Examples of Reproving Verses

Some Orientalists try to defame Islam by ascribing to some verses in the Quran, particularly to those verses in which Allah seems to reprove Muhammad [PBUH], meanings other than those which they truly denote. They then use these new meanings as evidence against Muhammad’s [PBUH] integrity and the way in which he delivered Allah’s message to mankind. The following are examples of these controversial verses:

“. . . And ask forgiveness for thy sin . . .” (Muhammad 47:19)

“. . . And if we had not made you wholly firm you might have inclined to them a little. Then had We made you taste a double (punishment) of living and a double (punishment) of dying, then had you found no helper against Us.” (al-Isra’ 17:74-75)

The same kind of reproof was made to him following the Battle of Badr and his willingness to free his captives if they agreed to teach Muslims how to read and write, which resulted in Allah’s saying:

“It is not for any prophet to have captives until he has made slaughter in the land (or: thoroughly subdued the land). You desire the lure of this world and Allah desires (for you) the Hereafter . . .” (al-Anfal 8:67)

it was said that Muhammad [PBUH] could not hold back his tears when this revelation was made to him.

The above verses are only a few examples of such reproving remarks.

Sceptics who make use of these verses to inveigh against Islam are, in fact, giving indisputable evidence that the Quran is indeed the original words of Allah as they were revealed to Muhammad [PBUH]. The mere fact that none of these reproving verses were omitted or misquoted proves the originality of the Quran and confirms Allah’s promise to preserve it intact and guard it from corruption, as is stated in the verse.

“Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian.” (al-Hijr 15:9)

The whole of the Quran, including these reproving verses, was revealed to Muhammad [PBUH] in person. It follows, therefore, that if he had been in any way dishonest or had any doubt about the divine message, he would have concealed these verses without anyone knowing about them or suspecting him. If the Quran had been made up by Muhammad [PBUH], he would not have left any such verses in it. After all, he was but a man, and men by nature resent being criticised and are incline to believe that they are immune from error. There is no human doctrine whose another is self-critical or does not try to convince us of its wholesomeness.

Hence, the mere fact that these reproving verses had been revealed and were transmitted intact to Muhammad’s [PBUH] followers confirms the fact that the Quran is truly Allah’s original speech and provides us with evidence as to Muhammad’s [PBUH] integrity and honesty in delivering the message.

Regarding the Surah al-Tawbah (9) some Orientalists have remarked that this chapter, unlike all the other passages of the Quran, does not open with the bismallah i.e., “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful”. They considered this omission to be clear evidence that the Quran was not of divine origin, and that Muhammad’s [PBUH] memory – whom they alleged was its true author – had betrayed him.

It should be noted that in this Surah Allah is speaking about the heretics who have been deprived of His mercy, and, therefore, the passage could not have opened with the words of mercy which Allah withheld from them, as is stated in following verse:

“Freedom from obligation (is proclaimed) from Allah and His messenger toward those of the idolators with whom you made a treaty.” (al-Tawbah 9:1)

The same withholding of mercy is stressed in other verses, of which the following are only a few examples,

“. . . Allah is free from obligation to the idolators, and (so is) His messenger” (9:3)

“Give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom to those who disbelieve” (9:3)

Then Allah tells Muhammad [PBUH] how to deal with these idolators and non-believers:

“Then, when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolators wherever you find them, and take them (captive), and besiege them, and prepare for them each ambush . . .” (9:5)

“How can there be a treaty with Allah and with His messenger . . ?” (9:7)

“How (can there be any treaty for the others) when, if they have the upper hand of you, they regard not pact nor honour in respect of you? They satisfy you with their mouths the while their hearts refuse. And most of them are wrong-doers. They have purchased with the revelations of Allah a little gain, so they debar (men) from His way. Lo! evil is that which they are wont to do. And they observe toward a believer neither pact nor honour. These are they who are transgressors.” (9:8-10)

“. . . then fight the heads of disbelief – lo! they have no binding oaths – in order that they may desist. Will you not fight a folk who broke their solemn pledges, and purposed to drive out the messenger and did attack you first? What! Fear ye them? Now Allah has more right that you should fear Him, if you are believers. Fight them! Allah will chastise them at your hands, and He will lay them low and give you victory over them, and He will heal the breasts of folk who are believers.” (9:12-14)

