Az-Zumar: 55

Ayah

Word by Word

وَٱتَّبِعُوٓاْ

And follow

أَحۡسَنَ

(the) best

مَآ

(of) what

أُنزِلَ

is revealed

إِلَيۡكُم

to you

مِّن

from

رَّبِّكُم

your Lord

مِّن

before

قَبۡلِ

before

أَن

[that]

يَأۡتِيَكُمُ

comes to you

ٱلۡعَذَابُ

the punishment

بَغۡتَةٗ

suddenly

وَأَنتُمۡ

while you

لَا

(do) not

تَشۡعُرُونَ

perceive

Translation

"And follow the best of (the courses) revealed to you from your Lord, before the Penalty comes on you - of a sudden while ye perceive not!-

Tafsir

The Call to repent before the Punishment comes

Allay says,

قُلۡ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوا مِن رَّحۡمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاِنَّهُ هُوَ الۡغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Say:O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This Ayah is a call to all sinners, be they disbelievers or others, to repent and turn to Allah. This Ayah tells us that Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, will forgive all the sins of those who repent to Him and turn back to Him, no matter what or how many his sins are, even if they are like the foam of the sea.

This cannot be interpreted as meaning that sins will be forgiven without repentance, because Shirk can only be forgiven for the one who repents from it.

Al-Bukhari recorded that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said that some of the people of Shirk killed many people and committed Zina (illegal sexual acts) to a great extent; they came to Muhammad and said,

What you are saying and calling us to is good; if only you could tell us that there is an expiation for what we have done.

Then the following Ayat were revealed:

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدۡعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَـهَا ءَاخَرَ وَلَا يَقۡتُلُونَ النَّفۡسَ الَّتِى حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالۡحَقِّ وَلَا يَزۡنُونَ

And those who invoke not any other god along with Allah, nor kill such person as Allah has forbidden, except for just cause, nor commit illegal sexual intercourse. (25:68)

Allay says,

قُلۡ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوا مِن رَّحۡمَةِ اللَّهِ

Say:O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah.

This was also recorded by Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i.

What is meant by the first Ayah (25:68) is:

إِلاَّ مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلً صَـلِحاً

Except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds, (25:70)

Imam Ahmad recorded that Asma' bint Yazid, said,

I heard the Messenger of Allah reciting,

إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيۡرُ صَـلِحٍ

(verily, his work is unrighteous) (11:46), and I heard him say:

Say:O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins He does not reckon him Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi.

All of these Hadiths indicate that what is meant is that Allah forgives all sins provided that a person repents. Additionally, one must not despair of the mercy of Allah even if his sins are many and great, for the door of repentance and mercy is expansive.

Allah says:

أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمُواۡ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ يَقۡبَلُ التَّوۡبَةَ عَنۡ عِبَادِهِ

Know they not that Allah accept repentance from His servants? (9:104)

وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ سُوءاً أَوۡ يَظۡلِمۡ نَفۡسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسۡتَغۡفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

And whoever does evil or wrongs himself but afterwards seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (4:110)

Concerning the hypocrites, Allah says:

إِنَّ الۡمُنَـفِقِينَ فِى الدَّرۡكِ الاٌّسۡفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ وَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُمۡ نَصِيراً إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواۡ وَأَصۡلَحُواۡ

Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth (grade) of the Fire; no helper will you find for them. Except those who repent, and do righteous good deeds, (4:145-146)

And Allah says:

لَّقَدۡ كَفَرَ الَّذِينَ قَالُواۡ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ثَـلِثُ ثَلَـثَةٍ وَمَا مِنۡ إِلَـهٍ إِلاَّ إِلَـهٌ وَحِدٌ وَإِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهُواۡ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ مِنۡهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Surely, disbelievers are those who said:Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity). But there is no god but One. And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the disbelievers among them. (5:73)

Then He says:

أَفَلَ يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَهُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Will they not turn in repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (5:74)

And Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُواۡ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ وَالۡمُوۡمِنَـتِ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَتُوبُواۡ

Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them), and then do not turn in repentance (to Allah). (85:10)

Al-Hasan Al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said,

Look at this generosity and kindness! They killed His close friends but He still called them to repentance and forgiveness.

