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.