The previous verses have all been connected to the halal and haram and the Ihram and the sacred House (Ka’ba); in short, all the do’s and don’ts. So, after all that, Allah (swt) wills to give solace to the heart of the chosen one, Prophet Muhammad (saws), and to explain the task of the Prophets among mankind.

When Allah had created creation and had brought them into existence, He (swt) did not leave them astray and unknowing of His existence. So, in addition to the innate disposition of having faith that He had granted to them, He also willed to reinforce this faith through the tongues of the Messengers (PBUT). Thus, the task of the Messengers is to convey the message from Allah (swt), as He says here:

(مَّا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ ) (Not upon the Messenger is [responsibility] except [for] notification …): The “notification” word used here means to inform of something important. Since that, do not, O Muhammad, burden yourself more than your capability, as your task is only to deliver. Therefore, when Allah (swt) ordered the Prophet Abraham (PBUH) while he was in the barren valley which was void of people to:

 وَأَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ يَأْتُوكَ رِجَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ

(Call mankind to the Pilgrimage. They will come to you, on foot and on every kind of lean camel, by every distant track) (Al-Hajj: 27)

He (PBUH) said, “O my Lord, how shall I call people, and who will hear me? There is no one here.” The answer was: “O Abraham, the Messenger’s duty is only to deliver. O Abraham, upon you is to call, and upon Us is the reaching of the call.” Thus, the call reached those after him, as well as the supplication that he made. So, a Messenger’s task is to deliver the message, and at the same time, he is a behavioural example, as Allah (swt) says:

 لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

(Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often) (Al-Ahzab: 21)

And also says:

 فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ (21) لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِر

(So (O Prophet) remind them, your task is only to remind (21) You are not their keeper) (Al-Ghashiyah: 21-22)

Thus, we are not judges, nor do we force people to accept the religion and the Islamic Jurisprudence and rulings. Our job is only to remind, as we are only callers. We are not tasked to label people as disbelievers as Allah (swt) continues:

 إِنَّ إِلَيْنَا إِيَابَهُمْ (25) ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُم

(Certainly, it is to Us that they will return. Then, surely, it is for Us to call them to account) (Al-Ghashiyah: 25-26)

So, Allah (swt) informs us that these are His Affairs and not ours.

(  وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ … ) (…And Allah knows whatever you reveal and whatever you conceal): There is in the community a great hypocritical movement, in which people might reveal differently than what is concealed. So, Allah (swt) says:

 وَإِن تَجْهَرْ بِالْقَوْلِ فَإِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَأَخْفَى

(Whether you speak aloud (or in a low voice), He knows your secrets and what is even more hidden) (Taha: 7)

 Here, the secrets are what is kept between two people, whereas that which is more hidden is what goes on in a person’s self.