Volume 10 Surah 12 - 15 - Enjoy Islam

Ibrahīm (Abraham) | ONE MESSAGE FOR ALL MANKIND
if Moses is a narrator who begins with a reference to the main events of a great
history, before leaving its players to take over and enact that history, and say
whatever they wish. This method of narrating a story or historical account is often
employed in the Qur’ān. It serves to bring the historical account alive. We see here
God’s noble messengers following one another, and confronting all mankind who
had given in to jāhiliyyah. The gaps between generations and communities disappear,
while the great truths stand out without being tied to a specific time or place.
“Have you not received accounts of what befell those who lived before you? The people of
Noah, the `Ād, and Thamūd, and those who came after them? None knows them all but God.”
(Verse 9) Thus, they are numerous. There were many other such communities than
those mentioned in the Qur’ān, who lived during the intervening period between the
time of Thamūd and that of Moses. The sūrah does not give any details of them,
because there is complete unity in the message preached by all prophets, and a unity
in the reaction to it.
“Their messengers came to them with clear evidence of the truth.” (Verse 9) That
evidence is absolutely clear, giving no room for confusion by anyone with
undistorted faculties of understanding. “But they put their hands to their mouths, and
said: ‘We disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and we are in grave doubt about
that to which you call us.” (Verse 9) They put their hands to their mouths as does he
who wishes to change the pitch of his voice so that it can be heard at a distance. He
moves his hand in front of his mouth as he raises his voice, and this causes the sound
to break and be heard from afar. The sūrah paints this movement in order to indicate
the fact that they were outspoken in their denial of the divine message. Furthermore,
they make such an impolite movement to reassert their open rejection of the faith.
Since what the messengers call for is belief in God’s oneness, and His being the
only Lord of mankind and the whole universe, casting doubts on this clear truth
sounds extremely odd and peculiar. This truth is self-evident, easily recognized by
human nature, and repeatedly confirmed by numerous signs that can be seen
everywhere in the universe. Hence, the messengers are horrified at such doubting,
pointing to the heavens and the earth as witnesses: “Said the messengers sent to them:
‘Can there be any doubt about God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth?” (Verse 10)
Everything in the heavens and the earth testifies to the truth of God being the Creator
and Originator of all. How can there be any doubt about Him? The messengers say
this because the heavens and the earth are two very clear signs of God’s existence. A
mere reference to them is sufficient to quickly help any straying person come back to
his senses. The messengers do not add anything to this quick reference, as they know
it to be sufficient. Instead, they go on to point out God’s grace to mankind, as He
calls on them to believe, and gives them respite while they reflect and begin to take
action to avert His punishment.
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