Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)

75. “Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among the men. Verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”

76. “He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and unto Allah are returned all affairs.”

The Occasion of Revelation

As some of the commentators have said: when the Prophet of Islam (S) was appointed, a group of pagans, such as ‘walid-ibn-Muqayrah’, (who was counted as their minded one), with wonder and denial said:

“Was the Reminder sent down to him (Muhammad, the poor and orphan one) from among us?”

Then the first abovementioned verse was revealed and answered them that choosing the prophets and angels for His messengership is based on their eligibility and spirituality.¹

The Arabic term /’istafa/ is derived from /safwah/ which means: pure and noble, and choosing the pure and clear ones shows that some of persons and angels have the eligibility and they are pure and noble.

Regarding the fact that in the previous verses the speech was about monotheism, polytheism, and the imaginary deities of polytheists, and regarding the fact that there were some people who chose the angels and some of the prophets for worshipping, the Qur’an, through verses under discussion, implies that the Divine messengers entirely are the obedient servants of Allah.

Yet, as the verse says:

“Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from among the men.…”

There are some messengers among the angels, like Gabriel, and there are some messengers from among human beings; like the great Divine messengers.

The application of the word /min/ (some) in this verse, indicates that the entire Divine angels were not the messengers toward humankind, but some of them were given this rank to. This meaning does not contrast the content of the verse which says:

“…Who made the angels messengers…”,2

because the purpose in this verse is the statement of ‘gender’ not the statement of the generality of members.

Then, at the end of the verse, the Qur’an adds:

“…Verily Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”

This means that it is not such that, like human being, Allah is unaware of His Messengers in their absence, on the contrary, He is always aware of their circumstances, He hears their words and sees their deeds.

Then, in the next verse, the noble Qur’an points to the responsibility of the messengers in conveying their prophecy, from one side, and the Divine protections due to them, on the other side. The verse says:

“He knows what is before them and what is behind them…”

Allah is aware of both their future affairs and those of their past that they have put in behind.

Then, the verse continues:

“…and unto Allah are returned all affairs.”

This fact has been stated in order that people know that the angels and Divine prophets are also some obedient servants who have responsibilities before Him, and they have nothing from their own selves except for what Allah has bestowed on them, and they should not be taken as gods and objects of worship besides Allah.

Therefore, the above sentence which says:

“He knows what is before them…”

in fact is an indication to the duty and responsibility of the Divine messengers and that their deeds will be controlled from the side of Allah. It is similar to what Surah Al-Jinn, No. 72, verses 27 and 28 say.

They announce:

“Except to him whom He chooses as a messenger, for surely He makes a guard to march before him and after him,” “So that He may know that they have truly delivered the messages of their Lord, and He encompasses what is with them…”

However, it became clear that the purpose of the Qur’anic phrase: /mabayna ’aydihim/ is the future events, and the purpose of /maxalfahum/ is the past events, and, in any case, the knowledge of Allah does not increase or decrease. He has been aware of all the creatures and their deeds, whether they are exterior and interior.

The noble Qur’an, in this regard, says:

“…the Knower of the unseen, it shall certainly come upon you; not the weight of an atom becomes absent from Him, in the heavens or in the earth, and neither less than that nor greater, but (all) is in a clear book,”3

Of course, the cognizance to this vast knowledge of Allah has an extraordinary educational effect in man. It warns him that whoever he may be and whatever rank and position the one may gain He knows, and He is aware of the belief we have in our minds and the intentions we bear in our hearts and whatever kind of manner we are qualified by.

All of these are manifest in His infinite knowledge. It is certain that taking note to this fact is very effective in man’s training. These are some instructions that make man prepared for reaching the goal of creation and the law of development.