Some Qur’anicverses appear to reprimand the Prophets, may Allah bestow peace on them, including Prophet Muhammad, may Allah grant and bless him peace. One scholar says it is one of the proofs of the divinity of the Qur’an that the Prophet ﷺ didn’t create these verses, but rather recited them as they were revealed to him by Allah.
There is a need to examine these verses of the Qur’an more closely to understand their meaning within the context of their respective revelations. Some of the verses addressed to the Prophet ﷺ are as follows.
“That Allah may forgive for you what preceded your sin and what will follow and complete His favour upon you and guide you to a straight path.” (The Qur’an 48:2)
“Ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women.” (The Qur’an 47:19)
“May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]; why did you give them permission [to remain behind]?” (The Qur’an 9:43)
“Had there not been a previous decree from Allah, a stern punishment would have afflicted you for what you have taken.” (The Qur’an 8:68)
“Because there came to him the blind man, but what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified.” (The Qur’an 80:2-3)
Some other verses of the Qur’an addressed to, and about, earlier Prophets are noted in the following.
Addressed to Adam, may Allah bestow peace on him, Allah said: “And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred.” (The Qur’an 20:121)
They (Adam and his wife) said, “Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.” (The Qur’an 7:23)
Yunus, may Allah bestow peace on him, said, “Exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.” (The Qur’an 21:87)
As regards Da’ud, may Allah peace on him, Allah said, “And Da’ud became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allah].” (The Qur’an 38:24)
Describing the story of Yusuf, may Allah bestow peace on him, Allah said, “And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord.” (The Qur’an 12:24)
The Story of Musa, may Allah bestow peace on him, includes the verse, “Musa struck him and [unintentionally] killed him. [Moses] said, “This is from the work of Satan. Indeed, he is a manifest, misleading enemy.” (The Qur’an 28:15)
Nuh, may Allah bestow peace on him, said, “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from asking that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have mercy upon me, I will be among the losers.” (The Qur’an 11:47)
Allah said to Nuh, “Do not address Me concerning those who have wronged; indeed, they are [to be] drowned.” (The Qur’an 11:37)
Ibrahim, may Allah bestow peace on him, said about Allah, “And who I aspire that He will forgive me my sin on the Day of Recompense.” (The Qur’an 26:82)
Allah is the Lord, and human beings are His servants. The Prophets, may Allah bestow peace on them, are the best examples of this servitude, and these verses of the Qur’an reflect this actual relationship in the light of the following points.
1.These verses are intended to teach human beings, other than the Prophets, to serve Allah correctly in view of the role models of the Prophets, may Allah bestow peace on them. In fact, the actual intended relationship of human beings with Allah is one of the prime teachings of the Qur’an, and of the prophetic traditions, for that matter.
2.Many of the verses are meant for the audience of the Prophets, with or without the Prophets. The Qur’an is in the format of divine oration and one method of conveying a message to one person or group in the audience, in a speech, is to address one person/group, and include another person or group in the deliberations.
We are studying some of the verses individually to understand their respective meanings.
1.In verse 47:19, “Ask forgiveness for your sin and for the believing men and believing women,” the Prophet ﷺis intended towards his community.
2.Verse 48:2, “That Allah may forgive you for what preceded your sin and what will follow and complete His favour upon you and guide you to a straight path” was meant to show to highlight the clean position of the Prophet ﷺ before the unbelievers who gloated on the verse of the Quran, “Say, ‘I am not the first messenger ever sent, nor do I know what will happen to me or you. I only follow what is revealed to me. And I am only sent with a clear warning.” (The Qur’an 46:9)
3.The verse 9:43, “May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]; why did you give them permission [to remain behind]” is intended to describe the wickedness of those persons who sought pardon from proceeding to the battlefield. There is no objection to the Prophet ﷺ in accepting their false pleas; it is, rather, a stricture on their behaviour.
4.The verse 8:68, “Had there not been a previous decree from Allah, a stern punishment would have afflicted you for what you have taken,” refers to the permission of taking war booty, especially granted to the Prophet ﷺ, unlike earlier Prophets, may Allah bestow peace on them. It means that the Prophet ﷺ did what was permitted. The prisoners of war who were set free in this process are reprimanded, reminding them that they did not deserve that facility. That is why the next verse of the Qur’an permits the believers to utilise the booty they had collected. It said, “So consume what you have taken of war booty [as being] lawful and good, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (The Qur’an 8:69)
5.The verse 80:2-3, “Because there came to him the blind man, but what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified” is also not any censure of the Prophet that a blind companion came and he ignored that person, continuing his discussions with the elite of the Quraysh whom he was talking. This verse is a strict warning to the person(s) of the Quraysh who had no intention of purification by accepting the message of Islam. Instead, the verse says that the blind man is more valuable in the eyes of Allah because he intended to be purified. This is, in fact, a condemnation of the elders of the Quraysh in Makkah who considered themselves to be of high value. Allah cut them to size through this comparison with a blind, but valuable, person. Further verses of the Qur’an have made this point clear. Allah said, “As to one who regards Himself as self-sufficient, to him you give attention. And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified.” (The Qur’an 80:5-7)
6.The verse 20:121, “And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred” talks about a mistake made by the Prophetﷺas is obvious from the further verse of the chapter saying, “And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination.” (The Qur’an 20:115) Allah describes Adam as lacking determination. And it is true about us, the children of Adam. Allah has clarified the status of Adam in a further verse, “And Adam disobeyed his Lord and erred. Then his Lord chose him and turned to him in forgiveness and guided [him].” (The Qur’an 121-122)
7.We have already discussed earlier the story of Yunus, may Allah bestow peace on him, when he left his people without express permission from Allah. He admitted his error in judgment, sought forgiveness, and Allah forgave him.
Other verses may be studied in the light of the above discussions.