There are many Ayat on this topic.

The Two Sahihs record the Hadith of Abu Sa`id, may Allah be pleased with him, from Messenger of Allah about the man who killed ninety-nine people.

Later on, he regretted it and asked a worshipper among the Children of Israel whether he could repent.

He told him no, so he killed him, thus completing one hundred.

Then he asked one of their scholars whether he could repent.

He said, What is stopping you from repenting? Then he told him to go to a town where Allah was worshipped.

He set out for that town, but death came to him while he was on the road. The angels of mercy and the angels of punishment disputed over him, so Allah commanded them to measure the distance between the two towns; whichever he was closer to was the one to which he belonged. They found that he was closer to the town he was heading for, so the angels of mercy took him.

It was said that when he was dying, he moved himself (towards that town), and Allah commanded the good town to move closer to him and the other town to move away. This is basic meaning of the Hadith; we have quoted it in full elsewhere.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah:

قُلۡ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوا مِن رَّحۡمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا

Say:O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah, verily, Allah forgives all sins...

Allah invites all to His forgiveness; those who claim that the Messiah is God, those who claim that the Messiah is the son of God, those who claim that `Uzayr is the son of God, those who claim that Allah is poor, those who claim that the Hand of Allah is tied up, and those who say that Allah is the third of three (Trinity). Allah says to all of these:

أَفَلَ يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَهُ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Will they not turn in repentance to Allah and ask His forgiveness For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (5:74)

And He calls to repentance the one who says something even worse than that, the one who says, `I am your Lord most high,' and says,

مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَكُمۡ مِّنۡ إِلَـهٍ غَيۡرِى

I know not that you have a god other than me. (28:38)

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

Anyone who makes the servants of Allah despair of His mercy after this, has rejected the Book of Allah, but a person cannot repent until Allah decrees that he should repent.

At-Tabarani recorded that Shutayr bin Shakal said, I heard Ibn Mas`ud say,

`The greatest Ayah in the Book of Allah is:

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الۡحَىُّ الۡقَيُّومُ

Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists, (2:255)

The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an concerning good and evil is:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِالۡعَدۡلِ وَالاۡحۡسَانِ

Verily, Allah enjoins justice and Al-Ihsan, (16:90)

The Ayah in the Qur'an which brings the most relief is in Surah Az-Zumar:

قُلۡ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسۡرَفُوا عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمۡ لَا تَقۡنَطُوا مِن رَّحۡمَةِ اللَّهِ

Say:O My servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah.

And the clearest Ayah in the Qur'an about reliance on Allah is:

وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجۡعَل لَّهُ مَخۡرَجاًوَيَرۡزُقۡهُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَحۡتَسِبُ

And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. (65:2-3)

Masruq said to him; `You have spoken the truth.'

Hadiths which tell us not to despair

Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

I heard the Messenger of Allah, say:

وَالَّذِي نَفۡسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡتُمۡ حَتۡى تَمۡلَاَ خَطَايَاكُمۡ مَا بَيۡنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالاۡاَرۡضِ ثُمَّ اسۡتَغۡفَرۡتُمُ اللهَ تَعَالَى لَغَفَرَ لَكُمۡ

وَالَّذِي نَفۡسُ مُحَمَّدٍبِيَدِهِ لَوۡ لَمۡ تُخۡطِيُوا لَجَاءَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِقَوۡمٍ يُخۡطِيُونَ ثُمَّ يَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ اللهَ فَيَغۡفِرُ لَهُم

By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, if you were to commit sin until your sins filled the space between heaven and earth, then you were to ask Allah for forgiveness, He would forgive you.

By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, if you did not commit sin, Allah would bring other people who would commit sins and then ask Allah for forgiveness so that He could forgive them.

This was recorded only by Ahmad.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Ayub Al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, said, as he was on his deathbed,

I have concealed something from you that I heard from the Messenger of Allah; he said:

لَوۡلَا أَنَّكُمۡ تُذۡنِبُونَ لَخَلَقَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَوۡمًا يُذۡنِبُونَ فَيَغۡفِرُ لَهُم

If you did not commit sins, Allah would create people who would sin so that He could forgive them.

