Surah 21:9
Show Full Scripture Context (21:7-9) — 3 Verses
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا قَبۡلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالٗا نُّوحِيٓ إِلَيۡهِمۡۖ فَسۡـَٔلُوٓاْ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
We have not sent (anyone) before you except men whom We inspired – just ask the People of the Reminder, if you do not know (it) –
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ جَسَدٗا لَّا يَأۡكُلُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُواْ خَٰلِدِينَ
nor did We give them a body not eating food, nor were they immortal.
ثُمَّ صَدَقۡنَٰهُمُ ٱلۡوَعۡدَ فَأَنجَيۡنَٰهُمۡ وَمَن نَّشَآءُ وَأَهۡلَكۡنَا ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ
But We were true to them in the promise, so We rescued them and whomever We pleased, and We destroyed the wanton.
Here Allah refutes those who denied that human Messengers could be sent:
meaning, all the Messengers who came before you were men, human beings. There were no angels among them. This is like the Ayat
{Say: ‘7 aw not a nezv thing among the Messengers...} [46:9]
Allah tells us that the previous nations denied that and said:
{‘‘Shall mere men guide us?’’} [64:6]. So Allah says here:
meaning, ask the people of knowledge among the nations such as the Jews and Christians and other groups: “were the Messengers who came to you human beings or angels?’ Indeed they were human beings. This is a part of the perfect blessing of Allah towards His creation: He sent to them Messengers from among themselves so that they could receive the Message from them and learn from them.
meaning, rather they had bodies that ate food, as Allah says:
meaning, they were human beings who ate and drank like all other people, and they went to the marketplaces to earn a living and engage in business; that did not affect them adversely or reduce their status in any way, as the idolators imagined.
{nor were they immortals} meaning, in this world; on the contrary, they lived, then they died.
{And We granted not to any human being immortality before you} [21:34]
But what distinguished them from others was that they received revelation from Allah, and the angels brought down to them from Allah His rulings concerning His creation, what He commanded and what He prohibited.
{Theti We fiilfilled to them the promise.} the promise that their Lord made to destroy the evildoers. Allah fulfilled His promise and did that. He says:
{So We saved them and those whom We willed,} meaning, their followers among the believers,
{but We destroyed Al-Musrifin.} meaning, those who disbelieved the Message brought by the Messengers.