Verses 18–28
وَ أَنَّ الْمَساجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَداً ١٨ وَ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا قامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَداً ١٩ قُلْ إِنَّما أَدْعُوا رَبِّي وَ لا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ أَحَداً ٢٠ قُلْ إِنِّي لا أَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَ لا رَشَداً ٢١ قُلْ إِنِّي لَنْ يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ أَحَدٌ وَ لَنْ أَجِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَداً ٢٢ إِلاَّ بَلاغاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ رِسالاتِهِ وَ مَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ نارَ جَهَنَّمَ خالِدِينَ فِيها أَبَداً ٢٣ حَتَّى إِذا رَأَوْا ما يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَضْعَفُ ناصِراً وَ أَقَلُّ عَدَداً ٢٤ قُلْ إِنْ أَدْرِي أَ قَرِيبٌ ما تُوعَدُونَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهُ رَبِّي أَمَداً ٢٥ عالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلا يُظْهِرُ عَلى غَيْبِهِ أَحَداً ٢٦ إِلاَّ مَنِ ارْتَضى مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَداً ٢٧ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنْ قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا ٢٨
- And the places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah.
- When the servant of Allah rose to pray to Him, they almost crowded around him.
- Say, “I pray only to my Lord, and I do not ascribe any partner to Him.”
- Say, “I do not possess any harm or guidance for you.”
- Say, “Neither can anyone shelter me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge apart from Him.
- [I have no duty] except transmitting from Allah, and His messages; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, indeed there will be for him the fire of hell, and they will remain in it forever.”
- Until, when they see what they are promised, they will then know who is weaker in supporters and fewer in numbers.
- Say, “I do not know if what you are promised is near, or if my Lord has set a term for it.”
- Knower of the unseen, He does not authorize anyone over His unseen,
- except one with whom He is pleased—a messenger. Then He dispatches a sentinel before him and behind him
- so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord, and He comprehends all that is with them, and He keeps count of all things.
Introduction & Commentary
These verses confirm prophethood and mention God’s oneness and the resurrection as a conclusion to the story of the jinn. They end with discussing the preservation of God’s message.
وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا ١٨
(72:18) And the places of worship (masājid) belong to Allah, so do not invoke (tadʿū, from duʿāʾ) anyone along with Allah.
The conjunction “and” connects this verse to the first verse: that indeed a company of the Jinn gave ear (). Duʿāʾ (supplication, calling, invocation) in this verse means ʿibādah (worship, service). This equivalence can clearly be observed in the verse: Your Lord has said, ‘Call Me (udʿūnī, from duʿāʾ), and I will answer you!’ Indeed those who are disdainful of My worship (ʿibādatī) will enter hell in utter humility’ (). The first half of the verse—And the places of worship belong to Allah—is an argument and justification for the conclusion drawn in the second half: so do not invoke anyone along with Allah. The implied meaning is: “Do not worship anyone beside God because the places of worship belong to Him [exclusively].”
Some suggested interpretations for the places of worship are:
(1) The Kaʿbah.
(2) The Holy Mosque.
(3) The Holy Mosque and Bayt al-Maqdis [in Jerusalem].
Comment: The problem with these interpretations is that the plural form of the word masājid (places of worship) is incompatible with only one or two places.
(4) The ḥaram (the sacred territory of Mecca).
Comment: This is an unwarranted interpretation.
(5) The entire earth, as per the Prophet’s narration: “The earth has been made a place of worship and pure for me”
Comment: This hadith is meant to say that it is permissible for Muslims to pray anywhere in the world, in contrast to the Jews and Christians who would not pray outside their synagogues and churches. The hadith, however, does not imply that all parts of the earth are called masjid in an unqualified manner.
(6) The ritual prayers, since they should be performed only for the sake of God.
Comment: There is no evidence to support this interpretation.
(7) The seven parts of the body that touch the ground in prostration (sajdah, sujūd), including the forehead, the palms, the knees, and the big toes.
Comment: This is narrated from Imam al-Jawād, and also from Saʿīd b. Jubayr, al-Farrāʾ and al-Zajjāj. We shall present the full account in our examination of narrations below, if God wills.
