( Source: Ibn Kathir )
(90) Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone - Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet SAW in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help, etc.): and forbids Al-Fahsha' (i.e all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right, etc.), and Al-Munkar (i.e all that is prohibited by Islamic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds, etc.), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression), He admonishes you, that you may take heed.
Allah tells us that He commands His servant to be just, i.e., fair and moderate, and that He encourages kindness and good treatment.
(and giving (help) to relatives,) meaning that Allah is commanding us to uphold the ties of kinship,
(and He forbids immoral sins, and evil) Fahsha' refers to all things that are forbidden, and Munkar refers to those forbidden deeds that are committed openly by the one who does them.
Baghy refers to aggression towards people. In a Hadith, the Prophet said: (There is no sin more deserving of having its punishment hastened in this world, as well as what is reserved in the Hereafter for the one who does it, than tyrannical aggression and cutting the ties of kinship.)
(He admonishes you,) meaning, He commands what He commands you of good and He forbids what He forbids you of evil;
(so that perhaps you may take heed) Ash-Sha`bi reported that Shatiyr bin Shakl said: "I heard Ibn Mas`ud say: `The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an is in Surat An-Nahl: (Verily, Allah enjoins justice and kindness...)''' It was reported by Ibn Jarir.
The Eyewitness Account of `Uthman
Concerning the revelation of this Ayah, Imam Ahmad reported a Hasan Hadith from `Abdullah bin `Abbas who said: "While the Messenger of Allah was sitting in the courtyard of his house, `Uthman bin Maz`un passed by and smiled at the Messenger of Allah .
The Messenger of Allah said to him, (Won't you sit down) He said, `Certainly.' So the Messenger of Allah sat facing him, and while they were talking, the Messenger of Allah began looking up at the sky, looking at it for a while, then he brought his gaze down until he was looking at the ground to his right. Then the Messenger of Allah turned slightly away from his companion `Uthman to where he was looking. Then he began to tilt his head as if trying to understand something, and Ibn Maz`un was looking on. When the matter was finished and he had understood what had been said to him, the Messenger of Allah stared at the sky again as he had the first time, looking at whatever he could see until it disappeared. Then he turned back to face `Uthman again. `Uthman said, `O Muhammad, I have never seen you do anything like you did today while I was sitting with you.'
The Messenger of Allah said: (What did you see me do) `Uthman said: `I saw you staring at the sky, then you lowered your gaze until you were looking to your right, then you turned to him and left me. Then you tilted your head as if you were trying to understand something that was being said to you.'
The Messenger of Allah said,(Did you notice that) `Uthman said, `Yes'. The Messenger of Allah said: (A messenger from Allah came to me just now, when you were sitting here.) `Uthman said, `A messenger from Allah' The Messenger of Allah said, (Yes.) `Uthman said, `And what did he say to you' The Messenger of Allah said: (Verily, Allah orders justice and kindness...) `Uthman said: `That was when faith was established in my heart and I began to love Muhammad .'' It is a Hasan Hadith having a good connected chain of narrators in which their hearing it from each other is clear.
(91) And fulfill the Covenant of Allah (Bai'a: pledge for Islam) when you have covenanted, and break not the oaths after you have confirmed them, and indeed you have appointed Allah your surety. Verily! Allah knows what you do.
This is one of the commands of Allah, to fulfill covenants, keep promises and to fulfill oaths after confirming them. Thus Allah says:
(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them) There is no conflict between this and the Ayat:
(And do not use Allah as an excuse in your oaths) ﴿2:224﴾
The Hadith reported in the Two Sahihs according to which the Prophet said: (By Allah, if Allah wills, I will not swear an oath and then realize that something else is better, but I do that which is better and find a way to free myself from the oath. According to another report he said: "and I offer penance for my oath. '')
(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them) because these are the kinds of oaths that have to do with covenants and promises, not the kind that have to do with urging oneself to do something or preventing him from doing something.
(Verily, Allah knows what you do.) This is a warning and a threat to those who break their oaths after confirming them.
The Command to be Fair and Kind
Allah tells us that He commands His servant to be just, i.e., fair and moderate, and that He encourages kindness and good treatment.
(and giving (help) to relatives,) meaning that Allah is commanding us to uphold the ties of kinship,
(and He forbids immoral sins, and evil) Fahsha' refers to all things that are forbidden, and Munkar refers to those forbidden deeds that are committed openly by the one who does them.
Baghy refers to aggression towards people. In a Hadith, the Prophet said: (There is no sin more deserving of having its punishment hastened in this world, as well as what is reserved in the Hereafter for the one who does it, than tyrannical aggression and cutting the ties of kinship.)
(He admonishes you,) meaning, He commands what He commands you of good and He forbids what He forbids you of evil;
(so that perhaps you may take heed) Ash-Sha`bi reported that Shatiyr bin Shakl said: "I heard Ibn Mas`ud say: `The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an is in Surat An-Nahl: (Verily, Allah enjoins justice and kindness...)''' It was reported by Ibn Jarir.
The Eyewitness Account of `Uthman
Concerning the revelation of this Ayah, Imam Ahmad reported a Hasan Hadith from `Abdullah bin `Abbas who said: "While the Messenger of Allah was sitting in the courtyard of his house, `Uthman bin Maz`un passed by and smiled at the Messenger of Allah .
The Messenger of Allah said to him, (Won't you sit down) He said, `Certainly.' So the Messenger of Allah sat facing him, and while they were talking, the Messenger of Allah began looking up at the sky, looking at it for a while, then he brought his gaze down until he was looking at the ground to his right. Then the Messenger of Allah turned slightly away from his companion `Uthman to where he was looking. Then he began to tilt his head as if trying to understand something, and Ibn Maz`un was looking on. When the matter was finished and he had understood what had been said to him, the Messenger of Allah stared at the sky again as he had the first time, looking at whatever he could see until it disappeared. Then he turned back to face `Uthman again. `Uthman said, `O Muhammad, I have never seen you do anything like you did today while I was sitting with you.'
The Messenger of Allah said: (What did you see me do) `Uthman said: `I saw you staring at the sky, then you lowered your gaze until you were looking to your right, then you turned to him and left me. Then you tilted your head as if you were trying to understand something that was being said to you.'
The Messenger of Allah said,(Did you notice that) `Uthman said, `Yes'. The Messenger of Allah said: (A messenger from Allah came to me just now, when you were sitting here.) `Uthman said, `A messenger from Allah' The Messenger of Allah said, (Yes.) `Uthman said, `And what did he say to you' The Messenger of Allah said: (Verily, Allah orders justice and kindness...) `Uthman said: `That was when faith was established in my heart and I began to love Muhammad .'' It is a Hasan Hadith having a good connected chain of narrators in which their hearing it from each other is clear.
The Command to fulfill the Covenant
This is one of the commands of Allah, to fulfill covenants, keep promises and to fulfill oaths after confirming them. Thus Allah says:
(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them) There is no conflict between this and the Ayat:
(And do not use Allah as an excuse in your oaths) ﴿2:224﴾
The Hadith reported in the Two Sahihs according to which the Prophet said: (By Allah, if Allah wills, I will not swear an oath and then realize that something else is better, but I do that which is better and find a way to free myself from the oath. According to another report he said: "and I offer penance for my oath. '')
(and do not break the oaths after you have confirmed them) because these are the kinds of oaths that have to do with covenants and promises, not the kind that have to do with urging oneself to do something or preventing him from doing something.
(Verily, Allah knows what you do.) This is a warning and a threat to those who break their oaths after confirming them.
No comments:
Post a Comment