[105:1] Also Allah -azwj Says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ...
[105:1] Also Allah -azwj Says: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ {689:} (O Prophet!) Did you not see how your Lord Dealt with (people of) Aad? [89:6] In the above Holy Verses, Allah -azwj Reminds the Holy Prophet -saww , ‘أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ’ ‘Did not you see how’ Allah -azwj dealt with the people of elephants and Aad? – those who had lived centuries ago! It means that when these events took place Holy Prophet -saww was witnessing them.
Therefore, a ‘witness’ has to be overlooking at that time to whom Allah -azwj is referring to, among those to whom Allah -azwj is addressing. There are no ‘otherwise’ as the ‘Kalam’ (Speech) of Allah -azwj is always flawless and perfect.
The following Holy Verse further clarifies the ‘overlooking’ the actions of people: يَعْتَذِرُونَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِذَا رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلْ لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ نَبَّأَنَا اللَّهُ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ ۚ وَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ {949:} They will be making excuses to you when you return to them. Say: ‘Do not make excuses. We will never believe you.
Allah has Informed us of your news, And Allah and His Rasool would be seeing your deeds, then you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen , so He will Inform you with what you were doing [9:94] Also, at another place, Allah -azwj Warns believers that not only Allah -azwj but also Rasool-Allah -saww as well as (some Appointed) ‘الْمُؤْمِنُونَ’ ‘Al-Mominoon’ (special believers) will be overlooking your actions: وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ {1059:} And say: ‘Work, for Allah will See your work and (so will) His Rasool and the Momineen ; And you shall be Returned to the Knower of the unseen and the seen, then He will inform you of what you were doing’ [9:105] Some Muslims, with regards to this, may argue that the word ‘فَسَيَرَى’ (which literally means ‘then He will see) has been used here in the sense of “Knowing” i.e., Allah -azwj is the only One -azwj who is Seeing our deeds but Rasool-Allah -saww knows our deeds through the revelation as brought to him -saww , if Allah -azwj so Desires, through an angel.
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