Islam Guidance

Verse71-72

Section 9
Submission to Allah; Abraham's Arguments
Submission to Allah brings peace - Abraham's reasoning for the Unity of Allah.

(71) قُلْ أَ نَدْعُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ما لا يَنْفَعُنا وَ لا يَضُرُّنا وَ نُرَدُّ عَلى‏ أَعْقابِنا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدانَا اللَّهُ

كَالَّذِي اسْتَهْوَتْهُ الشَّياطِينُ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَيْرانَ لَهُ أَصْحابٌ يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى الْهُدَى ائْتِنا قُلْ

إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدى‏ وَ أُمِرْنا لِنُسْلِمَ لِرَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ

(72) وَ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ اتَّقُوهُ وَ هُوَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

71. " Say: ' Shall we call, besides Allah, on that which neither profits nor harms us, and shall we be returned back on our heels after that Allah has guided us ? Like someone whom Satans have lured (and) bewildered in the earth, (while) he has companions who invite him to the guidance (saying) : ' Come unto us '. Say: ' Verily (it is) the guidance of Allah which is the (true) guidance, and we are commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds '."
72. " And that 'Establish prayer and be in awe of Him, and it is He unto Whom you shall be mustered '."

Commentary :
The verse addresses the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) to tell the disbelievers who invite people to idolatry whether they should worship the things that neither benefit them nor harm them, and, by abandoning the best religion, turn back on their heels after that Allah has guided them and has shown them the straight path. The verse says :
" Say: ' shall we call, besides Allah, on that which neither profits nor harms us, and shall we be returned back on our heels after that Allah has guided us ? ..."
The continuation of the statement of the verse implies that if they return to idolatry they will be like a person whom Satans have seduced and bewildered on the earth; although he has companions who, inviting him to the guidance, tell him to go toward those friends. But he does not accept their invitation and does not go toward them. He has been so influenced by Satan that he is deprived of recognizing his own interests.
The verse says :
"... Like someone whom Satans have lured (and) bewildered in the earth, (while) he has companions who invite him to the guidance (saying): ' Come unto us '. Say: ' Verily (it is) the guidance of Allah which is the (true) guidance,
The only guidance which causes prosperity and comfort is Allah's guidance which calls human beings to monotheism. We are dependants to that very guidance and do not avoid obeying it. We do not follow your invitation. We accept and follow that invitation which calls us toward Islam (submission) and guides us to trust our affairs to the One Who is 'The Lord of the worlds'. "
... and we are commanded to submit to the Lord of the worlds '."
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The meaning of the second verse of the above verses is linked to the meaning of the previous verse. It enjoins us to maintain the prayer and avoid committing sins of Allah so that we do not confront His punishment. He is the Lord unto Whom all human-kind will be mustered on the Day of Judgement when everybody will receive the reward or the retribution of one's own deeds. The verse says :
" And that 'Establish prayer and be in awe of Him, and it is He unto Whom you shall be mustered '."
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