In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said: [وَٱلَّذِینَ إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِـَٔایَـٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ لَمۡ یَخِرُّوا۟ عَلَیۡهَا صُمࣰّا وَعُمۡیَانࣰا – And those who, when they are reminded of the Signs of their Lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat]. [Surah Al-Furqan. Aayah 73]

The one who gives the reminder is not made known, so it includes everyone who gives reminder; and to show that their acceptance of reminder is not due to the specific person who gives the reminder, because there are people who do not accept the truth except from a specific person. If it comes from another person, he does not not accept it, such as what the People of the Scripture did to the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him], and also other than them. They do not accept the truth except from a specific group or a specific person. Allaah said:

[وَلَئِنْ أَتَيْتَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ بِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مَا تَبِعُوا قِبْلَتَكَ – And even if you were to bring to the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) all the Signs, they would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direction)]. [Surah Al-Baqarah. Aayah 145]

So here (in this Aayah), Allaah said: [إِذَا ذُكِّرُوا – And those who, when they are reminded].

The one who gives the reminder is not made known, which shows that they accept the truth because it is the truth- not due to who says it. They do not accept or reject reminder due to the specific person who gives the reminder, but rather they accept it because it is a reminder. This is the Faa’idah behind not mentioning the doer of the action (i.e. the one who gives the reminder). (1)

The Reasons That Might Prevent a Person From Accepting Truth From Specific Individuals

Al-Allaamah Abdur Rahmaan Bin Yahyah Al-Mu’allimee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated:

It may be that a person is upon ignorance or falsehood, then another person comes along and clarifies the proofs for him, so he sees that by acknowledging such proofs, it would necessitate that he is lacking (in understanding) and that it was that person who guided him. And due to this we find that it is not difficult for some of those attributed to knowledge to acknowledge their mistakes when it becomes manifests to them in their researches and studies, but it becomes difficult for them if it was others who clarified such mistakes. When another person clarifies the truth for him, he sees that by acknowledging such truth it would necessitate an acknowledgement of the clarifier’s virtue, knowledge and correctness due to that clarification, and thus that becomes great in the eyes of the people and many people follow him [i.e. the person who clarified the truth]. So you will find some of those attributed to knowledge being eager to prove the mistakes of other scholars even if that is done by way of falsehood due to envy and seeking to diminish their status amongst the people. (2)

The Shaikh also stated regarding that which should make a person give precedence to truth over falsehood:

Ponder on the fact that truth is noble and falsehood is lowly. Ponder on the Greatness of Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic]- the fact that Allaah is the Lord of the entire universe, Allaah loves truth and hates falsehood, and that the one who follows truth is deserving of the Pleasure of the Lord of the universe. Allaah [Glorified be He] will be his protector in the worldly life and the Afterlife by choosing for him everything that is good, better, more beneficial, more perfect, more noble and loftier until Allaah removes his soul whilst being pleased with him. Then Allaah raises him, brings him close and makes him dwell in paradise with honour- in permanent bliss and eternal nobility which no imagination can fully conceive its greatness. He should ponder on the fact that the one who clings to falsehood is deserving of the displeasure, anger and punishment of the Lord of the universe, and if he receives anything of worldly bliss, then indeed that is only a means of humiliating him in order that he is increased in being distanced from Allaah, so that the painful torment of the afterlife is multiplied for him, which no imagination can fully conceive its severity. He should ponder on the bliss of the worldly life [i.e. temporary] as compared to the pleasure of the Lord of the universe and the bliss in the afterlife [i.e. eternal], compare the misery of the worldly life to displeasure of the Lord of the universe and the punishment in the afterlife [i.e. the severest punishment in this life is nowhere equal to punishment in the afterlife]. He should ponder on the statement of Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic]:

وَقَالُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ عَلَىٰ رَجُلٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡقَرۡيَتَيۡنِ عَظِيمٍ
أَهُمۡ يَقۡسِمُونَ رَحۡمَتَ رَبِّكَ‌ۚ نَحۡنُ قَسَمۡنَا بَيۡنَہُم مَّعِيشَتَہُمۡ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۚ وَرَفَعۡنَا بَعۡضَہُمۡ فَوۡقَ بَعۡضٍ۬ دَرَجَـٰتٍ۬ لِّيَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُہُم بَعۡضً۬ا سُخۡرِيًّ۬ا‌ۗ وَرَحۡمَتُ رَبِّكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ مِّمَّا يَجۡمَعُونَ
وَلَوۡلَآ أَن يَكُونَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ لَّجَعَلۡنَا لِمَن يَكۡفُرُ بِٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ لِبُيُوتِہِمۡ سُقُفً۬ا مِّن فِضَّةٍ۬ وَمَعَارِجَ عَلَيۡہَا يَظۡهَرُونَ
وَلِبُيُوتِہِمۡ أَبۡوَٲبً۬ا وَسُرُرًا عَلَيۡہَا يَتَّكِـُٔونَ
وَزُخۡرُفً۬ا‌ۚ وَإِن ڪُلُّ ذَٲلِكَ لَمَّا مَتَـٰعُ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا‌ۚ وَٱلۡأَخِرَةُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ

