, your judgment is over the apparent actions; do not concern yourself with the inner states (Bawatin).
2. The intended meaning is turning away outwardly.

Regarding His saying, {We have not sent you over them as a guardian}, there are two opinions:

1. Its meaning is: You should not be distressed or saddened because of that turning away. You were not sent to guard people against sins. The reason for this is that the Messenger (PBUH) used to feel intense grief over their disbelief and aversion. God mentioned this statement as a consolation to the Messenger regarding that sorrow.
2. The meaning is: We have not sent you to busy yourself with deterring them from that turning away. This is like His saying: {There is no compulsion in religion} (Al-Baqarah: 256). This ruling was later abrogated by the verse of Jihad.

< {And they say, "Obedience." But when they depart from you, a group of them spends the night plotting other than what you say. And Allah records what they plot. So turn away from them and rely upon Allah. And sufficient is Allah as a Trustee (Wakil).} >