As-Sajda (The Prostration)

3. “Or do they say: ‘He (the Prophet) has forged it’? Nay! It is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no warner came before you, that perhaps they may be guided aright.”

The permanent manner of the pagans is to belie the Qur’an, but you must convey the Truth and do not be disappointed from guiding them. This holy verse points to the calumny that polytheists and faithless hypocrites had repeatedly calumniated on this great heavenly Book.

It says:

“Or do they say: ‘He (the Prophet) has forged it’?…”

In answer to their unfounded claim, the Qur’an implies it is not a calumny, and the proof of its truthfulness is manifest in it.

It says:

“…Nay! It is the truth from your Lord…”

Then, the Holy Qur’an refers to the aim of its revelation, when it says:

“…that you may warn a people to whom no warner came before you, that perhaps they may be guided aright.”

The invitation of the Prophet of Islam (S) is both ‘glad tidings’ and ‘warning’, and more than being a warner, the Prophet of Islam (S) is a giver of glad tidings, yet confronting a misguided and obstinate group, he (S) should emphasize rather on ‘warning’.

The sentence which says:

“…it is the truth from your Lord…”

is again a hint to this fact that the proof of its legitimacy is seen inside of it.

The sentence:

“…That perhaps they may be guided aright”

points to this fact that the Holy Qur’an leads you to the right path but the final decision, however, must be made by man himself.

By the way, the “people to whom no warner came” were Quraysh because there had not been sent a prophet for them before the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (S). Some of the commentators have said the objective meaning of this sentence is the intermission time and its purpose is the length of the time between Jesus (as) and the advent of the last Prophet (S).

For more explanation you may refer to commentary books entitled: Tafsir-us-Safi, Jawami‘-ul-Jami‘, Majma‘-ul-Bayan, Manhaj-us-Sadighin, and Atyab-ul-Bayan.