Overview (Verses 21 - 29)

These qualities add up to a definite conclusion: that the Qur’an is a noble, mighty and exalted message and that God takes special care of man. It is a manifestation of this care that He has chosen an angel of Jibril’s calibre to bring His revelations to the man He has chosen as His Messenger. As man reflects on this divine care he should feel humble. For he himself is worth very little in the kingdom of God, were it not for the care God takes of him and the honour He bestows on him.
 
There follows a description of the Prophet who conveys this revelation to mankind. The surah seems to say to them: You have known Muhammad very well over a considerable length of time. He is your old, honest, trusted friend. Why, then, are you fabricating tales about him, when he has been telling you the simple truth which he has been entrusted to deliver to you: “Your old friend is not mad. He saw him on the clear horizon. He does not grudge the secrets of the unseen. It is not the word of an accursed devil. Whither then are you going? This is only a reminder to all mankind.” (Verses 22-27)
 
They knew the Prophet perfectly well. They knew that he was a man of steady character, great sagacity and complete honesty. But in spite of all this they claimed that he was mad, and that he received his revelations from the devil. Some of them took this view as the basis for their sustained attack on the Prophet and his Islamic message. Others did so out of amazement and wonder at the words revealed to him, which are unlike anything said or written by man. Their claim confirmed the traditional belief that each poet had a devil writing his poems, and each monk had a devil uncovering for him the secrets of the unknown world. They also believed that the devil might come into contact with people causing them to say some very strange things. They ignored the only valid explanation, that the Qur’an was revealed by God, the Lord of all the worlds.
 
The surah counters this attitude by a reference to the surpassing beauty of God’s creation, noticeable everywhere in the universe, and by portraying some universal scenes, as they appear, full of life. This method of reply suggests that the Qur’an comes from the same creative power which has endowed the universe with matchless beauty. It also tells them about the two messengers entrusted with the Qur’an, the one who brought it down and the one who delivered it to them, i.e. their own friend whom they knew to be sane, not mad. The surah tells them that he has indeed seen the other noble and mighty messenger, Gabriel, with his own eyes, on a clear horizon where no confusion is possible. He is faithful to his trust and cannot be suspected of telling anything but the truth. After all, they have never associated him with anything dishonest. “It is not the word of an accursed devil”. (Verse 25) Devils, by nature, cannot provide such a straightforward and consistent code of conduct. Hence the surah asks disapprovingly: “Whither then are you going?” (Verse 26) How far can you err in your judgement. And where can you go away from the truth which stares you in the face wherever you go?
 
“This is only a reminder to all mankind.” (Verse 27) It reminds them of the nature of their existence, their origin and the nature of the universe around them. The reminder is to all men and women.
 
Islam here declares the universal nature of its call right from the start, in Makkah, where it was subjected to sustained and unabating persecution.
 
Free Choice
 
The surah then reminds us that it is up to every individual to choose whether to follow the right path or not. Since God has granted everyone his or her free will, then every human being is responsible for himself: “To those of you whose will is to be upright”, (Verse 28) that is to say, to follow God’s guidance. All doubts have been dispelled, all excuses answered by this clear statement of all the relevant facts. The right path has been indicated for everyone who wishes to be upright. Anyone who follows a different path shall, therefore, bear the responsibility for his actions.
 
There are, in the human soul and in the universe at large, numerous signs which beckon every man and woman to follow the path of faith. These are so clearly visible and so powerful in their effect that one needs to make a determined effort to turn one’s back on them, especially when one’s attention is drawn to them in the stirring, persuasive manner of the Qur’an. It is, therefore, man’s own will which leads him away from God’s guidance. He has no other excuse or justification.
 
The surah concludes by stating that the operative will behind everything is the will of God: “You cannot will except by the will of God, Lord of all the worlds.” (Verse 29) We notice that the Qur’an makes statements of this type whenever the will of human beings or creatures generally is mentioned. The reason for this is that the Qur’an wants to keep the fundamental concepts of faith absolutely clear. These include the fact that everything in the universe is subject to God’s will. No one has a will which is independent from that of God. That He grants man free will is part of His own divine will, like everything else. The same applies to His granting the angels the ability to show complete and absolute obedience to Him and to carry out all His commandments.
 
This fundamental fact must be clearly understood by believers, so that they have a clear concept of absolute truth. When they acquire this concept they will turn to divine will for guidance and support, and regulate their affairs according to this will.