The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 2) — Page 568
PT. 9 CH. 7 AL-A'RĀF 89. "The chief men of his قَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا مِن. people who were arrogant said قَوْمِهِ لَنُخْرِجَنَّكَ يُشْعَيْبُ وَالَّذِينَ Assuredly, we will drive thee امَنُوْا مَعَكَ مِنْ قَرْيَتِنَا اَوْ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِي ,believers that are with thee مِلَّتِنَا قَالَ أَوَلَوْ كُنَّا كُرِهِيْنَ out, 0 Shu'aib, and the from our town, or you shall have to return to our religion. ' He said: 'Even though we be unwilling?987 90. 'We have indeed forging a lie against Allah, if we tog‘kisa قَدِ افْتَرَيْنَا عَلَى اللهِ كَذِبًا إِنْ عُدْنَا فِي been مِلَّتِكُمُ بَعْدَ إِذْ نَجنَا اللهُ مِنْهَا وَمَا now return to your religion after يَكُونُ لَنَا أَنْ نَعُودَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللهُ رَبُّنَا وَسِعَ رَبُّنَا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا عَلَى اللهِ تَوَكَلْنَا رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ comprehends all things in His قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْفَرِحِيْنَ Allah has saved us therefrom. And it behoves us not to return thereto except that Allah, our Lord, should so will. "Our Lord knowledge. In Allah have we put our trust. So O our Lord, a14:14. 2:256; 40:8. that a Prophet adopts after the failure of all his efforts to make his people see the error of their ways and accept the truth. He leaves the whole matter in the hand of God and asks them to wait till God should show a decisive sign which would clearly distinguish between right and wrong. 987. Commentary: Disbelievers, complacently conscious of their power and wealth, listen to no request however reasonable, and in the words of the opponents of Shu'aib always say: "There is no need for anyone to judge between us. We ourselves can judge 1008 and our verdict is that, only he who follows our religion will be allowed to live with us. " On the other hand, the followers of every Prophet, like the followers of Shu'aib, have always made a pathetic, though unavailing, appeal to their persecutors in the words: "Will you compel us to adopt your religion, even if it offends our and goes against our reason conscience?" The concluding words good and of the verse also show that history throughout intelligent men have always believed that force should not be used in matters relating to conscience.