Surah An Naml Tafseer

The Command to praise Allah and send Blessings on His Messengers

Allah commands His Messenger to:

قُلِ

Say:

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ

Praise and thanks be to Allah,

meaning, for His innumerable blessings upon His servants and for His exalted Attributes and most beautiful Names.

وَسَلَمٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى

and peace be on His servants whom He has chosen!

And He commands him to send peace upon the servants of Allah whom He chose and selected, i.e., His noble Messengers and Prophets, may the best of peace and blessings from Allah be upon them.

This was the view of Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam and others;the meaning of the servants He has chose is the Prophets. He said,

"This like He said in the Ayah;

سُبْحَـنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ الْعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

وَسَلَـمٌ عَلَى الْمُرْسَلِينَ

وَالْحَمْدُ للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ

Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of honor and power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! And peace be on the Messengers! And all the praises and thanks be to Allah, Lord of all that exists." (37:180-182)

Ath-Thawri and As-Suddi said,

"This refers to the Companions of Muhammad, may Allah be pleased with them all."

Something similar was also narrated from Ibn Abbas, and there is no contradiction between the two views, because they were also among the servants of Allah whom He had chosen, although the description is more befitting of the Prophets.

اللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

Is Allah better, or what they ascribe as partners (to Him)!

This is a question aimed at denouncing the idolators for their worship of other gods besides Allah.

Some more Proofs of Tawhid

Then Allah begins to explain that He is the Only One Who creates, provides and controls, as He says