Overview (Verses 20 - 25)

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Such was the response of hearts that would not open to God’s message. It is such people that were mentioned at the outset of the sūrah. The other type, who follow the reminder and fear God despite their inability to see Him, also have here a behavioural example to emulate: Then a man came from the farthest end of the city at speed. He said: My people! Follow these messengers. Follow those who ask you for no reward, and are themselves rightly guided. Why should I not worship the One who has brought me into being? It is to Him that you will all return. Should I worship other deities beside Him? If the Lord of Grace should will that harm befall me, their intercession will avail me nothing, nor will they save me. Indeed, I should clearly be in error: I do believe in the Lord of you all; so listen to me.’ (Verses 20-25)  This is the response of sound human nature to the straightforward message of the truth: it reflects sincerity, simplicity, warmth and correct understanding. It shows us a man giving a positive response to the message, once he has recognized the elements of truth and sound logic in it. He points out these elements to his people as he addresses them. When he felt the truth of faith in his heart, he could not stay quiet or sit at home caring nothing while the truth was being rebuffed and falsehood upheld all around him. Instead he actively advocated the truth among his people, among those who were threatening the messengers with severe punishment. He travelled from the furthest end of the city to fulfil his duty, to call on his people to espouse the truth and to stop their opposition to it and aggression against God’s messengers.
 
It is apparent that the man did not command a position of honour, power or influence among his people. He was an ordinary person motivated by faith to travel from one end of the city to the other to make his stand clear. “He said: My people! Follow these messengers. Follow those who ask you for no reward, and are themselves rightly guided.” (Verses 20-21) Anyone who advocates such a message, seeking no gain or reward, must be honest and sincere. What else could motivate him to undertake such trouble, enduring such opposition, unless he was required to do so by God? Why would he bear such a burden, confronting people with a faith that is unfamiliar to them, exposing himself in the process to threats, ridicule and persecution when he stood to make no gain nor earn any benefit?
 
“Follow those who ask you for no reward, and are themselves rightly guided.” (Verse 21) That they are guided aright is obvious: they advocate belief in the One God, following a clear system, and a faith that is free of ambiguity and superstition. Their way is clearly straight.
 
The man then speaks about himself, outlining the reasons that motivated him to believe, and appealing to sound human nature: “Why should I not worship the One who has brought me into being? It is to Him that you will all return. Should I worship other deities beside Him? If the Lord of Grace should will that harm befall me, their intercession will avail me nothing, nor will they save me. Indeed, I should clearly be in error.” (Verses 22- 24) The question is posed by sound human nature which feels the presence of its Creator and the source of its existence: “Why should I not worship the One who has brought me into being?” Why would I deviate from this natural way which is the first to present itself to human nature? Needless to say, man is by nature attracted to his Creator and only deviates from Him under the pressure of some outside element. To turn to the Creator is the right and appropriate course, requiring no alien element or a pull from outside. The man here strongly feels this and states it clearly and simply.
 
The man also feels by nature that a created being must in the end return to its Creator, in the same natural law that brings everything horning to its originator: “It is to Him that you will all return.” He wonders why he should not worship his Creator when he is bound to return to Him, as will we all. It is He who creates, and it is He who should he worshipped.
 
The man then looks at the opposite way, which is contrary to sound nature, only to find that it is nothing but manifest error: “Should I worship other deities beside Him? If the Lord of Grace should will that harm befall me, their intercession will avail me nothing, nor will they save me.” (Verse 23) Can anyone be in greater error than the one who abandons the way of sound nature which requires that a created being worship its Creator? Why would anyone choose to worship someone or something else unnecessarily? Indeed, the one who turns his back on the Creator, resorting instead to weak deities that cannot protect him, has gone far into error: “Indeed, I should clearly be in error.” (Verse 24)
 
Now that the man has stated his case, speaking for sound human nature that is aware of the truth, he declares his own final decision, confronting his people who had threatened God’s messengers. The voice of sound nature in his heart was clearer and stronger than any threat: “I do believe in the Lord of you all; so listen to me.” (Verse 25) He wants them to witness his stand on the side of truth, implying that they too should follow his suit and declare themselves believers.