Based on this tradition, it is most appropriate to interpret the verse as saying that the parts of the body on which one makes prostration belong to God in the sense that they are exclusively assigned to Him in the legal code of the shariah. Furthermore, duʿāʾ in this verse refers to prostration specifically, as a clear form of worship. It could also refer to the prayer (ṣalāh) more generally, in the sense that it incorporates prostration before God.
The meaning is: “It has also been revealed to me that the members of prostration exclusively belong to God, so only use them to prostrate yourselves before Him alone—or to worship Him alone—not anyone else.”
وَأَنَّهُ لَمَّا قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَدْعُوهُ كَادُوا يَكُونُونَ عَلَيْهِ لِبَدًا ١٩
(72:19) When the servant of Allah rose to pray to Him, they almost crowded (libadan) around him.
Libad is the plural of lubdah, meaning “a crowded group.” The servant of Allah refers to the Prophet, as we can infer from the next verse. This expression serves as a prelude to what follows: Say, “I pray only to my Lord” (). The context of the verses suggests that the pronoun “they” refers to the polytheists. It is narrated that they used to gather around the Prophet when he stood to pray and recite the Qur’an. They would deride him and raise their voice above his. The meaning is: “When the Prophet rises to worship God through the prayer, the polytheists would crowd around him as though they are a dense cluster.”
Some exegetes have suggested that the plural pronouns in this verse refer to the jinn. They used to gather and crowd around the Prophet when he prayed. They were amused to see him recite a speech that they had not heard the like of before. Others have suggested that the pronouns refer to the believers. They would gather around the Prophet and follow his lead when he prayed, while remaining silent and listening to his recitation. However, as we explained above, the context of the subsequent verses does not corroborate either of these interpretations in a satisfactory way.
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَدْعُو رَبِّي وَلَا أُشْرِكُ بِهِ أَحَدًا ٢٠
(72:20) Say, “I pray only to my Lord, and I do not ascribe any partner to Him.”
Here God orders the Prophet to clarify the nature of his worship to the polytheists in a way that would remove their perplexity. They observed him pray to God in a way that they had not seen in anyone else. It would be natural for them to wonder if that was a plot against their idols or a scheme against themselves for worldly goals.
The effective meaning is: “What I do is not for none of the objectives that you suspect and accuse me of. Rather, I worship my Lord alone, and do not associate anyone with Him. If one recognizes someone to be their Lord, then there should be no surprise or blame if they worship their Lord.”
قُلْ إِنِّي لَا أَمْلِكُ لَكُمْ ضَرًّا وَلَا رَشَدًا ٢١
(72:21) Say, “I do not possess any harm (ḍarran) or guidance (rashadan) for you.”
The context of the verses suggest that the Prophet intends to clarify his relation both to his Lord and to the people. The last verse described the former: Say, “I pray only to my Lord, and I do not ascribe any partner to Him” (). This verse explains the latter, saying that the Prophet is a human being like them. He is not in charge of their gain or loss. He can neither harm them if he wills, nor lead them to some benefit that he wishes out of his power. He is charged to convey God’s message to them, and he has no choice but to carry out his mission. He can find no protector nor a refuge against God should he choose to violate and disobey His commands. Likewise, the people have no alternative but to obey God and His Messenger. Whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, indeed there will be for him the fire of hell, and they will remain in it forever (). They will realize this when they see what they are promised [on the Day of Resurrection].
Based on the above interpretation, “possessing harm” means having the ability to cause them some harm as he wills. Similarly, “possessing guidance” means the ability to direct benefits to them and not miss the target. The meaning is: “I do not claim to be able to either harm or benefit you.” According to some exegetes, ḍarr (harm, loss) in this verse implies ghayy (error, straying, misguidance), which is the opposite of rashad (guidance, growth, right course), where the verse has mentioned the effect and result of ghayy.
