Our Lord said:
"Say, [O Muhammad], "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allah ? Show me what they have created of the earth;"
"or did they have partnership in [creation of] the heavens?"
"Bring me a scripture [revealed] before this or a [remaining] trace of knowledge, if you should be truthful.""
The general meaning of the verse.. and its indication is that..
the verse is addressing people who associate with Allah other deities.. it invalidate their doings by evidence
Blessed viewer, to begin with, you must know that Allah says..
and what Allah says is the truth..
"Allah has written, "I will surely overcome, I and My messengers."
So, Glorified His Remembrance has said so at Surat Al-Mujadila..
"Allah has written, "I will surely overcome, I and My messengers.." here there is a proof..
that definitely, Allah and His messengers will prevail over..
and the messengers prevail by two means.. by sword [weapon] and by proof..
So, winning by evidence is the case with all the prophets..
and winning by weapon depends upon the individual cases.. of that prophet..
was this prophet commanded to fight war or not?
If he was commanded to fight..
he will win with his sword..
And if he was not commanded to fight..
then it is not a must that he would win the battle with sword..
and he might be killed..
the example of this is what Allah, Almighty has told us about Bani Israel..
"And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed."
So, Allah, Almighty has told us that some of His prophets were killed..
The point is that ..
.. this verse we are discussing, from Surat Al-Ahqaf..
in about winning with logic..
by bringing proofs and showing people the evidences..
Our Lord said, talking to people associating with Allah,..:
"Say, [O Muhammad], "Have you considered?.." i.e. think and observe..
contemplate.. observe the matters.. in and out..
"Say, "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allah?.." i.e. the Idols..
The Idols that you have imposed divinity upon them..
and you've claimed that they are analogous to Allah..
"Say, "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allah?.."
"Say, "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allah?"
Allah, Almighty is asking..
Did they create anything?!
" Show me what they have created of earth; "
He didn't say, what they've created of Heavens..
because what is in Heavens is unseen..
and people on earth didn't claim that they have reached space at the time..
Allah, Almighty said:
Look at these creations that is on earth..
can you give a logical proof..
that proofs that any of these Idols has..
created anything present on earth..
" or did they have partnership in [creation of] the heavens? "
"Bring me a scripture [revealed] before this or a [remaining] trace of knowledge,"
Now, here is a move from logical proof to
the inherited or copied proof.. the meaning is..
The old books that they had with them..
are usually of two types..
Books that are divine in origin..
or books that otherwise..
i.e. they are written by people..
So, Allah, Almighty said:
"Bring me a scripture [revealed] before this.."
meaning is; Bring a divine Book..
i.e. there is no Book, that is divine in origin, ever mentioned that the Idols has created a thing..
Actually..
these Books, the preserved Books, forbid worshiping of Idols.
What is left after that, are the books that are written by people..
Allah, Almighty, has described them here by saying: "a [remaining] trace of knowledge,"
i.e. a residual trace of knowledge..
This is the meaning of [Athar].. residue.
And all the old books that were written by people.. they never written that these Idols has..
create a thing..
So, The claims of Quraysh, were abolished by invalidating of both the logical fallacy.. and their books.. that they might possibly use as evidences..
to prove their claims that these Idols deserve worshiping in place of Allah.
And these proofs that is invalidating the claims..
was very commonly encountered in the Makkiyah Surahs [Surahs that were revealed at Makkah before Hijrah], because at that time they were very much needed..
And because Quraysh, at that time has claimed that..
.. these Idols..
are deities that should be worshiped with Allah
or without Allah.
This is the first point that I want to stress upon at Surat Al-Ahqaf..
A person might say that..
we do not have a need to bring such discussion, as in today
and this is totally untrue..
because believing in the oneness of Allah on a scientific foundation..
that is based on guidance from Qur'an..
is the greatest science upon which depends the establishment of sciences in humanity
So, the most important factor that will make you live in security, in confidence.. and Allah has hearts in His Hands..
and that you won't turn back..
after you were guided by Allah..
not to lose after success..
and not to decline to a state that is away from the straight path..
when your guidance is based on solid certain knowledge..
that is Allah, alone..
is the Lord of the worlds.
So, establishment of Tawheed..
brings peace at Akhirah..
"So which of the two parties has more right to security, if you should know?"
"They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice.."
"those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided."
In addition to that, establishment of Tawheed increases the understanding.. the comprehending.. the knowledge of the person..
Though, Tawheed itself requires knowledge..
But, when a person really believes in the oneness of Allah
the consequence of having this belief in Allah.. in His Tawheed..
without associating anything with the creator..
this will open up huge lines of sciences and knowledge..
Allah, Almighty said..
in the story of Yusuf, Peace be upon him:
"He said, "You will not receive food that is provided to you.."
"except that I will inform you of its interpretation before it comes to you."
"That is from what my Lord has taught me."
Then he said the reason.. why he was taught?
why he was given wisdom and insight..?
he said.. "That is from what my Lord has taught me."
"Indeed, I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah ,"
"and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers."
"And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."
"And it was not for us to associate anything with Allah . "
"That is from the favor of Allah upon us and upon the people, but most of the people are not grateful."
So, Allah, Almighty told us at the verse at Sutat Al-An'am that..
security, at the menacing day, is for the people of Tawheed..
and Allah, Almighty told us at Surat Yusuf that..
the most important thing to bring about knowledge is..
Tawheed Allah, Almighty..
even more, the persistence of people of Tawheed in Hell for eternity is impossible..
as the admission of the people, associating with Allah [Shirk], into Jannah is impossible too.
"Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him,"
And said: "Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise.".