Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes): Verse 9

Translation and Exegesis (Tafsir)

Context: After the disbelievers alleged that the Prophet (PBUH) fabricated the Quran, this verse addresses another form of their doubt: their demand for extraordinary miracles and knowledge of the unseen.

{Say: I am no novelty among the Messengers} (46:9)

• Meaning of Bad': Bad' (novelty/unprecedented) and Badi' (originator) refer to the beginning or something invented that did not exist before according to established custom.

• Interpretation 1: "I am not the first among the Messengers." Therefore, you should not deny my claim that I am God's Messenger, nor reject my call to monotheism and prohibition of idol worship, as all previous messengers followed this same path.

• Interpretation 2: They demanded great miracles and knowledge of the hidden. The meaning here is that performing such overwhelming miracles and revealing hidden matters is beyond human capacity. Since I am one of the Messengers, and not capable of what you demand, how could I possibly achieve it?

• Interpretation 3: They criticized him for eating food, walking in the markets, and having poor followers. The response, "I am no novelty among the Messengers," means that all previous messengers shared these characteristics. These matters do not invalidate my prophethood, just as they did not invalidate theirs.

{And I do not know what will be done with me or with you.} (46:10)

This statement involves several issues:

There are two main ways to interpret this: concerning worldly affairs or concerning the Hereafter.

A. Concerning Worldly Affairs (Interpretations):

1. Uncertainty of Outcome: I do not know what will become of my affair or yours, who will prevail and who will be overcome.
2. Interpretation based on Ibn Abbas (via Al-Kalbi): When the suffering of the Companions in Mecca intensified, the Prophet (PBUH) dreamt of migrating to a land with palm trees, greenery, and water. He shared this with his Companions, who rejoiced, seeing it as relief from the polytheists' persecution. When time passed without this happening, they asked about the promised land. The Prophet (PBUH) remained silent, and then this verse was revealed: {And I do not know what will be done with me or with you}, meaning this was something seen in a dream, and I only follow what God reveals to me.
3. Interpretation by Al-Dahhak: I do not know what you are commanded regarding religious duties, laws, and Jihad, nor do I know the specifics of the trials and tests you will face. I only warn you about what God has informed me concerning the Hereafter regarding reward and punishment.
4. Uncertainty of Fate: I do not know what will happen to me—whether I will die or be killed like the prophets before me. Nor do I know what will happen to you, O deniers: will you be pelted with stones from the sky, swallowed by the earth, or suffer what afflicted previous nations?

B. Concerning the Hereafter (Interpretation):

• It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that when this verse was revealed, the disbelievers, hypocrites, and Jews rejoiced, saying, "How can we follow a prophet who does not know what will happen to him or us?" Then God revealed: {Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory...} (Al-Fath 48:1-5), clarifying what would happen to him and his followers, thus silencing the hypocrites and disbelievers.

• Rejection of the Hereafter Interpretation: Most sound scholars reject this view for several reasons:
  1. The Prophet (PBUH) must know with certainty that he is a Prophet. If he knows this, he knows he does not commit major sins and that he is forgiven. Thus, he cannot doubt whether he is forgiven or punished.
  2. Prophets are of a higher status than the pious friends of God (Awliya). If those who say, "Our Lord is Allah, then they remain steadfast," have no fear (46:13), how can the chief of the pious and the exemplar of prophets doubt his own forgiveness?
  3. God states, {Allah knows best where to place His message} (6:124), indicating his ultimate high status and closeness to God. It is unfitting for one in such a state to doubt whether he is among the punished or the forgiven.
  • Conclusion: This interpretation is weak.

The author of Al-Kashshaf noted that the verb {ما يفعل} (ma yaf'alu) is sometimes read with a fatha on the ya' (implying God's action: mā yaf'alu - what God does). If read as negative (mā yaf'alu - what he does not do), the structure should ideally be "What will be done to me and to you?" The explanation is that the implied structure is: "I do not know what God will do to me, and I do not know what God will do to you."

{I follow only that which is revealed to me.} (46:11)

This means I say nothing and do nothing except according to the dictates of revelation.

• Argument for Strict Adherence: Proponents against Qiyas (analogical reasoning) use this verse, arguing that the Prophet (PBUH) only spoke or acted based on explicit divine text. Therefore, our situation must be the same.
  • This is supported by verses like: {And follow him} (7:158) and {So let those who oppose his command beware} (24:63).

{And I am only a clear Warner.} (46:12)

Since they demanded extraordinary miracles and knowledge of the unseen, he replies: {And I am only a clear Warner.} The One capable of those acts beyond human power and the Knower of the unseen is none other than God, the Exalted.

{Say: Have you considered: if this [Quran] is from Allah, and you disbelieve in it, while a witness from the Children of Israel testified to its likeness, and you remained arrogant—then who is more unjust than one who opposes the truth?} (46:13)

The response to the conditional clause is omitted. The implied meaning is: "If this Book is from Allah, and you disbelieve in it, and a witness from the Children of Israel confirms its truth, and yet you remain arrogant, then you would be the most misguided and unjust of people."

