... every prophet We have set up enemies from among those who are guilty.

joe1982

Tafseer Sayyid Qutb 25:31


Thus against every prophet We have set up enemies from among those who are guilty.
Sufficient is your Lord to provide guidance & support. (31)



God comforts His Messenger, telling him that the same was the case with all
earlier messengers. Every prophet has had enemies who discard divine guidance and
deliberately turn people away from faith. But God is certain to guide His messengers
to the way that ensures their victory over foul and wicked enemies. “Thus against
every prophet We have set up enemies from among those who are guilty. Sufficient is your
Lord to provide guidance and support.” (Verse 31)

Divine wisdom is perfect indeed. The fact that wicked people wage war against
prophets and their messages is certain to strengthen these messages, giving them the
sort of seriousness that fits their nature. The struggle of advocates of divine faith
against those who fight it may be hard, involving much sacrifice, but it is such
struggle that eventually distinguishes true and sincere advocates from false ones,
strengthening the former and expelling the latter.

That the wicked should stand against prophets is only natural. The prophets
advocate the message of the truth which is given at the appropriate time to rectify
corruption that creeps into community life or into human life in general. This is a
corruption that affects hearts, systems and life itself. Such corruption is initiated,
promoted and exploited by the wicked. They are the ones whose interests and values
are served through the promotion of such corruption. Their opposition to the
prophets aims to defend themselves and their interests. They want to retain the
corrupt atmosphere in which they thrive. Some insects are stifled by the fine smell of
flowers because they can only survive on dump heaps. Some worms survive only in
dirty stagnating water, and perish in clean, running water. Such are the wicked.
Hence their hostility to the message of truth. They fight it tooth and nail. But it is
only natural that it will emerge triumphant, because it promotes life and looks up to
the sublime horizon which binds it to God. “Sufficient is your Lord to provide guidance
and support.” (Verse 31)

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu Katsir 25:31


(31. Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper.)



(Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals.) means, `just as there is for you, O Muhammad, those people who scorned the Qur'an, so in all the previous nations did Allah make for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals, who called people to their misguidance and disbelief,' as Allah says:

﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نِبِىٍّ عَدُوّاً شَيَـطِينَ الإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ﴾

(And so We have appointed for every Prophet enemies -- Shayatin among mankind and Jinn) as stated in these two Ayat. (6:112) Allah says here:

﴿وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ هَادِياً وَنَصِيراً﴾

(But sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper.) meaning, for the one who follows His Messenger and believes in His Book, Allah will be his Guide and Helper in this world and the Hereafter. Allah says

﴿هَادِياً وَنَصِيراً﴾

(a Guide and Helper.) because the idolators used to try to prevent people from following the Qur'an lest anyone be guided by it. They wanted their way to prevail over the way of the Qur'an. Allah says:

﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوّاً مِّنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ﴾

(Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals.)

joe1982

Tafseer Ibnu Katsir 6:55


(55. And thus do We explain the Ayat in detail, that the way of the criminals, may become manifest.)



Allah says, just as We mentioned the clear signs that testify and direct to the path of guidance, all the while chastising useless arguments and defiance,

﴿كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ﴾

(And thus do We explain the Ayat in detail,) that is, whatever responsible adults need explained to them, in the affairs of life and religion,

﴿وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ﴾

(That the way of the criminals may become manifest.) so that the path of the criminals who defy the Prophets is apparent and clear. This Ayah was also said to mean, so that you, O Muhammad , are aware of the path of the criminals.

joe1982

Tafseer Sayyid Qutb 6:55

Tearing Off the Masks of Evildoing


Thus do We make plain Our revelations; so that the path of the evildoers may be
clearly distinct. (55)


This statement tells us that the Qur’ānic approach endeavours to clarify the truth
and states it very plainly, but its purpose is not merely to make the path of the
believers clearly distinct. It also endeavours to clearly and plainly portray falsehood
so that the path of the evildoers is also clearly distinct. Clarity of the one necessitates
clarity of the other.

This approach of the Qur’ān has been chosen by God as it is most effective with
the human mind. God knows that believing in the truth requires knowledge of
falsehood and adding total certainty to faith requires a clear-cut distinction between
falsehood and evil on the one hand and truth and goodness on the other. The
momentum a believer requires in his advocacy of the truth is not merely generated
by his feeling that he follows the truth. The extra power is given by realizing that
opposition to his efforts comes from falsehood, advocated by the evildoers, who have
always been the ones to oppose prophets. As God states in another verse: “Thus,
against every prophet We have set up an enemy from among the evildoers.” (25: 31) Thus,
the Prophet Muĥammad and the believers know for certain that those opposing them
are none other than evildoers.

It is an important objective of the Qur’ānic approach that evil and falsehood be
very clearly identified, so that the truth and goodness become clear and distinct.
Confusion about the first may lead to confusion about the second because the two
move along paths that cannot meet. Therefore, every Islamic movement should begin
with a clear identification of the methods and features of the believers, as well as
those of the evildoers. This identification should be based on what we see in the real
world, not confined to theories and an abstract world. The advocates of Islam should
be able to know who are the believers in their community and who are the evildoers.

