Fatir: 35

Ayah

Word by Word

ٱلَّذِيٓ

The One Who

أَحَلَّنَا

has settled us

دَارَ

(in) a Home

ٱلۡمُقَامَةِ

(of) Eternity

مِن

(out) of

فَضۡلِهِۦ

His Bounty

لَا

Not

يَمَسُّنَا

touches us

فِيهَا

therein

نَصَبٞ

any fatigue

وَلَا

and not

يَمَسُّنَا

touches

فِيهَا

therein

لُغُوبٞ

weariness

Translation

"Who has, out of His Bounty, settled us in a Home that will last: no toil nor sense of weariness shall touch us therein."

Tafsir

The Qur'an is The true Book of Allah

Allah says:

وَالَّذِي أَوۡحَيۡنَا إِلَيۡكَ

And what We have revealed to you -- O Muhammad,

مِنَ الۡكِتَابِ

of the Book, i.e., the Qur'an ,

هُوَ الۡحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ

it is the (very) truth confirming that which was (revealed) before it.

means, of the previous books. It confirms them just as they bore witness to the coming of the Qur'an and that it would be sent down from the Lord of the worlds.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِ لَخَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ

Verily, Allah is indeed All-Aware and All-Seer of His servants.

means, He is All-Aware of them and knows who deserves to receive the blessing which He may give to him and not to others. The Prophets and the Messengers are favored above the rest of mankind, and some of the Prophets were given more than others and given higher status than others. The position given to Muhammad is higher than that of all the others, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon them all

The Inheritance of the Qur'an is of three kinds

Allah says:

ثُمَّ أَوۡرَثۡنَا الۡكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصۡطَفَيۡنَا مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا

Then We gave the Book as inheritance to such of Our servants whom We chose.

Allah says We made those who uphold the Book confirming what came before, the one whom We have chosen from among Our servants. They are this Ummah, who are divided into three types.'

Allah says:

فَمِنۡهُمۡ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفۡسِهِ

Then of them are some who wrong themselves,

these are the ones who are careless about doing some obligatory actions, and who commit some forbidden actions.

وَمِنۡهُم مُّقۡتَصِدٌ

and of them are some who follow a middle course,

these are the ones who fulfill their obligations and avoid things that are forbidden, but they may neglect some good deeds and do some things which are disliked.

وَمِنۡهُمۡ سَابِقٌ بِالۡخَيۡرَاتِ بِإِذۡنِ اللَّهِ

and of them are some who are, by Allah's leave, foremost in good deeds.

these are the ones who do obligatory actions and things which are encouraged, and who avoid doing unlawful and disliked actions, and avoid some actions which are permissible.

ذَلِكَ هُوَ الۡفَضۡلُ الۡكَبِيرُ

that is indeed a great grace.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah:

ثُمَّ أَوۡرَثۡنَا الۡكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصۡطَفَيۡنَا مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا

(Then We gave the Book as inheritance to such of Our servants whom We chose).

This refers to the Ummah of Muhammad. Allah caused it to inherit every Book that He had revealed; those who wrong themselves will be forgiven, those who follow a middle course will have an easy accounting, and those who are foremost in good deeds will enter Paradise without being brought to account.

Abu Al-Qasim At-Tabarani reported from Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah said one day:

شَفَاعَتِي لاَِهۡلِ الۡكَبَايِرِ مِنۡ أُمَّتِي

My intercession will be for those among my Ummah who commit major sins.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

Those who are foremost in good deeds will enter Paradise without being brought to account;

those who follow a middle course will enter Paradise by the mercy of Allah; and

those who wrong themselves and Ashab Al-A`raf will enter Paradise by the intercession of Muhammad.

It was also reported from a number of the Salaf that those among this Ummah who wrong themselves are still among those whom Allah has chosen, even though they are imperfect and fell short (by not adhering to the straight path).

Others said that those who wrong themselves are not part of this Ummah and are not among those whom Allah has chosen and who inherited the Book.

The correct view is that they are also part of this Ummah.

The Virtues of the Scholars

The scholars are the most fortunate of people with regard to this blessing, and the most entitled to this mercy.

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Qays bin Kathir said,

One of the people of Al-Madinah came to Abu Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, when he was in Damascus. (Abu Ad-Darda') said, `What brought you here, my brother?'

He said, `A Hadith which I heard that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah.'

He said, `Have you come for trade?'

He said, `No.'

He said, `Have you come for any other reason?'

He said, `No.'

He said, `Have you come only to seek this Hadith?'

