:salam2:
All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allaah exalt his mention, as well as his family and all his companions.
Allaah says:
which means: “And present to them an example: the people of the village, when the messengers came to it. When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened them with a third, and they said, “Indeed, we are messengers to you.” They said, “You are not but human beings like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing. You are only telling lies.” They said, “Our Lord knows that we are messengers to you. And we are not responsible except for clear notification.” They said, “Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment.” They said, “Your omen [i.e. fate] is with yourselves. Is it (i.e. your threat against us) because you were reminded? Rather, you are a transgressing people.” And there came from the farthest end of the village a man, running. He said, “O my people follow the messengers. Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment and they are [rightly] guided. And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned? Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while] if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me? Indeed, I would then be in manifest error. Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.” It was said, “Enter Paradise.” He said, “I wish my people could know. Of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored.” And We did not send down upon his people after him any soldiers from the heaven, nor would We have done so. It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished. How regretful for the servants. There did not come to them any messenger except that they used to ridicule him. Have they not considered how many generations We destroyed before them, that they to them (i.e. to those living presently in the world.) will not return? And indeed, all of them will yet be brought present before Us.” [Yaa Seen: 13-32].
Allaah commanded the messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, to relate this story as an example for his people who belied him, just as the people of the village in the above story rushed to belie their messengers whenever they came to them.
Imaam As-Sa’di, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said regarding the saying of Allaah (which means): “So We strengthened them with a third”: “This is a way of Allaah caring for His messengers and supporting them as well as a means to establish evidence against the people by sending messengers after messengers” [End of quote].
Their people refused to accept them as messengers with the pretext that they were but humans, and thus it is not possible for them to receive revelations from the Lord. They falsely believed that had these messengers been truly from Allaah then they would have been angles and not humans, and that there was nothing that distinguished them from the rest of the inhabitants of their village for them to be chosen as messengers from amongst all the people.
This is the claim which most the nations based their refusal of messengers on, as Allaah informs us saying:
which means: “That is because their messengers used to come to them with clear evidences, but they said, `Shall human beings guide us?`” [At-Taghaabun: 6]. That is why they would belie them and advise one another not to accept the messengers’ call, as Allaah says:
which means: “And if you should obey a man like yourselves, indeed, you would then be losers.” [Al-Mu’minoon: 34].
Going back to the story; when the messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, heard the response of their people, they collectively reassured them that they were messengers from Allaah. They told them that had they been making this up, then Allaah would have punished them severely, but instead, they will be supported and the evil outcome will be for those belying them.
All the messengers are requested to do is clarify to the people the message and point out their obligations towards Allaah and those who adhere and follow will be the prosperous ones, and those who refuse and reject the call will face a dreadful consequence.
It is the habit of ignorant people to become pessimistic from things that they do not like, and these people were no different, because this is the very thing they responded with to their messengers, and whenever anything bad befell them, they would attribute it to their messengers.
Imaam As-Sa’di, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said about this: “Claiming pessimism due to the presence of their messengers is the strangest thing to say, because these messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, came with the best bounty Allaah would bestow on any human, namely the bounty of guiding them to His worship alone, but if one is deprived, then even worse than this can happen to him” [End of quote].
Furthermore, this reaction was the same from many of the disbelievers with their messengers, as Allaah informs us about the people of Pharaoh saying:
which means: “But when good [i.e. provision] came to them, they said, “This is ours [by right].” And if a bad [condition] struck them, they saw an evil omen in Moosaa and those with him.” [Al-A’raaf: 131].
And about the people of Prophet Saalih, may Allaah exalt his mention, Allaah says:
which means: “We consider you a bad omen, you and those with you” [An-Naml: 47].
After the people of the village expressed their pessimism they threatened their messengers to torture them and kill them in an evil vicious manner, which is stoning them to death. At this point their messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, explained to them that the cause of evil and trials is all due to their disbelief which naturally incurs the wrath of Allaah.