قُلْ إِنِّي لَنْ يُجِيرَنِي مِنَ اللَّهِ أَحَدٌ وَلَنْ أَجِدَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مُلْتَحَدًا ٢٢ إِلَّا بَلَاغًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِسَالَاتِهِ ۚ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَإِنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ٢٣
(72:22-23) Say, “Neither can anyone shelter me (yujīrunī, from ijārah) from Allah, nor can I find any refuge (multaḥadan) apart from Him. [I have no duty] except transmitting (balāghan) from (min) Allah, and His messages; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, indeed there will be for him the fire of hell, and they will remain in it forever.”
Ijārah means “granting refuge and protection to someone.” It would require the protector to guard the refugee against anyone who intends to harm them. The root laḥd means “inclining to a side, changing direction.” Apparently multaḥad (refuge) is a locative noun (ism makān), meaning a place where one would incline toward in order to safeguard oneself from harm. Some have suggested that it means an entrance. Apart from Him serves as a descriptive qualification. The pronoun Him refers to God.
The exception in verse refers to refuge at the end of the previous verse. Balāgh is synonymous with tablīgh (conveyance, communication, preaching). It is used here with the preposition min (from, of), while it should be used with the preposition ʿan (about, of). This indicates an omission in the verse. The implied meaning is: “Except for a transmission which is (kāʾinan) from God.” Some exegetes have opted for no omission in the verse by suggesting that what is meant by min here is ʿan. Either way, the meaning is: “My task is only to convey the names and attributes of God to you.”
… and His messages…: There are two suggested interpretations for this clause. (1) It connects to transmitting. The meaning would be: “I am only charged with transmitting from God, and with His messages.” (2) It connects to Allah, with the preposition min implying ʿan. The meaning would be: “My duty is only to communicate to you about God and His messages.”
Some exegetes have said that the exception in verse refers back to the clause I do not possess (). The meaning would be: “I do not possess any harm or guidance for you except inasmuch as conveying from God and His messages.” The problem with this view is that verse would be an independent statement, which would create a gap between the two parts of the exception. That would break their harmony.
The meaning is: “No one can ever provide me with shelter to safeguard me against God. Nor can I ever find a refuge anywhere else. My only resolution is to obey His command by transmitting His communications concerning His names and attributes, and His messages about religious obligations.”
… whoever (man) disobeys Allah and His Messenger…: The Messenger is mentioned parallel to God because he is only a communicator of God’s message. Hence, rejecting him would be rejecting God, and obeying him would be obeying God. The Qur’an says: Whoever obeys the Messenger certainly obeys Allah (). Apparently from this part to the end of the verse is the speech of God, not the continuation of the Prophet’s words.
… indeed there will be for him the fire of hell, and they will remain in it forever: The verse has used a mix of singular and plural pronouns here, as it says “for him” (lahu) and “they will remain” (khālidīn). Both pronouns refer to the Arabic particle man (whoever), which is linguistically singular, but semantically plural in this verse.
Given the context of the verses, what is meant by “disobedience” here is turning away from God’s oneness (tawḥīd) specifically, or more generally from His oneness and its implications in terms of the roots and branches of religion. Therefore, the verse’s threat pertains to those who reject the religious message altogether. The verse cannot be used to deduce that all sinners will abide in hell forever, as some exegetes have suggested.
حَتَّىٰ إِذَا رَأَوْا مَا يُوعَدُونَ فَسَيَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَضْعَفُ نَاصِرًا وَأَقَلُّ عَدَدًا ٢٤
(72:24) Until (ḥattá), when they see what they are promised, they will then know who is weaker in supporters and fewer in numbers.
The speaker in this verse is God, addressing the Prophet. If it were part of what the Prophet was ordered to say—by the imperative, “Say”—then it should have been phrased in the second person: “Until, when you see what you are promised, you will then know…”
The word “until” indicates the termination of a continuous behaviour or trend. Based on what comes after it in the verse, it refers to the polytheists looking down upon the Prophet by viewing his supporters—that is, the believers—as weak. They did not give any weight to him because of the small number of his followers. Hence, the word “until” implies an omission in the verse. The implied meaning is: “They constantly regard your supporters as weak and few in number, until, when they see what they are promised…”
… what they are promised…: This refers to hellfire, which was promised in the last verse.