• This omission is common, similar to: {If there were a Quran whereby the mountains could be moved, or the earth cleaved asunder, or the dead made to speak...} (13:31), where the consequence is left unstated.
• It is sometimes stated, as in: {Say: Have you considered if this were from Allah and you disbelieved in it—who is more astray than one who is in extreme opposition?} (41:52).

There are two main opinions:

1. The Majority Opinion: Abdullah ibn Salam:
   • When the Prophet (PBUH) arrived in Medina, Abdullah ibn Salam looked at his face and knew it was not the face of a liar. Upon closer examination, he confirmed he was the awaited Prophet.
   • He asked the Prophet (PBUH) three questions only a prophet would know: What are the first signs of the Hour? What is the first food of the people of Paradise? Does the child resemble the father or the mother?
   • The Prophet (PBUH) answered: The first sign is a fire gathering people from East to West; the first food is the liver lobe of the whale; and regarding lineage, the child resembles whichever parent's water precedes the other.
   • Ibn Salam declared: "I testify that you are truly the Messenger of God." He then warned the Prophet (PBUH) that the Jews were slanderers and would deny his testimony if asked beforehand.
   • When the Jews came, the Prophet (PBUH) asked about Abdullah. They praised him highly. When the Prophet (PBUH) asked what if Abdullah embraced Islam, they cursed him. Abdullah then emerged, declared his faith, and they insulted him. Abdullah said, "This is what I feared."
   • Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas reported that he never heard the Prophet (PBUH) promise Paradise to anyone walking on earth except Abdullah ibn Salam. This verse was revealed concerning him.

2. Rejection of Abdullah ibn Salam as the Witness: Scholars like Al-Sha'bi and Masruq rejected this, arguing that Abdullah ibn Salam embraced Islam in Medina two years before the Prophet's death, while this Surah is Meccan. How can a Meccan verse refer to an event in late Medinan life?
   • Rebuttal (Al-Kalbi): The Surah is Meccan, except for this verse, which was Medinan. God commanded the Prophet (PBUH) to place this Medinan verse in this specific location within the Meccan Surah.
   • Further Critique of the Hadith: The narration about Ibn Salam is problematic. It implies the Prophet (PBUH) knew the answers to the three questions because Ibn Salam asked them, which is unlikely.
     • Reason 1 (Circular Reasoning): Knowing that the answers about contingent events (like the signs of the Hour or Paradise food) are true requires first knowing the speaker is truthful. If knowing the speaker is truthful depends on the truth of the answer, it leads to an impossible circular dependency.
     • Reason 2 (Level of Miraculousness): The answers given to these specific questions are not inherently miraculous to the degree required for proof. If answers to difficult questions are not miraculous, how can these simple answers be?
   • Proposed Solution: Perhaps the previous scriptures mentioned that the Last Messenger would be asked these specific questions and would give these exact answers. Abdullah ibn Salam knew this from earlier scriptures. When the Prophet (PBUH) gave those answers, Ibn Salam recognized him as the true Messenger through this specific confirmation, without the answers themselves needing to be miraculous proofs.

3. Second Opinion: General Testimony: The verse does not refer to a specific person but means that the mention of Muhammad (PBUH) and the glad tidings of his coming exist in the Torah. If an honest scholar familiar with the Torah acknowledged this, believed in Muhammad (PBUH), and yet others remained arrogant, they would be unjust. This point holds whether a specific person is intended or not, as the main goal is to show that the Quran's truth is established by overwhelming miracles, and the Torah confirms the Prophet's coming.

The closest interpretation is that the Prophet (PBUH) said to them: "Have you considered: if this Quran is from Allah, as I say, and a witness from the Children of Israel testifies to what I said (its likeness), and you believe and remain arrogant, are you not then unjust to yourselves?"

{Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.} (46:14)

This serves as the threat and stands in place of the omitted response mentioned earlier. The implication is: "If this is from Allah and you disbelieve, then you will not be guided; rather, you will be misguided."

The Mu'tazilites argue this verse proves that God withholds guidance because of a prior wicked act they committed. The verse explicitly states God does not guide them because they are wrongdoers (dhālimīn). Therefore, they conclude that all verses concerning the withholding of guidance must follow this pattern where the denial of guidance is contingent upon their prior injustice.

{And those who disbelieve say concerning those who believe, "If it had been good, they would not have preceded us to it."} (46:15)

This is another objection raised by the disbelievers against the Prophet's prophethood.

