Qxpiv May, 2007 By Shabbir Ahmed, M. D., Florida Chief Adviser and Editor: Hossein Kowsari, California Reviewed by: Abdullah Ali Bashoeb, Hijaz

Surah 11. Hud – Hud

[Author’s Note] This is the 11th Surah of the Qur’an. It has 123 verses. As we have learned earlier, Prophet Hud was sent to the powerful nation of ‘Aad. He is considered to be the next in line to Prophet Noah only and that puts his times several millennia BC. He is also supposed to be the first ever Messenger to be raised in the Arabian Peninsula. Let us bear in mind that the inhabitants of the Peninsula were not Arabs before Prophet Ishmael a.s. whose period of advent is about 1800 BC. For a brief history of how the Arabs are the descendants of Ishmael, please see 2:125. All nations have received their messengers from God. None of the messengers asked for a return for their services to humanity. They met stiff resistance as well as enjoyed loyal following.

With the Glorious Name of Allah, the Instant and Sustaining Source of all Mercy and Kindness

11:1 A.L.R. Alif–Laam-Ra. (Allah, Lateef the Unfathomable, Raaziq the Provider, states that), A Divine Writ this is, the verses wherein are perfected and well expounded. It comes from One Wise, Aware.

11:2 It teaches that you serve none but God. (Say O Prophet), “I am unto you from Him a warner and a bearer of good news.

11:3 Seek your Sustainer’s forgiveness, then turn towards Him in repentance. He will then grant you a goodly enjoyment of life in this world until a term appointed. He will bestow His abounding Grace on all who abound in merit. But if you turn away, then I fear for you the chastisement of a Great Day.”

11:4 To God is your return and He has Power over all things.

11:5 Oh, certainly, see how they enshroud their hearts hiding their innermost thoughts, as if to keep Him from knowing them! (Are they trying to live a dual personality? 71:7). Ah! When they cover themselves with garments of vanity, He knows what they conceal and what they reveal. For, He is Knower of the innermost thoughts of the hearts.

11:6 There is no living creature on earth but its sustenance depends on God. He knows its habitation and its destiny. (He carries them from one station to another until the final destination.) All this is laid down in the Divine Database [6:99, 55:29]

11:7 He created the heavens and the earth in six stages and established Himself on the throne of His Almightiness. He has Supreme Control over the origination of life which began in water (21:30). Life is a test for yourselves to see which of you leads a balanced life and is best in conduct. Yet, if you (O Prophet), say, “You will be raised again after death,” those who deny the Truth will surely say, “This is nothing but manifest sorcery!” [45:24. Six Stages or Eras: 7:54, 10:3, 11:7, 25:59, 50:38, 57:4, See 41:10]

11:8 And when We delay for them the retribution until after the Period of Respite, they will surely say, “What is keeping back the doom?” Ah! On the day it actually reaches them, nothing will turn it away from them. And their mockery will completely surround them.

11:9 Thus it is: If We let the human being taste some of Our grace, and then take it away from him, he abandons all hope, forgetting all gratitude.

11:10 But if We let him taste a blessing after adversity had afflicted him, he says, “All adversity has gone away from me!” Behold! He is exultant, boastful.

11:11 Except those who are steadfast in adversity and prosperity, and work to improve human potential. For them is the protection of forgiveness and a great reward.

[A’maal Saaleh = Deeds that increase the individual and collective potential of a society = Helping people = Improving the environment = Fulfilling others’ needs = Contributing to the society]

11:12 Is it then conceivable (O Prophet), that you omit any part of what is being revealed to you (because the rejecters dislike it)? Or because you feel uncomfortable on their saying, "Why has not a treasure been sent down for him, or an angel come with him?" You are but a warner, and it is God Who is the Custodian of all things.

11:13 Or they assert, “He has forged it.” Say to them, "Then bring ten Surahs like this, forged, and call on whomever you can other than God - if you are truthful!" [Or produce one Surah like this 2:23, 10:38]

11:14 “And if they do not answer your call, then know that it has been revealed only with the knowledge of God, and that there is no god but He. Will you then submit to Him (be Muslims)?”

