Period of Revelation
The internal evidence of the style shows that the period of the revelation of this Sarah is
probably the middle Makkan period
and especially that part of it
when antagonism had grown quite strong and every sort of mischief was being adopted
to frustrate the mission of the Holy Prophet.Subject Matter and Theme
The discourse is meant to warn and reprove the people of Makkah and their chiefs for
their antagonistic attitude that they had then adopted towards the Holy Prophet's
message of Tauhid
like a well wisher
and also to admonish them like a teacher
as if to say:"O foolish people
the way to which this Prophet is calling you is to your own advantage. Your anger
your tricks and machinations against it and your conspiracies and designs to frustrate it
are not directed against him but against your own selves. If you do not listen to him
you will be harming your own selves
not him. Just consider and ponder over what he says : there is nothing wrong in it. He
repudiates shirk. If you look around carefully
you will yourself realize that there is no basis for shirkin the world. He presents the
doctrine of Tauhid. If you use your common sense
you will come to the conclusion that there is no being
beside Allah
Creator of the Universe
which might possess divine attributes and powers and authority. He tells you that you
have not been created to be irresponsible in this world
but you have to render an account of your deeds before your God
and that there is life after the life of this world when everyone will meet the
consequences of what he has done here. If you thing a little you will see that your
doubts and your astonishment about it are absolutely baseless. Don't you see the
phenomenon of the reproduction of creation day and night. How can then your own
recreation be impossible for that God Who created you from an insignificant sperm
drop? Doesn't your own intellect testify that the good and the evil cannot be alike? Then
think and judge for yourselves as to what is reasonable : should the good and the evil
meet with the same fate and end up in the dust
or should the good be requited with good and the evil with evil? Now
if you do not admit and acknowledge these rational and reasonable things and do not
abandon your false gods
and wish to continue living only as irresponsible people in the world
the Prophet will not lose anything. It is you yourselves only who will suffer the
consequences. The Prophet's only responsibility was to make the truth plain to you
which be has done". In this connection
the Holy Prophet has been consoled again and again
as if to say :"When you are doing full justice to the preaching of your mission
you do not incur any responsibility for those who persist in their error and do not accept
and follow the right way". Furthermore
he has also been consoled to the effect "You should neither grieve on account of those
who do not want to believe
nor consume yourself with the thought of how to bring them to the rights path. Instead
of this
you should pay your full attention to those who are inclined to listen to you". The
believers also
in this connection
have been given the good news so that they may feel strengthened and encouraged
and remain steadfast on the path of the truth with full faith in the promises made by
Allah.
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