The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 173
CH. 21 PT. 17 AL-ANBIYA' evil and good by way of trial. b And to Us shall you be returned. 2376 وَنَبْلُوكُمْ بِالشَّرِ وَالْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً وَ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ ) وَإِذَا رَاكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَتَّخِذُونَكَ And when the disbelievers. 37 see thee, they only make a jest E إِلَّا هُزُوًا اَهُذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ أَلِهَتَكُمْ of thee. They say: “Is this the وَهُمْ بِذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَنِ هُمْ كُفِرُونَ one who makes an evil mention of your gods?' while it is they themselves who reject with disdain the mention of the Gracious God. 2377 خُلِقَ الْإِنْسَانُ مِنْ عَجَلٍ سَأُورِيكُمُ التِي Man is created of haste. I. 38 will certainly show you My "25:42. 13:31. everlastingness are God's own exclusive attributes. 2376. Commentary: There are two ways to test the mettle of a person, viz. (a) by making him pass through the fire of trials and tribulations; and (b) by bestowing upon him wealth and material power and prosperity. God tries His servants in both these ways. This is the significance of this verse. Or the verse may also mean that God tries man by raising His Prophets and by affording him the opportunity to win His pleasure by accepting and following them; and sometimes when a long period of spiritual darkness ensues and no Divine Reformer is present in the world, He gives men of intellect and broad vision an opportunity to follow the dictates of conscience and right teaching which is in harmony with human nature in order that they should, instead of allowing themselves to be carried away like the common run of men by the current of sin and iniquity, establish in the world the usages and practices of God's Prophets. 2377. Commentary: The words, "Is this the one who makes an evil mention of your gods," are expressive of contempt and contumely for the Holy Prophet on the part of disbelievers. They think it presumptuous on the Prophet's part to speak slightingly of their gods. To 2087 this contemptuous expression of disbelievers the Quran replies by saying that if they think that it is presumptuous on the part of the Holy Prophet to speak disparagingly of their false gods, what do they think of their own contemptuous rejection of the very mention of the Gracious God?