Overview (Verses 13 - 19)

A Historical Case
 
Having presented the issues of revelation and resurrection in the form of a factual statement, the sūrah now presents them again in narrative form so as to touch hearts with a story about the fate of those who persist in denying the truth: Cite for them, as a case in point, the people of a township to which messengers came. We sent them two messengers, but they rejected them; so We reinforced them with a third, and they said: ‘We are messengers who have been sent to you.’ They replied: You are nothing but mortals like ourselves. Moreover, the Lord of Grace has never revealed anything; you do nothing but lie.’ They said: ‘Our Lord knows that we have indeed been sent to you. Our only duty is to clearly deliver the message [entrusted to us]. Said [the others]: ‘We augur evil from you. Unless you desist, we will surely stone you and inflict on you a painful suffering.’ [The messengers] replied: ‘The evil you forebode is within yourselves. [Why do you take this as an evil omen] when you are only being reminded of the truth? Truly, you are going too far’ (Verses 13-19)
 
The Qur’ān does not mention which township this was or who were its people. Different reports suggest different towns and cities, but there is no real benefit in trying to establish its identity. The fact that the Qur’ān neither identifies it nor mentions its location does not detract from the import of the story. It is a city to which God sent two messengers, just as He sent Moses and his brother Aaron to Pharaoh and his nobles. The people of the city rejected their message, accusing them of lying. God supported His two messengers with a third, confirming that they were truly His messengers. All three of them again presented their message, saying to the people: “We are messengers who have been sent to you.” (Verse 14)
 
At this point, the people of the city aired the same objections that were given to God’s messengers throughout history: “They replied: You are nothing but mortals like ourselves. Moreover, the Lord of Grace has never revealed anything; you do nothing but lie.” (Verse 15) This oft-repeated objection to the fact that God sends human messengers to human communities betrays a naive understanding and ignorance of the nature of the messenger’s role. People expected that both the personality and the life of the messenger should entail some deep secret which could feed their imaginations. In other words, they expected the unusual in such a way as attracted legend. Was he not a messenger sent from the heavens to the earth? How come, then, that he is just a simple ordinary person with no puzzling secrets surrounding him? He is no different from anyone else, no different from the multitude to be found everywhere.
 
Such thinking is certainly naive. Secrets and enigmas are not essential qualities for prophethood and divine messages; not in this childish way of thinking. There is indeed a great secret involved, but it is epitomized in the plain fact that an ordinary person is given the ability to receive revelations from on high once God has chosen him for that task. This is something of far greater wonder than sending an angel as God’s messenger, as unbelievers suggest.
 
The divine message is a code of living for a human community. The messenger’s life represents a practical example of how this code is implemented. It is given as a model for people to follow. Since they are human, the messenger showing them this example must be human like them so that he sets the sort of example they can emulate.
 
Therefore, the Prophet’s life was held open before his followers. The Qur’ān records the main features of his life in their minute detail, so as to make it clear and available for future generations. These details include aspects of his home and personal life, and even, at times, his thoughts and feelings. In this way, even future generations would recognize the man behind the Prophet’s personality.
 
Yet it was this simple and clear fact that invited people’s objections. In this sūrah, those who lived in the city said to their three messengers: “You are nothing but mortals like ourselves,” which meant that they were not truly messengers from God. They also said: “The Lord of Grace has never revealed anything,” of what you claim. They further added: “You do nothing but lie,” when you claim to be messengers from God.
 
Certain that they said nothing but the truth, and knowing the remit of the mission assigned to them, the messengers replied: “Our Lord knows that we have indeed been sent to you. Our only duty is to clearly deliver the message [entrusted to us].” (Verses 16- 17) It is sufficient that God knows. The task assigned to God’s messengers is to deliver their message, and they did just that. People are then free to choose what they wish for themselves, and what burden their choices represent. Once the messengers have delivered their message, the matter is left to God to determine.
 
However, those who persist in denying the truth do not take matters in such a simple and easy way. They cannot tolerate the advocates of faith’s presence. They resort to rough tactics in rejecting sound argument. The point is that falsehood is impatient, aggressive: “Said [the others]: We augur evil from you. Unless you desist, we will surely stone you and inflict on you a painful suffering.” (Verse 18) We view your call with gloom, expecting it to bring evil upon us. Unless you stop, we will no longer tolerate you: ‘we will surely stone you and inflict on you a painful suffering.’ Thus falsehood declares its intentions, threatening those advocating divine guidance and resorting to heavy handed tactics in answering the quiet word of truth.
 
However, the task assigned to God’s messengers requires them to proceed along their way: “[The messengers] replied: The evil you forebode is within yourselves.” (Verse 19) Forebodings of evil as a result of a message being delivered or a face being encountered is nothing but ignorant superstition. The messengers tell them so, and make clear to them that their share of good or evil comes from within themselves. In other words it relates to their actions and intentions. It is up to them to increase their share of goodness or evil. What God wills for people comes from within themselves and from their own choices and actions. This is the truth based on a firm foundation. To associate bad omens with faces, places or words is superstitious nonsense.
 
The messengers also said to them: “[Why do you take this as an evil omen] when you are only being reminded of the truth?” (Verse 19) Would you stone us and torture us only because we remind you of the truth? Is this how you reward reminders? “Truly, you are going too far.” (Verse 19) You certainly exceed the limits of judgement if you reward a mere reminder with threats and punishment, and requite advocacy of the truth with stoning and torture.