A man heard what the messengers were calling the people to believe in, accepted their call and rushed to his people encouraging them to do likewise. He was keen to advise his people and explained to them that what these messengers are calling for will be the reason for their prosperity and reminded them with a sign of their sincerity, which is the fact that these messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, did not ask for anything in return.
In order to further persuade his people, this man proclaimed to them that he himself had actually accepted what the messengers are calling them to, as a means of comforting and convincing them.
Imaam As-Sa’di, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “It is possible that his people refused his advice and blamed him for following the messengers and accepting their call, which made him respond saying (what means): “And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned? Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while] if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me? Indeed, I would then be in manifest error” [End of quote].
He told them that there is no harm in worshipping the One Who is worthy of being worshipped, and then he reasoned with them mentioning logical reasons why He deserved being worshipped saying, he created me, provides for me and to Him I will return to be judged for what I did in life. Thus, He alone is worthy of being worshipped, while other creatures or idols have no power to benefit nor to cause harm, and if Allaah Wills to harm me, then these false deities will be of no benefit to me nor can they rescue me. Then he concluded his statement informing them that those who worship other than Allaah are indeed in manifest error.
Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The believer’s statement (which means): “Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.” Was said to the messengers and not to his people” [End of quote].
At this point his people were enraged at his belief and debate with them, and they therefore killed him, and he was martyred, which made him worthy of being admitted into Paradise. Imaam Qataadah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Allaah admitted him into Paradise and his soul remained in it as is the case with a martyr” [End of quote].
After this Allaah informs us that he punished his people as a result of killing him and that they deserved His wrath. They also deserved this punishment because they belied the messengers.
Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “Allaah did not send down any of His soldiers to punish these people, because the matter for Allaah is much simpler than this” [End of quote]. All that Allaah did was to send down on them a shout, which was a sound from the heavens that resulted in their complete destruction … a fair punishment for their refusal of the truth and their arrogance.
Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The regretful result they will face is that in the Hereafter due to their ridicule of the messengers” [End of quote].
Then Allaah mentions the evil consequence of all those who belied their messengers and refused to adhere to their messages in the earlier generations, and concludes with a reminder that everyone will eventually be resurrected and presented before Allaah for accountability, and will get the outcome of what they did.
Benefits derived from the story:
·These three messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, were sent by Prophet ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, according to one opinion. Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “All the scholars of the later generations adopt this opinion, yet there are some reservations on this opinion: First; the apparent wording of the story in the verses indicate that they were messengers sent by Allaah and not ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, as Allaah says (what means): “When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened them with a third” and in their response to their people these messengers said in the verse (what means): “Our Lord knows that we are messengers to you. And we are not responsible except for clear notification” Had they been disciples sent by Prophet ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, they would have said something else to that effect. Second; had they been disciples their people would not have said to them as in the verse (what means): “You are not but human beings like us” [End of quote].
There is nothing strange about Allaah sending three messengers to one village, as Allaah sent both Prophets Moosaa and Haaroon, may Allaah exalt their mention, to Pharaoh and his people.
·The scholars differed which village this was as well as differing regarding the names of these three messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention. Imaam Al-Qaasimi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “one of the merits of the Qur’aan is that it focuses on what is important with regards to the stories it relates, which is the reminder and the lessons to be derived from them and not the details of the story. In the story of the three messengers, the name of the village and the messengers is something that was not mentioned, and thus for it to be a confirmed fact, it must be narrated to us by the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, otherwise it is nothing but speculations” [End of quote].
·Those who call to Allaah must remain persistent through their mission and continue to call the people even if no one responded to their call. The first two messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, did not give up despite their people belying them until Allaah supported them with a third messenger.
·Imaam Ar-Raazi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The believing man who came from the far end of the village proves that the messengers conveyed their message clearly to the point that this man who was at the other end of the village heard the message and accepted it” [End of quote].
·Imaam Al-Qaasimi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “A believer must extend advice to others and exert all effort in doing so, just as the believing man did.” [End of quote].
