Al-Ahzaab (The Clans)

36. “And it is not for any believer, man or woman, to have the choice in their affair when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger indeed he has strayed off a manifest straying.”

The commands of the holy Prophet (S) are incumbent to be fulfilled as those of Allah. In the system of religious government, obedience of Allah is superior to the people’s rules, because those people’s views are valuable which are not opposite to the ordinance of Allah.

However, we know well that the essence of Islam is ‘submission’, the submission that has no condition before the command of Allah.

This meaning has been stated in different verses of the Qur’an through various sentences; including the above verse which says:

“And it is not for any believer, man or woman, to have the choice in their affair when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter…”

They must make their will obedient to the Will of Allah in the same way that their whole entity is dependant to Him.

The Arabic term /qada/ (decree) in this verse is ‘a religious decree’, a law, a command, and an arbitration; and it is evident that neither Allah needs people’s obedience and submission, nor does the Prophet have any hope.

In fact, it is their own interests that sometimes, as the result of their limit information they (people) are not aware of them, but Allah knows and instructs them to His Messenger.

This is similar to the fact that a skilful physician tells a patient that he treats his sickness, if the patient absolutely submits his orders and never shows any interference from him. This is the utmost sympathy of the physician to the patient; and Allah is much higher than such a physician.

Therefore, at the end of the verse, this matter is pointed out where it says:

“…and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger indeed he has strayed off a manifest straying.”

Such a person will lose the path of happiness and will be drawn to wrong way and wretchedness; since he has ignored the command of the Lord of the world, the Beneficent, and that of His Messenger, which is guarantee of his good faith and happiness, and what a mislead is more manifest than this!