Quran Universe
34:46

۞قُلۡ إِنَّمَآ أَعِظُكُم بِوَٰحِدَةٍۖ أَن تَقُومُواْ لِلَّهِ مَثۡنَىٰ وَفُرَٰدَىٰ ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُواْۚ مَا بِصَاحِبِكُم مِّن جِنَّةٍۚ إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٞ لَّكُم بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡ عَذَابٖ شَدِيدٖ

Qul innama aAAithukum biwahidatin an taqoomoo lillahi mathna wafurada thumma tatafakkaroo ma bisahibikum min jinnatin in huwa illa natheerun lakum bayna yaday AAathabin shadeedin

Say, "I only advise you of one [thing] - that you stand for Allah, [seeking truth] in pairs and individually, and then give thought." There is not in your companion any madness. He is only a warner to you before a severe punishment.

Word by word
  1. ۞قُلۡSay
  2. إِنَّمَآOnly
  3. أَعِظُكُمI advise you
  4. بِوَٰحِدَةٍۖfor one (thing)
  5. أَنthat
  6. تَقُومُواْyou stand
  7. لِلَّهِfor Allah
  8. مَثۡنَىٰ(in) pairs
  9. وَفُرَٰدَىٰand (as) individuals
  10. ثُمَّthen
  11. تَتَفَكَّرُواْۚreflect
  12. مَاNot
  13. بِصَاحِبِكُم(is in) your companion
  14. مِّنany
  15. جِنَّةٍۚmadness
  16. إِنۡNot
  17. هُوَhe
  18. إِلَّا(is) except
  19. نَذِيرٞa warner
  20. لَّكُمfor you
  21. بَيۡنَbefore
  22. يَدَيۡbefore
  23. عَذَابٖa punishment
  24. شَدِيدٖsevere
Saba · 34:46Makkah

Just one thing: stand for Allah, in pairs or alone, and think.

Honest reflection, away from the crowd

The one advice
stand for Allahsincerely
in pairsadvise each other
or alonelook within
then
reflectis he mad?
Where truth is found
in the crowd's noise
in quiet, honest thought

To those who called him mad, the Prophet ﷺ asked one thing: stand before Allah sincerely, in pairs or alone, without desire or tribal loyalty, and think. He had once climbed As-Safa and asked Quraysh if they would believe him warning of an enemy. They said yes. He said: I am a warner to you before a severe punishment.

Your opinions about faith are shaped by group chats, comment sections, and what your friends think. Turn it all off for ten minutes. Sit alone, or with one honest friend, and think it through for yourself.

I mostly know what I think from what people around me think.

Truth is clearer when I stand for Allah alone or with one friend and reflect.

Try this

Spend ten quiet minutes today, phone away, thinking honestly about one question of faith.

Related111:126:214
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Say: "I exhort you to one (thing) only, that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion. He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment. (46)

Refutation of Their Accusation that the Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) was Insane

Allah says: 'Say, O Muhammad, to these disbelievers who claim that you are crazy,'

إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ

(I exhort you to one (thing) only,) meaning, 'I am only telling you to one thing,' and that is:

أَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَىٰ وَفُرَادَىٰ ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا ۚ مَا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ ۚ 

(that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion.) meaning, 'stand sincerely before Allah, without being influenced by your own desires or tribal feelings, and ask one another, is Muhammad crazy? Advise one another,'

 ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا

(and reflect) means, let each person look within himself concerning the matter of Muhammad ﷺ, and ask other people about him if he is still confused, then let him think about the matter. Allah says:

أَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَىٰ وَفُرَادَىٰ ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا ۚ مَا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ ۚ 

(that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect, there is no madness in your companion.)

This meaning was stated by Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka'b, As-Suddi, Qatadah and others. This is what is meant by the Ayah.

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ

(He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment.) Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on this Ayah: "One day, the Prophet ﷺ climbed up As-Safa' and shouted,

يَا صَبَاحَاهْ

(O people!) The Quraysh gathered around him, and said, 'What is the matter with you?' He said,

أَرَأَيْتُمْ لَوْ أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ أَنَّ الْعَدُوَّ يُصَبِّحُكُمْ أَوْ يُمَسِّيكُمْ أَمَا كُنْتُمْ تُصَدِّقُونِّي

(What do you think? If I told you that the enemy were approaching and will reach us in the morning or in the evening, would you believe me?) They said, 'Of course.' He ﷺ said:

فَإِنِّي نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ

(I am a warner to you in the face of a severe punishment.) Abu Lahab said, 'May you perish! You have called us together only to tell us this?' Then Allah revealed:

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ

(Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab and perish he!)(111:1) We have already discussed this in our Tafsir of the Ayah:

وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ

(And warn your tribe of near kindred)(26:214).