Surah Al-A'la: (9) So remind, if the reminder benefits. . . . . .

It is known that when the Almighty perfected Himself by facilitating all worldly and otherworldly benefits, He commanded the calling of creation to the Truth. This is because the perfection of a human being lies in adorning oneself with the attributes of God, the Exalted, to the utmost degree and beyond.

When the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) reached this perfection, according to His saying: {And We will make it easy for you to the easy way} (Al-A'la: 8), he was commanded to elevate himself beyond perfection by His saying: {So remind}, because reminding necessitates perfecting the deficient and guiding the ignorant. Whoever is like this becomes an overflowing source of perfection, thus being perfect and beyond perfection.

Herein lie several questions:

The First Question:

He (PBUH) was sent to everyone, so he must remind them whether the reminder benefits them or not. What is meant by conditioning it with the clause: {if the reminder benefits}?

Answer: The fact that something is conditioned by "if" does not necessitate its non-existence when that condition is absent. Evidence for this includes this very verse, as well as: {And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution if they desire chastity} (An-Nur: 33), and: {And be grateful to Allah if it is Him you worship} (Al-Baqarah: 172), and: {And there is no blame upon you if you shorten the prayer when you fear [an enemy]} (An-Nisa: 101)—for shortening is permissible even if fear is absent. Also: {And if you find no scribe, then a pledge [taken into] custody} (Al-Baqarah: 283)—and taking a pledge is permissible even if a scribe is present. And: {Then there is no blame upon them if they both desire reconciliation, if they both incline to [make] reconciliation}—and reconciliation is permissible without this inclination.

Once this is understood, we say that the mention of this condition has several benefits:

1. The most probable outcome: When someone undertakes an action for a specific goal, they are more obligated to that action in the scenario where they know the means will lead to that goal, compared to the scenario where they know the means will not lead to that goal. Therefore, He said: {if the reminder benefits}.
2. Mentioning the nobler state: The Almighty mentioned the noblest of the two states and alluded to the other, like His saying: {garments to protect you from the heat} (An-Nahl: 81). The implication is: {So remind, whether the reminder benefits or not} (ms9501).
3. Incitement to benefit: The intention is to urge them to benefit from the reminder, similar to when one says to another after clarifying the truth: "I have made it clear for you, if you would only comprehend," meaning the call is for acceptance and benefit.
4. Foreshadowing the lack of benefit: This serves as a warning to the Messenger (PBUH) that the reminder will not benefit them, similar to saying to a man: "Call that person, if he answers you," meaning, "I do not think he will answer you."
5. Addressing repeated effort: The Prophet (PBUH) called them to God frequently. The more frequent his call, the greater their obstinacy, and the more grief he felt over it. So he was told: {And remind, for indeed, reminders benefit the believers} (Qaf: 45). General reminding was obligatory at the beginning, but repetition might only be obligatory when there is hope of achieving the objective. For this reason, it was qualified by this condition.

The Second Question:

Conditioning by "if" is appropriate for one who is ignorant of the consequences. How can this be fitting for the Knower of all hidden matters?

Answer: It is narrated in the books that God used to say to Moses: {So speak to him with gentle speech; perhaps he may remember or fear} (Taha: 44), while I [God] testify that he will not remember nor fear. The command for calling and sending a messenger is one matter, and God's knowledge of the unseen and the consequences of matters is another. One cannot be based upon the other.

The Third Question:

Is the commanded reminding quantified—for example, reminding them ten times—or is it unquantified? If unquantified, how can one fulfill the obligation?

Answer: The standard for this is the customary practice (al-`urf), and God knows best.

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