قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ

Say: ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle.’ But if you turn your backs, [you should know that] he is only responsible for his burden and you are responsible for your burden, and if you obey him, you shall be guided, and the Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms.

EXEGESIS

Tawallaw (you turn your backs) is addressed to the second person plural ‘you’ and is actually tatawallaw, which has a tāʾ that has been dropped. Such omission of a tāʾ is common in Arabic for the form tafaʿʿul.

Ḥummila/ḥummiltum comes from the root of ḥaml, meaning to carry something. The form ḥammala has the meaning of placing a burden on someone else. Thus, here it indicates the duties with which the Prophet and the addressee of the Quran are charged with. It is similar to the verse, The example of those who were charged (ḥummilū) with the Torah, then failed to carry it (yaḥmilūhā), is that of an ass carrying books (62:5).

Al-balāgh al-mubīn: balāgh means to reach the final stage or the highest peak of something.[1] Mubīn means to make something apparent and clear after being unclear and obscure.[2] Whenever al-balāgh is described by an adjective in the Quran, it is always al-mubīn (see 5:92, 16:35, 16:82, 29:18, 36:17, and 64:12). It means that the Prophet’s duty is to deliver and explain the revelation to people in a manner that does not leave any doubt about its source or purport.

EXPOSITION

This verse is a reminder to the Muslims that when they have entered into the contract of faith, they have accepted to obey God, and by extension His Apostle. By obeying his commands of fighting in jihad – which the previous verse quoted them loudly (yet insincerely) swearing to do – or submitting to his judgement, they are not doing him any favours, nor can they harm him or his Lord by refusing to do so. It is first and foremost in their own self-interest to do so, for the word of God will be fulfilled, and each person will have to answer for his own actions. To abide by the word of God is simply to join the path of success and inevitable victory. In reality this verse is the final build-up before the important verse 55. God is hinting here that He will establish His plan and His ‘clear command’[3] will be realised, It is He who has sent His Apostle with the guidance and the religion of truth that He may make it prevail over all religions (61:9).

Say: ‘Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle’: the verb obey is repeated here, even though it could have been mentioned once. This is to emphasise that if they claim to obey God, then it is He who is commanding His Apostle to tell them that they should obey Him.

While Mudarrisi agrees that the obedience of the Prophet is an extension of the obedience of God, he also differentiates between them, saying that the obedience of God is to obey Him in ‘unchanging issues’, whereas the obedience of the Prophet is the practical application of God’s divine command in political and legal issues, in changing circumstances and current affairs.[4] Shaʿrāwī on the other hand ponders on the verse saying that it is indicative of how the rulings in the Quran are general, whereas the details are explained in the Sunna, citing the example of prayer.[5]

Regarding both claims, the Prophet’s instructions on legal matters were a matter of revelation and it is established that the revelation received by the Prophet was not limited to the Quran. The Quranic instructions on matters such as prayer may be general, and the prophetic ones specific, yet they are both the result of revealed knowledge given to the Prophet. The Prophet may have used reason when judging according to the law of God or when applying it to different situations, Indeed We have sent down to you the book with the truth, so that you may judge between the people by what Allah has shown you (4:105), however this should not be conflated with legislation. The application of the law, and legislation, are two separate matters.

Also of note is the verse is phrased as Say … obey the Apostle, instead of ‘obey me’. They are not to obey him as Muhammad (s), but as the holy Messenger of God.[6] As the topic of the surah is the Muslim community and the address is here to them, it is a reminder that even though Prophet Muhammad (s) was part of their society, he was still the Messenger of God. He may be their relative, their neighbour, their friend, a human just like them, but he is also so much more than that. It is perhaps in some ways easier for some to accept obedience to the Prophet today, when they view him only abstractly; whereas for his contemporaries, many saw his human side as well, which often we may today forget. The surah raises this issue again in the end, Do not consider the Apostle’s summons amongst you to be like your summoning one another (verse 64). This topic is very important and therefore the next surah is dedicated to continue the exploration of this topic and the theme of how human and divine connect with each other and Muhammad’s (s) nature as both Messenger and man, And they say: ‘What sort of apostle is this who eats food and walks in the marketplaces? Why has not an angel been sent down to him so as to be a warner along with him?’ (25:7).[7]

The address then shifts directly to the Muslim community as a whole: But if you turn your backs, [you should know that] he is only responsible for his burden: the burden of delivering the message of God,[8] and being a living example of its teachings. He is not responsible for your response and your actions. Furthermore, even though the Prophet must be obeyed, just as God must be obeyed, he still is a servant of God, a human being with responsibilities towards his Lord, the same as the rest of you.

