وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَسُولُهُمْ قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ (47)
(10:47) A Messenger is sent to every people; *55 and when their Messenger comes, the fate of that people is decided with full justice; they are subjected to no wrong. *56
*55). The Qur'anic expression ummah is not to be taken in the narrow sense in which the word 'nation' is used. The word ummah embraces all those who receive the message of a Messenger of God after his advent. Furthermore, this word embraces even those among whom no Messenger is physically alive, provided that they have received his message. All those who, after the advent of a Messenger, happen to live in an age when the teachings of that Messenger are extant or at least it is possible for people to know about what he had taught, constitute the ummah of that Messenger, Besides, all such people will be subject to the law mentioned here (see verse 47 and n. 56). In this respect all human beings who happen to live in the age which commences with the advent of Muhammad (peace be on him) onwards are his ummah and will continue to be so as long as the Qur'an is available in its pristine purity. Hence the verse does not say: 'Among every people there is a Messenger.' It rather says: 'There is a Messenger for every people.'
*56). When the message of a Messenger of God reaches a people the stage is set and they are left with no valid excuse for not believing. Everything has already been done to communicate the truth to these people and so all that remains is to wait for God's decision to inflict His punishment upon them. And so far as God's judgement is concerned, it is marked with absolute justice. All those who obey that Messenger and mend their behaviour are deemed worthy of God's mercy. On the contrary, those who reject his teaching are considered deserving of His punishment, depending on God's will, both in this world and the Hereafter.