Saturday, December 17, 2016

Surah Al Qasas Notes (82-85)


Source: Ibn Kathir


His People learned a Lesson from Him being swallowed up

(82) And those who had desired (for a position like) his position the day before, began to say: "Know you not that it is Allah Who enlarges the provision or restricts it to whomsoever He pleases of His slaves. Had it not been that Allah was Gracious to us, He could have caused the earth to swallow us up (also)! Know you not that the disbelievers will never be successful.


(And those who had desired his position the day before,) means, those witnessed him with his finery and said:

(Those who were desirous of the life of the world, said: "Ah, would that we had the like of what Qarun has been given! Verily, he is the owner of a great fortune.'') When he was swallowed up in the earth, they began to say:

(Know you not that it is Allah Who expands the provision or restricts it to whomsoever He pleases of His servants.) Wealth does not indicate that Allah is pleased with its owner, for Allah gives and withholds, allows times of difficulty and times of ease, raises and lowers, His is the most complete wisdom and most convincing proof. 

According to a Hadith narrated by Ibn Mas`ud, (Allah has alloted character among you just as He has alloted your provision. Allah gives wealth to those whom He loves and those whom He does not love, but He gives Faith only to those whom He loves.)

(Had it not been that Allah was Gracious to us, He could have caused the earth to swallow us up!) meaning, `were it not for the kindness and grace of Allah towards us, we could have been swallowed up by the earth just as he was swallowed up, because we wanted to be like him.'


(Know you not that the disbelievers will never be successful.) He was a disbeliever, and the disbelievers will never be successful before Allah in this world or in the Hereafter.


The Blessings of the Hereafter for the humble Believers

(83) That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise), We shall assign to those who rebel not against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes. And the good end is for the Muttaqun.


Allah tells us that He has made the home of the Hereafter, and its eternal delights which will never change or fade away, for His believing, humble servants who do not rebel against the truth with pride and oppression in the land. They do not exalt themselves above the creatures of Allah, arrogantly oppressing them and spreading corruption among them. 

`Ikrimah said that this phrase referred to haughtiness and arrogance. 

Ibn Jurayj said:(those who do not want to exalt themselves in the land) "Arrogance and tyranny,

(nor cause corruption) committing sins.'' Ibn Jarir recorded that `Ali said, "If a man wants the straps of his sandals to be better than the straps of his companion's sandals, then he is one of those referred to in the Ayah,
(That is the home of the Hereafter, We shall assign to those who do not want to exalt themselves in the land nor cause corruption. And the good end is for those who have Taqwa.) This is understood to mean that if his intention is to show off and appear better than others, then that is to be condemned, 

as it was reported in the Sahih that the Prophet said: (It has been revealed to me that you should be humble to the extent that none of you boasts to others or mistreats others. ) But if a person simply likes to look good, then there is nothing wrong with that. It was recorded that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I like to have my garment looking good and my shoes looking good -- is this a kind of arrogance'' The Prophet said: (No, for Allah is beautiful and loves beauty...) 



(84) Whosoever brings good (Islamic Monotheism along with righteous deeds), he shall have the better thereof, and whosoever brings evil (polytheism along with evil deeds) then, those who do evil deeds will only be requited for what they used to do.


(Whosoever brings good,) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection,

(he shall have the better thereof;) meaning, the reward of Allah is better than the good deeds of His servant -- how can it not be, when Allah has multiplied it many times over This is the position of generosity. 

Then Allah says:

(and whosoever brings evil, then those who do evil deeds will only be requited for what they used to do.) 

This is like the Ayah,


(And whoever brings an evil deed, they will be cast down on their faces in the Fire. (And it will be said to them) "Are you being recompensed anything except what you used to do'') (27: 90). This is the postition of generosity and justice.



The Command to convey the Message of Tawhid

(85) Verily, He Who has given you (O Muhammad SAW) the Quran (i.e. ordered you to act on its laws and to preach it to others) will surely bring you back to the Ma'ad (place of return, either to Makkah or to Paradise after your death, etc.). Say (O Muhammad SAW): "My Lord is Aware of him who brings guidance, and he who is in manifest error."


Here Allah commands His Messenger to convey the Message and recite the Qur'an to people. He tells him that he will be brought back to the return, which is the Day of Resurrection, where he will be asked about the prophethood he was entrusted with. 

So Allah says:

(Verily, He Who has given you the Qur'an, will surely bring you back to the return.) meaning, `the One Who has commanded you to put it into practice among mankind,'

(will surely bring you back to the return.) `On the Day of Resurrection, where He will question you concerning that,' as Allah said:

(Then surely, We shall question those to whom it was sent and verily, We shall question the Messengers.) (7:6) 

 In his Tafsir of his Sahih, Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn `Abbas commented on the Ayah:

(will surely bring you back to the return.) "To Makkah.'' This was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in his Tafsir in his Sunan, and by Ibn Jarir. Al-`Awfi also reported from Ibn `Abbas that the phrase:

(will surely bring you back to the return.) means, "will surely bring you back to Makkah as He brought you out of it.'' Muhammad bin Ishaq recorded that Mujahid commented on:

(will surely bring you back to the return.) He said, "Back to your place of birth in Makkah.'' Ibn `Abbas is also reported to have interpreted it variously referring to death, to the Day of Resurrection which will come after death, and to Paradise which will be his reward and his destiny for putting the Message of Allah into practice and conveying it to the humans and Jinns, and because he is the most perfect, most eloquent and most noble of all the creation of Allah. Allah's saying:


(Say: "My Lord is Aware of him who brings guidance, and of him who is in manifest error.'') means: "Say, O Muhammad, to those among your people who oppose you and disbelieve you, among the idolators and those who follow them in their disbelief, `My Lord knows best which of us, you or I, is rightly guided, and you will come to know for which of us will be the (happy) end in the Hereafter, and for which of us will be a good end and victory in this world and in the Hereafter'.'' Then Allah reminds His Prophet the numerous blessings He granted to him and mankind by virtue of sending him to them.






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