“It is not for the idolators to tend Allah’s sanctuaries, bearing witness against themselves of disbelief. As for such, their works are vain and in the Fire they will abide.” (9:17)

The verses go on to say that Allah gives no guidance to wrong-doers:

“O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith. Whoso of you taketh them for friends, such are wrong-doers.” (9:23)

“Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdains (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are avers.” (9:32)

If the people referred to in the above verses are those pagans who have been denied Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, how, then, could the Surah have begun with words of mercy when there was no room for its granting? Muhammad [PBUH] had not forgotten anything! It was, rather, Allah’s plan that this Surah should not open with the usual statement of His mercy, in order to show His wrath and the punishment that those heretics were doomed to suffer.

Returning to those verses in which Allah reproves Muhammad, it is seen that in the Surah ‘Muhammad’ Allah says to His Prophet

“And ask forgiveness for your sin . . .” (Muhammad 47:19)

Yet in the Surah al-Fath (48) He says to him,

“Lo! We have given you (O Muhammad) a signal victory, that Allah may forgive you o your sin that is past and that which is to come . . .” (al-Fath 48:1-2)

How can this paradox be explained? How can Allah ask Muhammad to beg forgiveness for his sin and also tell him that He had granted him forgiveness for his past and future sins? Furthermore, what is this sin which caused this reproof?

If we examine thoughtfully all these reproaching verses we find that the reproach was aimed at Muhammad’s [PBUH] excessive zeal in carrying out the message and his taking on himself more than he could endure, as is stated in the following verse form the Surah

Ta’ Ha’

“We have not revealed unto you (Muhammad) this Quran that you should be distressed.” (Ta ’Ha’ 20:2)

Then Allah Says to him,

“Yet it may be, if they believe not in this statement, that you (Muhammad) will torment your soul with grief over their footsteps.” (al-Kahf 18:6)

“O Prophet! Why do you ban that which Allah has made lawful for you . . ?” (al-Tahrim 66:1)

“We know well how their talk grieves you . . .” (al-Anam 6:33)

“A likely thing, that you would forsake aught of that which has been revealed unto thee . . .” (Hud 11:12)

“. . . So not let your soul expire in sighings for them . . .” (al-Malaikah 35:8)

“He frowned and turned away because the blind man came unto him . . .” (‘Abasa 80:1-2)

“Had it not been an ordinance of Allah which had gone before, an awful doom had come upon you on account of what you took.” (Al-Anfal 8:68)

“You are not at all a warder over them.” (al-Ghashiyah 88:22)

“. . . say: I am not put in charge of you.” (al-Anam 6:66)

All these verses contain some sort of reproof of Muhammad [PBUH], but the reproof is made because of his being overzealous in carrying out the message and in taking on himself more responsibility than he could endure. This is remarked in the first of the above verses when Allah says to him:

“We have not revealed unto thee this Quran that you should be distressed.” (Ta’ Ha’ 20:2)

That is, because Muhammad’s [PBUH] task was to deliver the message and explain its truth, leaving to the listener the responsibility of accepting it or not. This fact is emphasized in the following verse:

“Say: (It is the truth from the Lord of you (all). Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve . . .” (al-Kahf 18:29)

Again in the Surah of Yunus (10) Allah (still) reminds Muhammad [PBUH] of the goal of his commission when he says to him:

“. . . Would you compel men until they are believers?” (Yunus 10:99)

In the above verses, Allah has excluded coercion as a means of spreading the message of the faith. For faith which is imposed, or doses not come from within the soul, has no merit. Furthermore, Allah has shown man the right way and the rewards of following it. He has also cautioned him against wrongdoing and informed him of the penalties that wrongdoers must pay. But because He has given man freedom of will the option to follow one way or another has been left entirely up to him.

