Verse No. 18

“He sent a Prophet from them and sends others from them who are not Prophets but are the Caliphs of the Prophet.”

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

﴿هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ ۝ وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ۝ ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ﴾[1]

Translation:

God Almighty has said:

“He is the One Who sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves to recite to them His Verses and purify them and teach them the Book and wisdom, even though they were in clear error before, and others from among them who have not yet joined them, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. That is God’s grace that He grants to whomever He wills, and God possesses great grace.”

Considerations

1 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الطَّبَرِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ﴾، إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ﴾، فَقَالَ: بَعَثَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ وَيَبْعَثُ آخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَيْسُوا رُسُلًا، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ خُلَفَاءُ الرَّسُولِ، فَيُزَكُّونَهُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُونَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ، أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ: ﴿ذَلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ﴾؟ قُلْتُ: وَأَيُّ دَلَالَةٍ فِي هَذَا؟ قَالَ: هُوَ الْخِلَافَةُ يُؤْتِيهَا مَنْ يَشَاءُ، وَلَا يُؤْتِيهَا مَنْ يَشَاؤُونَ.

Translation:

Abdullah ibn Habib al-Tabari informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of God Almighty that has said: “He is the One Who sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves,” to where He has said: “And others from among them who have not yet joined them.” So he said: “He sent a Prophet from them and sends others from them who are not Prophets but are the Caliphs of the Prophet, so they purify them and teach them the Book and wisdom, do you not see that He says: ‘That is God’s grace that He grants to whomever He wills, and God possesses great grace’?” I said: “What indication is there in this?” He said: “It is the Caliphate that He grants to whomever He wills, not to whomever they will.”

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ الطِّهْرَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ﴾، فَقَالَ: هُمْ خُلَفَاءُ الرَّسُولِ وَاحِدًا تِلْوَ الْآخَرِ حَتَّى تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ، وَهُمْ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ كَانَ مِنْهُمُ الرَّسُولُ، قُلْتُ: إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ يَقُولُونَ أَنَّهُ بَعَثَ رَسُولًا فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ وَآخَرِينَ، أَوْ بَعَثَ رَسُولًا يُزِكِّي الْأُمِّيِّينَ وَآخَرِينَ، قَالَ: إِنَّمَا قَالَ: ﴿آخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ﴾، وَلَمْ يَقُلْ: آخَرِينَ، قُلْتُ: وَهَلْ يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ أَحَدًا إِلَّا رَسُولًا؟! قَالَ: نَعَمْ، كَمَا بَعَثَ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا، وَلَمْ يَبْعَثْهُ رَسُولًا.

Translation:

Hasan ibn Qasim al-Tehrani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of God Almighty that has said: “And others from among them who have not yet joined them.” So he said: “They are the Caliphs of the Prophet, one after the other, until the Day of Judgment, and they are from the Arabs and from the Ahl al-Bayt that the Prophet was from.” I said: “They say He sent a Prophet among the unlettered and others, or He sent a Prophet to purify the unlettered and others.” He said: “He has said: ‘Others from among them,’ and has not said: ‘Others.’” I said: “Does God send anyone other than a Prophet?!” He said: “Yes, as He sent Talut to be a ruler and did not send him to be a Prophet.”

3 . أَخْبَرَنَا صَالِحُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ السَّبْزَوَارِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ لَنَا الْمَنْصُورُ: لَا تُحَدِّثُوا النَّاسَ بِمَا لَا يَعْرِفُونَ، أَتُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُكَذِّبُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ؟! إِنَّ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ آيَاتٍ لَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهَا إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ، مِنْهَا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَآخَرِينَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ﴾، فَكُفُّوا عَنْ هَؤُلَاءِ السَّفْلَةِ، وَلَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى أَمْرِكُمْ، فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَمْ يَزَالُوا فِي ضَلَالٍ وَاخْتِلَافٍ فِي الدِّينِ وَتَبْدِيلٍ لِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَإِظْهَارِ الْبِدَعِ وَإِبْطَالِ السُّنَنِ وَاتِّبَاعِ الْجَبَابِرَةِ مُنْذُ قَبَضَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّهُ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى يَوْمِهِمْ هَذَا، فَذَرُوهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّى يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ!

Translation:

Salih ibn Muhammad al-Sabzawari informed us, he said: Mansoor said to us: “Do not say to people what they do not understand. Do you like them to deny God and His Prophet?! Indeed, there are some verses of the Quran, the interpretation of which none knows but God and those who are grounded in knowledge, one of them is this word of God that has said: ‘And others from among them who have not yet joined them, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.’ So leave these lowly people and do not invite them toward your affair; because I swear to the One in Whose hand is my life that from the day when God took His Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, to Himself until today, they have been going astray, disagreeing in religion, changing what God has revealed in his Book, revealing innovations, avoiding traditions, and following tyrants. So leave them to indulge (in falsehood) and play until they see the Day they are promised.”