(… وَأَنذِرْ بِهِ ) (And warn by…): Meaning, warn with the Quran. Here, we should take a moment to ponder upon the word ‘warn’. The Prophet (saws) did not give warnings through the sword, nor did he send warnings through killing or by force. This is because, this religion is a religion of choice and not one of compulsion, as Allah (swt) has said:
لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ
(There is no compulsion in religion) (Al-Baqara: 256)
فَمَن شَاء فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاء فَلْيَكْفُرْ
(Whoever wills let them believe, and whoever wills let them disbelieve) (Al-Kahf: 29)
Allah (swt) has left the choice up to us. If He had willed there to be moulds, He would have created them and made everyone be moulded according to them in obedience and humility. However, he wanted the hearts to submit willingly. He has said:
وَلَوْ شَاء رَبُّكَ لآمَنَ مَن فِي الأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَكُونُواْ مُؤْمِنِينَ
(Had your Lord so willed (O Prophet), all (people) on earth would have certainly believed, every single one of them! Would you then force people to become believers?) (Yunus: 99)
Therefore, faith is not propagated through compulsion, and warnings are sent through the Holy Quran, through the dialogues and discussion found in it and through the proofs and clear signs it contains.
( الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ أَن يُحْشَرُوا إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ ۙ لَيْسَ لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ وَلِيٌّ وَلَا شَفِيعٌ لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ… ) (…those who fear that they will be gathered before their Lord – for them besides Him will be no protector and no intercessor – that they might become righteous): These people who are described fear the prospect of being gathered on the Day of Standing, on the Day that they will have no protectors nor intercessors other than Allah (swt). From this description, they are called the righteous (Those who possess taqwa), as Righteousness means: ‘Fearing The Magnificent, carrying out (the commands found in) the revelation, being contented with a little, and preparation for the day of departure)’.