Overview (Verses 32 - 35)

No Limit to Human Folly
 
The sūrah goes on to describe an attitude of most amazing stubbornness by the unbelievers. They try to wrestle with the truth and they are defeated. Pride, however, prevents them from acknowledging the truth and its authority or submitting to it. Hence, they appeal to God to rain down stones over them or to smite them with grievous suffering, if the Qur’ān were the truth revealed by Him. Instead of praying to God to guide them to the truth and enable them to follow it, they pray for their own undoing: “They would also say: ‘God, if this be indeed Your revealed truth, then rain down upon us stones from the skies, or inflict grievous suffering on us.’“ (Verse 32)
 
This is certainly a very strange appeal which betrays a state of unwavering stubbornness that prefers total ruin to yielding to the truth, even when it is the absolute truth. When sound human nature experiences doubt, it prays to God to show it the truth and guide it to it. Sound human nature does not find that at all demeaning. But when it is corrupted by uncontrolled pride, arrogance drives it into sin to the extent that it prefers suffering and ruin to acknowledging the truth when it becomes clear, irrefutable. It is with this type of obstinacy that the unbelievers in Makkah resisted the Prophet’s message. But this message was victorious in the end, despite such persistent obstinacy.
 
The sūrah makes it clear that they certainly deserved that stones be rained on them from the skies, or that painful suffering be inflicted on them, just as they had prayed for. Nevertheless, God willed not to inflict on them the type of extermination He had inflicted on earlier communities. This is because God’s Messenger was still in their midst, calling on them to follow His guidance. Nor would God punish them for their sins if they continued to seek forgiveness after committing them.
 
It is untrue that their punishment was postponed because they were the guardians of the Sacred Mosque. Indeed, they were not its true guardians, because its rightful guardians are those who fear God: “But God would not punish them while you were present in their midst, nor would God punish them when they may yet ask for forgiveness. What [plea] have they now that God should not punish them, when they debar other people from the Sacred Mosque, although they are not its rightful guardians? Its only guardians are those that fear God; but of this most of these [evildoers] are unaware. Their prayers at the House are nothing but whistling and clapping of hands. Taste then this punishment in consequence of your disbelief” (Verses 33-35)
 
It is, then, through God’s grace that they are not punished for their arrogance and obstinacy, or for turning people away from the Sacred Mosque. They were indeed debarring Muslims from offering pilgrimage to the Sacred Mosque, the while they did not prevent anyone else from visiting the Mosque. It is through God’s grace that they were given respite, so that, perchance, some of them might on a later date find faith creeping into their hearts and that they might follow divine guidance. As long as God’s Messenger remained among them, calling on them to believe in God, then the possibility that some would have a positive change of heart remained. Hence, the respite they are given is in honour of God’s Messenger. The way remains open for them to avoid the punishment of extermination. They only have to give a positive response and seek God’s forgiveness for what they have done in the past: “But God would not punish them while you were present in their midst, nor would God punish them when they may yet ask for forgiveness.” (Verse 33)
 
If God were to treat them on the basis of their present situation, they would certainly deserve to be punished: “What [plea] have they now that God should not punish them, when they debar other people from the Sacred Mosque, although they are not its rightful guardians? Its only guardians are those that fear God; but of this most of these [evildoers] are unaware.” (Verse 34)
 
What delays their punishment is not their claim that they are the heirs of Abraham and the custodians of the Sacred Mosque. This is merely a claim that has no substance or foundation. They are not the owners or the guardians of this House of worship, i.e. the Ka`bah. Indeed, they are its enemies. God’s Sacred Mosque, the Ka`bah, is not a place of property which one generation inherits from its predecessor. It is God’s own house which is inherited by those who fear God. False also is their claim that they are the heirs of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). It is not through blood and lineage that Abraham’s legacy is inherited. It is only inherited through faith and religion. Those who fear God are the only ones to inherit Abraham and the House he built for God’s sake. But those unbelievers were turning away from it, its true guardians who believed in Abraham’s faith. Hence, they could not be guardians of this Sacred Mosque, although they may offer their prayers there. Indeed, theirs was not a true prayer. It was no more than whistling and hand clapping. It involved much chaos that imparted no air of serenity or atmosphere of humility before God. It did not inspire any feeling of sacredness of that mosque.
 
`Abdullāh ibn `Umar says: “They used to place their cheeks on the ground, whistling and clapping. This brings to mind the image of musicians who produce a great deal of noise, and who put their heads at the feet of those in high position in many countries which claim to be Muslim. This is no more than an aspect of jāhiliyyah that is highlighted here. It is shown here after a clear picture of jāhiliyyah has been raised, showing how people impose a sort of divine authority on earth, and claim sovereignty over people. When this type of jāhiliyyah occurs, all other forms and styles of jāhiliyyah may follow. “Taste then this punishment in consequence of your disbelief” (Verse 35) This refers to the suffering inflicted on them in the Battle of Badr at the hands of the Muslim community. As for the suffering they prayed for, which involves extermination, it is simply postponed by God’s mercy, as a gesture of honour to God’s Messenger and his great position. It may be that they will eventually repent what they have been doing and pray to God to forgive them.