Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 10 Yunus, Ayat 46-48

وَاِمَّا نُرِيَـنَّكَ بَعۡضَ الَّذِىۡ نَعِدُهُمۡ اَوۡ نَـتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَاِلَيۡنَا مَرۡجِعُهُمۡ ثُمَّ اللّٰهُ شَهِيۡدٌ عَلٰى مَا يَفۡعَلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿10:46﴾ وَلِكُلِّ اُمَّةٍ رَّسُوۡلٌ​ ۚ فَاِذَا جَآءَ رَسُوۡلُهُمۡ قُضِىَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ بِالۡقِسۡطِ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُوۡنَ‏ ﴿10:47﴾ وَيَقُوۡلُوۡنَ مَتٰى هٰذَا الۡوَعۡدُ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏ ﴿10:48﴾

(10:46) Whether We let you see (during your lifetime) some of the chastisement with which We threaten them, or We call you unto Us (before the chastisement strikes them), in any case they are bound to return to Us. Allah is witness to all what they do. (10:47) A Messenger is sent to every people;55 and when their Messenger comes, the fate of that people is decided with full justice; they are subjected to no wrong.56 (10:48) They say:'If what you promise is true, when will this threat be fulfilled?'


Notes

55. Here the word ummat does not merely mean a nation or a community but includes all those people whom the message of a Messenger reaches after his appointment, even though he may not be alive among them. More than this: as long as his teachings remain intact and within the reach of everyone to ascertain what they really are, all such people will be treated and judged as his ummat and their cases decided with justice in accordance with (Ayat 47). According to this standard, all the people of the world are the ummat of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and will remain so, as long as the Quran continues to be published in its original and complete form as today. That is why it has not been said, “There is a Messenger in every ummat” but “There is a Messenger for every ummat.”

56. That is, when the message of a Messenger reaches a people, they should know that henceforth they are on trial and that no excuse would be accepted that they were ignorant of it. Then judgment is passed on them with scrupulous justice. Those, who accept the message and mend their way in accordance with it, are declared to be worthy of Allah’s blessings, and those who reject it are doomed to a torment that may be inflicted both in this world and in the next world or only in the Hereafter.