أَم عِندَهُم خَزائِنُ رَحمَةِ رَبِّكَ العَزيزِ الوَهّابِ
Do they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord, the all-mighty, the all-munificent?
EXEGESIS
Am is the interrogative article used in the beginning of a sentence to denote that what follows is a question. Its difference with a and hal is that it only comes after a previous statement, connecting to that statement. The connection here is to the statement, Has the reminder been sent down to him out of [all of] us in the previous verse, and is meant to criticise that and point out that it is not up to the Meccan elite to decide who receives revelation, but it is God who determines such things.
Khazāʾin (treasuries) is the plural of khizānah, meaning a place where something is stored and safeguarded. The word can even be used for immaterial things, such as safeguarding a secret. A person might store something in their khizānah for their day of need, but obviously this meaning is not applicable to God. Everything is within God’s power, and His stores are limitless, He gives it in specific measure as is appropriate and decrees what He sees fit in His creation, giving to each servant according to His will. Prophethood is God’s special mercy, which He gives to the one who deserves it: You did not expect that the book would be delivered to you; but it was a mercy from your Lord (28:86), and: If We wish, We would take away what We have revealed to you. Then you would not find for yourself any defender against Us, except a mercy from your Lord. Indeed, His grace has been great upon you (17:86-87).
EXPOSITION
The verse continues with the declaration aimed at the Meccan elite that started in verse 8, turning now to expound on the reason those people were stuck in their mire of self-centred pride and conceit. Because they were under the false impression they had achieved their position and wealth through their own merits and success, rather than it being given to them by God, they thought themselves to be in charge of affairs. Their conceit beguiled them into thinking, because they thought they decided worldly affairs for others, they should also decide matters regarding God and religion. This false illusion is now addressed. God announces that the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord are not held by them. Allah singles out for His mercy whomever He wishes (2:105), as mentioned, and the mercy in the verse under discussion is referring to the station of prophethood.
The position of prophethood is the most important position that God can give to His servants. It is not up to the servants to decide who is honoured with that position, but God; Is it they who dispense the mercy of your Lord? (43:32). This is because God is most aware of every person’s inner state. Just like worldly blessings are distributed by God amongst His servants, so are spiritual rewards.
The verse finishes by reminding the reader of two divine attributes: the all-mighty, the all-munificent. God is all-mighty in His kingdom, nothing happens therein except by His will; and He is all-munificent, giving to whom He wills based on what is in everyone’s best interests, choosing whom He sees to be the most fit for the duty of prophethood, We chose them knowingly (44:32). Both these attributes are describing God’s quality of lordship (rubūbiyyah: caring for and guiding creation). He chooses for prophethood a person who will work to bring mankind towards that end, taking them further on the path of perfection and moral development (tarbiyah). Furthermore, the usage of the preposition in your Lord is meant to denote the status and closeness of the Prophet to God, and that is why he was honoured with this task.
We also learn from the verse that prophethood is a mercy from God. Firstly, it is a mercy to the Holy Prophet himself and a great blessing from God, and secondly, it is a blessing to the people, because without prophets people would lose their spiritual path and worldly bliss.
[1] Tibyan, 8/545-546.
[2] Raghib, p. 280.
[3] Tibyan, 8/546.
[4] Tabrisi, 8/728. Alternatively, might has been ascribed to God to point out the misplaced pride that the opponents had, thinking themselves mighty (Tantawi, 12/136). It has also been pointed out that wahhāb (all-munificent) is an attribute that indicates an abundance in giving. It is said this is because the station of prophethood requires not only one blessing, but a multitude, ranging from God-wariness, knowledge, bravery, determination, and so on (Nemuneh, 19/225; Alusi, 12/161).
[5] Nemuneh, 19/224.
[6] Alusi, 12/161.
[7] Nemuneh, 19/225.