An-Naml 27:93

The Command to worship Allah and to call People with the Qur'an

Allah commands His Messenger to say:

إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبِّ هَذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ الَّذِى حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَىءٍ

(I have been commanded only to worship the Lord of this city, Who has sanctified it and to Whom belongs everything.) This is like the Ayah,

قُلْ يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِن كُنتُمْ فِى شَكٍّ مِّن دِينِى فَلاَ أَعْبُدُ الَّذِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَـكِنْ أَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ الَّذِى يَتَوَفَّاكُمْ

(Say: "O you mankind! If you are in doubt as to my religion, then (know that) I will never worship those whom you worship besides Allah. But I worship Allah Who causes you to die.) (10:104) The fact that the word "Rabb" (Lord) is connected to the word city (in the phrase "the Lord of this city") is a sign of honor and divine care for that city. This is like the Ayah,

فَلْيَعْبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَـذَا الْبَيْتِ - الَّذِى أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خوْفٍ

(So let them worship the Lord of this House (the Ka`bah), Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear.) (106:3-4)

الَّذِى حَرَّمَهَا

(Who has sanctified it) means, the One Who made it a sanctuary by His Law and by His decree, making it sanctified. It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that Ibn `Abbas said: "On the day of the conquest of Makkah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«إِنَّ هَذَا الْبَلَدَ حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ، فَهُوَ حَرَامٌ بِحُرْمَةِ اللهِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، لَا يُعْضَدُ شَوْكُهُ، وَلَا يُنَفَّرُ صَيْدُهُ وَلَا يَلْتَقِطُ لُقَطَتَهُ إِلَّا مَنْ عَرَّفَهَا وَلَا يُخْتَلَى خَلَاهَا»

(Verily, this city was made sacred by Allah the day He created the heavens and the earth, so it is sacred by the sanctity of Allah until the Day of Resurrection. Its thorny bushes should not be cut, its game should not be chased, and its lost property should not be picked up except by one who would announce it publicly and none is allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs...)" This was reported in Sahih, Hasan, Musnad narrarations, through various routes, by such a large group that it is absolutely unquestionable, as has been explained in the appropriate place in the book Al-Ahkam, to Allah is the praise and thanks.

وَلَهُ كُلُّ شَىءٍ

(and to Whom belongs everything.) This is a statement of general application following a specific statement, i.e., He is the Lord of this city, and the Lord and Sovereign of all things, there is no god worthy of worship besides Him.

وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

(And I am commanded to be from among the Muslims. ) means, those who believe in Allah alone, who are sincere towards Him and who obediently follow His commands.

وَأَنْ أَتْلُوَ الْقُرْءَانَ

(And that I should recite the Qur'an,) means, to people, so as to convey it to them. This is like the Ayah,

ذَلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الآيَـتِ وَالذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ

(This is what We recite to you of the Ayat and the Wise Reminder.) (3:58)

نَتْلُواْ عَلَيْكَ مِن نَّبَإِ مُوسَى وَفِرْعَوْنَ بِالْحَقِّ

(We recite to you some of the news of Musa and Fir`awn in truth.) (28:3) meaning, `I am a conveyer and a warner.'

فَمَنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

(then whosoever receives guidance, receives it for the good of himself; and whosoever goes astray, say (to him): "I am only one of the warners.") meaning, `I have an example to follow in the Messengers who warned their people, and did what they had to do in order to convey the Message to them and fulfil the covenant they had made.' Allah will judge their nations to whom they were sent, as He says:

فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَـغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُ

(your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning) (13: 40).

إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ نَذِيرٌ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ

(But you are only a warner. And Allah is a Protector over all thing) (11:12).

وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا

(And say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah. He will show you His Ayat (signs), and you shall recognize them.) means, praise be to Allah, Who does not punish anyone except after establishing plea against him, warning him and leaving him with no excuse. Allah says:

سَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـتِهِ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا

(He will show you His Ayat (signs), and you shall recognize them.) This is like the Ayah,

سَنُرِيهِمْ ءَايَـتِنَا فِى الاٌّفَاقِ وَفِى أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ

(We will show them Our signs in the universe, and in themselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth) (41:53).

وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And your Lord is not unaware of what you do.) means, on the contrary, He witnesses and sees all things. It was recorded that Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy upon him, used to recite the following two lines of verse, whether they were written by him or someone else: "If you are alone one day, do not say, `I am alone.' Rather say, `Someone is watching me.' Do not think that Allah will let His attention wander for even an instant, or that anything is hidden from Him." This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat An-Naml. All praise and thanks be to Allah.

Commentary

رَ‌بَّ هَـٰذِهِ الْبَلْدَةِ (the Lord of this city - 27:91). Majority of the commentators have taken the word o=ff "Baldah" (the city) for Makkah. Allah Ta’ ala is the Lord of all the worlds and the Lord of heavens and earth. Therefore, the particular mention of Makkah here is to show its revered splendor, and its respect and honour in the sight of Allah Ta a1a. Word Haram is derived from Tahrim, which means "to prohibit" and also means "complete respect and veneration", and because of this respect and veneration whatever special religious prohibitions are applicable to Makkah and its surrounding land are also included in it. For instance, whoever takes refuge in Haram is secured. It is not allowed to kill or take revenge from anyone in the Haram. Even hunting of animals and cutting of trees is not permitted in the precincts of Haram. These restrictions are enjoined in the verse وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا (and whoever enters there is secure - 3:97), while some of them have appeared in the beginning of Surah Ma’ idah. In addition, verse لَا تَقْتُلُوا الصَّيْدَ وَأَنتُمْ حُرُ‌مٌ (do not kill game when, you are in Ihram - 5:95) also includes this subject.

اَلحَمدُ للہ Today on Shawwal 24, 1391 Hijrah the commentary of Surah An-Naml is complete. The Indian army has unleashed full-scale war against Pakistan since Shawwal 14, and its aeroplanes are pounding Karachi heavily. Bombs are being dropped regularly every night on civil population as well. There is a complete blackout at nights. The houses get jolted with the explosion of the bombs. But by the grace of Allah there was no break in the writing of this commentary. During the last ten days of war twenty pages of the commentary were written.