[1664] So God Wills that such good land becomes fruitful and grows good produce readily and speedily (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī).
[1665] Even if rain were to fall on such land and it were to produce anything, it would only grow forth that which is unpleasing and bereft of all benefit (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī). Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The example of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah sent me is that of the rain that falls on ˹vast˺ land: parts of it are good, they accepted the water, grew with it dense greenery and herbage; yet parts of it are arid, they held water therein so by it Allah benefitted people so they could drink of it, they quenched the thirst of others from it and grazed; other parts are barren, they do not hold water nor do they grow herbage. Like so is the example of the person who bears knowledge of the religion of Allah, benefitted from what Allah sent me with so he learned and taught and ˹on the other hand,˺ those who did not rise to the occasion and did not accept the guidance of Allah with which I was sent” (al-Bukhārī: 79, Muslim: 2282).
[1666] Those who are receptive and thankful will readily benefit most from these Signs (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, al-Qurṭubī).
[1667] The ‘good land’ and ‘malicious land’ are to be found throughout times and ages. Those who benefit from God’s Signs are the ‘good’ ones who are set apart from the ‘evil’ ones who only get worse once God’s Signs are recited for them. According to al-Rāzī, the series of stories of the Messengers of God which are to be told here serve a number of goals: 1) to console Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by showing him that shunning the Signs of God and treating them disdainfully is not limited to his people but rather a great many previous nations were as rebellious; 2) to show the two parties, the Believers and the Deniers, the fate of each through previous real examples; 3) to draw attention to the, both at once, assuring and unsettling fact that God may slacken the rein for those who rebel against His command but He never disregards them; 4) they provide further proof of the Truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) who was unlettered and yet he managed to narrate stories of different nations, scattered throughout the land, with striking accuracy!
It is also useful to mention that these stories as told here are laconically styled (many of which are told elsewhere in the Qur’an in much more detail) recounting briefly the Message, the response to it, the response to the response and the punishment for not heeding it. Further, the rapport between the Messenger and those to whom he was sent is highlighted through the use of appellations like ‘their brother’ and ‘my people’ (cf. al-Biqāʿī, Naẓm al-Durar); note too how some of the Messengers deeply and sorrowfully reflected on the fate of their people when they were hit by affliction. In this instance, further to what is alluded to by scholars, these stories can be taken as a reflection of the psychological state of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and how deeply he felt for his people; the interactions that went on between the Messengers and their people are also resonant of the ones that went on between Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his folk.
[1668] This is the single most Truth that people engage in struggle over; the core Message of all Prophets throughout time and ages: “Worship Allah ˹alone˺, there is no god for you besides Him”. It is the first Message that any Messenger will deliver to his people (with the notable exception of the people of Lot as explained below), because it deals with monotheism (al-tawḥīd) which is the first and surest step to sincere Faith (Ibn al-Qayyim, Madārij al-Sālikīn, 1/154): “We surely sent a Messenger to every nation, saying: “Worship Allah and shun false gods”. But some of them Allah guided them, while others were destined to stray. So travel throughout the land and see the fate of the deniers!” (16: 36)
[1669] Blindness of the heart is the real blindness (cf. al-Ṭabarī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Saʿdī): “Have they not journeyed in the land, that they might have hearts by which to understand or ears by which to hear? Truly it is not the eyes that go blind, but it is hearts within chests that go blind!” (22: 46).
[1670] This calm, well-poised answer by this noble Messenger of God, like that of Noah’s (عليه السلام), to the outrageous slur of his people, who knew full well who he really was, is a great example of how to deal with ignorant people (cf. al-Zamakhsharī, Abū Ḥayyān).