فالفترة إنما هي الكف عن إظهار الأمر و النهي.
و اللغة تدل على ذلك يقال فتر فلان عن طلب فلان و فتر عن مطالبته و فتر عن حاجته و إنما ذلك تراخ عنه و كف لا بطلان الشخص و العين و منه قول الرجل أصابتني فترة أي ضعف.
و قد احتج قوم بقول الله عز و جل لِنَبِيِّهِ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْماً ما أَتاهُمْ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ و قول الله عز و جل وَ ما آتَيْناهُمْ مِنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَها وَ ما أَرْسَلْنا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ- فجعلوا هذا دليلا على أنه لم يكن بين عيسى ع و بين محمد ص نبي و لا رسول و لا حجة و هذا تأويل بين الخطإ لأن النذر إنما هم الرسل خاصة دون الأنبياء و الأوصياء لأن الله عز و جل يقول لِمُحَمَّدٍ ص إِنَّما أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ
وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ فالنذر هم الرسل و الأنبياء و الأوصياء هداة و في قوله عز و جل وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ دليل على أنه لم تخل الأرض من هداة في كل قوم و كل عصر تلزم العباد الحجة لله عز و جل بهم من الأنبياء و الأوصياء.
فالهداة من الأنبياء و الأوصياء لا يجوز انقطاعهم ما دام التكليف من الله عز و جل لازما للعباد لأنهم يؤدون عن النذر و جائز أن تنقطع النذر كما انقطعت بعد النبي ص فلا نذير بعده
Thus Fatara means not to express dos and don’ts. Arabic lexicology also proves this meaning. It is often said: So-and-so has ‘Fatara’ (given up) such-and-such need. Here it denotes giving up ones need not ones complete absence. Some people present two verses of Quran by way of argument. The first is:
That you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you.18
And the other verse is:
And We have not given them any books which they read, nor did We send to them before you a warner.19
Our opponents use these verses to prove that no prophet, messenger or Divine Proof came between Prophet Isa and the Holy Prophet (S). Actually they are misinterpreting these verses. They are talking about a warner and warners are only messengers and the word of warner is not used for prophets and successors. As the Almighty Allah says to the Holy Prophet (S):
You are only a warner and (there is) a guide for every people.20
Thus warners are only messengers and the prophets and successors are called guides. And the statement of Allah: ‘There is a guide for every people’ itself proves that the earth can never remain devoid of Divine Proof. It is necessary for the Almighty Allah to appoint prophets and Divine Proofs for the people of all time and of every community.
Thus for Allah, the Mighty and Sublime it was necessary that till the divine laws are binding on the people there should be uninterrupted guidance through prophets and successors as they will fulfill the duty of warning the people. Although it is possible that the series of warners may stop as was the case after Prophet Muhammad (S) and no warner came after him.
Commentary #4
فالفترة إنما هي الكف عن إظهار الأمر و النهي. و اللغة تدل على ذلك يقال فتر فلان عن طلب فلان و فتر عن مطالبته و فتر عن حاجته و إنما ذلك تراخ عنه و كف لا بطلان الشخص و العين و منه قول الرجل أصابتني فترة أي ضعف. و قد احتج قوم بقول الله عز و جل لِنَبِيِّهِ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْماً ما أَتاهُمْ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ و قول الله عز و جل وَ ما آتَيْناهُمْ مِنْ كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَها وَ ما أَرْسَلْنا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ- فجعلوا هذا دليلا على أنه لم يكن بين عيسى ع و بين محمد ص نبي و لا رسول و لا حجة و هذا تأويل بين الخطإ لأن النذر إنما هم الرسل خاصة دون الأنبياء و الأوصياء لأن الله عز و جل يقول لِمُحَمَّدٍ ص إِنَّما أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ فالنذر هم الرسل و الأنبياء و الأوصياء هداة و في قوله عز و جل وَ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ دليل على أنه لم تخل الأرض من هداة في كل قوم و كل عصر تلزم العباد الحجة لله عز و جل بهم من الأنبياء و الأوصياء. فالهداة من الأنبياء و الأوصياء لا يجوز انقطاعهم ما دام التكليف من الله عز و جل لازما للعباد لأنهم يؤدون عن النذر و جائز أن تنقطع النذر كما انقطعت بعد النبي ص فلا نذير بعده
Thus Fatara means not to express dos and don’ts. Arabic lexicology also proves this meaning. It is often said: So-and-so has ‘Fatara’ (given up) such-and-such need. Here it denotes giving up ones need not ones complete absence. Some people present two verses of Quran by way of argument. The first is: That you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you.18 And the other verse is: And We have not given them any books which they read, nor did We send to them before you a warner.19 Our opponents use these verses to prove that no prophet, messenger or Divine Proof came between Prophet Isa
and the Holy Prophet (S). Actually they are misinterpreting these verses. They are talking about a warner and warners are only messengers and the word of warner is not used for prophets and successors. As the Almighty Allah says to the Holy Prophet (S):
You are only a warner and (there is) a guide for every people.20
Thus warners are only messengers and the prophets and successors are called guides. And the statement of Allah: ‘There is a guide for every people’ itself proves that the earth can never remain devoid of Divine Proof. It is necessary for the Almighty Allah to appoint prophets and Divine Proofs for the people of all time and of every community.
Thus for Allah, the Mighty and Sublime it was necessary that till the divine laws are binding on the people there should be uninterrupted guidance through prophets and successors as they will fulfill the duty of warning the people. Although it is possible that the series of warners may stop as was the case after Prophet Muhammad (S) and no warner came after him.