He called them to Imaan but they called him to disbelief!
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah (The Most High) informed us in Surah Ghaafir [Aayaat 41-44] that the believer said:
[وَيَـٰقَوۡمِ مَا لِىٓ أَدۡعُوڪُمۡ إِلَى ٱلنَّجَوٰةِ ] ”O my people! How is that I call you to salvation” by way of what I say to you; [وَتَدۡعُونَنِىٓ إِلَى ٱلنَّار ] ”while you call me to the fire” in order that (I) may abandon following the Prophet of Allaah Moosaa (alayhis-salaam).
Then he (the believer) explained: [تَدۡعُونَنِى لِأَڪۡفُرَ بِٱللَّهِ وَأُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦ مَا لَيۡسَ لِى بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ۬ ] “You invite me to disbelieve in Allaah (and in His Oneness), and to join partners in worship with Him; of which I have no knowledge” and that it deserves to be worshiped besides Allaah, when speaking about Allaah without knowledge is from the greatest of sins and most repugnant of (affairs).
[وَأَنَا۟ أَدۡعُوڪُمۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡغَفَّـٰرِ] “And I invite you to the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving!”– The one that owns all power and others besides him do not have control over anything. The one that when His slaves transgress against themselves and act in a manner that incurs wrath, but then if they repent and turn to Him in repentance, submission and obedience, He expiates their evil deeds and sins, and prevents what such (sins and acts of disobedience) necessitate of punishment in this life and the next.
[لَا جَرَمَ] ”No doubt”; That is: In truth and with certainty that [أَنَّمَا تَدۡعُونَنِىٓ إِلَيۡهِ لَيۡسَ لَهُ ۥ دَعۡوَةٌ۬ فِى ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَلَا فِى ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ ] ”You call me to (worship) one who cannot grant (me) my request (or respond to my invocation) in this world or in the Hereafter;” That is: It is neither worthy of being invoked nor is (worthy) that protection is sought from it–neither in the world nor in the Hereafter due to its weakness and dificiency. Indeed it neither owns the power of benefit nor harm, and it neither owns the power to cause death nor give life, nor (the power) to resurrect.
[وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ] ”And our return will be to Allaah” [The Most High] and He will reward every doer of deeds for his deeds.
[وَأَنَّ ٱلۡمُسۡرِفِينَ هُمۡ أَصۡحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ] ”And the (polytheists and arrogant one, those who commit great sins, the transgressors of Allaah’s set limits)! They shall be dwellers of the Fire!
So after he advised, warned and cautioned them, but they neither obeyed him nor agreed with him; he said to them:
[فَسَتَذۡكُرُونَ مَآ أَقُولُ لَڪُمۡۚ] ”And you will remember what I am telling you” concerning this advice and you shall see the consequences for not accepting it, when the punishment befalls you and you are deprived of much reward.
[وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمۡرِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ] ”And my affair I leave it to Allah;” That is: I turn to him; I seek shelter from Him and place all my affairs in His Hands. I rely on Him for my well-being and in repelling the harm I receive from you or others besides yourselves.
[إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بَصِيرُۢ بِٱلۡعِبَادِ ] ”Verily, Allah is the All-Seer of (His) slaves.” He knows their state of affairs and what they deserve. He knows my state of affairs and weakness, so He will protect me against you and He suffices me against your evil. He knows your state of affairs and you cannot act except by His Pre-decree and Will. If you overpower me, then it will be wisdom from Him (The Most High) and that will occur due to His Pre-decree and Will.
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[Slightly paraphrased and abridged: for further details, see Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer kalaam Al-Mannaan of Imaam Sadi]
May Allaah reward our brother Dawud [Markaz Mu’aadh (Slough)] for sending us these Aayaat as a reminder, so we decided to bring some few words of Imaam Sadi regarding them. We ask Allaah to include us amongst those who leave this worldly whilst being steadfast upon His Religion…Aameen.