·Imaam Ar-Raazi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The story of the messengers condoles the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, whilst mentioning the position of the believing man, condoles the companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, and an encouragement for them to remain steadfast and persevere the suffering they face in the course of calling to Allaah.” [End of quote].
·People are afflicted due to their sins and wrong doings. This is what the messengers reminded their people with when they told them, as in the saying of Allaah (which means): “Your omen [i.e. fate] is with yourselves” meaning as a result of your own doings and disbelief. Allaah says:
which means: “And whatever strikes you of disaster — it is for what your hands have earned; but He pardons much.” [Ash-Shooraa: 30]. Commenting on this verse, Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “It is a known fact found in His Book that trials and tribulations befall people due to their sins” [End of quote].
·Ibn ‘Atiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The story includes a warning to all the disbelievers who refuse to believe that they will face the same fate as the people of the village if they insist to disbelieve and refuse the message. This was the objective of giving this example to the disbelievers of Quraysh” [End of quote].
The Story of the People of the Village
All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger; may Allaah exalt his mention, as well as his family and all his companions.
Allaah says:
وَاضْرِبْ لَهُمْ مَثَلًا أَصْحَابَ الْقَرْيَةِ إِذْ جَاءَهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ * إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ اثْنَيْنِ فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّا إِلَيْكُمْ مُرْسَلُونَ * قَالُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا وَمَا أَنزَلَ الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ * قَالُوا رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّا إِلَيْكُمْ لَمُرْسَلُونَ * وَمَا عَلَيْنَا إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ * قَالُوا إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا بِكُمْ لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنتَهُوا لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمْ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمْ مِنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ * قَالُوا طَائِرُكُمْ مَعَكُمْ أَئِنْ ذُكِّرْتُمْ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ مُسْرِفُونَ * وَجَاءَ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَسْعَى قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِينَ * اتَّبِعُوا مَنْ لَا يَسْأَلُكُمْ أَجْرًا وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَ * وَمَا لِي لَا أَعْبُدُ الَّذِي فَطَرَنِي وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ * أَأَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً إِنْ يُرِدْنِي الرَّحْمَنُ بِضُرٍّ لَا تُغْنِ عَنِّي شَفَاعَتُهُمْ شَيْئًا وَلَا يُنقِذُونِي * إِنِّي إِذًا لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ * إِنِّي آمَنْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُونِ * قِيلَ ادْخُلْ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ يَا لَيْتَ قَوْمِي يَعْلَمُونَ * بِمَا غَفَرَ لِي رَبِّي وَجَعَلَنِي مِنْ الْمُكْرَمِينَ * وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ جُندٍ مِنْ السَّمَاءِ وَمَا كُنَّا مُنزِلِينَ * إِنْ كَانَتْ إِلَّا صَيْحَةً وَاحِدَةً فَإِذَا هُمْ خَامِدُونَ * يَا حَسْرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِ مَا يَأْتِيهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُون * أَلَمْ يَرَوْا كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ الْقُرُونِ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ *وَإِنْ كُلٌّ لَمَّا جَمِيعٌ لَدَيْنَا مُحْضَرُونَ
which means: “And present to them an example: the people of the village, when the messengers came to it. When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened them with a third, and they said, “Indeed, we are messengers to you.” They said, “You are not but human beings like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing. You are only telling lies.” They said, “Our Lord knows that we are messengers to you. And we are not responsible except for clear notification.” They said, “Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment.” They said, “Your omen [i.e. fate] is with yourselves. Is it (i.e. your threat against us) because you were reminded? Rather, you are a transgressing people.” And there came from the farthest end of the village a man, running. He said, “O my people follow the messengers. Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment and they are [rightly] guided. And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned? Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while] if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me? Indeed, I would then be in manifest error. Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.” It was said, “Enter Paradise.” He said, “I wish my people could know. Of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honored.” And We did not send down upon his people after him any soldiers from the heaven, nor would We have done so. It was not but one shout, and immediately they were extinguished. How regretful for the servants. There did not come to them any messenger except that they used to ridicule him. Have they not considered how many generations We destroyed before them, that they to them (i.e. to those living presently in the world.) will not return? And indeed, all of them will yet be brought present before Us.” [Yaa Seen: 13-32].
