Allah commanded His Messenger to convey what He sent him with, to proclaim and spread the Message, which means confronting the idolators with it. Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah,

فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ

(Therefore openly proclaim that what you have been commanded,) means, "Go ahead with it." According to another report it means, (افْعَلْ مَا تُؤْمَرُ) "Therefore proclaim that which you commanded." Mujahid said, "It is reciting the Qur'an aloud during prayer." Abu `Ubaydah reported that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "The Prophet was still practicing and preaching Islam secretly until this Ayah was revealed:

فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ

(Therefore openly proclaim that which you are commanded) then he and his Companions came out into the open."

The Command to turn away from the Idolators, and the Guarantee of Protection against the Mockers

Allah's statement,

وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَإِنَّا كَفَيْنَـكَ الْمُسْتَهْزِءِينَ

(and turn away from idolators. Truly, We will suffice you against the mockers.) meaning - convey that which has been revealed to you by your Lord, and do not pay attention to the idolators who want to turn you away from the signs of Allah.

وَدُّواْ لَوْ تُدْهِنُ فَيُدْهِنُونَ

(They wish that you should compromise for them, so that they would compromise for you) (68:9). Do not fear them because Allah will suffice you against them, and He will protect you from them. This is like the Ayah:

يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ

(O Messenger! Proclaim that which has been revealed to you from your Lord. And if you do not do it, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind.) 5:67 Muhammad bin Ishaq said: "The great ones of the mockers were five people, who were elders and noblemen among their people. From Bani Asad bin `Abd Al-`Uzza bin Qusayy there was Al-Aswad bin Al-Muttalib Abu Zam`ah. According to what I heard, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had supplicated against him because of the pain and mockery he had suffered at his hands. He had said,

«اللَّهُمَّ أَعِمْ بَصَرَهُ، وَأَثْكِلْهُ وَلَدَه»

(O Allah, make him blind and take (the life of) his son.) From Bani Zahrah there was Al-Aswad bin `Abd Yaghuth bin Wahb bin `Abd Manaf bin Zahrah. From Bani Makhzum there was Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah bin `Abdullah bin `Umar bin Makhzum. From Bani Sahm bin `Amr bin Husays bin Ka`b bin Lu'ayy there was Al-`As bin Wa'il bin Hisham bin Sa`id bin Sa`d. From Khuza`ah there was Al-Harith bin At-Talatilah bin `Amr bin Al-Harith bin `Abd `Amr bin Malkan. When their evil went to extremes and their mockery of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went too far, Allah revealed:

فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ - إِنَّا كَفَيْنَـكَ الْمُسْتَهْزِءِينَ - الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلـهًا ءَاخَرَ فَسَوْفَ يَعْمَلُونَ

(Therefore openly proclaim that which you are commanded, and turn away from the idolators. Truly, We will suffice you against the mockers, who make another god along with Allah; but they will come to know.) Ibn Ishaq said: Yazid bin Ruman told me that `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr or one of the other scholars said that Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was performing Tawaf around the House (the Ka`bah). He stood and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood next to him. Al-Aswad Ibn Al-Mutalib passed by, and he threw a green leaf in his face, and he became blind. Al-Aswad bin `Abd Yaghuth passed by, and he pointed to his stomach, which swelled up and he died (of dropsy). Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah passed by, and he pointed at a wound on lower of his ankle, which he got two years earlier when He once was trailing his garment and he passed by a man who was feathering his arrows. One of the arrows got caught in his garment and scratched his foot. It was an insignificant wound, but now it opened again and he died of it. Al-`As bin Wa'il passed by, and he pointed to the instep of his foot. He (Al-`As) set off on his donkey, heading for At-Ta'if. He rested by a thorny tree, a thorn pierced his foot and he died from it. Al-Harith bin At-Talatilah passed by and he pointed at his head. It filled with pus and killed him."

الَّذِينَ يَجْعَلُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلـهًا ءَاخَرَ فَسَوْفَ يَعْمَلُونَ

(Who make another god along with Allah; but they will come to know.) This is a strong warning and grave threat against those who have other deities along with Allah.

Encouragement to bear Difficulties, and the Command to glorify and worship Allah until Death

Allah said,

وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدْرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ - فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِّنَ السَّـجِدِينَ

(Indeed, We know that your breast becomes tight because of what they say. So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him).) meaning `We know, O Muhammad, that you are distressed by their insults towards you, but do not let that weaken your resolve or cause you to give up conveying the Message of Allah. Put your trust in Him, for He will suffice you and will support you against them. Keep yourself busy with remembering Allah, praising Him, glorifying Him, and worshipping Him (which means Salah, or prayer)' Hence Allah says:

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُنْ مِّنَ السَّـجِدِينَ

(So glorify the praises of your Lord and be of those who prostrate themselves (to Him)) Imam Ahmad reported from Nu`aym bin Hammar that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

«قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَا تَعْجَزْ عَنْ أَرْبَعِ رَكَعَاتٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِ النَّهَارِ أَكْفِكَ آخِرَه»

(Allah said, "O son of Adam! It is not too difficult for you to perform four Rak'at at the beginning of the day, (and if you do them,) I will take care of you until the end of it.")

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

(And worship your Lord until the certainty comes to you) (15: 99). Al-Bukhari said: "Salim said, `(This means) death."' This Salim is Salim bin `Abdullah bin `Umar. Ibn Jarir also recorded from Salim bin `Abdullah,

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

(And worship your Lord until the Yaqin comes to you.) He said, "Death." It is reported in the Sahih from Umm Al-`Ala'- one of the women of the Ansar - that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon `Uthman bin Maz`un after he had died, Umm Al-`Ala' said, "May the mercy of Allah be upon you, Abu As-Sa`ib. My testimony over you is that Allah has honored you." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

«وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ أَنَّ اللهَ أَكْرَمَهُ؟»

(How do you know that Allah has honored him) I said, "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah! If not him, then who else" He said,

«أَمَّا هُوَ فَقَدْ جَاءَهُ الْيَقِينُ، وَإِنِّي لَأَرْجُو لَهُ الْخَيْر»

(As far as he is concerned, the death has come to him, and I hope for good for him.) This is evidence that the meaning of this Ayah,

وَاعْبُدْ رَبَّكَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ الْيَقِينُ

(And worship your Lord until the certainty comes to you.) is that acts of worship, such as prayer and the like, are obligatory on man so long as his mind is sound, so he should pray according to his best ability. It was reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari from `Imran bin Husayn that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

«صَلِّ قَائِمًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَقَاعِدًا، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَى جَنْب»

(Pray standing, and if you cannot, then sitting, and if you cannot, then on your side.) From this we may understand that it is a mistake to interpret Yaqin (the certainty) as Ma`rifah ("spiritual knowing") as some of the Sufis do. According to them, when one of them attains the level of Ma`rifah, they consider him to be free of these obligations. This is disbelief, misguidance and ignorance. The Prophets - peace be upon them - and their companions, were the most knowledgeable of people about Allah, about His rights, His attributes, and the glorification that He deserves. But at the same time, they were the people who worshipped Him the most, continuing in good deeds until the time they died. Therefore, what is meant by Yaqin here is death, as we have stated above. To Allah be praise and thanks. Praise be to Allah for His guidance. It is to Him that we turn for help and it is in Him that we put our trust. He is the One Whom we ask to help us to reach the best of circumstances, for He is the Most Generous and Kind. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Hijr. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists.