Surah Al-An'am, Ayah 58

The Prophet Understands What He Conveys; Torment is in Allah's Hands Not the Prophet's

Allah says, just as We mentioned the clear signs that testify and direct to the path of guidance, all the while chastising useless arguments and defiance,

كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ

(And thus do We explain the Ayat in detail,) that is, whatever responsible adults need explained to them, in the affairs of life and religion,

وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ

(That the way of the criminals may become manifest.) so that the path of the criminals who defy the Prophets is apparent and clear. This Ayah was also said to mean, so that you, O Muhammad , are aware of the path of the criminals. Allah's statement,

The Linkage of Verses

In the verses cited above, the answer to disbelievers who were demanding that the Divine punishment should come to them posthaste was given in: وَهُوَ خَيْرُ‌ الْفَاصِلِينَ (He is the best decision-maker) while the mention of the perfect power of Almighty Allah was made in: وَاللَّـهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّالِمِينَ (Allah knows the unjust best). Next from here, there is a description of the encompassment of the Knowledge and Power of Allah Ta` ala on all conceivable data and destiny.

Man’s own wishful thinking—which he presumes to be a reality, is all too often raised to the status of something worth worshipping. Sometimes, just to save himself from the consequences of his negligence of religious duties, he accepts someone as God’s favourite and treats him as one who is supposed to support him before God and recommend his case to Him. Sometimes he imagines such a person to have charismatic, supernatural greatness in him, and that he could make up for his own shortcomings by attaching himself to him. Sometimes, due to his easy-going nature, he invents a god who is easy of access and who can easily be pleased with small things. But all such things are mere suppositions and suppositions can never lead anyone to reality. However, there are some who become so blinkered by cheap demands that they even challenge those who have rallied to the side of the real Lord of the Universe. They challenge them thus: ‘If all greatness and majesty belong to the one and only God whom you represent, then arrange to let His retribution come down upon us. Let us see.’ They dare to behave in this way, because they observe that they are much more surrounded by worldly glories than the da‘is who work for the acceptance of God’s unity. They forget that the material amenities available to them are due to their devotion to worldly considerations and worldly interests, whereas the missionaries of God, who are bereft of all these things, are in such a condition because their yearning for the Hereafter has prevented them from stooping to the level of devotion to worldly goals.