21:109

فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَقُلۡ ءَاذَنتُكُمۡ عَلَىٰ سَوَآءٖۖ وَإِنۡ أَدۡرِيٓ أَقَرِيبٌ أَم بَعِيدٞ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ

Fain tawallaw faqul athantukum AAala sawain wain adree aqareebun am baAAeedun ma tooAAadoona

But if they turn away, then say, "I have announced to [all of] you equally. And I know not whether near or far is that which you are promised.

Word by word
  1. فَإِنBut if
  2. تَوَلَّوۡاْthey turn away
  3. فَقُلۡthen say
  4. ءَاذَنتُكُمۡI (have) announced to you
  5. عَلَىٰequally
  6. سَوَآءٖۖequally
  7. وَإِنۡAnd not
  8. أَدۡرِيٓI know
  9. أَقَرِيبٌwhether is near
  10. أَمor
  11. بَعِيدٞfar
  12. مَّاwhat
  13. تُوعَدُونَyou are promised
Al-Anbya · 21:109Makkah

If they turn away: I have told you all equally.

Delivering the message clearly, then stepping back


His stance
they turn away
he says
you all knowequally informed
near or far?I do not know
My job
force agreement
convey clearlythen leave it to Allah

If they ignored his call, he was to say: I have informed you all alike. The tafsir compares it to: for me my deeds and for you yours. And on the Hour: it will surely come, but I do not know whether it is near or far.

You have told your brother your concern about his choices, clearly and kindly. He disagrees. You keep pushing and it gets worse. Sometimes your part is done once the message is clear.

If someone doesn't accept what I say, I have to keep pressing.

My job is to say it clearly and kindly. The rest is between them and Allah.

Try this

Let go of one argument you keep restarting. Make dua for that person instead.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 21:108)

Say: "It is revealed to me that your God is only one God. Will you then be Muslims? (108)But if they turn away say: "I give you a notice to be known to us all alike. And I know not whether that which you are promised is near or far. (109)"Verily, He knows that which is spoken aloud and He knows that which you conceal. (110)"And I know not, perhaps it may be a trial for you, and an enjoyment for a while. (111)He said:"My Lord! Judge You in truth! Our Lord is the Most Gracious, Whose help is to be sought against that which you attribute! (112)

The main Objective of Revelation is that Allah be worshipped

Allah commands His Messenger ﷺ to say to the idoators:

إِنَّمَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

("It is revealed to me that your God is only one God. Will you then be Muslims?") meaning, will you then follow that and submit to it?

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا

(But if they turn away) means, if they ignore that to which you call them.

فَقُلْ آذَنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَاءٍ

(say: "I give you a notice to be known to us all alike...") meaning, 'I declare that I am in a state of war with you as you are in a state of war with me. I have nothing to do with you just as you have nothing to do with me.' This is like the Ayah:

وَإِن كَذَّبُوكَ فَقُل لِّي عَمَلِي وَلَكُمْ عَمَلُكُمْ ۖ أَنتُم بَرِيئُونَ مِمَّا أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَا بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

(And if they belie you, say: "For me are my deeds and for you are your deeds! You are innocent of what I do, and I am innocent of what you do!")[10:41]

وَإِمَّا تَخَافَنَّ مِن قَوْمٍ خِيَانَةً فَانبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَاءٍ

(If you fear treachery from any people, throw back (their covenant) to them (so as to be) on equal terms (that there will be no more covenant between you and them))[8:58] which means: so that both you and they will know that the treaty is null and void. Similarly, Allah says here:

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ آذَنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰ سَوَاءٍ

(But if they turn away say: "I give you a notice to be known to us all alike...") meaning, 'I have already informed you that I have nothing to do with you and you have nothing to do with me.'

No one knows when the Hour will come

وَإِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ أَم بَعِيدٌ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ

(And I know not whether that which you are promised (i.e., the Day of Resurrection) is near or far.) meaning: 'it will inevitably come to pass, but I have no knowledge of whether it is near or far.'

إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْتُمُونَ

(Verily, He (Allah) knows that which is spoken aloud (openly) and He knows that which you conceal.) Allah knows the Unseen in its entirety; He knows what His creatures do openly and what they do secretly. He knows what is visible and what is concealed; He knows what is secret and hidden. He knows what His creatures do openly and in secret, and He will requite them for that, for both minor and major actions.

وَإِنْ أَدْرِي لَعَلَّهُ فِتْنَةٌ لَّكُمْ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ

(And I know not, perhaps it may be a trial for you, and an enjoyment for a while.) meaning, 'I do not know, perhaps it is a trial for you, and an enjoyment for a while.' Ibn Jarir said: 'perhaps that is being delayed for you as a test for you, and enjoyment for an allotted time.' This was narrated by 'Awn from Ibn 'Abbas. And Allah knows best.

قَالَ رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ

(He said: "My Lord! Judge You in truth!) means, judge between us and our people who disbelieve in the truth. Qatadah said: "The Prophets (peace be upon them) used to say:

رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ الْفَاتِحِينَ

("Our Lord! Judge between us and our people in truth, for You are the Best of those who give judgment.")[7:89], and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was commanded to say this too."

It was reported from Malik from Zayd bin Aslam that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ witnessed any fighting, he would say:

رَبِّ احْكُم بِالْحَقِّ

("My Lord! Judge You in truth!")

وَرَبُّنَا الرَّحْمَٰنُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ

(Our Lord is the Most Gracious, Whose help is to be sought against that which you attribute!) means, 'against the various lies and fabrications that you utter, some of which are worse than others; Allah is the One Whose Help we seek against that.'

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Anbiya'. To Allah be praise and blessings.