DAY 292: Anam 56-62

•  Say, “I have been forbidden from worshiping those whom you invoke beside Allah.” Say, “I do not follow your desires, because if I were to do that, I would be going astray and would no more be of those on the right path.” Say, “I am on clear guidance from my Lord, and you have cried lies to it. That which you demand to be hastened is not up to me. The Decision belongs to none but Allah. He relates the Truth and He is the best of all judges“. Say, “If what you demand to be hastened were up to me, the matter between me and you would have been over. Allah well knows who the wrongdoers are. With Him are the keys of the Unseen. No one knows them but He. He knows what is in the land and the sea. No leaf ever falls but that He knows about it, and there is no grain in the dark layers of the earth, or anything fresh or dry that is not recorded in a manifest book. “ He is the One Who calls back your souls by night and knows what you do by day, then revives you daily to complete your appointed term. To Him is your ˹ultimate˺ return, then He will inform you of what you used to do. He is Dominant over His slaves, and He sends guardians over you until when death comes upon one of you, Our deputies take his soul in full, and they neglect nothing (from their duties). Then all of them will be returned to Allah, their real Master. Behold, His is the judgement, and He is the swiftest of those who take account.
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      In Response to "Where is your proof?": "I am on a clear proof from my Lord." His authority is revelation (wahy), not personal opinion.
      In Response to "Bring the punishment you warn us about!": "I do not have that which you seek to hasten." He reiterates that he is only a warner, not the one who executes punishment.
      In Response to their demands for immediate judgment: "The decision (hukm) is only for Allah." He entrusts all judgment to Allah, who is "the best of judges." This is both a comfort for the believer and a warning to the oppressor.  
      The Daily Rehearsal for Death: This verse presents sleep as a "minor death" (wafat). Every night, Allah takes our souls, and every morning, He returns them. This is a daily reminder of His power over life and death and a preparation for the final taking of the soul. 
      This passage provides the final, unanswerable responses to the disbelievers' central objections:
      On Worship : "I will never worship your gods."
      On Proof and Punishment : "My proof is from God, your punishment is with God, and the timing is known only to God."
      On Knowledge : "All knowledge of the seen and unseen is with God alone."
      On Sovereignty : "God controls your every sleep and wake, your life and death, and your final return is to Him alone for a perfect judgment."
       
      The Prophet is commanded to declare his final, uncompromising break from their falsehood, for all matters—from the timing of punishment to the fate of every soul—rest solely with Allah, in whose perfect knowledge and sovereign control the entire universe exists and to whom all will ultimately return for judgment.
     
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