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ḥattā ʾidhā stayʾasa r-rusulu wa-ẓannū ʾannahum qad kudhibū jāʾahum naṣrunā fa-nujjiya man nashāʾu wa-lā yuraddu baʾsunā ʿani l-qawmi l-mujrimīna
When the apostles lost hope and they thought that they had been told lies, Our help came to them, and We delivered whomever We wished, and Our punishment will not be averted from the guilty lot.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yusuf – Verse 110
110. “Till when the messengers despaired and they (disbelievers) thought they had been told a lie, Our help came to them and We delivered whom We pleased. But Our punishment will not be averted from the guilty people.”
Whilst preaching the Divine message, incorrigible and obstinate elements would raise such a hue and cry and put up such an opposition that even the prophets began to despair of ever guiding such ungrateful and ignorant folk and became concerned that the people would take them to be liars. It was at these low moments that Allah would send them His assistance and saved those whom He chose and punished whom He willed. The verse says:
“Till when the messengers despaired and they (disbelievers) thought they had been told a lie, Our help came to them and We delivered whom We pleased...”
After insisting on doing their evil deeds, after actively resisting the Divine call, and after all the ultimatums delivered to him, when the inveterate sinner is confronted with the Divine punishment, it is impossible for him to avert it by any power. The verse says:
“…But Our punishment will not be averted from the guilty people.”
Some Examples of the despair of the prophets throughout their call: Only a few individuals accepted the faith after Noah had tried for very many years to call the people to the worship of the One True God. Allah told him:
‘None of your people will believe except those who have already believed.’ 13
Noah then, condemning those people which reveal his desperate situation says that no one except immoral, ungrateful children will be born from this generation.14 In the lives and call of the prophets Hud, Salih, Shu’ayb, Musa, and ‘Isa (as), one sees their despair when confronted by the recalcitrance of their enemies. There are many examples where the people suspected the prophets of lying. We read in Surah Hud, No. 11, verse 27:
“…may we think you are liars.”
And the Pharaoh told Musa (as):
“Truly, I think that you have been bewitched O Moses!” 15
As for Allah’s triumph in this state, the Qur’an also shows that during this state of despair Allah bestows victory over the unbelieving folk, which is a right that Allah has reserved for Himself. In Surah Ar-Rum, Allah says:
“And helping the believers is ever incumbent on Us.” 16
Elsewhere He says:
“We saved Hud and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us, and delivered them from a harsh punishment.” 17
With regard to the inexorability of Allah’s punishment, we see in Surah Ar-Ra‘d, No. 13, verse 11, which implies that when Allah intends evil upon a people, there is no averting it.
Footnotes