11:15 Whoever cares for (no more than) the short term gains and glitter of the worldly life, We shall repay for them their deeds herein without the least reduction. [17:18]

11:16 But (since they did not invest in the life to come), for them is nothing but Fire in the Hereafter. All that they have contrived here is in vain, and worthless is all that they did. [Following one's own desires is the inevitable consequence of disregarding Permanent Values]

11:17 Can they (those who look for material gains alone) be like those who receive clear revelations from their Lord and to whom a witness from Him recites it? (They have the Prophet as a witness who correlates God’s signs in the Universe with His verses.) Also, they have the Scripture of Moses before it; a standard of Guidance and Grace. (It foretold the advent of the final Messenger; Deuteronomy 18:15-18). They, it is they, who should attain belief. As for those who league together (in opposition,) reject the Truth therein. The Fire is their appointed place. And so, harbor no doubt; most certainly this is the Truth from your Sustainer, even though most people do not believe in it. [Imam = Standard of Truth = Literally, the plumb-line = A trustworthy leader, human or book = Authority = Decisive means]

11:18 Who can be a greater wrongdoer than the one who invents a lie about God? Such will be brought before their Lord, and the witnesses will say, “These are the one who lied about their Sustainer.” Oh, certainly, God’s rejection is the due of all those who displace right with wrong. [The clergy have tampered with previous Scriptures, and they will keep doing it. 2:79, 2:101, 3:77, 6:113, 6:138-139, 9:34, 22:52]

11:19 They are the ones who hinder people from the Path of God, and seek to make it crooked. Thus they practically disbelieve in the life Hereafter.

11:20 They will not escape on earth. And they will have no protectors against God. Double suffering will be imposed on them since they could not bear to hear (the Truth) nor could see (it).

11:21 Such are those who have lost their ‘selves’, and all their false imagery. Their invented dogmas and the idols will fail them.

11:22 These fabricators will be the worst losers in the Hereafter.

11:23 Those who attain belief and work for the betterment of people, and are humble before their Lord, are the rightful dwellers of the Garden; they will abide therein.

11:24 These two kinds of persons may be likened to the blind and the deaf, and he who can see and hear well. Are the two equal when compared? Will you not then keep this in mind? [13:16-19, 35:39]

[A brief historical resume of some nations and their messengers illustrates this phenomenon - the efforts of the messengers and the reaction of their respective people. Using Tasreef, here are some related verses about the nations and their messengers described in Surah Hud.

Noah (to the Valleys of Tigris and Euphrates): 7:69, 10:72, 14:9, 21:76, 23:23, 26:109, 29:14, 71:21.

Hud (to ‘Aad): 7:65, 7:123. 11:50, 29:38, 41:13, 46:26, 51:41, 53:50, 54:17, 69:4.

Saaleh (to Thamud): 7:73, 11:89, 26:141, 27:45. LOT: 6:86, 15:61, 21:74, 27:56, 29:26, 37:131.

Abraham (to Babylon and Ninevah): 21:24, 2:258, 3:33, 3:96, 4:35, 4:125, 14:36, 16:120, 19:50, 21:51, 22:26, 29:27, 37:83, 37:99, 53:27, 53:37, 60:1, 87:19.

Shoaib (to Midyan): 7:85, 9:70, 15:78, 22:44, 26:176, 38:13, 50:14.

Moses (to the Israelites and Pharaoh’s people): 4:164, 6:84, 7:103, 7:144, 10:75, 17:101, 19:51, 20:9-40, 23:47, 26:10, 27-12, 28:22-29, 40:25, 79:15]

11:25 We sent Noah to his folk and he declared, “Indeed, I come to you with a plain warning.”

11:26 “That you may serve none but God (and follow not the rampant traditions). I am afraid this trend is slowly taking you toward a day of an awful disaster.”

11:27 But the chiefs of his people, who were the foremost in rejection of the Message said, “We see in you nothing but a man like ourselves. And we see that none has followed you except, quite obviously, the lowest among us. And we do not find in you all any merit above us. Nay, we think all of you are liars. [17:70]

11:28 Noah said, “O My people! Bethink! What if I am taking my stand on clear evidence from my Lord? What if He has blessed me out of His Grace of Guidance? It is obscure to you because you are not seeing it through the eyes of reason. In any case, can we compel you to accept what you do not like?”

11:29 "O My people! No benefit do I ask you for this. My reward rests with none but God. And I am not going to repulse any of the believers (39:40, 63:8). Surely, they know that they are destined to meet their Lord, whereas in you I see people who are wandering in the darkness of ignorance."

11:30 "And O My people! Who will help me against God if I drove them away? Will you then not reflect?"

11:31 “I never say to you that I have the Treasures of God. Neither do I claim knowledge of what is beyond human perception, nor do I say that I am an angel. I disagree with you, that my followers are the folk of the lesser status. You claim that God will never give them His Bounties, but He knows their true merit. I cannot be unjust to them.”