قُلْ إِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ مَا تُوعَدُونَ أَمْ يَجْعَلُ لَهُ رَبِّي أَمَدًا ٢٥
(72:25) Say, “I do not know if what you are promised is near, or if my Lord has set a term (amadan) for it.”
Amad means “the final point where something ends.” The verse addresses an implied question (called a prolepsis) which they would naturally ask. Upon hearing God’s threat of punishment, one would be stirred to ask, “And when shall that be?” This verse responds: Say, “I do not know…”
عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ فَلَا يُظْهِرُ عَلَىٰ غَيْبِهِ أَحَدًا ٢٦
(72:26) Knower of the unseen, He does not authorize (yuẓhiru, from iẓhār) anyone (ʿalá) over His unseen,
When the verb iẓhār (to disclose, to reveal, to show) is used with the preposition ʿalá (over, on, above) and two objects, it means “helping someone overcome and dominate something.” Knower of the unseen is a predicate for an omitted subject. The implied meaning is: “He is the Knower of the unseen.” This description of God, in the context of the verse, implies that all knowledge of the unseen belongs to God exclusively. That is why the verse subsequently mentions the word unseen again and ascribes it to Him: His unseen. This sense [of universality and exclusiveness] would not be conveyed had the verse used a pronoun instead: “He does not authorize anyone over it.”
The meaning is: “He is the Knower of everything unseen, with such knowledge that exclusively belongs to Him. Thus he does not let anyone find out about the unseen which belongs to Him alone.” This implies a total negation. Some exegetes, however, have insisted that the verse implies a partial negation, meaning: “He does not let anyone find out about all of His unseen.” But our view is substantiated by the following verses.
إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ مِنْ رَسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْلُكُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ رَصَدًا ٢٧
(72:27) except one with whom He is pleased—a messenger. Then He dispatches a sentinel before him and behind him
This is an exception for anyone in the last verse. A messenger is a descriptive addition for the clause with whom He is pleased. This means that God may let His messengers learn about any part of His unseen that He wills. There are other verses which state that the knowledge of the unseen belongs to God exclusively, such as: With Him are the treasures of the unseen; no one knows them except Him (); To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth (, ); Say, “No one in the heavens or the earth knows the unseen except Allah” (). The way to combine these verses and the current verse is to say that God’s knowledge of the unseen is intrinsic and primary (bil-aṣālah), while the knowledge of others would be extrinsic and secondary (bil-tabaʿ). That is, they would only know by His teaching.
These verses can be compared to the verses which talk about who seizes the souls upon their death. In one verse, the act is exclusively attributed to God: Allah takes the souls at the time of their death (). Elsewhere the Qur’an says: Say, “You will be taken away by the angel of death, who has been charged with you” (); When death approaches anyone of you, Our messengers take him away (). The solution to this apparent contradiction is that the act of taking the souls is attributable to God primarily, but it is also attributable to the angels secondarily, since they are intermediaries that operate under the divine command.
… Then He dispatches a sentinel (raṣadan) before him and behind him: The antecedent of the pronoun He is God, while the pronouns him refers to the Prophet. Rāṣid means “a guard or watch over something.” Raṣad is synonymous with rāṣid. It is originally a maṣdar (infinitive noun, gerund), which makes it equally applicable to the singular and the plural. Before him refers to what lies between the messenger and the people to whom he is sent. Behind him refers to what lies between the messenger and the source of revelation, which is God. This is based on an image of God’s message extending from the Sender down to the final receiver s. The messenger carries the message from the Origin until he conveys it to the intended recipients. The next verse describes the unseen paths through which the message is revealed to the messenger: so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord ().
The meaning is: “God dispatches guardian angels to watch over what is between the messenger and those to whom he is sent, and also over what is between the messenger and the Source of revelation.” This is to protect the revelation from any mix or alteration—through addition or reduction—that may be done by the devils, directly or indirectly.
لِيَعْلَمَ أَنْ قَدْ أَبْلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ وَأَحْصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا ٢٨
(72:28) so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord, and He comprehends all that is with them, and He keeps count of all things.
