Overview (Verses 166 - 170)

The Supreme Witness
 
People however may deny that message for different reasons. People who have received earlier revelations from God through earlier prophets may deny the final message given to Muĥammad (peace be upon him), although it follows the same pattern of sending messengers to bring happy news to God’s servants and to warn them against disbelief. Those who received earlier revelations believe in the messengers who were sent before Muĥammad: the Jews acknowledged all messengers who came before Jesus (peace be upon him) and the Christians acknowledged all these as well as Jesus, to whom they attribute a Divine nature, as will be explained later. Addressing the Prophet, God consoles him for facing such rejection: “However it be, God [Himself] bears witness to the truth of what He has bestowed from on high to you: with His knowledge He bestowed it from on high; and the angels also bear witness to that; although God is sufficient as a witness.” (Verse 166)
 
This testimony by God and the angels, some of whom were entrusted with carrying the message to Muĥammad (peace be upon him), reduces to nothing all that may be said by those claiming to follow earlier revelations. What significance have they when God Himself gives His testimony and the angels do likewise? Surely God’s testimony is enough on its own. Coming when it did, this testimony provided consolation to the Prophet for the stern opposition by the Jews to his message and their scheming against it. It also provided assurance to the early Muslims in Madinah who faced determined assaults from the Jews, the magnitude of which is evidenced by the campaign launched in the Qur’ān to repel it.
 
This testimony is followed by a stern and fearsome warning to those who deny the message of Islam. “Those who disbelieve and debar others from the way of God have indeed gone far astray. Those who disbelieve and persist in wrongdoing will find that God will never forgive them, nor will He guide them onto any road, except the road to hell, wherein they will abide beyond the count of time. That is indeed easy for God.” (Verses 167-169)
 
The description of the unbelievers contained in this warning, though general in its import, applies primarily to the Jews and describes their attitude towards Islam and the Muslims, and indeed towards the truth generally. It applies equally to those of them who lived in the early days of Islam in Madinah and those who lived at the time of Moses himself, as well as to succeeding generations of Jews up to the present day, with the exception of a small number who opened their hearts to Divine guidance and followed it.
 
Those Jews, as well as any group of people to whom the description of disbelieving and debarring others from the way of God applies, have indeed gone far astray. They have turned away from God’s guidance and strayed from the proper way of life which ensures man’s happiness. They have erred in their concepts and beliefs, behaviour and social system, and in every aspect of this life generally. This means that their concept regarding the life to come is also erroneous.
 
Immense in error as they are, there is little hope that they can recognise Divine guidance and follow it. For they “have indeed gone far astray”.
 
They are again described as unbelievers, but this time they are also described as wrongdoers. To disbelieve is indeed to act wrongfully and to do injustice to the truth, to self and to mankind. Sometimes the Qur’ān describes disbelief as injustice or wrongdoing, as in God’s statement: “To associate partners with God is to commit grave injustice.” (31: 31) He also says: “They who do not judge in accordance with what God has bestowed from on high are indeed wrongdoers.” (5: 45) In the preceding verse, He describes them as unbelievers. (This will be discussed in detail in Volume IV, God willing.)
 
As for those Jews, they did not commit only the injustice of associating partners with God but they also persisted in wrongdoing by debarring people from the way of God. In other words, they were up to their ears in disbelief and wrongdoing.
 
Hence, their just punishment is determined by God: “Those who disbelieve and persist in wrongdoing will find that God will never forgive them, nor will He guide them onto any road, except the road to hell, wherein they will abide beyond the count of time.” (Verses 168-169) It is unfair that God should forgive such people after they have gone far astray and deprived themselves of every chance of forgiveness. It is also unfair that He should guide them to any road other than that leading to hell, because they have turned away from every road of guidance and sealed off every route leading anywhere other than the one leading to hell. They have gone far along that road, deserving to stay in hell for ever, without any hope of being saved again.
 
“That is indeed easy for God”, for He has the upper hand over every one of His servants. Moreover, He has no special relationship with anyone of His creation to make it difficult for Him to exact such a just punishment. Nor can their punishment be made less easy by any power or force possessed by His servants. The Jews and the Christians used to say that they were God’s own children and His beloved ones. They also said: “The fire will not touch us except for a small number of days.” (2: 80) They also claimed to be God’s chosen people. The Qur’ān denies all this and puts them back in their place among God’s other servants. They have the same prospects as anyone else: they receive reward if they do well, and they are punished if they do badly, do not repent or pray for forgiveness. All this is easy for God.
 
This is followed by a universal call to all mankind, to tell them that God’s Messenger has come to them with the truth from their Lord. He who believes in him does well. Those who deny him should know that God has no need for any of them and He can overpower them all. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth. He is aware of everything, and He runs all affairs according to His knowledge and wisdom:
 
Mankind, the Messenger has now come to you with the truth from your Lord. Believe, then, for it is better for you. But if you disbelieve, know that to God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. God is indeed All-Knowing, Wise. (Verse 170)
 
This call to all mankind to believe in the last message was preceded by a recital of all the false claims made by people to whom revelations were given at earlier times. This together with the unmasking of the true nature of the Jews and their evil deeds throughout their history. Their inherent obstinacy, even in their attitude towards Moses, their Prophet, leader and saviour, is also exposed. The call is also preceded by an explanation of the nature of this last message and its purpose, both of which require that God sends messengers and sends Muĥammad to all mankind. Having sent a number of messengers with messages to their own nations, it is only logical that this process should culminate with a final, universal message to all mankind “so that people may have no argument against God, once the messengers had come”. Had this final message not been addressed to all mankind, later generations would have had an argument against God. But the final and universal message of Muĥammad (peace be upon him) has stopped any such argument. To deny that a message should come after the Jewish prophets, including or excluding Jesus (peace be upon him), is contrary to God’s justice which ensures that no punishment can be exacted without having first sent a message. As it happened, there was no universal message prior to Islam. Such a universal message was, therefore, inevitable, to ensure God’s justice and mercy to mankind. This proves God’s description of His Messenger: “We have only sent you as mercy to mankind.” (21: 107) He is, indeed, a manifestation of God’s mercy in this life and in the life to come, as appears clearly from this Qur’anic statement.