1. Meccan Disbelievers: They said that those who follow Muhammad (PBUH) are the poor and lowly (like Ammar, Suhayb, Ibn Mas'ud). If this religion were truly good, we (the elite) would not have been preceded by them.
2. Tribal Context: When the tribes of Juhaynah, Muzaynah, Ghifar, and Asad embraced Islam, the leaders of Banu 'Amir, Ghatafan, Asad, and Ashja' said: "If this were good, the shepherds of our flocks would not have preceded us to it."
3. Umar's Mother: It is said that a woman belonging to Umar's clan embraced Islam, and Umar used to beat her until he tired, saying, "If I hadn't tired, I would have beaten you more!" The Quraysh disbelievers then said, "If what Muhammad calls to were true, this woman wouldn't have preceded us."
4. Jewish Context: It is said the Jews said this upon Abdullah ibn Salam's conversion.

1. Direct Address Shift: It means: The disbelievers spoke to the believers (direct address, like saying "Zayd said to Amr"), but then the discourse shifts to the third person (absence/hidden, like in 10:22).
2. Meaning "For the Sake of": The author of Al-Kashshaf suggests it means: The disbelievers said this because of the believers' faith ("for the sake of their belief, they wouldn't have preceded us").
3. My View (Third Option): The disbelievers addressed a group of present believers, saying: "If this religion were good, those absent ones who embraced Islam would not have preceded us to it."

{And when they are not guided by it, they will say, "This is an ancient falsehood."} (46:16)

When they failed to grasp the miraculous nature of the Quran, this statement followed.

• Grammatical Issue: The structure implies a condition (idh lam yahtadū bihi - when they are not guided) followed by a result (fa-sayaqūlūn - then they will say). It is awkward for the past tense condition to govern the future tense result.
• Resolution: The operative word governing the condition ('āmil) is omitted, implied by the context. The meaning is: {And when they are not guided by it,} their obstinacy becomes clear, {then they will say, "This is an ancient falsehood."}

{And before it was the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy.} (46:17)

• Grammar: Kitāb Mūsā (Book of Moses) is the subject, and wa min qablihi (and before it) is the predicate placed earlier. Imāman (a guide) is in the accusative case, functioning as a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl), like saying, "Zayd is in the house, standing."
• Alternative Reading: Some read it as: "And We gave the previous one, the Torah, as a guide and a mercy."
• Meaning: Imām means an exemplar or leader to be followed in God's religion and laws, just as one follows an Imam. Raḥmah (mercy) is for those who believe in it and act upon its contents.
• Connection to Previous Verses: The people attacked the Quran's validity, saying, "If it were good, why did these lowlifes precede us to it?" God responds by pointing out that they do not dispute that God revealed the Torah to Moses and made it a guiding Imam. Since the Torah itself contains the glad tidings of Muhammad's coming, if they accept the Torah as an Imam to be followed, they must accept its ruling that Muhammad (PBUH) is truly from God.

{And this is a confirming Book in the Arabic tongue, to warn those who do wrong} (46:18)

• {And this is a confirming Book}: This Quran confirms the Book of Moses in establishing that Muhammad (PBUH) is a true Messenger from God.
• {in the Arabic tongue}: This is a circumstantial adverb (ḥāl).
• {to warn those who wrong}: Ibn Abbas specified this refers to the polytheists of Mecca.
  • There are two readings for the verb li-tunzira (to warn): with a tā' (addressing the Prophet/audience) or with a yā' (attributing the warning to the Book itself, as the Book was previously mentioned).

{and good tidings for the doers of good.} (46:19)

• Al-Zajjaj suggests the best reading is that bushrā (good tidings) is in the nominative case, meaning "And it is good tidings for the doers of good." It can also be accusative, meaning: "to warn those who wrong, and [to bring] good tidings for the doers of good."
• Summary: The purpose of revealing this Book is to warn those who turn away and bring glad tidings to those who obey.

Verses 20–24

{Those who say, "Our Lord is Allah," and then remain steadfast, there will be no fear upon them, nor will they grieve. Those are the companions of Paradise, abiding therein eternally, as a reward for what they used to do. And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning period are thirty months. Until, when he reaches maturity and reaches forty years, he says, "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have conferred upon me and upon my parents and to do righteousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my descendants. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims." Those are the ones from whom We will accept the best of what they did and overlook their evil deeds—they will be among the companions of Paradise. That is the great attainment promised to them.} (46:20–24)

• Verses 20-21 (The Steadfast): Those who declare God as their Lord and remain firm upon that declaration will have no fear or grief. They are the inhabitants of Paradise, remaining there eternally as a recompense for their deeds.

• Verse 22 (Duty to Parents): We have commanded man concerning his parents with kindness. His mother bore him with difficulty and gave birth to him with difficulty. The period of his carrying and weaning is thirty months.

• Verse 23 (The Forty-Year Prayer): When he reaches his full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor upon me and upon my parents, and to do righteous deeds that please You. And make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am among the Muslims."

• Verse 24 (Acceptance and Reward): These are the ones from whom We will accept the best of their deeds and overlook their evil deeds. They will be among the companions of Paradise—this is the true promise they were given.