11:32 They said, “O Noah! You have disputed with us and disputed a great deal. Now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are a man of Truth.”

11:33 He answered, “God alone brings His Requital according to His Law. Once it is upon you, then you can by no means escape.”

11:34 Noah said, “My counseling and well-wishing will not help you (outside of God’s Law of Guidance and straying (4:88). He is your Lord, and unto Him you must return (along with your deeds).”

11:35 God said to Noah, “Do they say that you have invented this set of values?” Tell them, “If I made it up, I am responsible for my crime. And I am innocent of your crimes.”

11:36 And it was revealed to Noah, “No one of your folk will attain faith except the ones who have already believed. Do not be saddened by their actions.”

11:37 We commanded Noah, “Build an ark under Our Eyes and according to Our Directions, and do not plead with Me on behalf of the oppressors (23:27). Indeed, they are destined to be drowned.” [A flood in the valley of Tigris and Euphrates was forthcoming (11:44). The rejecters would drown for not heeding the Prophet]

11:38 As he was building the ship, and every time the chiefs of his nation passed by him, they mocked him. Thereupon he said, “If you are mocking us, behold, we are mocking (your ignorance) just as you are mocking us.”

11:39 And soon you will know upon whom a humiliating punishment befalls, and upon whom a lasting torment will come. “

11:40 Thus it was until Our Command came to pass. Water gushed forth in torrents over the face of the land. Torrential rain began and the rivers started over flowing. We commanded Noah to take with him livestock, a couple each, and to take his family and followers with him. The rejecters, of course, were not to embark. The community of believers with Noah was small. [11:45, 66:10. Noah's wife and son did not embark]

11:41 Noah put his trust in God and told his people to embark, "Come on board, in the name of God will be its course and its resting. My Lord is the Provider of shelter, Merciful."

11:42 The ship sailed with them amidst huge waves as Noah called his son, who was standing aloof, “O My dear son! Come ride with us; do not be with the disbelievers.”

11:43 He said. "I will cling to a hill-top to protect me from the water.” Noah said, “Nothing can protect anyone today from God’s Command except for those who have earned His Grace.” A towering wave came between them and his son was among those who drowned. [The only security that day in the valley was for those who had believed in Noah and followed his advice]

11:44 And it was said, “O earth! Swallow your water and, O Sky! Cease!" And the Command was fulfilled. The water sank into the earth. And the ark came to rest upon the Mount Al-Judi. And it was said, “Away with these oppressors of the weak.” [The ship came to rest at Judea, in the hills of Ararat, east of the Tigris River]

11:45 Noah called upon his Lord, "My Lord! My son was of my family and Your Promise is the True Promise and You are the Most Just of judges." [So, why was he not saved? Didn’t You promise to save my family?]

11:46 He (God) said, "O Noah! Your son was not of your family. For, his conduct was unrighteous. So, do not ask me of what you have no knowledge. I enlighten you so that you do not remain ignorant.” [You were not aware of the Divine Criterion of relationships which are based on Ideology and not on lineage otherwise you would not have asked such a question]

11:47 Noah said, “My Lord! I guard myself in Your shelter from asking favors which do not befit me, and for my lack of knowledge. Forgive me and shower me with Your Grace, otherwise I will become a loser.”

11:48 He was told, “O Noah! Disembark and descend from the hills in peace from Us and blessings upon you, and some nations (that will spring forth) from your companions (11:41). There will be other nations unto whom We shall give enjoyment a long while, but in the end a painful chastisement will reach them from Us.” [And other nations, all of them will be awarded according to their deeds. 11:15-16]

11:49 (O Prophet) These are the news We reveal to you that neither you, nor your people were aware of. Go ahead with your program with forbearance. The destination of Bliss belongs to those who wish to live upright.

11:50 We sent to ‘Aad their brother Hud. He said, “O My people! Serve God alone. You have no god but He. As it is, you are but inventors of falsehood.”

11:51 He said, "O My people! I ask no reward from you. My reward is with Him Who brought me into being. If you use your sense, you will understand.”

11:52 “O My nation! Come to the forgiveness of your Lord by turning to Him and mending your ways. He will shower upon you abundant heavenly blessings, and will add strength to your strength. So do not turn back into the guilty!”

11:53 They said, "O Hud! You have not shown us any miracle. We will not forsake our idols just because you say so. We are not going to believe you.”

11:54 “We think that one of our gods has possessed you like a demon and you have gone crazy." Hud said, "I call God to witness, and you too bear witness that I am absolutely free of your idolatry.”

