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wa-lladhīna yuḥājjūna fī llāhi min baʿdi mā stujība lahū ḥujjatuhum dāḥiḍatun ʿinda rabbihim wa-ʿalayhim ghaḍabun wa-lahum ʿadhābun shadīdun-i
Those who argue concerning Allah, after His call has been answered, their argument stands refuted with their Lord, and upon them shall be [His] wrath, and there is a severe punishment for them.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Shura - Verse 16
16. And those who dispute concerning Allah, after they have accepted His Call, of no use is their dispute before their Lord and on them is Wrath, and for them will be a severe torment.
The Arabic word muhaja deriving from h-j-j (“to intend”) indicates debate through which someone makes attempts at substantiating or refuting something. When a certain path is substantiated and proven for someone, he is not supposed to desist from the same due to doubts and temptations. When one believes in someone, he is not supposed to be affected by rumors and let go of him. When one perceives the path of intellection and Divine disposition, he is not supposed to engage in debates in that respect. The blessed Verse is a critique of those who enter into debates concerning the religion of God.
On the day of Covenant, man acknowledged His Lordship and he is not supposed to break his promise. The other point is that those Jews and Christians who saw the attributes of the Seal of the Prophets (S) in their Scriptures and acknowledged the same but refuted his Divine Call afterwards may not produce Arguments as to the refutation of the Divine Call. Some of the People of the Book had converted to the Islamic faith but assumed that their former religions were better and said unto Muslims that their Scriptures and Prophets preceded the Holy Qur’an and the Noble Prophet of Islam (S) and claimed their precedence and superiority.
Having acknowledged the Prophetic Call of the Noble Prophet of Islam, their arguments may not be accepted by God Almighty but they shall be subject to Divine Wrath and severe torments in the Hereafter. The blessed Verse might as well allude to those who had acknowledged the Prophetic Call after decisive arguments were produced before them, but they engaged in debates concerning the religion of God Almighty and manner of its injunctions. Resorting to their limited intellect, they claimed that certain injunctions could have been different. Such claims shall lead to Divine Wrath and excruciating torments.