Such total clarity and complete distinction was witnessed when Islam confronted
the unbelievers in Arabia. The path of Muslims was that marked out by God’s
Messenger and those supporting him. Those who did not join them followed the
path of the unbelievers and evildoers. Even with this clear demarcation, the Qur’ān
was being revealed, in absolute clarity, to make the path of the evildoers readily
apparent and clearly distinct. Moreover, whenever Islam confronted polytheism,
atheism or other creeds that have deviated from earlier religions distorted by human
beings, each of the two paths was clearly marked out. No confusion was possible.

The greatest difficulty that confronts the Islamic movements of today is
represented by what we see in the lands that used to belong to Islam, where the
Islamic faith was supreme. We find all over this area people of Islamic descent, but
both the land and its people have abandoned Islam in reality, although they continue
to claim to be Muslims. They disown the basic Islamic principles in faith and
practice, although they may think that they still believe in Islam as a faith. We know
that Islam is essentially the belief outlined by the declaration that there is no deity
other than God. This declaration entails an unshakeable belief that God alone is the
Creator of the whole universe who manages all its affairs, and that to Him alone all
acts of worship, and indeed all human activities, should be addressed. From Him
alone should people receive their laws and according to His wishes they should
conduct all their affairs. Anyone who does not declare his belief that there is no deity
other than God, realizing the full significance of this declaration does not actually
bear witness to this fact and has not yet become a Muslim, although he may have a
Muslim name. Any land that does not implement the declaration that, “There is no
deity other than God”, in its full significance is not a land which submits to Islam.

joe1982

The real difficulty encountered by the Islamic movements of today is represented
by the ambiguity and lack of clarity associated nowadays with the concept of God’s
oneness as the basic principle of Islam. This has led to a corresponding ambiguity of
what constitutes this belief. Thus, the path of the true believers is not as clearly
distinct from the path of the evildoers as it should be. Titles and features have been
muddled up. No clear demarcation of ways and methods is made.

The forces hostile to Islam are aware of this and they are busy adding to the
confusion and deepening it. Thus, when Muslims nowadays raise their voices
advocating clear distinction, a grave accusation is levelled at them, namely, that they
consider fellow Muslims as unbelievers! They face severe punishments for their
`crime’, as social tradition is given the final say on who is a Muslim and who is not.
Needless to say, the ultimate arbiter in all this is God and His Messenger.

The greatest difficulty facing the advocates of Islam in every new generation is
represented by this first stumbling block. Advocacy of a faith must begin by making
the path of the believers clearly distinct from that of the evildoers. The advocates of
Islam must raise their voices loud with the word of the truth. They must fear no
blame or reproach. They must pay no attention to anyone who claims that they
classify Muslims as unbelievers.

Islam is not as wet as some people think. It has its clearly distinctive features. It is
represented by the declaration that there is no deity other than God, bearing fully the
significance we have just outlined. Anyone who does not believe in it fully, and does
not implement it in human life as it should be, runs the risk of being judged by God
and His Messenger as unbeliever, evildoer and transgressor: “Thus do We make plain
Our revelations; so that the path of the evildoers may be clearly distinct.” (Verse 55)

The advocates of Islam must pass this hurdle and must have a clear view of the
basic issues. This enables them to pool all their efforts and use all their potential in
the service of the call they advocate, unimpeded by any confusion or ambiguity.
They cannot achieve this unless they believe with full certainty that they themselves
are the Muslims and those who oppose them and turn people away from God’s path
are evildoers. The point is that they will not be able to endure the difficulties along
their way unless they are clear in their minds that they are fighting the battle of faith
against unfaith. They must realize to the full that they follow one religion while the
rest of their people follow another: “Thus do We make plain Our revelations; so that the
path of the evildoers may be clearly distinct.” (Verse 55) God always tells the truth.

joe1982

Tafseer Sayyid Qutb 3:178


"Let not those who disbelieve imagine that Our
giving them rein bodes well for their own souls.
We only give them rein so that they may grow in
sinfulness..."(178)


At this point the sūrah tackles the doubts entertained by some people and their
silent remonstrations as they see the enemies of the truth and of God go about
unpunished, demonstrating their power and enjoying their strength, position and
wealth. What they seem to possess hardens their attitude and tempts people to side
with them. Those whose faith remains weak may entertain evil thoughts so as to
believe that God has acquiesced to falsehood, accepted evil and tyranny and given
their advocates rein. Far be it for God to do so. They may also think that God takes a
neutral position in the battle between truth and falsehood, allowing falsehood to
smash the truth. They may even think that a certain brand of falsehood is right;
otherwise, how is it allowed to grow and triumph? Or they may go as far as to think
that it is the natural order of things in this life for falsehood to triumph over the
truth. As for the transgressors who serve evil, wreak injustice and spread corruption,
they continue with their erring ways and drive headlong into unbelief, imagining
that they wield absolute power and that there is no force to stand up to them. All this
is plainly wrong. It is an erroneous concept of how God conducts matters. God
warns the disbelievers against entertaining such thoughts. If He does not visit them
with immediate punishment for their disbelief and, instead, allows them a chance to
enjoy themselves in this life, they should know that it is all a test which lures them
away so that their attitudes harden and their errors become plainly apparent.