This was recorded by Imam Ahmad; it was also recorded by Muslim in his Sahih, and by At-Tirmidhi.

Allah encourages His servants to hasten to repent, as He says:

وَأَنِيبُوا إِلَى رَبِّكُمۡ وَأَسۡلِمُوا لَهُ

And turn in repentance (and in obedience with true faith) to your Lord and submit to Him,

meaning, turn back to Allah and submit yourselves to Him.

مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ الۡعَذَابُ ثُمَّ لَا تُنصَرُونَ

before the torment comes upon you, (and) then you will not be helped.

means, hasten to repent and do righteous deeds before His wrath comes upon you

وَاتَّبِعُوا أَحۡسَنَ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُم

And follow the best of that which is sent down to you from your Lord,

means, the Qur'an.

مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَكُمُ العَذَابُ بَغۡتَةً وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَشۡعُرُونَ

before the torment comes on you suddenly while you perceive not!

means, without you realizing it

أَن تَقُولَ نَفۡسٌ يَا حَسۡرَتَى علَى مَا فَرَّطتُ فِي جَنبِ اللَّهِ

Lest a person should say:Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah...

means, on the Day of Resurrection, the sinner who neglected to repent and turn back to Allah will regret it, and will wish that he had been one of the righteous who obeyed Allah.

وَإِن كُنتُ لَمِنَ السَّاخِرِينَ

and I was indeed among those who mocked.

means, `my actions in this world were those of one who ridicules and makes fun, not of one who has firm faith and is sincere.'

أَوۡ تَقُولَ لَوۡ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هَدَانِي لَكُنتُ مِنَ الۡمُتَّقِينَ

أَوۡ تَقُولَ حِينَ تَرَى الۡعَذَابَ لَوۡ أَنَّ لِي كَرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ الۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

Or (lest) he should say:If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among those who have Taqwa . Or he should say when he sees the torment:If only I had another chance, then I should indeed be among the doers of good.

means, he will wish that he could go back to this world, so that he could do righteous deeds.

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

Allah tells us what His servants will say before they say it and what they will do before they do it. He says:

وَلَا يُنَبِّيُكَ مِثۡلُ خَبِيرٍ

And none can inform you like Him Who is the All-Knower, (35:14)

أَن تَقُولَ نَفۡسٌ يَا حَسۡرَتَى علَى مَا فَرَّطتُ فِي جَنبِ اللَّهِ وَإِن كُنتُ لَمِنَ السَّاخِرِينَ

أَوۡ تَقُولَ لَوۡ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هَدَانِي لَكُنتُ مِنَ الۡمُتَّقِينَ

أَوۡ تَقُولَ حِينَ تَرَى الۡعَذَابَ لَوۡ أَنَّ لِي كَرَّةً فَأَكُونَ مِنَ الۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

Lest a person should say:Alas, my grief that I was undutiful to Allah, and I was indeed among those who mocked. Or he should say:If only Allah had guided me, I should indeed have been among those who have Taqwa. Or he should say when he sees the torment:If only I had another chance, then I should indeed be among the doers of good.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, The Messenger of Allah said:

كُلُّ أَهۡلِ النَّارِ يَرَى مَقۡعَدَهُ مِنَ الۡجَنَّةِ فَيَقُولُ لَوۡ أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي فَتَكُونُ عَلَيۡهِ حَسۡرَةً قال وَكُلُّ أَهۡلِ الۡجَنَّةِ يَرَى مَقۡعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ فَيَقُولُ لَوۡلَا أَنَّ اللهَ هَدَانِي قال فَيَكُونُ لَهُ شُكۡرًا

Each of the people of Hell will be shown his place in Paradise and he will say, If only Allah had guided me! so it will be a source of regret for him.

And each of the people of Paradise will be shown his place in Hell and he will say, If it were not for the fact that Allah guided me, so it will be a cause of thanks.