Muhammad’s [PBUH] awareness of the consequences of resting Allah’s faith, as well as his concern and pity for those who rejected it, caused him to do all he could to persuade them come to their senses and accept the truth. But Allah saw that Muhammad [PBUH] had taken upon himself an unnecessary and wearisome task which he was not required to perform, and He had to draw his attention to it.

One should here bear in mind two noteworthy points. The first is that all those who use the reproaching verses to cast doubt over Islam are intrinsically motivated by malice. They single out only the reproaching verses and leave untouched the numerous verses in which Allah pays tribute to Muhammad’s [PBUH] worthy conduct and integrity, as is stated in the following revelations.

“And lo! you are of a tremendous nature.” (al-Qalam 68:4)

“We sent thee not save as a mercy for the peoples.” (al-Anbiya’ 22:107)

“. . . Obey Allah and His messenger if you are (true) believers” (al-Anfal 8:1)

The above verses are only a few examples. Indeed, only a dishonest critic who knew that he was defending a lost cause would, in his attempts to establish the relationship between Allah and His messenger, resort to such deceit obscuring a true meaning, accentuating certain verses and overlooking others.

Nature of Reproof

The second point concerns the nature of the reproof, for there is indeed a marked distinction between a reproof used to chastise for wrong-dong and inflicting harm on others, and a reproof whose underlying motive is to sympathize with the reproved. For one who is excessively keen to do a good deed might unconsciously involve himself in tasks that are beyond human endurance. Reproof is a sort of blame for a mistake that the reproved must have made, and can only take place when there is some kind of sympathy and understanding between the reprover and the one reproached. It is uncommon for reproof to take place between strangers. A non-believer, therefore, cannot be reproached for his deeds, the reason being that there is no sin greater than not believing. Likewise, one does not reproach an enemy, expecting his antagonism.

On the contrary, reproof is something natural and necessary between people bound together by kindness and fellowship. Its magnitude depends on the strength or weakness of the relationship between the reprover and the reproved. If the relationship and the concern are very strong, then the reproof could be voiced, even for the slightest error or misdeed. If the relationship is weak then the reproof can be made only when the error is very serious. For instance, one does not reprove a distant acquaintance for a trivial error. But if he were a close relative the whole situation would be different and one’s reproof would be frequent and concerned in relation to the strength of your feeling for him. You would most likely reprove your brother for things for which you would never reprove a friend, and reprove a friend for things over which you would not reprove a distant acquaintance. The extent of and the reasons for the reproof depend on the closeness of the relationship between the two parties.

The relationship between Allah and Muhammad [PBUH] was a very close one indeed. It is this divine love and concern for Muhammad [PBUH] that made Allah address him in sympathetic and concerned words; not to chastise him for some misdeed or because he had violated His decrees, but rather because He cared about him and wanted to caution him about overburdening himself.

One might have two sons, one of whom is neglectful and pays no heed to his school work, and the other of whom is so engrossed in his studies that he skips his meals and never gives himself enough time to rest or sleep. A common reaction in a situation of this nature is to rebuke the first son for his negligence and to reprove the second for his zeal and for endangering his health. This reproof stems from anxiety about his health. Thus, in asking him to leave his studies for a while or to do them in moderation and give more thought for his food and sleep, one reproaches him for something to be done. While one may have instructed him to study well and achieve success in the past, one reproves him for overexerting himself – but the reproof is for his own good and not a chastisement.

All the verses which carry reproof of Muhammad [PBUH] are of this nature. The reproof was made for something which he was not obliged to do. Yet he regarded it as compulsory, regardless of the additional burden it added to his already heavy task, thereby overlooking what was easy and possible and focusing his attention on tasks that were too difficult and energy-consuming, as expressed in the following verse:

“He frowned and turned away because the blind man came unto him.” (‘Abasa 80:1-2)

Certainly it was easier for Muhammad [PBUH] to sow guidance in the soul of a blind man whose heart was full of faith, than to exhaust his brain trying to convince the resentful pagans of Quraysh of the truth of Allah’s message and religion. But Muhammad [PBUH] chose the more difficult task. He wanted to support Islam by gaining the hearts of the influential men of Quraysh, thus forsaking an easy gain for a more difficult one. Here the Divine Will intervened, advising him not to seek something too painstaking, to obtain and to be content. He was told not to waste his time and energy over non-believers who reject guidance outright, but to give his attention to those persons who long to be close to Allah and His way. Indeed, all the reproving verses are of this nature.

