Surah 23
(The Believers)
(Makkan Period)
Title
The title is derived from verse 1 of this surah which characterizes the believers as those who attain true success.
Period of Revelation
The style and content of the surah indicate that it was revealed in the mid phase of the Makkan period of the Prophet's life. The text indicates the background against which it was revealed, one characterized by the fierce confrontation raging between the Prophet (peace be on him) and the unbelievers. The persecution perpetrated by the Makkan unbelievers had, however, not yet reached its climax. Verses 75-6 of the surah also indicate that these were revealed at a time when Makka was in the grip of a severe famine, an event which, according to reliable traditions, occurred in this mid phase of the Makkan period of the Prophet's life. We learn from a tradition by 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that this surah was revealed when 'Umar had already embraced Islam. In particular, he mentions 'Umar's statement, on the authority of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Abd al-Qārī, that the surah was revealed in his presence. In fact, 'Umar directly ob- served the effects of the revelation on the Prophet (peace be on him). After the revelation ended, the Prophet (peace be on him) said to him: 'Ten such verses have just been revealed to me that if anyone were to follow them, he would certainly enter Paradise.' Then he recited the first few verses of this surah. (Tirmidhi, K. Tafsir al-Qur'ān, 'Bāb min Surah al-Mu'minun.' See also Aḥmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Nasa'ī, and Hakim - Ed.)
Themes and Subject Matter
Obedience to the Prophet (peace be on him) forms the central theme of this surah, and the whole discourse revolves around it. The surah opens by stating that those who have accepted the Message of the Prophet (peace be on him) have begun to manifest certain moral characteristics which indicate that they will achieve true success, both in this world and in the Next.
Attention is then drawn to the creation of man, of the heavens and the earth, of plants and animals, and also of other phenomena in the uni- verse. All this aims at inculcating belief in monotheism and the Hereafter to which the Prophet (peace be on him) invited everyone. Emphasis is placed on the fact that these truths are corroborated by man's own being and by the entire system of the universe.
This is followed by accounts of several Prophets and the nations to which they were sent. These appear, at first sight, to be mere stories of the past. They do, however, impress upon the minds of the audience the following basic points.
First, that there was nothing unusual about the doubts and objections raised by the unbelievers against the Prophet's Message. Prophets of yore, even those whom the Quraysh recognized as such, had also been subjected to much the same kind of opposition at the hands of ignorant people of their times. It was now for people to see what the lessons of history were: who was right, the Prophets or their detractors?
Second, that the teachings pertaining to monotheism and the Hereafter which were being expounded by Muḥammad (peace be on him) were the same as those expounded by the earlier Prophets at different periods in history. Thus, what the Prophet Muḥammad (peace be on him) was preaching was not novel, but rather a teaching which mankind was well acquainted with from the past.
Third, that the communities which did not give ear to the Prophets and persisted in opposing them were eventually destroyed.
Fourth, that God had sent the same religion in all previous epochs and that all the Prophets belonged to one and the same religious community. All religions other than the One True Religion of God, as expounded by the Prophets, are man-made concoctions; none is from God.
After stories about the Prophets, emphasis is then placed on showing people that worldly prosperity, wealth and riches, the numerousness of one's offspring, pomp and glory, and power and authority do not prove that the individual or group enjoying them is on the Right Path. Nor does any of it prove that God holds that particular individual or group in spe- cial favour; or that the attitude which it has adopted is to God's liking. Conversely, someone's poverty or resourcelessness does not prove with certitude that God is displeased with him. What earns God's pleasure or displeasure depends on whether one truly believes and fears God and whether one is truthful or not.
These points are especially stressed because opposition to the Prophet (peace be on him) was spearheaded by the Makkan aristocracy, by the chiefs of different clans, by those in authority in Makka. Both these lead- ers and their followers suffered from the delusion that their ever-increas- ing worldly attainments indicated that they enjoyed the special favour of God and other deities. As for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and his Companions, they were utterly resourceless and destitute which, in their view, clearly showed that they were not favoured by God, and that other deities were, of course, also hostile to them.
This is followed by the marshalling of an array of arguments to per- suade the Makkans to affirm the truth of the Prophet's call. They are told that the famine signifies God's warning and, therefore, they should mend their ways and follow the Right Path. If they fail to take heed, they will be subjected to a much more severe chastisement, one which will simply crush them to pieces.
Thereafter, the attention of the people is once again drawn to the nu- merous signs that lie scattered all over the universe and in their own be- ings. In short, they are asked to look around with open eyes to see if the doctrines of monotheism and the Hereafter as preached by the Prophet (peace be on him) are not corroborated by the numerous signs dispersed all around. Do their intellect and natural instincts not bear witness to the truth of the Prophet's Message? Following this the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was directed to adhere to fair means alone in defend- ing himself against the evil ways of his enemies lest he is provoked by Satan to return evil for evil.
The surah concludes with issuing a warning to the unbelievers that they will face a severe reckoning in the Hereafter. They are also warned that they will be seriously taken to task for their unjustified hostility to the Prophet's Message as well as to his followers (peace be on them).