مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ
You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in Yours, truly, You, only You, are the Knower of all that is hidden and unseen. Never did I say to them ought except what You (Allah) did command me to say... (and convey).
أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ
Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.
I only called them to what You sent me with and commanded me to convey to them,
أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ
(Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord) and this is what I conveyed to them,
.
وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ
And I was a witness over them while I dwelled amongst them,
I was a witness over what they did when I was amongst them.
فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
but when You took me (up), You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things.
Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded that Ibn Abbas said,
"The Messenger of Allah stood up once and gave us a speech in which he said,
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ مَحْشُورُونَ إِلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ حُفَاةً عُرَاةً غُرْلا
O people! You will be gathered to Allah while barefooted, naked and uncircumcised;
كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ
As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it. (21;104)
وَإِنَّ أَوَّلَ الْخَلَإيِقِ يُكْسَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِبْرَاهِيمُ أَلَاإ وَإِنَّهُ يُجَاءُ بِرِجَالٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي فَيُوْخَذُ بِهِمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ فَأَقُولُ أَصْحَابِي فَيُقَالُ إِنَّكَ لَاإ تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثُوا بَعْدَكَ فَأَقُولُ كَمَا قَالَ الْعَبْدُ الصَّالِح
The first among the creation who will be covered with clothes will be Ibrahim. Some men from my Ummah will be brought and taken to the left (to the Fire) and I will yell, `They are my followers!' It will be said, `You do not know what they innovated after you (in religion).' So I will say just as the righteous servant (`Isa) said,
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا أَمَرْتَنِي بِهِ أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبَّكُمْ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِي كُنتَ أَنتَ الرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنتَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
And I was a witness over them while I dwelled amongst them, but when You took me (up), You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. If You punish them, they are Your servants, and if You forgive them, verily You, only You are the Almighty, the All-Wise.
فَيُقَالُ إِنَّ هوُلَاءِ لَمْ يَزَالُوا مُرْتَدِّينَ عَلَى أَعْقَابِهِمْ مُنْذُ فَارَقْتَهُم
It will further be said, `These people kept reverting back on their heels after you left them."'
Al-Bukhari also recorded this Hadith in the explanation of this Ayah.
Allah said;
إِن تُعَذِّبْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ عِبَادُكَ وَإِن تَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