Although Muhammad [PBUH] knew that Allah had forgiven him all his past and future sins, he continued to spend most of his nights in prayer even when his legs began to swell. When his wife ’Aishah noticed this and asked, “Hasn’t Allah forgiven you all your past and future sins?”, he replied “Shall I not be a thankful slave?”, Showing that forgiveness should not be a reason for us to relax in our full duty of worship, or to be ungrateful.

There is much to be learnt from Muhammad’s [PBUH] answer. If we consider man’s position in his relationship with Allah, and compared all the favours that He bestows upon us with the divine injunctions we are ordered to obey and perform we find that whereas the former are inexhaustible the latter are only a few simple duties. The believer is aware of Allah’s favours and knows that if he wanted to establish a balance between his duties and Allah’s favours neither day nor night would be long enough for him to show his gratitude. Indeed, the believer’s heart knows that Allah’s favours outweigh by far any gratitude he might offer in the form of worship. Although he might be very keen to exert a supplementary effort in obedience, gratitude, and all other worship-related duties, he nevertheless feels that he is wanting in the expression of his devotion and humility. Likewise, Muhammad [PBUH] had made himself responsible for those who adamantly refused to believe. He felt that he had not done enough, and his lack of progress was beginning to distress him. But nothing escapes Allah’s attention, and He intervened and told Muhammad [PBUH] to exercise moderation on his efforts and not to blame himself for the non-believers’ rejection of the message. Surely, this in not the kind of reproach whose aim is to chastise. On the contrary, it reveals Allah’s tremendous concern for His prophet, which is clearly stated in the verse.

“We have not revealed unto you this Quran that you should be distressed . . .” (Ta ’Ha’ 20:2)

“Why do you ban that which Allah has made lawful for you?” (al-Tahrim 66:1)

“So not let thy soul expire in sighings for them” (al-Malaikah 35:8)

It is obvious that these verses speak of Muhammad’s [PBUH] self-denial and his anxiety over the non-believers’ resentment of Allah’s message. He is told not to grieve or consider himself accountable for their defiance or for his inability to reach their hearts and souls.

There are, however, two verses which have been widely misinterpreted by sceptics and used to inveigh against the message of Islam. The first is the verse in which Allah says to Muhammad [PBUH] “Ask forgiveness for your sin” (47:19), the true meaning of which is clarified in the following Surah:

“When Allah’s succour and the triumph comes. And you see mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops. Then hymn the praise of thy Lord, and seek forgiveness of Him. Lo! He is ever ready to relent.” (al-Nasr 110:1-3)

Here Allah is apparently telling Muhammad [PBUH] to seek forgiveness. But what does this forgiveness involve? This question is answered by the following verse from Surah ‘al-Mumin’ (40), wherein Allah says to him

“Then have patience (O Muhammad). Lo! The promise of Allah is true. And ask forgiveness for thy sin, and hymn the praise of thy Lord at fall of night and in the early hours.” (al-Mumin 40:55)

It is evident that the forgiveness in question has to do with the praise of Allah. The same thing is repeated in the Surah ‘Muhammad’ wherein Allah says

“So know (O Muhammad) that there is no God save Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin and for believing men and believing women . . .” (Muhammad 47:19)

It appears, therefore, that the intrinsic meaning is concerned with matters of worship, and has nothing to do with any guilt that warrants punishment. The purpose of the verse is to direct rather than to chastise, for both the seeking of forgiveness and praising Allah are integral facets of the duties of correct worship, obedience and drawing nearer to Allah. There is actually no case for blame or chastisement in this situation. The same thing applies to all believers, both men and women. According to Hadith, good deeds alone do not guarantee an entry into paradise, unless they gain Allah’s mercy.

Asking Allah’s forgiveness and mercy are desirable acts from every believer irrespective of the depth of his faith. They are both integral aspects good deeds and essential conditions for their acceptance by Allah.