The subject of the clause, so that He may ascertain is God. The antecedent of the pronouns “they” and “their” is the Arabic particle man (one with whom) at the beginning of the last verse, in the sense that the particle indicates plurality. The antecedent could also be a messenger in the last verse, as a genus [which would represent all messengers].
so that He may ascertain…: This refers to God’s knowledge in action, which amounts to the external transmission of His message. In this sense, the verse is comparable to the verse: So Allah shall surely ascertain those who are truthful, and He shall surely ascertain the liars (). There are many other verses in the Qur’an which talk about God’s knowledge in this sense.
This verse justifies why God dispatches a guard before and behind His messengers. The meaning is: “It is so that the communication of their Lord’s message may unfold and come to pass.” That is, the purpose is that His messages may reach the people intact, without any alteration or substitution.
Here are some other suggested interpretations for these verses:
(1) Before him and behind him (; or before it and behind it) refer to His unseen (). This means that the message sent from the unseen is protected by guards from before and behind it, until it reaches God’s messenger.
Comment: This interpretation is not commensurate with the purpose mentioned in the current verse: so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord, as we explained. The justification in this verse implies that the message must remain preserved from the devils all the way until it reaches the people.
(2) The two pronouns him [at the last verse] refer to Gabriel, who conveys God’s revelations.
Comment: This interpretation suffers from the same problem as the last one. Furthermore, it is undermined by the fact that there is no mention of Gabriel in the previous verses.
(3) The pronoun “he” in so that He may ascertain refers to the messenger (), while the plural pronouns “they” and “their” in the clause they have communicated the messages of their Lord refer to the guardian angels. The meaning is: “The angels carrying the revelation guard and protect the message so that the messenger may know that the angels conveyed God’s revelation to him as it issued from Him.” Thus the messenger would rest assured that the message he has received is free from any distortion from the devils. The objective is to know that the message he has received is intact, and knowing about the angels’ communication is a means to ascertain that.
Comment: There are two problems with this interpretation. (i) The mention of “messenger” (rasūl) in the last verse suggests that “communications” (risālāt) in this verse are the messages conveyed by the messenger to the people, not the messages conveyed by the angels of revelation to the messenger. This means that the pronoun “their” in their Lord apparently refers to God’s messengers, not the angels. (ii) The angels mentioned in these verses are guardian angels (raṣad), not emissaries. The function of guardian angels is to protect [the channel of the message], not to convey [the message].
(4) The meaning is: “So that Muḥammad may know for sure that his predecessors communicated the messages of their Lord.”
Comment: This is an implausible interpretation with no evidence to support it.
(5) The meaning is: “So that those who reject God’s messengers may know that the messengers indeed conveyed the messages of their Lord.”
Comment: This is even less likely than the last interpretation.
… and He comprehends all that is with them…: Based on our interpretation above, the antecedent of the pronoun “them” is the messengers. Apparently this statement complements the two stages of the preservation of the message which were mentioned in the last verse. Before him refers to the stage of communication between the messenger and the people to whom he is sent. Behind him refers to the stage of communication from when the revelation issues from God until it reaches the messenger. The current phrase of discussion—all that is with them—refers to the soul of the messenger as a container and preserver of God’s revelation. What is meant by comprehension here is God’s all-encompassing knowledge. This means that God’s revelation is immune from distortion and alteration in all its three stages: (i) between its origin and the messenger; (ii) within the soul of the messenger; and (iii) between the messenger and the people to whom he is sent.
Another possibility is that the clause, all that is with them refers to all aspects that pertain to the messengers, including the stages of revelation and communication before and after their soul. This makes the phrase comparable to the last part of the verse—He keeps count of all things—which is meant to signify God’s universal knowledge of everything by referring to His knowledge of their number and distinctions.
The Four Points Understood from the Preceding Three Verses
We can deduce four points from the last three verses of this chapter:
(1) What exclusively belongs to God is an intrinsic and primary knowledge of the unseen, as we explained above. He knows the unseen by the virtue of His essence, while others may know it through His teaching . This should clarify that the other verses in the Qur’an which deny anyone else’s knowledge of the unseen imply an intrinsic and independent knowledge. That does not contradict knowing about the unseen through God’s revelation. Some of these verses are: Say, “I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of Allah, nor do I know the Unseen” (); Had I known the Unseen, I would have acquired much good (); Say, “I am not a novelty among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me, or with you. I just follow whatever is revealed to me” ().
