[The Second of Twenty-Two Points]

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

I created not jinn and mankind except that they might worship me. * No sustenance do I require of them, nor do I require that they should feed me. * For God is He Who gives [all] sustenance—Lord of  Power—Steadfast [for ever].(51:56-8)

For a long time these verses worried my mind, since according to many Qur’anic commentaries   their   apparent   meaning   did   not   reflect   the   Qur’an’s   elevated miraculousness. I shall now explain briefly three aspects of their extremely beautiful and exalted meanings, which proceed from the effulgence of the Qur’an.

T h e  F i r s t : Sometimes Almighty God attributes to Himself certain states that could pertain to His Messenger, so as to honour and exalt him. Here too, the verses, “I created you for worship; not to give Me sustenance and feed me,” have this meaning: “My Messenger does not want a wage, recompense, or reward, or to be fed in return for his duty of messengership and conveying to you the obligations of worship;” they refer to the Noble Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace) being given food and sustenance. Otherwise it would be making known something self-evident and clear, and would be incompatible with the Qur’an’s miraculous eloquence.