Allaah commanded the messenger, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, to relate this story as an example for his people who belied him, just as the people of the village in the above story rushed to belie their messengers whenever they came to them.
Imaam As-Sa’di, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said regarding the saying of Allaah (which means): “So We strengthened them with a third”: “This is a way of Allaah caring for His messengers and supporting them as well as a means to establish evidence against the people by sending messengers after messengers” [End of quote].
Their people refused to accept them as messengers with the pretext that they were but humans, and thus it is not possible for them to receive revelations from the Lord. They falsely believed that had these messengers been truly from Allaah then they would have been angles and not humans, and that there was nothing that distinguished them from the rest of the inhabitants of their village for them to be chosen as messengers from amongst all the people.
This is the claim which most the nations based their refusal of messengers on, as Allaah informs us saying:
ذَلِكَ بِأَنه كَانَت تَأتِيهِم رُسُلُهُم بِالبَينَاتِ فَقَالُوا أَبَشَرٌ يَهدُونَنَا
وَلَئِن أَطَعتُم بَشراً مِثلَكُم إِنكُم ِإذاً لَخَاسِِرُون
Going back to the story; when the messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, heard the response of their people, they collectively reassured them that they were messengers from Allaah. They told them that had they been making this up, then Allaah would have punished them severely, but instead, they will be supported and the evil outcome will be for those belying them.
All the messengers are requested to do is clarify to the people the message and point out their obligations towards Allaah and those who adhere and follow will be the prosperous ones, and those who refuse and reject the call will face a dreadful consequence.
It is the habit of ignorant people to become pessimistic from things that they do not like, and these people were no different, because this is the very thing they responded with to their messengers, and whenever anything bad befell them, they would attribute it to their messengers.
Imaam As-Sa’di, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said about this: “Claiming pessimism due to the presence of their messengers is the strangest thing to say, because these messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, came with the best bounty Allaah would bestow on any human, namely the bounty of guiding them to His worship alone, but if one is deprived, then even worse than this can happen to him” [End of quote].
Furthermore, this reaction was the same from many of the disbelievers with their messengers, as Allaah informs us about the people of Pharaoh saying:
فَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا هَذِهِ وَإِنْ تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ يَطَّيَّرُوا بِمُوسَى وَمَنْ مَعَهُ
And about the people of Prophet Saalih, may Allaah exalt his mention, Allaah says:
قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَنْ مَعَكَ
After the people of the village expressed their pessimism they threatened their messengers to torture them and kill them in an evil vicious manner, which is stoning them to death. At this point their messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, explained to them that the cause of evil and trials is all due to their disbelief which naturally incurs the wrath of Allaah.
A man heard what the messengers were calling the people to believe in, accepted their call and rushed to his people encouraging them to do likewise. He was keen to advise his people and explained to them that what these messengers are calling for will be the reason for their prosperity and reminded them with a sign of their sincerity, which is the fact that these messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, did not ask for anything in return.
In order to further persuade his people, this man proclaimed to them that he himself had actually accepted what the messengers are calling them to, as a means of comforting and convincing them.
Imaam As-Sa’di, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “It is possible that his people refused his advice and blamed him for following the messengers and accepting their call, which made him respond saying (what means): “And why should I not worship He who created me and to whom you will be returned? Should I take other than Him [false] deities [while] if the Most Merciful intends for me some adversity, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they save me? Indeed, I would then be in manifest error” [End of quote].
