وَاسأَل مَن أَرسَلنا مِن قَبلِكَ مِن رُسُلِنا أَجَعَلنا مِن دونِ الرَّحمٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعبَدونَ

Ask those of Our apostles We have sent before you: did We set up any gods besides the All-Beneficent to be worshipped?

EXEGESIS

The letter hamzah in ajaʿalnā (did we set up) indicates incredulity and negation.[1]

The verb yuʿbadūn (to be worshipped) is an adjective for ālihah (gods) and makes use of the plural pronoun specific for living beings. This usage is commonly found in the Quran and is in line with the beliefs of the polytheists who presumed their idols symbolised living beings.[2]

EXPOSITION

This verse underscores the continuity of the monotheistic belief system, demonstrating that the message of worshiping one God, brought forth by the Holy Prophet, is not a novel concept. Rather, it aligns with the teachings of all previous prophets who, likewise, advocated for the belief and worship of God, alone. The verse can be seen as a response to the claim made by the polytheists in verse 22 that they were following their forefathers. It states that their forefathers should not be considered more guided than all the previous prophets.[3]

Ask those of Our apostles We have sent before you: whilst the verse is directly addressing the Prophet, the duty of asking the apostles is upon the nation of the Prophet, including those who disbelieved in him.[4]

The commentators have proposed three distinct interpretations to explain the questioning mentioned in the verse:

1. Asking the apostles has been understood figuratively to mean asking their communities, followers, and scholars of their religion, similar to what was alluded to in 10:94, So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, ask those who read the book [revealed] before you. This interpretation assumes there is an implicit ummam (nations) or atbāʿ (followers), and the verse thus would read: Ask the nations/followers of those of Our apostles We have sent before you.[5] This rhetorical construct is an allusion to the fact that if one were to ask the previous nations whether God had set up any partners, they may have defiantly lied and replied in the affirmative. However, by stating that it is their apostles who should be questioned, the implication is that what is being asked of them is regarding what their prophets brought, not what they have constructed for themselves.[6] Religions, such as Christianity, that have morphed away from their original teachings, also contain elements of monotheism. It is for this reason that those who uphold the belief in the Trinity also attempt to make sense of it in a manner that is congruent with monotheism.[7]

In a similar vein, some exegetes suggest that the verse could be metaphorically alluding to asking about the apostles and not asking the apostles directly. This metaphorical usage is supported by other verses that employ a similar technique. For example, 17:34 states, surely the covenant shall be questioned, whilst what is intended is that ‘the covenant shall be questioned about’.[8]

1. Some have suggested that the verse is directly addressing Prophet Muhammad (s), and he is being asked to question the previous prophets. Those who uphold such a view state that this verse was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (s) during the Night of Ascension (miʿrāj), and thus he was asked to question the souls of the previous prophets.[9] This view stems from narrations that shall be mentioned subsequently. The purpose of questioning the previous prophets was obviously not for reassuring the Prophet himself, but was rather a means of reminding the Christians and Jews,[10] or perhaps all those who disbelieved in the Prophet,[11] that all the previous prophets had brought the same message of monotheism (see also 3:81).

Others have mentioned that this questioning was not specific to the heavenly ascension. The Prophet, due to his lofty spiritual station, was not bound by time and place and was thus able to converse with the souls of the previous prophets whenever he wished. This interpretation can possibly be understood as referring to an esoteric meaning of the verse, because the apparent context of this verse indicates that this questioning is a means of negating the creed of the polytheists and not as a means of giving assurance to the Prophet about the truth of his message. He was engulfed in tawḥīd and there was never any doubt in his mind for him to thus question the previous prophets.

However, conversing with the souls of the previous prophets does not seem to be a very convincing argument in front of the polytheists, for it seems unlikely that they would have believed that such an encounter had occurred. Therefore, the first interpretation seems more in line with the apparent meaning of the verse.[12]

2. The verse is not actually commanding the Prophet to ask the previous prophets. Rather, this is a rhetorical tool to convey the idea that none of the previous prophets ever propagated polytheism and thus, if one were to somehow ask them, they would all confirm this. The verse is therefore not referring to a real encounter, but is indicating that the consensus of all prophets on monotheism is a sign of the truth of Prophet Muhammad’s (s) message.[13]

This understanding is usually taken in the context where questioning is impossible. For example, if someone were to say: ‘Ask the earth – who made the rivers flow upon it?’ the intended meaning clearly is that one ought to ponder and reflect on the issue and not literally question the earth. The same applies to the verse in question since the Holy Prophet could not question the previous prophets using apparent means.[14]

Did We set up any gods besides the All-Beneficent: the verse uses the name al-raḥmān (the All-Beneficent) when referring to God instead of ‘Allah’ or any of His other names. Perhaps this is to indicate how bewildering it is that the polytheists had left the worship of He whose mercy encompasses everything to worship lifeless idols![15]

