وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَـٰكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا 56
Translations
And We have not sent you, [O Muḥammad], except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner.
Transliteration
Wa mā arsalnāka illā mubashshiran wa nadīrā
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah clarifies that He sent Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with two primary missions: as a bringer of glad tidings (mubashshir) to the believers and as a warner (nadīr) to those who reject the message. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi, this ayah encapsulates the dual nature of prophetic preaching—offering hope to the righteous while warning the disobedient of punishment—and absolves the Prophet of responsibility for forcing belief upon people, as his duty is only to convey the message clearly.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in Surah Al-Furqan (The Criterion), a Meccan surah revealed during the early-to-middle Meccan period when the Prophet faced rejection and ridicule. The ayah addresses the criticism leveled against the Prophet regarding his inability to compel people to believe, and reassures him that his role is limited to delivering the message through glad tidings and warnings, not forcing acceptance.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report that the Prophet said: 'I have been sent as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner (ba'ithtu mubashshiran wa nadīran).' Additionally, the Prophet stated: 'My example and the example of the Prophets before me is like a man who built a beautiful house except for a gap in a corner,' illustrating the completeness of his message.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that in conveying truth, we should balance compassion with clarity—offering encouragement to those who seek guidance while earnestly warning against the consequences of heedlessness. Our responsibility, like the Prophet's, is to communicate authentically and sincerely; the acceptance or rejection of truth ultimately rests with each individual's free will.