(2) The verses present a universal rule—He does not authorize anyone over His unseen ()—followed by an exception: except one with whom He is pleased—a messenger (). Thus there could also be other exceptions to this rule. One example would be the prophets, assuming that the word messenger (rasūl) is meant in its specific sense here, in contradistinction with prophet (nabī). The fact that God allows His prophets on the unseen can be deduced from the Qur’an based on the following two premises: (i) The Qur’an states that the prophets are revealed to: We have indeed revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him (). (ii) The Qur’an states that revelation is an instance of the unseen.
It is also possible that the word messenger in verse is meant in a general sense, including anyone who is sent from God with a mission to the people. This would also include the prophets, as reflected in these verses: We did not send before you any messenger or prophet (); We did not send a prophet to any town (). In that case, the very exception of a messenger (rasūl) in verse woul also apply to a prophet (nabī), without requiring a further exception.
Another Qur’anic exception to this rule is an imām (leader), in its Qur’anic sense. The Qur’an describes the imāms as having patience and certitude: And amongst them We appointed imams to guide [the people] by Our command, when they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs (). It also says that the veil has been removed from them: Thus did We show Abraham the dominions of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude (); Nay! Were you to know with knowledge of certainty, you would surely see hell (). We had a discussion on this previously.
The rule mentioned here—He does not authorize anyone over His unseen ()—is only applicable to the people of this world, meaning those who are living on the earth. Otherwise, if we consider the dead, then they are certainly not subject to this rule, since they witness the affairs of afterlife, which is part of the unseen as per the explicit text of the Qur’an. This would limit the universal expression of the rule to the point of not being applicable to anyone, because everyone will be resurrected, and That is a day on which all humankind will be gathered, and it is a day witnessed [by all creatures] (). The dead are not an exception to the rule mentioned here because their world is different from this world. For the same reason, the angels are no exception either, since their world is different from ours. The revelation that the angels carry, as well as what they observe in the angelic world, are part of the visible realities with respect to them, though they are unseen with respect to us.
(3) The last two verses—Then He dispatches a sentinel before him and behind him… ()—indicate that the divine revelation is preserved and undistorted from the moment of its origination from the Source of revelation, through its course of descension, until it reaches its intended audience. This includes three stages in the process of revelation:
(i) The first stage of revelation is from its origin to the point of being received by the messenger. The immunity of revelation in this stage is reflected in the phrase behind him ().
(ii) The second stage is the messenger. The phrase so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord () reflects three aspects of the immunity of revelation with respect to the messenger: (a) The messenger receives the message from the angel correctly, in a way that he recognizes it, without making a mistake. (b) The messenger retains the message faithfully, without forgetting or modifying it. (c) The message is conveyed to the people from the messenger intact, without any Satanic manipulation. The aforementioned phrase shows that God’s objective in dispatching guardian angels is to ascertain that the messages of their Lord are communicated. What is meant by “ascertain” here is external materialization and fulfillment. The divine revelation must be communicated to the people in actuality, which means that they must receive it. If the messenger lacks any of the three aforementioned immunities, then the divine objective outlined in the verse would not be realized. Now, the only means mentioned in the verse for the achievement of this objective is the dispatch of sentinels. This implies that revelation is protected by the angels not only while it is in the process of reaching the messenger, but also after that, when it is in his soul and memory. This preservation is emphasized by the statement: and He comprehends all that is with them ().
(iii) The last stage is the communication of the message by the messenger to the people. The immunity of revelation in this stage is reflected in the phrase before him (). This stage is also reflected in the phrase so that He may ascertain that they have communicated the messages of their Lord (), as we explained.
Therefore, the messengers are immune from error in all three stages of receiving the revelation, preserving it, and communicating it to the people. God sends His religion to the people through revelation to a messenger. The verse states that this process is secure in all its stages of transmission, until it reaches the people. And the messenger is part of this process, where he receives, preserves, and communicates the message to the people.
