The infidels and polytheists of Arabia pressurized the Holy Prophet^-SW to the utmost. They also tried to win him^-SW over by making lucrative offers. They hoped that he^-SW would stop falsifying their deities and idols, besides eulogising his^-SW Rabb^-SWT at least for the safety of the believers. They threatened that in case he^-SW persisted they would not spare the life of any Muslim. The Jews of Madinah also adopted similar tactics. The polytheists of Arabia called upon other tribes and brought together a coalition force of ten thousand against him^-SW. It is then that Allah^-SWT revealed: O’ Prophet^-SW! Fear Allah^-SWT and do not give in to any pressure by the infidels and the hypocrites; and remain steadfast on His^-SWT obedience under all circumstances. There is no room for any compromise on Islam or its Injunctions.

The Contemporary Muslims

The greatest misfortune of present era is that the contemporary Muslims disobey Allah^-SWT and obey the non believers to safeguard their interests. They implement un-lslamic laws, their economy is interest orientated and political activity un Islamic. Yet they claim to be Muslims. Whereas Allah^-SWT addresses the Holy Prophet^-SW directly to highlight the importance of the matter that there is no room for any violation. A Muslim must simply follow Islam without pinning any hopes on the infidels and must rely on the One Who^-SWT is constantly Aware of everything. It is out of His^-SWT Wisdom that He^-SWT lets the infidels enjoy respite for a short while. It certainly does not mean that they will escape His^-SWT Grip. So the Holy Prophet^-SW must execute what is being revealed to him^-SW, as Allah^-SWT is also fully Aware of what the believers do. They must not lose hope because of lack of visible means. He^-SW must put his^-SW trust in Allah^-SWT . When the believers, standing fast on Allah^-SWT’s obedience, refuse to obey the infidels and challenge their might, Allah^-SWT helps them by all means, for He^-SWT is Potent enough to be relied upon.

Allah^-SWT has not given two hearts to any human being, whereby a person cultivates friendship with the infidels, pins his hopes on them and obeys them and at the same time claims to believe in and love Allah^-SWT . Rather there is only one heart in every bosom, which either beats in the Name of Allah^-SWT and His^-SWT love or is drowned in infidelity.

Zihar To Wife And Adopted Son

The forthcoming Ayah discusses two rituals of the Era of Ignorance where reformation was desired.

These were of Zihar and of adopting sons. Zihar was a pronouncement made by a husband to his wife: “You are to me like the back of my mother” or “you are like a mother to me”. In such cases the wife was considered as forbidden for her husband. The Quran negates it and reiterates that mother is only the one who has given birth. So resorting to Zihar and calling the wife as mother or sister is sinful. There is an expiation for it. Since the wife is not rendered altogether forbidden, she retains her status after payment of the prescribed expiation. Details will follow later. The second ritual practised in that era was to adopt a son and to apply all the rules which were only applicable to a real son. For instance, he would be taken as a real son who would get a share from the inheritance, and all relationships would be governed accordingly. So the Quran declares that the adopted sons do not become your real sons, nor do the injunctions pertaining to a real son apply to them. This is merely a word of mouth and the reality can never be altered by anybody's utterances. Allah^-SWT reveals the Truth and guides the people to the right path.

An Adopted Son Must Always Be Identified With His Real Father

Therefore, call the adopted sons by the name of their real fathers as this is the most appropriate and fair with Allah^-SWT . Keeping an adopted son unaware of his real father is not correct. If someone has adopted a child, he must call the child by his father's name. Where the parentage is unknown, then he is either a brother in faith or a servant and bondsman and his status and rights must be safeguarded as such. The lapses before this revelation shall be forgiven. However, if still someone wilfully resorts to it in order to satisfy his fancies this indeed will be a grave sin. Such people must give up this practice and repent before Allah^-SWT . Who is indeed Merciful and Forgiving. This calls for a careful thought by issueless parents who opt for adopting children.

The Holy Prophet^-SW enjoys a closer and dearer bond with the believers than they enjoy with their own lives, because the temporal life comprises both virtue and evil, while what emanates from the Holy Prophet^-SW is all virtue and eternal, for both the worlds. His^-SW noble wives are the mothers of the believers but the laws of inheritance are not invoked even here, let alone that these are applied to an adopted son. They are only applicable on the basis of lineage and proximity.

Vexing The Holy Prophet^-SW Is Infidelity

The Holy Prophet^-SW dispenses nothing save virtue. His^-SW obedience, therefore, has priority over one’s own preferences. Any insolence towards his^-SW noble wives is not only forbidden but amounts to infidelity as it is a source of annoyance to him^-SW. The laws of inheritance or Nikah do not apply in their case. The prohibition to marry them has been revealed separately, and is not based on the Ayah under discussion. Similar is the case of the brotherhood established between the Muhajirin and the Ansar. When it comes to inheritance, kinship will take precedence. However, if someone out of affection wants to give something to his brother in faith, he may. But inheritance will not apply outside kinship as these rules are clearly determined and given in the Divine Book.

Covenant From The Prophets^-As

O Prophet^-SW! Do recall when a covenant was taken from you^-SW in eternity to obey the Divine Injunctions, and a solemn pledge was taken from Prophets Nuh^-AS, Ibrahim^-AS, Musa^-AS and ‘Isa^-AS about your Final Prophethood, without room for any amendment in it.

The Exalted Messengers (Ui Al ‘Azm)

Here the Exalted amongst Messengers are being mentioned. They are milestones in the chain of Prophethood. Prophet Aadam^-AS also shares this honour. There are 313 Messengers including the five Exalted Ones (Ul al ‘Azm) while the Holy Prophet^-SW is the leader of all of them. It is mandatory for a Prophet^-AS to obey the revelations he^-SW receives and for a believer to obey him^-SW. For the non believers a tormenting punishment has been prepared which they will undergo, to a certain extent in this world and fully in the Akhirah.