He said, `Yes.'

He, may Allah be pleased with him said, `I heard the Messenger of Allah say:

مَنۡ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَطۡلُبُ فِيهَا عِلۡمًا سَلَكَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الۡجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الۡمَلَيِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجۡنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الۡعِلۡمِ وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُ لِلۡعَالِمِ مَنۡ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ حَتَّى الۡحِيتَانُ فِي الۡمَاءِ وَفَضۡلُ الۡعَالِمِ عَلَى الۡعَابِدِ كَفَضۡلِ الۡقَمَرِ عَلَى سَايِرِ الۡكَوَاكِبِ وَإِنَّ الۡعُلَمَاءَ هُمۡ وَرَثَةُ الاَۡنۡبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ الاَۡنۡبِيَاءَ لَمۡ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرۡهَمًا وَإِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الۡعِلۡمَ فَمَنۡ أَخَذَ بِهِ أَخَذَ بِحَظَ وَافِر

Whoever follows a path to seek knowledge, Allah will show him the way to Paradise. The angels lower their wings being pleased with the one who seeks knowledge. Whoever is in the heavens and on earth, even the fish in the sea, ask for forgiveness for the scholar. The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like that of the moon over all other heavenly bodies. The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, for the Prophets did not leave behind Dinars and Dirhams, but they left behind knowledge; and whoever receives it, receives an abundance of good fortune.'

It was also reported by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah

Allah says:

جَنَّاتُ عَدۡنٍ يَدۡخُلُونَهَا

`Adn (Gardens) will they enter,

Allah tells us that those whom He chose among His servants, those who inherited the Book which was revealed from the Lord of the worlds, will, on the Day of Resurrection, have an abode in Everlasting Gardens which they will enter on the Day when they are raised anew and meet Allah.

يُحَلَّوۡنَ فِيهَا مِنۡ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُوۡلُوًا

therein will they be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls,

It was recorded in the Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:

تَبۡلُغُ الۡحِلۡيَةُ مِنَ الۡمُوۡمِنِ حَيۡثُ يَبۡلُغُ الۡوَضُوء

The ornaments of the believer will reach as far as his Wudu'.

وَلِبَاسُهُمۡ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ

and their garments therein will be of silk.

For this reason it is forbidden for them (the males) in this world, but Allah will permit it for them in the Hereafter.

It was recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said:

مَنۡ لَبِسَ الۡحَرِيرَ فِي الدُّنۡيَا لَمۡ يَلۡبَسۡهُ فِي الاۡخِرَة

Whoever wears silk in this world, will not wear it in the Hereafter.

And he said:

هِيَ لَهُمۡ فِي الدُّنۡيَا وَلَكُمۡ فِي الاۡخِرَة

It is for them in this world, and for you in the Hereafter

وَقَالُوا الۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذۡهَبَ عَنَّا الۡحَزَنَ

And they will say:All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us (all) grief...

which means fear of everything that is feared; it has been lifted from us and we have been relieved of all that we used to fear of the anxieties of the world and the Hereafter.

إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

Verily, our Lord is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and others said,

He forgives them for their major sins, and appreciates even the smallest of their good deeds.

الَّذِي أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ الۡمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضۡلِهِ

Who, out of His grace, has lodged us in a home that will last forever,

means, `Who has given us this position and status out of His grace and blessing and mercy, for our good deeds are not equivalent to this.'

It was reported in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said:-

لَنۡ يُدۡخِلَ أَحَدًا مِنۡكُمۡ عَمَلُهُ الۡجَنَّة

None of you will enter Paradise by virtue of his good deeds.

They said, Not even you, O Messenger of Allah.

He said,

وَلَا أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنۡ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللهُ تَعَالَى بِرَحۡمَةٍ مِنۡهُ وَفَضۡل

Not even me, unless Allah encompasses me with His mercy and grace.

لَاا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلَاا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ

where toil will touch us not nor weariness will touch us.

means, neither hardship nor exhaustion will touch us.

The words translated here as toil and weariness both mean exhaustion, as if what is meant by the negation of both is that neither their bodies nor their souls will become exhausted; and Allah knows best.

They used to exhaust themselves in worshipping this world, but their obligations will come to an end when they enter Paradise, where they will enjoy eternal rest and repose.

Allah says:

كُلُواۡ وَاشۡرَبُواۡ هَنِييَاً بِمَأ أَسۡلَفۡتُمۡ فِى الاٌّيَّامِ الۡخَالِيَةِ

Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past! (69:24)