• The wicked on the Day of Judgment shall not be respited.

• Every Apostle will be raised to bear witness over his people

• The Holy Prophet Muhammad shall bear witness over all the other witnesses

An-Nahl (The Bee) Verses 84 – 89

وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا ثُمَّ لَا يُؤْذَنُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَلَا هُمْ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ

And on the day We will raise up from among every people a witness, then shall be no permission for those who disbelieve (to make any excuses) nor shall they be allowed1to solicit any amends. (16:84)2

وَإِذَا رَأَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا الْعَذَابَ فَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يُنْظَرُونَ

And when those who act unjustly shall see the torment, it shall not be lightened for them, nor shall they be respited. (16:85)3

وَإِذَا رَأَى الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا شُرَكَاءَهُمْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا هَٰؤُلَاءِ شُرَكَاؤُنَا الَّذِينَ كُنَّا نَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِكَ فَأَلْقَوْا إِلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلَ إِنَّكُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ

And when those who associate (others with God) will see their associates,4they shall say: “O’ Our Lord! These are our associates whom we called besides Thee!” But they will throw (back) unto them (their) word, (and say) “Verily ye are liars!” (16:86)

وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَى اللَّهِ يَوْمَئِذٍ السَّلَمَ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

And they shall tender submission unto God on that day; And shall depart from them (leaving them in lurch) what they were forging. (16:87)

الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ زِدْنَاهُمْ عَذَابًا فَوْقَ الْعَذَابِ بِمَا كَانُوا يُفْسِدُونَ

(For) those who disbelieved and hinder people from the way of God: And We unto them will increase torment over torment for they were making mischief. (16:88)

وَيَوْمَ نَبْعَثُ فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ شَهِيدًا عَلَىٰ هَٰؤُلَاءِ وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

And on the day when We will raise up in every people from among themselves, a witness (upon them) and bring thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) as a witness upon (all) these; and We have sent down upon thee the Book (The Qur’an) explaining everything, and a guidance, and mercy, and glad tidings unto those who submit themselves (To God). (16:89)5

Commentary

Verse 89

As in verse 16:84.

This verse makes obvious the unique spiritual existence of the Holy Prophet from the very beginning of the world to its end. Evidence could be acceptably taken only when the individual giving the evidence has witnessed the object under question. The witness to give evidence about a people would naturally be the apostle who ministered to them the truth and the one to be a witness over all such witnesses could be only he who must have been present during the ministry of all these witnesses and had witnessed their services and the response from the people. Thus what the Holy Prophet said about himself: ‘Kuntu nabiyyan wa Adamu bayna al-ma’i wa al-tin’ – ‘I was an Apostle of God when Adam was yet in the making’ (Hadith).

It could be easily imagined how false are the imaginations about the personality of the Holy Prophet when it is said that when the Messenger Angel first appeared to him to convey the command of God to start his ministry openly, he could not know that the messenger was an angel and what he conveyed was the message from the Lord and got frightened to the extent to begin trembling. The worst of it is that the consolation to the Prince of Prophets whose spiritual existence is proved beyond all doubts comes from a lady and from the one (Waraqah ibn Nawfal).

• 1. Since after that no further amendment could be expected in the life hereafter.
• 2. Refer to verses 16:89, 2:143, 4:41, 11:18, 16:89, 17:71, 24:24 & 36:65.
• 3. Refer to verse 26:227.
• 4. The false gods i.e., the deities associated with God.
• 5. The justification for repeating what has been said in verse 16:84 is to assert that the Last Prophet who has come with the Book containing the explanation of every thing could be the witness over all the witnesses. ( A.P.). Refer to verses 2:143, 4:41, 17:71, 24:24, 36:65 & 18:17.