11:55 “Get together, all of you and your gods besides Him. Make a firm decision against me and give me no respite.”

11:56 “I have put my trust in God, my Lord and your Lord. There is not a creature in the Universe beyond His firm Control. Indeed, my Lord is on the Straight Path.”

11:57 “You may accept or reject the Message that I have clearly conveyed to you. If you turn away, you will decline and fall. Then, My Lord will bring another nation in your place. You cannot harm Him at all. Surely, My Lord is He Who is the Guardian of all things.”

11:58 And so, when Our Command came to pass, We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a Mercy from Us. We saved them from a harsh retribution that inflicted the rejecters.

11:59 Such were ‘Aad. They denied the clear messages of their Lord, rebelled against His messengers and followed the Command of every stubborn tyrant.

11:60 And they were pursued in this world by Divine rejection, and will be overtaken by it on the Resurrection Day. Oh, certainly, ‘Aad denied their Sustainer! Oh, away with the ‘Aad, the people of Hud!

11:61 And to the nation of Thamud, We sent their brother Saaleh. He said, "O My people! Serve God. You have no one worthy of obedience but He. He initiated you from the earth and made you thrive thereon. Come to His forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance mending your ways. My Lord is ever-Near, Responsive."

11:62 They said, "O Saaleh! We had placed great hopes in you before this! But now you are telling us to move away from worshiping what our forefathers worshiped. Surely, now we are in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion about the meaning of your call to us.”

11:63 He said, "O My people! Do you really see and think? What if I have clear evidence of the Truth from my Lord, and Mercy from Him? Then, who can help me against God if I disobey Him? You can only push me into ruin.

11:64 (The feudal lords had been depriving the poor of using the land and its natural resources of water and vegetation). Saaleh said, “O My people! This she-camel belonging to God shall be a token for you. So leave her alone to graze in the land belonging to God. Do her no harm, lest speedy punishment befall you.” [91:13]

[This verse along with 55:10 pronounces one of the most revolutionary concepts of the Qur’an. The land, the earth is owned by none but God and must be open for all His creation as a means of sustenance. Hence, all landlord-ship is contrary to the Divine Ordinance. In the Divine System, the Central Authority will see to it that any piece of land will be for those who toil in it and give God His Right, the poor-due. 6:141]

11:65 But they cruelly slaughtered her. Thereupon he said to his people, “Only for three more days shall you enjoy life in your homes. This is a Promise not to be belied.”

11:66 And so, when Our Command came to pass, by Our Grace We saved Saaleh and the believers with him from the humiliating annihilation of the day. Surely, your Lord, He alone is Strong, Almighty.

11:67 (Saaleh and His followers moved out of the town while the disbelievers stayed back with their mockery). And a tremendous blast overtook the oppressors, and then they lay lifeless, in their very homes, on the ground.

11:68 As if they had never lived there. Oh, certainly, Thamud had denied their Lord. Oh, away with the Thamud!

11:69 (Similar was the end of the people of Lot.) Our messengers came to Abraham bearing a glad tiding. They greeted Abraham with “Peace!” And he greeted them back with "Peace!" and made haste to place before them a roasted calf.

11:70 But when he saw that their hands did not reach out towards it, he deemed their conduct strange and became apprehensive of them. But they said, “Fear not! Indeed, we are sent to the people of Lot.” (Abraham was apprehensive thinking the visitors refusing hospitality might have aggressive intentions, but in fact they were hurrying to Lot.)

11:71 And his wife (Sarah), standing nearby, laughed when We gave her good tiding of Isaac, and after Isaac, (his son) Jacob.

11:72 She exclaimed, "Oh, woe unto me! Shall I bear a child now that I am an old woman and this husband of mine is an old man? This is really strange!"

11:73 Answered the messengers, "Do you wonder about God’s Command? May God’s Grace and Blessings be upon you, O dwellers of the house! Verily the Owner of all Praise, Sublime is He!”

11:74 When the fear had left Abraham, and the good news was conveyed to him, he began to plead with Us for Lot’s people.

11:75 For, Abraham was clement, kind-hearted, ever turning to His Lord.

11:76 (It was said) O Abraham! Forsake this! Your Lord's Command has gone forth, and certainly, the retribution is now inevitable.

11:77 When Our messengers came to Lot he was distressed, and did not know how to save his people. He exclaimed, "This is a difficult day!”

