Surah al-Qasas (The Stories) 28 : 87

Overview (Verses 85 - 88)

The Prophet and the Qur’ān (Verses 85 - 88)

The sūrah has told its stories and given its direct comments on them both. Now it addresses the Prophet and the small band of believers who followed him when he was still in Makkah. This address is made when the Prophet had been driven out of his home town, was being chased by his people who wanted to kill him, and had not yet reached his new base, Madinah. He was at al-Juĥfah, close to Makkah where the danger was very close. His eyes frequently turned to his home town which he so dearly loved. He only left it for the sake of his message. Otherwise, Makkah was the place where he had spent all his life, the place of his memories, and where his relatives lived.

In this desperate situation he is told: “He who has made the Qur’ān binding on you will surely bring you back to the place of return.” (Verse 85) God, who has given you the Qur’ān and the task of delivering His message will not abandon you, or allow the unbelievers to chase you out of your place and home town. He will not allow them to impose their will on you or to oppress the believers with you. He has made the Qur’ān binding on you so as to give you support through it at the time He judges to be right. If you are driven out today and being chased in all directions, you will certainly return with larger support.

God, in His infinite wisdom, decided to give Muhammad, His servant, this true promise at such a stressful time, so that he could go along his way comforted, confident and reassured by God’s promise. He does not entertain the slightest doubt that God’s promise will come true.

Indeed, God’s promise applies to all those who follow the same way. Anyone who suffers hardship and adversity for God’s sake and bears this with patience and perseverance will ultimately be given support against the oppressors. God will take over the battle on their behalf when they have given all that they can in fulfilment of their duty.

“He who has made the Qur’ān binding on you will surely bring you back to the place of return.” (Verse 85) He had formerly returned Moses to the land from where he fled, and with his return he saved the oppressed community and destroyed Pharaoh and his noblemen. It was the God-fearing who ultimately triumphed. Hence, you also, Muhammad, should go along your way, leaving the question of judgement between you and your people to God Almighty: “Say: My Lord knows best who has come with right guidance, and who is lost in obvious error.” (Verse 85) Leave the matter to God and He will requite both those who follow right guidance and those who remain in error.

That He had assigned the Qur’ān to you and made it binding on you was an act of mercy and grace. It could not have occurred to you at any time that you would be the person chosen to receive this trust. It is, indeed, a noble position to which you could not have aspired before it was granted to you: “You could never hope that this Book would be conferred on you. But it came by your Lord’s grace.” (Verse 86)

This confirms that the Prophet had no aspirations to be entrusted with God’s message. He was chosen by God who creates and chooses as He pleases. To be a messenger of God is too high a position for any one to hanker after, unless God chooses that person and gives him the necessary preparations. It is an aspect of grace given to the Prophet and made available to all humanity which is addressed by this message. It is grace that is granted to the chosen few, not to any aspirant. Many of the Arabs and Jews living nearby were longing for the last promised message to be given before the end of time. But God, who knows best to whom to assign His message, chose for it someone who never aspired to it. He knew that he was well prepared to receive its unfailing goodness.

His Lord bids him then not to lend support to the unbelievers. He warns him of allowing the unbelievers or anyone else to turn him away from God’s revelations. He sets the pure faith based on God’s absolute oneness against idolatry and idolaters. Hence, lend no support to the unbelievers. Never let them turn you away from revelations after they have been bestowed upon you from on high; but continue to call people to [believe in] your Lord. And never be one of those who associate partners with God. Never call on any deity side by side with God. There is no deity other than Him. Everything is bound to perish except Himself. With Him rests all judgement, and to Him you all shall return. (Verses 86-88) This is the last word in the sūrah separating the way God’s Messenger follows from that of the unbelievers. It clearly marks out the way for the Prophet’s followers, which remains the true way until the Day of Judgement. It is the final word given at the time the Prophet was immigrating for God’s sake, his journey separating two clearly distinct periods of history.

“Hence, lend no support to the unbelievers.” (Verse 86) There can never be any mutual support or cooperation between believers and unbelievers when their two ways and codes are so widely different. One group is God’s party and the other Satan’s party. On what could they cooperate?

“Never let them turn you away from revelations after they have been bestowed upon you from on high.” (Verse 87) Unbelievers always try to turn the advocates of faith away from their task, using all means and methods. The believers, however, always stick to their way, paying no heed to those who oppose them or try to divert them. They have God’s revelations with which they have been entrusted.

“But continue to call people to [believe in] your Lord.” (Verse 87) It should always be a direct, clear call that allows for no ambiguity or equivocation. It is a call to God, not to any bond based on national or narrow interests. It does not seek the fulfilment of any desire. Whoever wishes to adopt this message pure and simple should do so. Those who want something else should know that the way to that end is different.

“And never be one of those who associate partners with God. Never call on any deity side by side with God.” (Verse 87-88) This rule is stated twice in succession. The first warns against associating partners with God. The second warns against adopting any deity alongside God. It is this rule that separates clarity from confusion with regard to faith. It is on this rule that the whole structure of faith is based: its morality, values, duties and legislations. It is the pivot around which every directive and legislative order turns. Hence, it is always stated first.

Such emphasis is then repeated in a rather different way: “There is no deity other than Him. Everything is bound to perish except Himself. With Him rests all judgement, and to Him you all shall return.” (Verse 88)

“There is no deity other than Him.” No submission is made to anyone else. His is the only power and the only refuge. “Everything is bound to perish except Himself” Indeed everything else will die and perish: wealth, position, authority, power, life and its comforts, the whole earth, the heavens and all creatures in them, as well as the entire universe we know or do not know about. All will perish and only God, the Everlasting, will remain. “With Him rests all judgement.” He judges as He pleases. No one is party to His judgement, and none can impede or abrogate His verdict. Whatever He wills shall be. “And to Him you all shall return.” There can be no escape from Him or His judgement.

Thus concludes the sūrah that shows God’s will taking direct action, protecting the divine message and destroying tyranny. It concludes with restating the basic concept of faith: God’s oneness and His transcendent authority. Therefore, the advocates of the divine message should go along their way confident and reassured.