64:12

وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ

WaateeAAoo Allaha waateeAAoo alrrasoola fain tawallaytum fainnama AAala rasoolina albalaghu almubeenu

And obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon Our Messenger is only [the duty of] clear notification.

Word by word
  1. وَأَطِيعُواْSo obey
  2. ٱللَّهَAllah
  3. وَأَطِيعُواْand obey
  4. ٱلرَّسُولَۚthe Messenger
  5. فَإِنbut if
  6. تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡyou turn away
  7. فَإِنَّمَاthen only
  8. عَلَىٰupon
  9. رَسُولِنَاOur Messenger
  10. ٱلۡبَلَٰغُ(is) the conveyance
  11. ٱلۡمُبِينُclear
At-Taghabun · 64:12Madinah

Obey Allah and the Messenger. His job is to convey.

The message, the messenger, and your part


Who does what
Allahsends the message
then
the Messenger ﷺconveys it clearly
then
youhear and obey
Whose part is missing
I was never toldnot clear enough
it was conveyedthe next step is mine

Ibn Kathir quotes Az-Zuhri: from Allah comes the message, on the Messenger is its delivery, and on us is to accept it. If people turn away, the Messenger ﷺ has still done his part by conveying it clearly.

You have heard the reminders many times, in khutbahs and lectures and from your grandmother. The message has been delivered. The last step in the chain is yours.

If I really understood it, I would follow it.

The message has reached me clearly. What is left is my response.

Try this

Pick one thing you already know you should do and have heard many times. Do it once today.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 64:11)

No calamity occurs, but by the permission of Allah, and whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart. And Allah is the All-Knower of everything (11)Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away, then the duty of Our Messenger is only to convey clearly (12)Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa. And in Allah therefore let the believers put their trust (13)

All that occurs to Mankind is by Allah's Permission

Allah informs us as He did in Surat Al-Hadid,

مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ 

(No calamity occurs on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in a record before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah.)(57:22) Allah said here,

مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ۗ 

(No calamity occurs, but by the permission of Allah,) Ibn 'Abbas said; "By the command of Allah," meaning from His decree and will.

وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

(and whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart. And Allah is the All-Knower of everything.) meaning, whoever suffered an affliction and he knew that it occurred by Allah's judgement and decree, and he patiently abides, awaiting Allah's reward, then Allah guides his heart, and will compensate him for his loss in this life by granting guidance to his heart and certainty in faith. Allah will replace whatever he lost for Him with the same or what is better. 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn 'Abbas,

وَمَنْ يُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ يَهْدِ قَلْبَهُ

(and whosoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart.) "Allah will guide his heart to certainty. Therefore, he will know that what reached him would not have missed him and what has missed him would not have reached him."

There is an agreed upon Hadith [that Al-Bukhari and Muslim collected and] which states,

عَجَبًا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لَهُ قَضَاءً إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ

(Amazing is the believer: There is no decree that Allah writes for him, but is better for him. If an affliction strikes him, he is patient and this is better for him. If a bounty is granted to him, he is thankful and this is better for him. This trait is only for the faithful believer.)

The Order to obey Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ)

Allah said,

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ ۚ 

(Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger;) Allah commands obedience to Him and to His Messenger ﷺ in all that His legislates and in implementing His orders. Allah also forbids one from all that His Messenger ﷺ forbids and prohibits. Allah the Exalted said,

فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَىٰ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ

(but if you turn away, then the duty of Our Messenger is only to convey clearly.) meaning, 'if you refrain from abiding by the faith, then the Messenger's mission is to convey and your mission is to hear and obey. 'Az-Zuhri said, "From Allah comes the Message, its deliverance is up to the Messenger, and the adherence is up to us."

Tawhid

Allah states that He is the One, Whom all creations need and seek, the One other than Whom there is no (true) God.

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَعَلَى اللَّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa. And in Allah therefore let the believers put their trust.)

So, He first informs about Tawhid and its meaning. The implied meaning is to single Him out for deification, being purely devoted to Him, and relying upon Him, as He said;

رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلًا

(The Lord of the east and the west; La ilaha illa Huwa. So take Him alone as Trustee.)(73:9)