11:78 And the most iniquitous among his people came rushing to Lot. (They wanted the visiting messengers to approve their behavior.) Lot said, "O My people! Your wives, who are like my daughters, are permitted for you. Be mindful of God, and do not humiliate me in the presence of my guests. Is there not a single upright man among you?”

11:79 They said, "You know, we have little interest in our wives whom you call your daughters. And, you know well what we want.” [Our intention is to get our behavior into the realm of the Permissible]

11:80 Lot exclaimed, “I wish I had the strength to resist you or had some strong support.”

11:81 (The visiting messengers) said, "O Lot! Indeed, we are messengers of your Lord. They will not catch up to you. Now take your family while it is yet night. And let none of you look back, except your wife (who will stay behind). Surely, what is to befall these (people) shall befall her. Their appointed time is the morning. Is not the morning near? [She stays behind because she has chosen to go along with the trends of the times. And she is among those who remain silent at the prevalent wrongdoing]

11:82 And so, when Our Command came to pass, We brought low the highly arrogant towns (Sodom and Gomorrah), and rained down upon them hard devastating rocks (from the volcano).

11:83 The stones were marked arrows from your Lord. His Requital is never far from those who displace the right conduct with wrong.

11:84 And to Midyan, We sent their brother Shoaib. He said, "O My people! Serve God alone. There is no god for you but He. And do not give short measure and weight. I see that you are prosperous. But I fear for you a day that will surround you with chastisement." [Any system based on injustice cannot endure]

11:85 "Hence, O My people! Always give full measure and weight with equity and do not deprive people of what is rightfully theirs. Do not spread corruption and disorder in the land.”

11:86 “That which God gives you as just profit is better for you if you believe. But I am not a guardian over you."

11:87 They said, "O Shoaib! (We had thought that your religion was only a matter between you and your Lord.) Does your Salaat Command that we should forsake the worship that our fathers practiced? Or, that we leave off doing what we like to do with our economy? Indeed, you want us to think that you are the only clement, and the rightly guided man among us."

11:88 He said, "O My people, think again! What if I am acting on a clear evidence from my Lord, and He has provided me with a decent sustenance? I deal in all fairness and I shall never preach what I do not practice behind your sight. I only desire your betterment as much as I can. All my resources, abilities, and success depend on God alone. In Him I trust and to Him I turn with hope.”

11:89 "O My people! Let not my disagreement with you be taken personally to cause you to persist in your guilt so that the same (retribution) befall you that befell the people of Noah, and the people of Hud, and the people of Saaleh. And remember that the people of Lot did not live very far from you.”

11:90 (None of the nations was destroyed for a deficiency in their worship. They met destruction for violating human rights.) “Seek forgiveness of your Lord, then repent by journeying on the right path. You will experience that my Lord is Merciful, Loving." [14:8]

11:91 They said, "O Shoaib! Much of what you tell us is beyond our comprehension. We see that you are not a man of power in our midst. If we were not concerned about your family and your tribe, we would have stoned you. You are of no value to us."

11:92 He said, "O My people! Does my family and tribe command a greater respect than God? And you put Him behind you, neglected. Remember, my Lord surrounds all you do."

11:93 "O My people! Go on doing what you wish, and so will I. Soon you will find out which of us will incur the chastisement of humiliation, and who is a liar. Just watch, and I am watching along with you.”

11:94 When Our Command came to pass, We saved Shoaib, and those who believed with him, by a Mercy from Us. An awful blast seized the wrongdoers. The morning found them dead in their very homes, on the ground. [Shoaib and his companions had moved to safety as forewarned]

11:95 As if they had never lived there. Oh, away with Midyan, just as the Thamud have been done away with!

11:96 And, indeed, We sent Moses with Our verses and a manifest Authority.

11:97 To Pharaoh and his chiefs. They followed only the Command of Pharaoh, and his Command did not lead to right.

11:98 Pharaoh will go before his people on the Day of Resurrection, and lead them into the Fire. What a miserable place to land! [14:28]

11:99 Divine rejection was made to follow them in this world and will overcome them on the Day of Resurrection. Contemptible is the gift that will be given to them.

11:100 (O Messenger), This is news from only a few of the past communities that We narrate to you. Some of them are merely surviving and some have vanished.

11:101 We did no injustice to them, but they wronged themselves. And when the Command of your Lord came to pass, their gods whom they called besides God availed them not. They only added to their ruin.

11:102 Such is the grasp of your Lord's Law of Requital on townships when they run oppressive systems. His grasp is painful, strong.

