Surah Yunus [ Jonah } , 10 : Epilogue...

Recitation Surah Yunus by Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=254mqmGhR8o&noredirect=1




Before the surah is brought to a close, God Almighty, in a few tender, gentle words, instructs His messenger to address humankind with the following reassuring advice:

Say (O Muhammad): O mankind! If ye are in doubt of my religion, then (know that) I worship not those whom ye worship instead of Allah, but I worship Allah Who causeth you to die, and I have been commanded to be of the believers. (104) And, (O Muhammad) set thy purpose resolutely for religion, as a man by nature upright, and be not of those who ascribe partners (to Allah). (105) And cry not, beside Allah, unto that which cannot profit thee nor hurt thee, for if thou didst so then wert thou of the wrong-doers. (106) If Allah afflicteth thee with some hurt, there is none who can remove it save Him; and if He desireth good for thee, there is none who can repel His bounty. He striketh with it whom He will of his bondmen. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (107) 

The strong and direct link between humans and God is the very essence of the faith of Islam. Other " gods" or powers, of any, are worth nothing. Humanity's fear and hopes are all dependent and focussed on and directed towards God alone.  This fact forms the solid foundation upon which everyday relations and dealings between humans are based.

On this surah we also encounter several brief accounts of earlier nations and religious communities such as that of  prophet Yunus whose name gave the surah its title. The implication here is that the Arabs of Makkah,  whom Prophet Muhammad was addressing, with the new faith of Islam, might receive the same pleasant fate as that of Jonah's people. The Makkan Arabs, in fact, had in the initial stages fiercely and relentlessly opposed Islam. They resisted and fought against it for close to twenty years. Eventually, however they embraced it and devoted all their energies and resources to defending and spreading it. The people of Jonah fared much better than other communities, such as the people of Hu'd. God says:

If only there had been a community (of all those that were destroyed of old) that believed and profited by its belief as did the folk of Jonah! When they believed We drew off from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the world and gave them comfort for a while. (98) 

Whenever these narratives are cited in the Qur'an they usually reflect situations and experiences faced by Prophet  Muhammadhimself, in order for him to draw lessons from them. Hence the similarity in dealing with such situations, despite the time-space factor. The prophet Noah[ Nu'h], we are told, faced his people's resistance and opposition for nine and a half centuries, but he persisted steadfastly with his mission of calling them to God. The surah tells us:

Recite unto them the story of Noah, when he told his people: O my people! If my sojourn here and my reminding you by Allah's revelations are an offence unto you, in Allah have I put my trust, so decide upon your course of action you and your partners. Let not your course of action be in doubt for you. Then have at me, give me no respite. (71) But if ye are averse I have asked of you no wage. My wage is the concern of Allah only, and I am commanded to be of those who surrender (unto Him). (72) 

What Noah had told his people was the same as Muhammad would tell his people. God's prophets and messengers are honest individuals devoted to the service of God. They seek no personal gain, material or otherwise, in carrying out their missions and obligations towards God and their fellow men. The surah cites experiences of other messengers and their communities, with extensive coverage of episodes from the history of the Pharaoh of Egypt and the Israelites and their prophets and leaders. The Pharaohs were destroyed as a result of their arrogance, oppression and exploitation of their people, while the Israelites took advantage of the privilege of receiving divine revelation and abused the favor and trust that God had invested in them. In this context God says:

And We verily did allot unto the Children of Israel a fixed abode, and did provide them with good things; and they differed not until the knowledge came unto them. Lo! thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they used to differ. (93)

These words are a warning to the Muslims to avoid the pitfalls which had plagued the Israelites. Muslims are required to shoulder the responsibility of carrying God's message with honesty and dedication

Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1996 ]
" A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "



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