Tafsir of Surah Sad - Verse 86

وَمَآ أَنَآ مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ

(nor am I one of the Mutakallifin.) means, `and I do not add anything to that which Allah has told me. Whatever I am commanded to do, I do it, and I do not add anything or take anything away. By doing this I am seeking the Face of Allah and the Hereafter.' Sufyan Ath-Thawri, narrated from Al-A`mash and Mansur from Abu Ad-Duha that Masruq said, "We went to `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, `O people! Whoever knows a thing should say it, and whoever does not know should say, `Allah knows best."' It is part of knowledge, when one does not know, to say "Allah knows best." For Allah said to your Prophet :

قُلْ مَآ أَسْـَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَآ أَنَآ مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ

(Say: "No wage do I ask of you for this, nor am I one of the Mutakallifin.") This was reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلاَّ ذِكْرٌ لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ

(It is only a Reminder for all the creatures.) means, the Qur'an is a reminder for all those who are held accountable, men and Jinn. This was the view of Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. This Ayah is like the Ayat:

لاٌّنذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ

(that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach) (6:19), and

وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ

(but those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place) (11:17).

وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُ

(And you shall certainly know the truth of it) means, `you will see confirmation that what he says is true.'

بَعْدَ حِينِ

(after a while.) means, soon. Qatadah said, "After death. `Ikrimah said, "It means, on the Day of Resurrection." There is no contradiction between the two views, because whoever dies comes under the rulings of the Day of Resurrection. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Sad. All praise and gratitude is due to Allah, and Allah may He be glorified and exalted, knows best.

In verse 86, it was said: وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ (nor am I from among those who make up things artificially.).

The blameworthiness of artificial behavior

The statement means: 'I am not declaring my prophethood artificially, nor am I falsely pretending to have knowledge and wisdom, rather, I am conveying the commandments of Allah to you as they are. From this we learn that feigned formality and pretension is blameworthy in the light of the Shari'ah. Accordingly, there are some ahadith that condemn it. In the Sahihayn (al-Bukhari and Muslim), it has been reported from Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ :

"0 people, whoever from among you knows something, let him tell people about it. But, that which he does not know, let him simply say: وَاللہ سبحانہ و تعالیٰ اَعلَم (Allah knows best) (because) Allah Ta` a-la has said about his Rasul قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ‌ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ (Say,"I do not demand from you any fee for it, nor am I from among those who make up things artificially."- 38:86)." (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)

Alhamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah Sad

One basic virtue of a preacher is that he does not demand any remuneration from his hearers. Another is that he does not raise any material issues between them and himself. The call of the Quran is the call of the Hereafter. Therefore, if a man, on the one hand, gives the call of the Hereafter and of the Quran and, on the other, runs a campaign for material gain, then he figures as an insincere person. And who will pay attention to the pleadings of a person who has proved himself to be insincere? Similarly, a preacher does not make statements concocted by himself. He simply passes on whatever he has received from God. Masruq Tabi‘i (a contemporary of the Prophet’s Companions) recounts a tradition of ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud who said, ‘O, people! One who knows should talk, and one who does not know should simply say that God knows better. He will seem wise if he states that God knows better (with regard to things which he does not know), because God said to his Prophet, ‘Say, no reward do I ask of you for this, nor am I a pretender.’ (Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. IV, p. 44 ). Similarly, it is also required of the preacher of truth to present his call in the shape of well-meaning advice. His discourse should be that of a well-wisher and should not be in the nature of debate or polemics.