It was also narrated by An-Nasa'i. When the sinners wish that they could return to this world so that they could believe the Ayat of Allah and follow His Messengers, Allah will say:

بَلَى قَدۡ جَاءتۡكَ ايَاتِي فَكَذَّبۡتَ بِهَا وَاسۡتَكۡبَرۡتَ وَكُنتَ مِنَ الۡكَافِرِينَ

Yes! Verily, there came to you My Ayat and you denied them, and were proud and were among the disbelievers.

meaning, `O you who regret what you did, My Ayat did come to you in the world, and My proof was established against you, but you rejected it and were too arrogant to follow it, and you were among those who disbelieved in it.

The Consequences for Those Who tell Lies against Allah and for Those Who have Taqwa

Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, some faces will be blackened and some will be whitened. The faces of those who followed splits and divisions will be blackened, and the faces of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah will be whitened.

Allah says here:

وَيَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ تَرَى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُواۡ عَلَى اللَّهِ

And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah,

meaning, by their claims that He had partners or offspring.

وُجُوهُهُم مُّسۡوَدَّةٌ

their faces will be black.

means, because of their lies and fabrications.

أَلَيۡسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثۡوًى لِّلۡمُتَكَبِّرِينَ

Is there not in Hell an abode for the arrogant!

means, is not Hell sufficient for them as a prison and humiliating final destination, because of their stubborn pride, arrogance and refusal to follow the trut

وَيُنَجِّي اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوا بِمَفَازَتِهِمۡ

And Allah will deliver those who are those who have Taqwa to their places of success.

means, because of what Allah has decreed for them of happiness and victory.

لَاا يَمَسُّهُمُ السُّوءُ

Evil shall touch them not,

means, on the Day of Resurrection.

وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ

nor shall they grieve.

means, the greater terror (of that Day) will not cause them grief, for they will be safe from all grief and removed from all evil, and they will attain all that is good

Allah is the Creator and Controller, and associating others in worship with Him cancels out Good Deeds

Allah tells,

اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ وَكِيلٌ

Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Trustee over all things.

Allah tells us that He is the Creator, Lord, Sovereign and Controller of all things; everything is subject to His dominion, power and guardianship

لَهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ

To Him belong the Maqalid of the heavens and the earth.

Mujahid said,

Maqalid means `keys' in Persian.

This was also the view of Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and Sufyan bin `Uyaynah.

As-Suddi said:

لَهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ

(To Him belong the Maqalid of the heavens and the earth),

The treasures of the heavens and the earth.

Both opinions mean that the control of all things is in the Hand of Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, for His is the dominion and to Him is the praise, and He is able to do all things.

He says:

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأيَاتِ اللَّهِ

And those who disbelieve in the Ayat of Allah,

meaning, His proof and evidence,

أُوۡلَيِكَ هُمُ الۡخَاسِرُونَ

such are they who will be the losers.

قُلۡ أَفَغَيۡرَ اللَّهِ تَأۡمُرُونِّي أَعۡبُدُ أَيُّهَا الۡجَاهِلُونَ

Say:

Do you order me to worship other than Allah O you fools!

The reason for the revelation of this Ayah was narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim and others from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that the idolators in their ignorance called the Messenger of Allah to worship their gods, then they would worship his God with him. Then these words were revealed:

قُلۡ أَفَغَيۡرَ اللَّهِ تَأۡمُرُونِّي أَعۡبُدُ أَيُّهَا الۡجَاهِلُونَ

وَلَقَدۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَ لَيِنۡ أَشۡرَكۡتَ لَيَحۡبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الۡخَاسِرِينَ

Say:Do you order me to worship other than Allah O you fools! And indeed it has been revealed to you, as it was to those before you:If you join others in worship with Allah, surely your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.

This is like the Ayah:

وَلَوۡ أَشۡرَكُواۡ لَحَبِطَ عَنۡهُمۡ مَّا كَانُواۡ يَعۡمَلُونَ

But if they had joined in worship others with Allah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them. (6:88)

بَلِ اللَّهَ فَاعۡبُدۡ وَكُن مِّنۡ الشَّاكِرِينَ

Nay! But worship Allah, and be among the grateful.

means, `you and those who follow you and believe in you should make your worship sincerely for Allah Alone, with no partner or associate.