The human deeds are collected and if they have a negative aspect or disputes then they result in being rewarded Hell. This is the reason that the frivolous deeds are destroyed. But if the true possibilities are kept in the proper perspective and place then this world would resemble Paradise. Secondly mankind is unable to balance the disputes found in his society and this is due to his failings, and the limitation of his knowledge. The vanity and ego prevent them from accepting each others view point and decisions or view in all spheres of life.

But the apostles of God are the fountainheads of His unlimited knowledge and human knowledge cannot be compared to it, are the best judge for these disputes.

The scholar has limited knowledge and he is incapable of solving disputes among the people but this can be done under the guidance of the apostles of God.

The 9th verse says:

“We sent Messengers to convey glad tidings and to warn, so that there exists to doubt among the people about God after the coming of the Messengers, and God is Mighty, Wise.”

According to Raghib in Mafuradat the word “Ummah” includes all groups of people with their deeds but their religion and time or place should be the same though their deeds may be voluntary or under compulsion. The plural of “Ummah” is “Umam”.

This word has also been used to denote faith as in verse 22-23 of Zukhruf

That says, “Nay! They say, “We found our fathers following a certain religion and we do guide ourselves by their footstep. 23. Just in the same way, whenever We sent a warner before you to any people , the wealthy among them said, “ We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we will certainly follow in their footsteps.”

And sometimes this is used to denote the core of a certain time as in verse

 45 of Surah Yusuf that says:

“But the man who had been released among the two (who had been in prison) who now remembered him after (so long) a space of time, said, “I will tell you the truth of its interpretation; send me there”

Verse 8 of Surah Huod says:

“If we delay the chastisement for them for a definite term, they are sure to say, “What keeps it back?’ Ah! On the day it (actually) reaches them, nothing will turn it away from them and they will be completely encircled by that which they used to mock.”

The Ummah referred to in this verse is singular but which nation existed at the beginning of creation? What was their faith?

The commentators have debated this point extensively and three views are found about it.

The First: That nation was a guided one and the guidance came from God. The disputes arose among them because of limited knowledge and this happened because they were wary of the commandments of God intellectually. God therefore sent His apostles among them to save them from the hardships caused by their ignorance and limited knowledge and to solve all disputes.

But the disputes kept arising and they were miserliness, oppression and mischief. The true believers were guided by God and they traversed the straight path while others perished in the darkness of their disputes.

According to this commentary the “Ummah Wahida” was the one that initially declared it to believe in the truth but due to human nature they also had disputes among them. The apostles then declared the end of these disputes with the help of the revelations that had no scope for errors. Miserliness, vanity and other things were the causes of disputes in the society and no one could overcome them except the true believers.

The proof of it is the clash of vanities as hinted by the verse and this was the cause of the establishment of the missions of the apostles to eradicate such disputes. These disputes arose after the revelations of the divine books so according to some commentators the first Ummah had already gone astray and id not believe in God. Here also the verse and the nature of mankind which is monotheist as explained by the Qura’n had no compatibility.

Qura’n has refereed to the people at the time of its revelation as “Ummah Wahida”. Some people opine that it speaks about the people who lived before the apostle Noah and after Adam. Then this society of people was the one that came into existence after Adam and they were  the believing monotheists but later some among them fell prey to polytheism because of ignorance and this prepared the path for the ministry of Noah.

Cain (Qabeel) has been taken as an exception and not included in Ummah Wahida. There are different views about this but after all the discussion we realize that the establishment of the ministry of the apostles was for the purpose of eradicating disputes. It is no secret that these disputes are the result of vanity, miserliness and pride and can only be eradicated through the teachings of the apostles.