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. In an authentic narration, Abū Rabīʿ al-Shāmī reports: ‘We performed hajj with Imam al-Bāqir (a) in the year when Hishām ibn ʿAbd al-Malik performed his hajj. Nāfiʿ, the freedman of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, who was accompanying Hishām, looked at Imam al-Bāqir (a) [who was] at the corner of the Kaaba, surrounded by people, and asked [Hishām]: “O Commander of the Faithful, who is this that the people have gathered around?” He replied: “This is the prophet of the people of Kufa, Muhammad ibn Ali.” Nāfiʿ then said: “Bear witness that I will approach him and ask him questions that only a prophet, or the son of a prophet, or the successor of a prophet could answer.” He said: “Go to him and ask him, perhaps you would embarrass him.” Nāfiʿ approached until he leaned over the people, then he addressed Imam al-Bāqir (a), saying: “O Muhammad ibn Ali, I have read the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Quran, and I know their lawful and unlawful matters. I have come to ask you about questions that only a prophet or the successor of a prophet or the son of a prophet could answer.” Imam al-Bāqir (a) raised his head and said: “Ask about whatever comes to your mind.” Nāfiʿ then asked: “Tell me, how many years are there between Jesus and Muhammad (s)?” Imam (a) replied: “Shall I inform you with my view or yours?” Nāfi’ said: “Inform me of both statements.” He (a) replied: “As for my view, 500 years, and as for your view, 600 years.” He asked: “Then tell me about the saying of Allah (swt) to His Prophet, Ask those of Our apostles We have sent before you: did We set up any gods besides the All-Beneficent to be worshipped, whom did Muhammad (s) ask, while there were five hundred years between him and Jesus?” Imam (a) then recited this verse, Immaculate is He who carried His servant on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose environs We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs [17:1]: “Among the signs that Allah (swt) showed Muhammad (s) when He took him by night to Jerusalem, was that Allah (swt) gathered the former and latter prophets and messengers. Then He commanded Gabriel (a) to recite the adhān by repeating each line twice, and the iqāmah by repeating each line twice, and he said in his adhān, ‘Hasten to the best of deeds (ḥayya ʿalā khayr al-ʿamal).’ Then Muhammad (s) advanced and led the people [in prayer]. It was then revealed to him, Ask those of Our apostles We have sent before you: did We set up any gods besides the All-Beneficent to be worshipped? He asked them: ‘What do you testify to, and whom did you worship?’ They replied: ‘We testify that there is no god but Allah, He has no partner, and that you are the Messenger of Allah. He has taken from us this pledge and covenant.’” Then Nāfiʿ said: “You have spoken the truth, O son of the Messenger of Allah, O Abā Jaʿfar. By Allah, you are the successors of the Messenger of Allah and his deputies, as mentioned in the Torah. Your names are in the Gospel, in the Psalms, and in the Quran. You are more deserving of the authority than anyone else.”’[16]
2. It has been reported from Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) that a man came to Imam Ali (a) while he was in the Mosque of Kufa, sitting with his sword belt wrapped around him. The man said: ‘O Commander of the Faithful, there is a verse in the Quran that has corrupted my religion and caused me to doubt my faith.’ Imam Ali (a) asked: ‘And what is that?’ The man replied: ‘The verse where Allah (swt) says, Ask those of Our apostles We have sent before you: did We set up any gods besides the All-Beneficent to be worshipped. Was there any prophet alive at that time other than Muhammad (s) that he could ask about this?’ Imam Ali (a) said to him: ‘Sit down, and I will explain it to you, God-willing. Indeed, Allah (swt), says in His book, Immaculate is He who carried His servant on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose environs We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs [17:1] …’ The Imam then described the night journey of the Prophet in a similar manner to what was reported in the previous narration.[17]
3. It has been reported from the Prophet: ‘When Allah gathered me and the prophets on the Night of Ascension, Allah (swt) said: “O Muhammad, ask them: ‘Upon what were you sent?’” They said: “Allah sent us with the testimony that there is no god but Allah, the acknowledgment of your prophethood, and the guardianship of Ali ibn Abī Ṭālib (a).”’[18]

Note: There are plenty of narrations that allude to the Prophet asking this question to the other prophets on the Night of Ascension, and what we have quoted here are just a sample of the most reliable ones.[19]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

It has been attributed to Qatādah and al-Ḍaḥḥāk that ‘asking the apostles’ means ‘asking the People of the Book’ i.e. the Jews and Christians.[20] However, this is unwarranted and lacks any contextual indicators.[21]

It has been attributed to Zuhrī, Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, and Ibn Zayd, that there were ninety prophets that the Prophet encountered in his heavenly ascension, but he did not question them for he was more knowledgeable than them.[22]

[1] Ibn Ashur, 25/262.
[2] Ibn Ashur, 25/263.
[3] Ibn Ashur, 25/262.
[4] Mizan, 18/105; Amthal, 16/63.
[5] Tabrisi, 9/76.
[6] Tabrisi, 9/49.
[7] Amthal, 16/63.
[8] Sharīf al-Raḍī, Talkhīṣ al-Bayān, pp. 301-302.
[9] Alusi, 25/87; Tibyan, 9/202; Qurtubi, 16/95.
[10] Makhzan, 12/33.
[11] Furqan, 26/329.
[12] Amthal, 16/64.
[13] Mehr, 18/359.
[14] Razi, 27/635.
[15] Amthal, 16/64.
[16] Qummi, 2/284-285; see also Kafi, 8/120, and Ihtijaj, 2/325 for the same narration with slightly different wordings.
[17] Bihar, 18/394, 37/316.
[18] Burhan, 4/871, quoting from the Shāfiʿī scholar, Abū Nuʿaym Iṣfahānī. See also Burhan, 4/870-871 for similar narrations with Shia chains of narrators.
[19] For an extensive list of narrations see Burhan, 4/869-872, and Nur, 4/605-607.
[20] Tibyan, 9/202; Tabrisi, 9/76; Muqatil, 3/796.
[21] Mizan, 18/105.
[22] Tabrisi, 9/76.