He told them that there is no harm in worshipping the One Who is worthy of being worshipped, and then he reasoned with them mentioning logical reasons why He deserved being worshipped saying, he created me, provides for me and to Him I will return to be judged for what I did in life. Thus, He alone is worthy of being worshipped, while other creatures or idols have no power to benefit nor to cause harm, and if Allaah Wills to harm me, then these false deities will be of no benefit to me nor can they rescue me. Then he concluded his statement informing them that those who worship other than Allaah are indeed in manifest error.
Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The believer’s statement (which means): “Indeed, I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me.” Was said to the messengers and not to his people” [End of quote].
At this point his people were enraged at his belief and debate with them, and they therefore killed him, and he was martyred, which made him worthy of being admitted into Paradise. Imaam Qataadah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “Allaah admitted him into Paradise and his soul remained in it as is the case with a martyr” [End of quote].
After this Allaah informs us that he punished his people as a result of killing him and that they deserved His wrath. They also deserved this punishment because they belied the messengers.
Ibn Mas’ood, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “Allaah did not send down any of His soldiers to punish these people, because the matter for Allaah is much simpler than this” [End of quote]. All that Allaah did was to send down on them a shout, which was a sound from the heavens that resulted in their complete destruction … a fair punishment for their refusal of the truth and their arrogance.
Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The regretful result they will face is that in the Hereafter due to their ridicule of the messengers” [End of quote].
Then Allaah mentions the evil consequence of all those who belied their messengers and refused to adhere to their messages in the earlier generations, and concludes with a reminder that everyone will eventually be resurrected and presented before Allaah for accountability, and will get the outcome of what they did.
Benefits derived from the story:
·These three messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, were sent by Prophet ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, according to one opinion. Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “All the scholars of the later generations adopt this opinion, yet there are some reservations on this opinion: First; the apparent wording of the story in the verses indicate that they were messengers sent by Allaah and not ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, as Allaah says (what means): “When We sent to them two but they denied them, so We strengthened them with a third” and in their response to their people these messengers said in the verse (what means): “Our Lord knows that we are messengers to you. And we are not responsible except for clear notification” Had they been disciples sent by Prophet ‘Eesaa, may Allaah exalt his mention, they would have said something else to that effect. Second; had they been disciples their people would not have said to them as in the verse (what means): “You are not but human beings like us” [End of quote].
There is nothing strange about Allaah sending three messengers to one village, as Allaah sent both Prophets Moosaa and Haaroon, may Allaah exalt their mention, to Pharaoh and his people.
·The scholars differed which village this was as well as differing regarding the names of these three messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention. Imaam Al-Qaasimi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “one of the merits of the Qur’aan is that it focuses on what is important with regards to the stories it relates, which is the reminder and the lessons to be derived from them and not the details of the story. In the story of the three messengers, the name of the village and the messengers is something that was not mentioned, and thus for it to be a confirmed fact, it must be narrated to us by the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, otherwise it is nothing but speculations” [End of quote].
·Those who call to Allaah must remain persistent through their mission and continue to call the people even if no one responded to their call. The first two messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, did not give up despite their people belying them until Allaah supported them with a third messenger.
·Imaam Ar-Raazi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The believing man who came from the far end of the village proves that the messengers conveyed their message clearly to the point that this man who was at the other end of the village heard the message and accepted it” [End of quote].
·Imaam Al-Qaasimi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “A believer must extend advice to others and exert all effort in doing so, just as the believing man did.” [End of quote].
·Imaam Ar-Raazi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The story of the messengers condoles the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, whilst mentioning the position of the believing man, condoles the companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, and an encouragement for them to remain steadfast and persevere the suffering they face in the course of calling to Allaah.” [End of quote].
·People are afflicted due to their sins and wrong doings. This is what the messengers reminded their people with when they told them, as in the saying of Allaah (which means): “Your omen [i.e. fate] is with yourselves” meaning as a result of your own doings and disbelief. Allaah says:
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ
·Ibn ‘Atiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The story includes a warning to all the disbelievers who refuse to believe that they will face the same fate as the people of the village if they insist to disbelieve and refuse the message. This was the objective of giving this example to the disbelievers of Quraysh” [End of quote].