Al-Anbiyaa (The Prophets)

108. “Say: ‘It is revealed to me that your God is One God; do you then surrender?’”

109. “Then if they turn back, say: ‘I have warned you equally, and I know not whether nigh or far is that which you are promised’.”

In view of the fact that the most important manifestation of mercy, and its firmest foundation is monotheism, by the above verse the Prophet (S) was commanded as follows:

“Say: ‘It is revealed to me that your God is One God; do you then surrender?’”

The Prophet (S), addressing the idolaters, said in implication whether they were ready to surrender to this very principal, the monotheism, and to abandon idols.

There are stated, in fact, three fundamental points in this verse. The first is that the main basis of mercy is monotheism. Truly, the more we contemplate, the more will become the existence of this strong connection clear.

It is the monotheism in belief, the monotheism in action, the monotheism in the ‘word’, the monotheism in the rows, the monotheism in law, and the manifestation of monotheism in everything.

Another point is that in relation to the Qur’anic word /’innama/, which refers to the existence of restriction here, the whole invitations of prophets concentrate in the principle of monotheism.

Exact researches also show that the theological principles, and even the fundamental principles of ordinances, finally return to the principle of monotheism.

For this very reason, as we have also reiterated formerly, Monotheism is not a mere principle of the principles of Faith, but it is a strong string that joins the beads of a rosary to each other; or, in a more proper word, it is a soul blown in the body of the religion.

The last point is that the essential problem of all societies and nations is their pollution with polytheism in different forms, because the Qur’anic phrase which says: /fa hal ’antum muslimun/

(do you submit to this principle?)

indicates that the main difficulty is the act of coming out from polytheism and its manifestations and lacking in the action of breaking idols, not merely breaking the wooden and stone idols, but all kinds of idols and human deities in particular.

When Hadrat Imam Rida (as) was in the middle of thousands adherents in Neyshabur, in answer to the demand of the people, he stated his holy tradition known as ‘Silsilat-uth-Thahab’ implying that Monotheism is the firm fortress of Allah and whoever enters it will have immunity and will be safe completely.

Then he (as) added that the condition of this monotheism is the acceptance and subordination of the alive Imam.¹

Then, in the next verse Allah recommends to the Prophet (S) that if, with all these matters, they do not pay attention to the Divine invitation and Message, and they turn back, he should tell them that he had warned them equally of the punishment of Allah.

The verse says:

“Then if they turn back, say: ‘I have warned you equally…”

The Qur’anic word /’aŏantu/ is derived from /’iŏan/ in the sense of ‘announcing coupled with threat’, and sometimes it has been applied with the sense of ‘declaration of war’, too.

But, in view of the fact that this Surah was revealed in Mecca, where there was neither the preparation of the Holy War nor was the command of Holy War sent down, it seems very improbable that this phrase could here be in the sense of ‘declaration of war’.

On the contrary, the apparent of the statement is that by this saying, the Prophet (S) intends to declare hatred and separation from them and to show that he has given up hope of them totally.

The application of the Qur’anic phrase /‘ala siwa’/ (equally) is either a hint to the fact that due to the Divine punishment he warns them all equally, lest they would suppose that the people of Mecca or Quraysh were different from others and they had a privilege and superiority with Allah; or a hint to the fact that he has conveyed his message to all of them without any exception.

Then he (S) states this threat more clearly and says:

“…and I know not whether nigh or far is that which you are promised’.”

Do not suppose that this promise is very far to happen; it may be nigh, and very nigh, either.

This punishment by which they have been warned here may be the punishment of the Hereafter, or the chastisement of the world, or both of them. In the first case, its knowledge is with Allah and no one is properly aware of the date of its happening, even the prophets of Allah.

And in the second and third case, it may refer to its details and its time, meaning that he (S) is not aware of its details, because the Prophet’s knowledge upon these kinds of happenings has not always the aspect of action, but sometimes it has the voluntary aspect, that is, he does not know unless he wills.

Note the following question and answer:

Question: It is understood from many verses of the Qur’an and Islamic traditions that the Prophet of Islam (S) had a vast portion of the ‘knowledge of hidden things’.

In Nudbah Supplication we recite:

“(O’ Allah!) You taught him (The Prophet (S)) the knowledge of the past and the future of the world.”

But in a few verses, like the above one, we encounter some sentences which show the lack of knowledge in the holy Prophet (S). Do these verses and traditions contrast each other? Or, is there a positive relation between them?

Answer: The knowledge of hidden things is of two kinds. A part of it belongs to the Pure Essence of Allah and there is no way for anyone into it, including the time of the occurrence of Hereafter.

We say in some supplications:

“O’ Allah! We call You by the knowledge which You have specialized for Yourself.”

But there is another part of it which Allah bestows upon His prophets, saints and whoever else He wills, like what is in the verse where He says:

“This is of the news of the Unseen which We reveal to you;…”2

Many of the Qur’anic matters are among the Unseen things, like the verse which says:

“The knower of the Unseen! So He does not reveal His secrets to any,” “Except to him whom He chooses as a Messenger…”3

Imam Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (as) says:

“…By Allah, if I wish, I can tell every one of you from where he has come, where he has to go, and all his affair, but I fear lest you abandon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) in my favour. I shall certainly convey these things to the selected ones who will remain safe from that fear…”4

In another tradition, also he (as) said:

“…O’ people! A time will come to you when Islam would be capsized as a pot is capsized with all its contents.…”5

Again, Imam Ali (as) said:

“A time will come to you when there would be nothing concealed more than the truth and more manifest than the wrong, and more current than forging lies to Allah, the Exalted, and His Messenger (S).”6