إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَـٰهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا 15
Translations
Indeed, We have sent to you a Messenger as a witness upon you just as We sent to Pharaoh a messenger.
Transliteration
Inna arsalna ilaykum rasoulan shahidan alaykum kama arsalna ila firaawna rasoulan
Tafsir (Explanation)
Allah affirms that He has sent to the believers a Messenger (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) who will bear witness against them on the Day of Judgment, just as He sent a Messenger to Pharaoh. This establishes the continuity of the prophetic mission and emphasizes the accountability of the community before their own Prophet. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this ayah serves as a reminder that receiving the message through a trustworthy messenger increases responsibility, as one cannot claim ignorance before Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the context of Surah Al-Muzzammil, which was revealed during the Meccan period and addresses the believers' spiritual obligations. The comparison to Pharaoh's rejection of Moses serves as a cautionary example—those who receive the message have the choice to accept or reject, but they will be held accountable either way. The surah emphasizes devotion and warns against heedlessness.
Related Hadiths
The hadith from Sahih Muslim (2242) records the Prophet ﷺ saying: 'Every Prophet has been given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given is the Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will be more than those of any other Prophet on the Day of Resurrection.' This relates to the accountability of the ummah before their Prophet as a witness.
Themes
Key Lesson
Receiving guidance through a clear messenger increases our accountability before Allah, as ignorance cannot be an excuse on the Day of Judgment. This should motivate believers to live righteously and follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, knowing he will testify about their deeds.
Related Ayahs
۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌۢ
Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muḥammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allāh determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’ān. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allāh and others fighting for the cause of Allāh. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakāh and loan Allāh a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allāh. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنكَالًا وَجَحِيمًا
Indeed, with Us [for them] are shackles and burning fire.
يَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَكَانَتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَثِيبًا مَّهِيلًا
On the Day the earth and the mountains will convulse and the mountains will become a heap of sand pouring down.
قُمِ ٱلَّيْلَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
Arise [to pray] the night, except for a little -