THE INDIAN HIGH SCHOOL, DUBAI
Worksheet
Lesson: Honesty of the Prophet (PBUH)
I. Surah Ya-Seen (13-19)
Glossary
الرحمن
البالغ المبي
المرسلون
مرسف
ر
تطينا بكم
تط
Interpretation of the verses (13--20)
13) And present to them an example: the Inhabitants of the City when the Messengers came to it.
14) When We sent to them two, but they denied them, so we strengthened them with a third, and they said,
“Indeed, we are Messengers to you.”
15) They said, “You are not but human beings like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed a thing.
You are only telling lies.”
16) They said, “Our Lord knows that we are Messengers to you,
17) And we are not responsible except for clear notification.”
18) They said, “Indeed, we consider you a bad omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and
there will surely touch you, from us, a painful punishment.”
19) They said, “Your omen is with yourselves. Is it because you were reminded? Rather, you are
transgressing.”
The wisdom of the Holy Quran presenting the examples to the people of Quraysh
The purpose of presenting examples to people is to show them the consequences faced by those who
rejected the message and the rewards of those who accepted and followed the messengers.
The Position of the inhabitants of City towards the Messengers of Allah
The people of the city mentioned in Surah Yaseen did not believe the messengers and told them that they
were only human beings like themselves and that the Most Merciful had revealed nothing to them.
The significance of sending the third messenger with the two previous messengers.
Because people denied the message of the previous messengers, in order to strengthen them a third
messenger was sent. They emphasized the truth and strength of the message, leaving no excuse for the
people to deny it, and showed Allah’s mercy by giving them another chance to accept guidance.
The mission of the Messengers described in the two verses.
The messengers’ duty was to convey God’s message clearly, guide people to worship the One God, and
warn against wrongdoing while encouraging righteousness.
They are providing clear notification to invite the people to the Oneness of Allah, and they are not
responsible for the denial of the people.
The positive attitude that the Messengers of Allah displayed in their response to the disbelieving
inhabitants of the city, as explained in the above two verses.
Although the people denied the messengers, they kept giving them the message of Islam and made them
aware of the future consequences. They responded with patience, confidence in their truthfulness, and
dedication to delivering Allah’s message despite rejection.
Accusation of Bad Omen upon the messengers
The people of the city associated misfortunes, calamities, or hardships with the presence of the messengers.
Instead of reflecting on their sins as the cause of misfortune, they started blaming the messengers. The
people of the city told the messengers that they were a source of bad luck for them. Instead of seeing the
message of truth as guidance, they treated it as a cause of misfortune.
َ َ ( ”تTatayyarnā) refers to superstition — blaming others or events for one’s misfortunes.
The word “طيَّ ْرنَا
They linked their difficulties to the presence of the messengers, just as previous nations wrongly blamed
prophets for their hardships. In pre-Islamic Arabia, people practiced superstition by interpreting the flight
of birds as a sign of good or bad luck. In the next verse the messengers corrected the people, saying that
misfortune or “bad luck” was not caused by them, but by the people’s own disbelief and sins.
Islamic totally against superstitious belief
In Islam, misguidance, punishment, or calamity is a result of one’s own deeds, not from omens or prophets.
In the light of Surah Yaseen, verses 18–19, Islam rejects superstitious beliefs completely. These verses
show that misfortune or calamity is not caused by prophets or omens, but by people’s own sins and
disbelief. Islam teaches that guidance is from Allah, and placing trust in superstition instead of Him is false
and misguided. Islam teaches reliance on Allah alone, rejecting all superstitions, omens, and false beliefs,
while encouraging trust in Allah and taking lawful precautions. This is very clear in the Prophetic Hadith
() ال عدوى وال طيرة وال هامة وال صفر
There is no transmission of disease, nor evil omens, nor the Hama bird, nor Safar [superstition]
( ال عدوىNo ‘Adwa’) – Diseases do not spread by themselves; nothing happens except by Allah’s
will.
( وال طيرةNo evil omen / superstition) – One should not believe that certain events, signs, or
creatures bring bad luck.
( وال هامةNo omen from Hāmāh) – “Hāmāh” refers to certain birds (like vultures) thought to bring
misfortune; such beliefs are false.
( وال صفرNo evil omen in the month Safar) – Pre-Islamic Arabs considered the month Safar
unlucky; Islam rejects this superstition.
Praiseworthy Elements in the Three Messengers
Teamwork
Positive approach
Civilized speech and peaceful and humble propagation
Patience and tolerance
Replacing evil with good.
Reminding the people and Notifying them.
Avoiding violence
Avoiding force or coercion/compulsion.
Convey the divine message, not convert
Not giving up. (Determination, Willpower)
Hope and be optimistic!
Blameworthy Elements in the Inhabitants of the City
Pretending to be innocent and Blaming the Righteous
Denying the Truth
Finding excuses to avoid the message of Truth
Threatening Attitude
Bullying nature
Resorting to mental torture & physical harming
Destructive approach
Arrogance and haughty nature (Kibr, Pride)
Fear of losing power or status
Hard to digest the Truthfulness of the message