11:103 Herein, certainly is a lesson for those who fear the suffering of the life to come. That is a Day unto which all mankind will be gathered, and that is a Day that will be witnessed by all that ever lived. And the results of all actions will become manifest.

11:104 And We defer the Day only to a specified time.

11:105 On the Day, when it comes, no one will speak except by His Leave. Some of them will be miserable, others glad. [The miserable ones will get deprived of the blessings, and the glad ones will enjoy all the bounties of the eternal life. 36:59]

11:106 Now those who by their deeds brought misery on themselves will be in the Fire; sighing and wailing will be their portion. [21:100]

11:107 Therein to abide, as long as the (New) Universe endures; that is time beyond count, unless your Lord decrees otherwise. Your Lord is Doer of what He wills in the World of Command. [The current Universe will be dismantled for a new Universe. 5:44, 14:48, 21:104, 25:22, 39:37, 69:16, 70:9]

11:108 The happy ones on that Day will enter the Garden and live there as long as the (New) Universe endures, that is time beyond count; until your Lord opens for them the way to further evolution, a gift unfailing.

11:109 Be not in doubt about the end of those who worship idols in any form. They only blindly follow their forefathers. They and their forefathers will get their due portion according to Our Law.

11:110 People differed even when Moses was given the Scripture. Had it not been for a Word that had already gone forth from your Lord, the matter would have been judged between them then and there. (The Word that the Final Revelation Al-Qur’an, will come forth with the plain Truth.) Yet, behold! They are still in doubt, amounting to suspicion, concerning it.

11:111 Unto each your Lord will certainly repay his works. He is fully Aware of what they do.

11:112 Therefore, (O Prophet) stand firm as you are commanded, along with those who turn to God with you. Remember to be moderate in all your actions. He is watching all that you do.

11:113 Do not be intimidated by the oppressors and guard yourself against even a touch of the Fire. Remember, there are no protectors to help you against the Laws of God. And then you will not be helped in any way.

11:114 Strive to establish and consolidate the Divine System, day and night. Actions that create balance in the society remove the ill effects of inequities. Good deeds remove bad deeds. This is a reminder for those who pay attention.

11:115 Be steadfast in service. For verily, God never fails to reward the benefactors of humanity.

11:116 But, Alas! Among the generations before your time, only a few were virtuous enough to discourage disorder in the land. We saved those few, whereas those who continued to violate human rights only pursued material riches. And they were guilty of stealing the fruit of others’ labor (and they were requited). [Zulm = Displacing something from its rightful place = Wrongdoing = Violation of human rights. Mujrimeen = Criminals = Guilty = Those who thrive on the fruit of others’ toil]

11:117 Your Lord never destroys a community for wrong beliefs alone as long as its people are reformers, setting right their own, and one another’s condition.

[The Qur’an is consistent in its theme that people will be rewarded for what they do (Ya’maloon), and not for what they know (Ya’lamoon). The Book stresses on the right belief system, for, people are strongly influenced in their behavior by what they think and believe. Muslihoon = Reformers = Those who help their own and fellow humans’ condition = Those who set things right in their environment. This is one of the most revolutionary verses in the Qur’an. It throws out all dogmatic assertions that are the hallmark of a ‘religion’. As we have seen, Islam is not a ‘religion’ consisting merely of a set of some dogmas, rites and rituals. It is Ad-Deen, the Divinely Prescribed Collective Way of Life. Allama Muhammad Asad, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Inayatullah Khan Al-Mashriqi et al are in complete agreement with the meaning of this verse 11:117 as translated here]

11:118 Had your Lord so willed, He could have made all mankind one single community, (but He has granted them free will as against other creatures who are driven by instinct). Therefore, they will continue to hold divergent views. [5:48]

11:119 Except those on whom your Lord will bestow His Grace (for working toward the noble objective of unity). And for this He created them. Those who defy (this Command) will fulfill the Word of your Lord, “Surely, I shall fill Hell with the nomad and urban mankind all together.”

11:120 And (O Messenger), all that We relate to you of the history of some messengers, is in order to strengthen your heart. Although through these accounts the Truth comes to you, but it is also meant to be an enlightenment and Reminder for all believers in this Divine Writ.

11:121 And tell those who adamantly disbelieve, “Do anything that may be in your power, while we shall labor (in God’s Way.)”

11:122 And tell them, “And wait for what is coming. Indeed, we are also waiting.”

11:123 And God alone comprehends the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth. For, all that exists goes back to Him as its Source. Serve Him, then, and place your trust in Him alone. Your Lord is not unaware of what you do.