‹Say: I Am Only a Man Like You›: The First Recipient Is the First to Act

Occasion: Transcription of a khatira delivered on 3 March 2026 Source: A transcription of a video khatira by Dr. Ahmed Abouseif — Watch the original video on YouTube

This khatira is from the series on the "Ḥawāmīm," that is, the surahs that begin with "Ḥā Mīm." In it he referred to Sūrat Ghāfir and what it contains of Pharaoh and Mūsā, peace be upon him, then recited: ﴿فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُهُمْ إِيمَانُهُمْ لَمَّا رَأَوْا بَأْسَنَا﴾ (But their belief did not benefit them once they saw Our punishment) ﴿سُنَّتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ فِي عِبَادِهِ﴾ (The established way of Allah which has preceded among His servants).^[1]

A Book whose verses are set out in detail

Then he returned to Sūrat Fuṣṣilat and recited: ﴿كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ﴾ (A Book whose verses have been set out in detail as an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know, as a bearer of good tidings and a warner; but most of them turned away, so they do not hear), and he paused at "for a people who know" and "a bearer of good tidings and a warner," then mentioned their saying: ﴿قُلُوبُنَا فِي أَكِنَّةٍ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ﴾ (Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us).^[2]

"Say, I am only a man like you"

And he recited the Prophet's ﷺ answer: ﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَاسْتَقِيمُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ وَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ﴾ (Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom it is revealed that your god is one God; so take a straight course to Him and seek His forgiveness. And woe to the polytheists"), and he repeated it. Then he explained that his being a man like us does not mean that the first recipient of the message does not do what is asked of us; rather, he bears two burdens: the burden of receiving the message, and the burden of carrying out what he received and then conveying it to us. And he ﷺ is the first to pray, standing before the people, and the first to spend money in charity.^[3]

The polytheists and withholding zakat

Then he recited: ﴿وَوَيْلٌ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ﴾ (And woe to the polytheists, those who do not give zakat, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers), and he mentioned, in the context of zakat and charity: «الطُّهور شطر الإيمان» ("Purification is half of faith"), and «الصلاة نور، والصدقة برهان» ("Prayer is light, and charity is proof").^[4] Then he recited what comes after it: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمْنُونٍ﴾ (Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds will have a reward uninterrupted).

Then he recited the opening of the verses that follow ﴿قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِي يَوْمَيْنِ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ذَلِكَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ﴾ (Say, "Do you indeed disbelieve in He who created the earth in two days and attribute to Him equals? That is the Lord of the worlds") and what follows it up to His saying ﴿قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ﴾ (they said, "We have come willingly").

--- ^[1]: Editor's documentation: Sūrat Ghāfir, verse 85. It is not clear from the transcript what the speaker said at this point beyond the reference to Pharaoh and Mūsā, peace be upon him; what has been recorded is limited to the verse as far as it was uttered. ^[2]: Editor's documentation: Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verses 3–5. It is not clear what the speaker said in explaining "for a people who know." ^[3]: Editor's documentation: Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verse 6. This paragraph is taken from a garbled English passage in the transcript; what is clear from it is what has been recorded of the meaning of the two burdens and that he is the first of those who pray and the first of those who give charity, and the passage ended with an unintelligible phrase, which was omitted. ^[4]: Editor's documentation: Sūrat Fuṣṣilat, verses 7 and 8. The ḥadīth in this wording is in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, and it is a long ḥadīth. The speaker did not cite the ḥadīth with a chain of transmission in the transcript; the two phrases are recorded as they were uttered.