Tafsir of Surah Saba' - Verse 46

Refutation of Their Accusation that the Prophet was Insane

Allah says: `Say, O Muhammad, to these disbelievers who claim that you are crazy,'

إِنَّمَآ أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَحِدَةٍ

I exhort you to one (thing) only, meaning, I am only telling you to one thing, and that is:

أَن تَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْ مَا بِصَـحِبِكُمْ مِّن جِنَّةٍ

that you stand up for Allah s sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion. meaning, `stand sincerely before Allah, without being influenced by your own desires or tribal feelings, and ask one another, is Muhammad crazy Advise one another,'

ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْ

and reflect means, let each person look within himself concerning the matter of Muhلammad , and ask other people about him if he is still confused, then let him think about the matter. Allah says:

أَن تَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْ مَا بِصَـحِبِكُمْ مِّن جِنَّةٍ

(that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion.) This meaning was stated by Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka`b, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others. This is what is meant by the Ayah.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ لَّكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ

(He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment.) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on this Ayah: "One day, the Prophet climbed up As-Safa' and shouted,

«يَا صَبَاحَاه»

(O people!) The Quraysh gathered around him, and said, `What is the matter with you' He said,

«أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ يُصَبِّحُكُمْ أَوْ يُمَسِّيكُمْ أَمَا كُنْتُمْ تُصَدِّقُونِّي»

(What do you think If I told you that the enemy were approaching and will reach us in the morning or in the evening, would you believe me) They said, `Of course.' He said:

«فَإِنِّي نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيد»

(I am a warner to you in the face of a severe punishment.) Abu Lahab said, `May you perish! You have called us together only to tell us this' Then Allah revealed:

تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ

(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!) (111:1) We have already discussed this in our Tafsir of the Ayah:

وَأَنذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الاٌّقْرَبِينَ

(And warn your tribe of near kindred) (26:214).

Call to the disbelievers of Makkah

In verse 46: إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُم بِوَاحِدَةٍ (I advise you for one thing only), in order to negate any excuse for the people of Makkah, they have been shown a shortcut to ascertain truth. For this, they had to do just one thing: Stand for Allah, in pairs and singles. 'Standing for Allah' does not mean standing in the physical sense, something like standing up from the posture of sitting or lying. Instead of that, it means having the resolve to show full care and concern for the assignment in sight. Then, by adding: لِلہ (lil-lah: For Allah) with the word: قِیَام (qiyam: To stand), the purpose is to make it clear that one should start looking for' truth with a mind cleansed of previous thoughts and beliefs for the good pleasure of Allah alone, so that previous thoughts and deeds do not obstruct one's way to an acceptance of the truth. And then, the expression 'in pairs and singles' is not intended to point out a particular number. The sense is that there are two ways of pondering over something: (1) To think it out alone and in private. (2) To consult friends and elders, discuss it with them and then arrive at some conclusion. It is being said here that, 'out of these two methods, you can go by the one you like.'

The conjunction: ثُمَّ (thumma: then) in the next sentence in verse 46: ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُ‌وا (thumma tatafakkaru: then ponder) refers back to: أَن تَقُومُوا (an taqumu: That you stand) appearing earlier in the same verse where the purpose of standing has been spelt out - that is, 'cleanse your mind of all previous thoughts, get ready to act for the good pleasure of Allah, think about the call of the prophet of Islam, Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa ﷺ and decide for yourself whether or not it is true and it does not matter whether you do this thinking on your own and all alone, or you do it by consulting others and arriving at some conclusion following discussions with them.'

Onwards from here, another line of thinking has been suggested: Here is a solitary person, all by himself, with no power or group to back him and no wealth or property to strengthen him. Here he comes proclaiming an article of faith counter to that of his own people rather that of the whole world, something having taken firm roots over centuries and something they all agree to. Such a proclamation can come only in two forms: (1) Either the person making the proclamation is totally insane who has no idea of his gain or loss and is ready to invite the wrath of his people and all sorts of hardship for him. (2) Or, what he is saying might as well be true - that he is a rasul or messenger from Allah and fears none in conveying and implementing His command.

Now, think hard with an open mind as to which of the two things is the real thing. If you think in that manner, you would be left with no choice but to become certain that he cannot be insane. The entire city of Makkah and everyone in the large tribe of Quraish is aware of his wisdom and character. He has spent forty years of his life among his people. From childhood to his youth, everything about him has been before them. No one has ever found any word or deed issuing forth from him to be counter to reason, wisdom, sobriety and gentleness. And other than the kalimah of: لا إلہ إلا اللہ la ilaha il-lal-lah (there is no god but Allah) to which he invites people, no one can doubt any of his word and deed to be counter to reason and wisdom, even today. Given these conditions, it becomes quite obvious that he cannot be insane. This was established in the next sentence of the verse by saying: مَا بِصَاحِبِكُم مِّن جِنَّةٍ (there is no madness in your fellow (the Holy Prophet ﷺ). Here, the word: صَاحِبِكُم (sahibikum: your fellow) releases a hint in this direction. It is suggesting that should it be the case of a visitor coming in from outside whose antecedents are unknown and who is heard saying something counter to the belief of a whole people, then, it is possible to call him insane. But, this cannot be true in his case. He is one of you, he lives in your city, he belongs to your brotherhood and abides in your company be it day or night. Nothing he does is hidden from you. In fact, even you yourselves have never cast aspersions against him in that manner before this.

And when the absence of the first situation becomes clear, the second situation stands established that has been mentioned in the last sentence of this very verse (46) as: إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ‌ لَّكُم بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ (He is none but a warner to you in the face of a stern torment). It means that his presence among them signifies nothing but that he has been sent there to save people from the severe punishment of the Day of Judgment by warning them of it in advance.

The contemporaries of the Prophet rejected his call of Truth, but this rejection was purely due to stubbornness and prejudice. Had they thought over the matter, either individually or collectively, with open minds, they would have discovered that their Prophet was not a madman. His earlier life would have testified to his seriousness. His sympathetic way would have shown that whenever he spoke, his words showed the deepest concern. His style of discourse, replete as it was with wisdom would have been sufficient evidence of its veracity. His working without demanding remuneration shows that he had undertaken this task only for God’s pleasure and not as a personal concern. Viewing him dispassionately, people would have come to know that his restlessness was not out of madness but because of the danger which he was required to warn against. But they were never serious about the call to accept the truth, and that being so, the above-mentioned facts, albeit so obviously true, did not impress them.