And you are responsible for your burden: your burden of obeying that message.[9] It is natural for many of weak faith or morals that when they make mistakes they seek to shift the blame onto someone else and free themselves from responsibility. Part of it is of course to escape scorn, blame, or punishment. For some though it is also a matter of hubris, whereby they are incapable of accepting their own flaws, mistakes, and shortcomings.

And if you obey him, you shall be guided: this can be considered yet another re-examination of the surah’s main theme. If an individual or society wishes to find guidance and harmony in their existence, the way to do that is by obeying the Messenger of God.

Note also that obey him is singular, instead of ‘obey them’, even though both God and His Apostle were mentioned in the beginning of the verse, to highlight once again that the obedience of the two cannot be separated from one another.[10]

And the Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms: the message is clear because it is easy to understand and because it makes clear the duties that are incumbent upon us.[11]

This declaration is common throughout the Quran and also acts as a consolation to the Prophet, who used to feel greatly saddened by the rejection of the message, You are liable to imperil your life for their sake, if they should not believe this discourse, out of grief (18:6). Opposite to those of weak faith and morals, who refuse to accept responsibility for their own actions, we find that those of great faith, high morals, strong empathy, and deep humility would always be critical of themselves and feel that they could have done more; more good, more worship, and more care in explaining things better. Yet it is not the Prophet’s fault if people reject the guidance coming from God, nor does God wish to force people into faith. It is their choice, And say: ‘[This is] the truth from your Lord: let anyone who wishes believe it, and let anyone who wishes disbelieve it’ (18:29).

The duty of the prophets is not affected by the refusal of people. It could be that the vast majority reject their call, and indeed the Quran has plentiful examples of that happening. What is important is that the message is delivered plainly and clearly, thus giving the people the choice to accept or reject and then face the consequences of their choice. This is a proclamation. So shall anyone be destroyed except the transgressing lot? (46:35).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Jābir ibn Yazīd al-Juʿfī, from Imam al-Bāqir (a), that the Prophet said: ‘You who recite the Quran, be wary of God with regards to what He has placed upon you (ḥammalakum) of His book. For I am responsible, and you are responsible. I am responsible for delivering the message. As for you, you are responsible for that which has been placed upon you of the book of God and my Sunna.’[12]
2. From Salamah ibn Yazīd al-Juhanī, that he said to the Prophet: ‘O Messenger of God, what do you think if we have rulers after you who demand their right from us but do not give us our right, should we fight them and be their enemies?’ The Prophet replied: ‘They are responsible for their burden and you are responsible for your burden.’[13]

Note: This hadith cannot be accepted at face value and contradicts the following hadith. There is no doubt that the religion of Islam, which places so much emphasis on justice and righteousness and constantly encourages the believers to try and create a better society, would not instruct the believers to simply apathetically acquiesce to injustice and corruption. In fact, looking at the situation in the world, we realise that corrupt and unjust leaders are the main cause of strife, conflict, and war in the world.[14]

3. From Anas ibn Mālik, that Muʿādh ibn Jabal said: ‘O Messenger of God, what do you think if we have rulers who do not follow your Sunna and do not heed your commands, what is your decree concerning them?’ The Prophet replied: ‘There is no obeying the one who does not follow [my Sunna].’[15]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Ālūsī argues that ḥummila is here in this verse to indicate the heaviness of revelation received by the Prophet, and ḥummiltum the heaviness of the duty laid upon the Muslims.[16] We do not find other verses using ḥaml to speak of the revelation though – and while that does not automatically rule it out – it is better to understand it as we have explained.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. If anyone hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge that person. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very words I have spoken will condemn them at the last day. For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.[17]

[1] Tahqiq, 1/360, b-l-gh.
[2] Tahqiq, 1/395, b-y-n.
[3] For the central theme of the surah, see the Introduction.
[4] Mudarrisi, 8/345-346.
[5] Sharawi, p. 10312-10314. He goes as far as to claim that legislating in such matters is an issue which has been delegated (tafwīḍ) to the Prophet. The obedience of God in this matter he says is general (ijmālī) in nature, whereas the obedience of the Prophet is specific (khāṣṣ) and detailed (tafṣīlī). He argues that this was a special position granted only to Prophet Muhammad (s).
[6] Mizan, 15/150; Furqan, 21/208.
[7] The theme is present throughout the surah. See for example also verses 25:20-21, 27, 41, 51.
[8] Tabrisi, 7/238; Tabari, 18/121.
[9] Tabrisi, 7/238; Tabari, 18/121.
[10] Sharawi, p. 10315.
[11] See Razi, 24/412.
[12] Kafi, 2/606.
[13] Tabarani, 7/40; Suyuti, 5/54. Suyūṭī also relates a few other similar reports. See also Tirmidhi, 3/331, h. 2295
[14] Mizan, 15/158.
[15] Ahmad, 3/213.
[16] Suggested by Alusi, 9/391.
[17] John 12:47-50.