Tafseer Verse number 10-18
The Command to be Patient with the Harms of the Disbelievers and a Discussion of what They will rece
Allah commands His Messenger to be patient with what the foolish who reject him among his people say. Allah also commands him to keep away from them in a nice way. This means in a way that is not blameworthy. Then Allah says to him, as a threat and a warning to his people – and He (Allah) is the Most Great, Whose anger nothing can stand before,
وَذَرْنِى وَالْمُكَذِّبِينَ أُوْلِى النَّعْمَةِ
(And leave Me alone to deal with the deniers, those who are in possession of good things of life.) meaning, `leave Me to deal with the rich rejectors, who own great wealth.’ For verily, they are more able to obey than others besides them, and they are requested to give the rights (to people) because they have what others do not have.
وَمَهِّلْهُمْ قَلِيلاً
(And give them respite for a little.) meaning, for a little while. This is as Allah says,
نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً ثُمَّ نَضْطَرُّهُمْ إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
(We let them enjoy for a little, then in the end We shall oblige them to (enter) a great torment.) (31:24) Thus, Allah says,
إِنَّ لَدَيْنَآ أَنكَالاً
(Verily, with Us are Ankal,) and these are fetters. Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Tawus, Muhammad bin Ka`b, `Abdullah bin Buraydah, Abu `Imran Al-Jawni, Abu Mijlaz, Ad-Dahhak, Hammad bin Abi Sulayman, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Ibn Al-Mubarak, Ath-Thawri and others have all said this.
وَجَحِيماً
(and Jahim.) This is a blazing fire.
وَطَعَاماً ذَا غُصَّةٍ
(And a food that chokes,) Ibn `Abbas said, “This means it will get stuck in the throat and it will not enter or come out.”
وَعَذَاباً أَلِيماًيَوْمَ تَرْجُفُ الاٌّرْضُ وَالْجِبَالُ
(and a painful torment. On the Day when the earth and the mountains will (Tarjuf) shake,) meaning, they will quake.
وَكَانَتِ الْجِبَالُ كَثِيباً مَّهِيلاً
(And the mountains will be a heap of sand poured out.) meaning, they will become like hills of sand after they had been firm rocks. Then they will be utterly destroyed and nothing will remain of them. This will occur until the entire earth becomes a flat land and no curvature will be seen in it. Thus, there will be no valleys and no hills. This means that no part of it will be low or elevated.
Your Messenger is like the Messenger to Fir`awn, and You know what happened to Fir`awn
Then addresses the disbelievers of the Quraysh, and along with them the rest of mankind,
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولاً شَـهِداً عَلَيْكُمْ
(Verily, We have sent to you a Messenger to be a witness over you,) meaning, witnessing your deeds.
إِنَّآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولاً شَـهِداً عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولاً – فَعَصَى فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَـهُ أَخْذاً وَبِيلاً
(as We did send a Messenger to Fir`awn. But Fir`awn disobeyed the Messenger; so We seized him with a severe punishment.)
أَخْذاً وَبِيلاً
(severe punishment) Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, As-Suddi, and Ath-Thawri said that this means severe. This means, `you should beware of denying this Messenger, lest you be afflicted by that which befell Fir`awn. Allah seized him with the seizing of One Mighty and Powerful.’ This is as Allah says,
فَأَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ نَكَالَ الاٌّخِرَةِ وَالاٍّوْلَى
(So Allah seized him with punishment for his last and first transgression.) (79:25) `Therefore, you will be even more deserving of destruction and ruin if you deny your Messenger, because your Messenger is more noble and a greater than Prophet Musa, the son of `Imran.’ This has been reported from Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid.
The Threat of the Day of Judgement
Allah says,
فَكَيْفَ تَتَّقُونَ إِن كَفَرْتُمْ يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَنَ شِيباً
(Then how can you proctect yourselves from the punishment, if you disbelieved, on a Day that will make the children gray-headed) Ibn Jarir quoted in the recitation of Ibn Mas`ud: “How can you, O people, fear a Day that makes the children grey-headed, if you disbelieve in Allah and do not testify to Him” So the first interpretation would mean, `how can you attain safety for yourselves from the Day of this great horror if you disbelieve’ It could imply the meaning, `how can you all attain piety if you disbelieve in the Day of Judgement and reject it.’ Both of these meanings are good. However, the first interpretation is closer to the truth. And Allah knows best. The meaning of Allah’s statement,
يَوْماً يَجْعَلُ الْوِلْدَنَ شِيباً
(On a Day that will make the children gray-headed) is that this will happen due to the severity of its horrors, its earth- quakes and its distur- bing confusion. This is when Allah will say to Adam, “Send a group to the Fire.” Adam will say, “How many” Allah will then reply, “From every thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine to the Fire, and one to Paradise.” Then Allah says,
السَّمَآءُ مُنفَطِرٌ بِهِ
(Whereon the heaven will be cleft asunder) Al-Hasan and Qatadah both said, “This means, because of it (the Day of Judge- ment), due to its severity and its horror.” Then Allah says,
كَانَ وَعْدُهُ مَفْعُولاً
(His promise is certainly to be accomplished.) meaning, the promise of this Day will be fulfilled. This means it will occur and there is no way around it, and it will come to pass and there is no avoiding it.
Tafseer Verse number 19-20
This is a Surah that Men of Sound Understanding receive Admonition from
Allah says,
إِنَّ هَـذِهِ
(Verily, this) meaning, this Surah.
