Al-Fath: (8-9) Indeed, We have sent you as a witness...

The commentators say: {a witness} over your community concerning their deeds, just as the Almighty said: {And thus We have made you a just community, that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger a witness over you} (Al-Baqarah: 143).

However, it is better to say that the Almighty said: {Indeed, We have sent you as a witness}, and by this, it is testified that there is no god but Allah, just as the Almighty said: {Allah bears witness that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge} (Al 'Imran: 18). These are the Prophets, peace be upon them, to whom Allah granted knowledge from Himself and taught them what they did not know. For this reason, the Almighty said: {So know that there is no deity except Allah} (Muhammad: 19), meaning: so bear witness.

And His saying {and a bearer of good tidings} is for those who accept His testimony and act upon it, agreeing with it. And {and a warner} is for those who reject His testimony and oppose it.

Then He clarified the benefit of the sending in the manner mentioned: {that you [mankind] may believe in Allah and His Messenger and revere him and honor him and exalt Him [Allah] morning and evening}.

This is open to two interpretations:

1. The four commands are sequential consequences of the preceding descriptions:
   • {that you may believe in Allah and His Messenger} follows {Indeed, We have sent you}, because His being sent by Allah necessitates that the accountable person believes in Allah, the Sender, and the one sent.
   • {a witness} necessitates honoring and strengthening Allah's religion, because His testimony, as we explained, means He testifies that there is no god but Him; thus, His religion is the truth and most worthy of being followed.
   • {a bearer of good tidings} necessitates honoring Allah, because honoring Allah is akin to honoring Allah Himself.
   • {a warner} necessitates being pure from evil and indecency, out of fear of His painful punishment and severe retribution.
   • The origin of the sending is linked to the origin of belief, and the description of the Messenger entails the description of the believer.

2. Each description necessitates all four commands:
   • His being sent necessitates that the accountable person believes in Allah and His Messenger, honors Him, reveres Him, and glorifies Him.
   • Similarly, His being {a witness} to the Oneness necessitates these commands.
   • Likewise, His being {a bearer of good tidings and a warner} necessitates them.

It cannot be argued that the conjunction of the lām (for the purpose of) with the verb requires a preceding verb to which it relates, and not the description. His saying {that you may believe} requires a verb, which is {Indeed, We have sent you}. So how can the commands be consequent upon His being {a witness} and {a bearer of good tidings}?

We reply: The consequence can be based on meaning, not just wording. Just as if someone says, "I sent a scholar to you so that you may honor him," the wording implies the sending is the cause of the honoring. But in meaning, the scholar's nature is the cause of the honoring. Hence, if he said, "I sent an ignorant person to you so that you may honor him," it would still be acceptable.

If we wish to combine the wording and the meaning, we say: The sending while He is a witness is the cause, just as you say, "The sending of the scholar is the cause of making him a cause," referring not just to the sending, nor just to the scholar, but to the combination.

In the verse, there are several issues:

In Al-Ahzab, Allah says: {O Prophet, indeed, We have sent you as a witness and a bearer of good tidings and a warner * And a caller to Allah, by His permission, and a shining lamp} (Al-Ahzab: 45-46). Here, only three of the five descriptions are mentioned. What is the wisdom behind this?

The answer comes from two perspectives:

1. The context in Al-Ahzab was focused on mentioning the Messenger (PBUH) and his conditions, including the pledge of allegiance, the promise, and entering [the city]. Therefore, the description was detailed there, but not here.
2. The words mentioned here imply the others. His being {a witness} does not inherently imply that he is a caller, as one could testify to the Oneness privately without calling people to it. Therefore, in Al-Ahzab, He said {and a caller}. Here, since being {a witness} does not imply being a caller, He mentioned what is required of the community: {that you may believe in Allah and His Messenger and revere him and honor him and exalt Him [Allah] morning and evening}. This serves as evidence that he is a {shining lamp}, because He commanded what is due in reverence and avoidance of what is forbidden (evil and indecency) through glorification (Tasbīh).

We have mentioned repeatedly that choosing {morning and evening} can be an indication of continuity (perseverance). It can also be a command contrary to what the polytheists used to do, as they gathered at the Ka'bah morning and evening to worship idols. Thus, they were commanded to glorify Allah at the very times they used to mention obscenity and wrongdoing.

The pronouns mentioned in {and revere him and honor him and exalt Him} refer back to Allah the Almighty or to the Messenger (PBUH)? The sounder opinion is that they refer to Allah the Almighty.

7 < { Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, they are only pledging allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is above their hands. So whoever breaks his pledge, he breaks it only to his own detriment. And whoever fulfills his covenant with Allah - He will give him a great reward. } > 7 !