Moreover, communication of the message is not just verbal, but also practical, for one’s actions also convey a message. This necessitates that God’s messengers are infallible, meaning that they do not commit any sin, nor neglect any religious obligation. Otherwise, they would be communicating [through their actions] something that is contradictory to their religious message. Accordingly, the messengers are infallible with respect to sins, just as they are infallible in receiving the revelation, preserving it, and communicating it to the people verbally.
As we explained above, prophethood (nubuwwah) and messengership (risālah) are comparable inasmuch as they involve divine revelation. Hence, a prophet (nabī) is also infallible, just like a messenger (rasūl). In other words, those who communicate God’s revelation—whether they are prophets or messengers—are infallible in receiving the message, preserving it, and conveying it to the people—both verbally and practically.
(4) In verse , the exception of the messengers as having access to the unseen applies to any element of the unseen that pertains to their communication of the divine message. This includes knowledge of religious doctrines, practical laws, stories, lessons, wisdoms and admonitions. It also includes miraculous signs of their prophetic mission, as narrated from some of the prophets who informed the people about the unseen. One example of this is Prophet Ṣāliḥ, who told his people: Enjoy yourselves in your homes for three days: that is a promise not to be belied (). Another example is Prophet Jesus, who told the Children of Israel: And I will tell you what you have eaten and what you have stored in your houses. There is indeed a sign in that for you (). The same can be said about the promises, threats and predictions made by God’s messengers, as well as future events mentioned in the Qur’an. All of these are elements of unseen that the messengers are authorized over.
Examining Narrations
- Once al-Muʿtaṣim asked Imam al-Jawād concerning the penalty of a robber: “From where should his hand be lopped?” The Imam replied: “It should be cut off from the last joint of the fingers, excluding the palm.”
“What is your reason for that?” al-Muʿtaṣim inquired.
The Imam explained: “The Messenger of God said, ‘Prostration should be made on seven parts of the body: the face, the two hands, the two knees, and the two feet.’ If the hand is cut off from the wrist or the elbow, he will not be left with anything to prostrate on. But God says: The places of worship (masājid) belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah (), where the masājid (lit. places of prostration, or means of prostration) are the seven parts of the body touching the ground in prostration. Any part that belongs to God should not be lopped…”
- Once Imam al-Ṣādiq prostrated on eight major parts [of his body]: the two palms, the two knees, the two big toes, the forehead, and the nose. Then he said: Seven of them are obligatory to touch the ground, as God says in His Book: The places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah (). Those are the forehead, the two palms, the two knees, and the two big toes. But it is recommended (sunnah) to touch the nose on the ground as well.
- Once Imam al-Riḍā looked at Ibn Hadhdhāb and said, “Would you accept if I informed you that you will be afflicted these days by the killing of one of your relatives?”
“No,” he replied, “since nobody is aware of the unseen save God.”
The Imam said, “Doesn’t He says: Knower of the unseen, He does not authorize anyone over His unseen, except one with whom He is pleased—a messenger ()? God is pleased with the Messenger of God, and we [Imams] are the inheritors of that messenger whom God authorized over His unseen to the extent that He willed. Thus we know what has happened and what shall happen until the Day of Resurrection.”
Author’s comment: There are innumerable traditions in this regard. They state that the Prophet has knowledge of the unseen through God’s revelation, and the Imams have inherited that knowledge from the Prophet.
That is, any refuge that one may seek would be apart from God, and that is why it would be an ineffective refuge. (Trans.) ↩︎
Total negation means: “No one can learn about any part of the unseen.” Partial negation means: “Some people may learn about some parts of the unseen, but they will not learn about all of it.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Either way the meaning is the same: “So that God may ascertain that His messengers have communicated His messages.” (Trans.) ↩︎
See the author’s discussion under verses . (Trans.) ↩︎
This is based on the pronoun “him” in behind him referring to the messenger. If the pronoun refers to the unseen, then the entire phrase—before him and behind him ()—would serve to show its preservation. However, as we said above, this interpretation is weak. (Auth.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Ḥammād b. ʿĪsá. ↩︎
Al-Kharāʾij wa al-jarāʾiḥ, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Faḍl al-Hāshimī. ↩︎