تَذْكِرَةٌ
(an admonition,) meaning, men of understanding receive admonition from it. Thus, Allah says,
فَمَن شَآءَ اتَّخَذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلاً
(therefore whosoever wills, let him take a path to His Lord.) meaning, from those whom Allah wills that they be guided. This is similar to the stipulation that Allah mentions in another Surah,
وَمَا تَشَآءُونَ إِلاَّ أَن يَشَآءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيماً حَكِيماً
(But you cannot will, unless Allah wills. Verily Allah is Ever All-Knowing, Al-Wise.) (76:30)
Abrogation of the Obligation to offer the Night Prayer and a Mention of its Valid Excuses
Then Allah says,
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَى مِن ثُلُثَىِ الَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُ وَثُلُثَهُ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ
(Verily, your Lord knows that you do stand a little less than two-thirds of the night, or half the night, or a third of the night, and also a party of those with you.) meaning, sometimes like this and sometimes like that, and all of these are done unintentionally. However, you all are not able to be consistent with the night prayer Allah has commanded you, because it is difficult for you. Thus, Allah says,
وَاللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ الَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ
(And Allah measures the night and the day.) meaning, sometimes the night and day are equal, and sometimes one of them will be longer or shorter than the other.
عَلِمَ أَلَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ
(He knows that you are unable to pray the whole night,) meaning, the obligation which He prescribed for you.
مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ عَلِمَ
(So, recite you of the Qur’an as much as may be easy.) meaning, without specification of any set time. This means, stand and pray during the night as much as is easy (for you). Allah uses the term recitation (Qira’ah) to mean prayer (Salah). This is as Allah says in Surah Subhan (Al-Isra’),
وَلاَ تَجْهَرْ بِصَلاتِكَ
(And offer your Salah neither aloud) (17:110) meaning, your recitation.
وَلاَ تُخَافِتْ بِهَا
(Nor in low voice.) (17:110) Then Allah says,
أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُمْ مَّرْضَى وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَاقْرَءُواْ
(He knows that there will be some among you sick, others traveling through the land, seeking of Allah’s bounty, yet others fighting in Allah’s cause.) meaning, He knows that there will be people of this nation who will have excuses for not praying the (voluntary) night prayer. They are those who are ill and therefore they are not able to perform it, and those who are traveling in the land seeking the bounty of Allah in business and trade, and others who will be busy with that which is more important to them. An example of this is going on expeditions to fight in the way of Allah. This Ayah, rather, this entire Surah was revealed in Makkah even though fighting was not legislated until after it was revealed. Thus, it is among the greatest of the signs of prophethood, because it informs about unseen matters of the future. Thus, Allah says,
مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ
(So recite as much of the Qur’an as may be easy,) meaning, stand and pray at night whatever is easy for you to do of it. Allah said;
وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلوةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَوةَ
(and perform Salah and give Zakah,) meaning, establish your obligatory prayers and pay your obligatory Zakah. This is a proof for those who say that Zakah was made obligatory in Makkah, but the various amounts of Nisab and how much was to be given was clarified in Al-Madinah. And Allah knows best. Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others from the Salaf have said, “Verily, this Ayah abrogated the standing for prayer at night that Allah previously made obligatory for the Muslims.” It has been confirmed in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to a man,
«خَمْسُ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي الْيَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَة»
(Five obligatory prayers during a day and a night (are obligatory).)” The man said, “Is there anything other than this (of prayer) that is obligatory upon me” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied,
«لَا، إِلَّا أَنْ تَطَوَّع»
(No, except what you may do voluntarily.)
The Command to give Charity and do Good Deeds
Allah says,
اللَّهَ قَرْضاً حَسَناً وَمَا
(and lend to Allah a handsome loan.) meaning, from charitable donations. For verily, Allah will reward for this the best and most abundant of rewards. This is as Allah says,
مَّن ذَا الَّذِى يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً
(Who is he that will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it to him many times) (2:245) Then Allah says,
تُقَدِّمُواْ لاًّنفُسِكُمْ مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْراً وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْراً وَاسْتَغْفِرُواْ
(And whatever good you send before you for yourselves, you will certainly find it with Allah, better and greater in reward.) meaning, for all that you send before yourselves, you will get it (back) and it will be better than what you kept for yourselves in the worldly life. Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la Al-Mawsili reported from Al-Harith bin Suwayd, from `Abdullah that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«أَيُّكُمْ مَالُهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ مَالِ وَارِثِهِ؟»
(Which of you hold his wealth to be more beloved to him than the wealth of his heir) rThey said, “O Messenger of Allah! There is not a single one of us who does not hold his wealth to be more beloved to him than the wealth of his heir.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said,
«اعْلَمُوا مَا تَقُولُون»
(Know what you are saying!) They replied, “What do we know other than this, O Messenger of Allah” He then said,
«إِنَّمَا مَالُ أَحَدِكُمْ مَا قَدَّمَ، وَمَالُ وَارِثِهِ مَا أَخَّر»
(The wealth of one of you is only that which he sends forth, and the wealth of his heir is that which he leaves behind.) Al-Bukhari also recorded this Hadith. Then Allah says,
وَاسْتَغْفِرُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
(And seek forgiveness of Allah. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.) meaning, remember Him and seek forgiveness from Him often for all of your matters. For verily, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful to whoever seeks His forgiveness. This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Muzzammil, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.
END