And they say: “Why is not this Qur’an sent down to some great man of the two towns (Makkah and Ta’if)?” Is it they who would portion out the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood in this world, and We raised some of them above others in ranks, so that some may employ others in their work. But the Mercy (Paradise) of your Lord (O Muhammad) is better than the (wealth of this world) which they amass. And were it not that all mankind would have become of one community (all disbelievers, desiring worldly life only), We would have provided for those who disbelieve in the Most Beneficent (Allah), silver roofs for their houses, and elevators (and stair-ways, etc. of silver) whereby they ascend, and for their houses, doors (of silver), and thrones (of silver) on which they could recline, and adornments of gold. Yet all this (i.e. the roofs, doors, stairs, elevators, thrones etc. of their houses) would have been nothing but an enjoyment of this world. And the Hereafter with your Lord is only for the Muttaqun”. [Surah Az-Zuhkruf. Verses 31-35] (3)

Ibnul Arabi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said:

Muhammad Bin Qaasim Al-Uthmaanee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] told me more than once: “I arrived in Fustat one day, then I went to the gathering of Shaikh Abee Al-Fadl Al-Jawharee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] and there I witnessed a statement that he uttered to the people. And that which he stated – in the first gathering when I sat with him – was that :The Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] طلق – i.e. he did divorce, ظاهر – i.e. he did utter the statement to a wife, ‘You are like my mother’s back’, and آلى – i.e. he made an oath to abandon his wives for a month”.

When he (i.e. Shaikh Abee Al-Fadl Al-Jawharee) left, I followed him until I reached his house with a group of people; then he sat with us in the vestibule and acquainted them with my affair because he saw a stranger [i.e. I (Muhammad Bin Qaasim)] and did not know the person among those who came to him before. When most of them departed from him, he said to me, “I see that you are a stranger; do you have anything to say?” I said, “Yes”. He said to his companions, “Excuse him from having to speak in your presence”, so, they got up and I stayed alone with him. I said to him, “I attended your gathering today so that Allaah may bless me (with some the knowledge you possess), and I heard you say, ‘Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] آلى – i.e. he once made an oath to abandon his wives for a month and what you said was true; طلق – i.e. he did divorce women, and what you said was true; and you said that Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] ظاهر i.e. he did utter the statement to a wife, ‘You are like my mother’s back’ , but this never happened and can never be correct to say that it happened, because indeed Az-Zihaar [i.e. to say to one’s wife, ‘You are like my mother’s back’ (i.e. unlawful for me to approach)] is an evil statement and false speech, and this can never be uttered by the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him]”. (see footnote a) He hugged and kissed my forehead, and said, “I repent from this statement. May Allaah reward you on my behalf as a good teacher”.

I departed from his presence, and the next day I went early to his gathering; but he was in the Central Mosque before me and was sitting on the pulpit. When I entered the Masjid and thus he saw me, he called out at the top of his voice (saying), “Welcome, my teacher. Make room for my teacher”. So, the people turned towards me and the eyes stared at me! O Abu Bakr! And you know me – meaning, he (i.e. Muhammad Bin Qaasim Al-Uthmaanee) was indicating to Ibnul Arabi about his extreme shy character, because when someone greeted him by surprise, he would feel shy – due to his extreme shyness – and turned red as if his face was painted with Gulnaar (pomegranate blossom). He (i.e. Muhammad Bin Qaasim) continued, “People hastened towards me, raising their hands towards me (i.e. acknowledging me) and nudging me until I reached the pulpit, and I did not know in which part of the earth I was due to my extreme shyness (i.e. shocked), whilst the Masjid was overcrowded with people and I sweated due to shyness. Then the Shaikh turned towards the people and said to them, ‘I am your teacher and this is my teacher! Yesterday, I told you that Allaah’s Messenger آلى – i.e. he once made an oath to abandon his wives for a month; طلق – i.e. he did divorce women, and ظاهر i.e. he once uttered the statement to a wife, ‘You are like my mother’s back’, and neither did a single one of you give me the correct understanding nor respond to me; but he (i.e. Muhammad Bin Qaasim) followed me to my house and said such and such to me. I repeat (i.e. right now) what took place between him and I, repent from my yesterday’s statement and return to the truth. Whoever hears it from those who were present, let him not rely on what he says, and let the one who is present convey this affair to the one who is absent. May Allaah reward him with good’”. Then he (i.e. Shaikh Abee Al-Fadl) started supplicating a lot and the people responded with Aameen.

Ibnul Arabi stated – after narrating this incident- “So look – may Allah have mercy upon you – at this firm adherence to the religion and an acknowledgement of the people of knowledge given by this man – whose leadership was manifest and whose worth was well known- to a stranger whom he neither knew nor where he came from! Follow his example and you’ll be led aright”. (4)

We ask Allaah to remove all the obstacles and barriers that prevents a person from accepting truth regardless who utters it and wherever it may come from Aameen.

[Ref 1: An Excerpt from Tafseer Surah Al-Furqan – By Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy upon him). Slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 2: An excerpt from ‘At-Tankeel Bimaa Fee Ta’need Al-Kawthariy Minal Baatil’ 2/180-181 with the checking of Imaam Albaanee (rahimahullaah). Slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 3: An Excerpt from Aathaar Ash-Shaykh Abdur Rahmaan Bin Yahyah Al-Mu’allimee Vol 11. Page 309. Slightly paraphrased] [Publisher: Daar Aalam Al-Fawaa’id. 3rd Edition 1434AH]

[Ref 4: Ahkaam Al-Qur’aan 1/248-249]