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Ayah
Word by Word
وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ
And hold firmly
بِحَبۡلِ
to (the) rope
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
جَمِيعٗا
all together
وَلَا
and (do) not
تَفَرَّقُواْۚ
be divided
وَٱذۡكُرُواْ
And remember
نِعۡمَتَ
(the) Favor
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
on you
إِذۡ
when
كُنتُمۡ
you were
أَعۡدَآءٗ
enemies
فَأَلَّفَ
then He made friendship
بَيۡنَ
between
قُلُوبِكُمۡ
your hearts
فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم
then you became
بِنِعۡمَتِهِۦٓ
by His Favor
إِخۡوَٰنٗا
brothers
وَكُنتُمۡ
And you were
عَلَىٰ
on
شَفَا
(the) brink
حُفۡرَةٖ
(of) pit
مِّنَ
of
ٱلنَّارِ
the Fire
فَأَنقَذَكُم
then He saved you
مِّنۡهَاۗ
from it
كَذَٰلِكَ
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
لَكُمۡ
for you
ءَايَٰتِهِۦ
His Verses
لَعَلَّكُمۡ
so that you may
تَهۡتَدُونَ
(be) guided
وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ
And hold firmly
بِحَبۡلِ
to (the) rope
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
جَمِيعٗا
all together
وَلَا
and (do) not
تَفَرَّقُواْۚ
be divided
وَٱذۡكُرُواْ
And remember
نِعۡمَتَ
(the) Favor
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
عَلَيۡكُمۡ
on you
إِذۡ
when
كُنتُمۡ
you were
أَعۡدَآءٗ
enemies
فَأَلَّفَ
then He made friendship
بَيۡنَ
between
قُلُوبِكُمۡ
your hearts
فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم
then you became
بِنِعۡمَتِهِۦٓ
by His Favor
إِخۡوَٰنٗا
brothers
وَكُنتُمۡ
And you were
عَلَىٰ
on
شَفَا
(the) brink
حُفۡرَةٖ
(of) pit
مِّنَ
of
ٱلنَّارِ
the Fire
فَأَنقَذَكُم
then He saved you
مِّنۡهَاۗ
from it
كَذَٰلِكَ
Thus
يُبَيِّنُ
makes clear
ٱللَّهُ
Allah
لَكُمۡ
for you
ءَايَٰتِهِۦ
His Verses
لَعَلَّكُمۡ
so that you may
تَهۡتَدُونَ
(be) guided
Translation
And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favour on you; for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren; and ye were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus doth Allah make His Signs clear to you: That ye may be guided.
Tafsir
And hold fast to, clutch, God's bond, namely, His religion, together, and do not scatter, after submitting [to Islam]; remember God's grace, His bestowing of favours, upon you, O companies of the Aws and the Khazraj, when you were enemies, and He brought your hearts together, through Islam, so that by His grace you became brothers, in religion and comradeship; and you were upon the brink, the edge, of a pit of fire, such that to fall into it you only had to die disbelieving; but He delivered you from it, through belief. So, just as He has made clear for you what has been mentioned, God makes clear to you His signs that you might be guided.
"Meaning of `Taqwa of Allah
Allah says,
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواۡ اتَّقُواۡ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ
O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due,
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud commented on the Ayah,
اتَّقُواۡ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ
(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due),
""That He is obeyed and not defied, remembered and not forgotten and appreciated and not unappreciated.""
This has an authentic chain of narration to Abdullah bin Mas`ud.
Al-Hakim collected this Hadith in his Mustadrak, from Ibn Mas`ud, who related it to the Prophet.
Al-Hakim said, ""It is authentic according to the criteria of the Two Sheikhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim), and they did not record it.""
This is what he said, but it appears that it is only a statement of Abdullah bin Mas`ud, and Allah knows best.
It was also reported that Anas said,
""The servant will not have Taqwa of Allah as is His due until he keeps his tongue idle.""
Allah's statement,
وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ
and die not except as (true) Muslims.
means, preserve your Islam while you are well and safe, so that you die as a Muslim.
The Most Generous Allah has made it His decision that whatever state one lives in, that is what he dies upon and is resurrected upon. We seek refuge from dying on other than Islam.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Mujahid said,
""The people were circling around the Sacred House when Ibn Abbas was sitting, holding a bent-handled walking stick. Ibn Abbas said, The Messenger of Allah (recited)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُواۡ اتَّقُواۡ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسۡلِمُونَ
(Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due, die not except as (true) Muslims) then he said;
وَلَوۡ أَنَّ قَطۡرَةً مِنَ الزَّقُّومِ قُطِرَتۡ لَاَمَرَّتۡ عَلى أَهۡلِ الاۡرۡضِ عِيشَتَهُمۡ فَكَيۡفَ بِمَنۡ لَيۡسَ لَهُ طَعَامٌ إِلاَّ الزَّقُّومُ
Verily, if a drop of Zaqqum (a tree in Hell) falls, it will spoil life for the people of earth. What about those whose food is only from Zaqqum?""
This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Al-Hakim his Mustadrak.
At-Tirmidhi said, ""Hasan Sahih,"" while Al-Hakim said; ""It meets the conditions of the Two Sahihs and they did not record it.""
Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said that;
three nights before the Messenger of Allah died he heard him saying;
لَاا يَمُوتَنَّ أَحَدُكُمۡ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يُحۡسِنُ الظَّنَّ بِاللهِ عَزَّ وَجَل
None of you should die except while having sincere trust in Allah, the Exalted and Most Honorable.
Muslim also recorded it.
The Two Sahihs record that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
يَقُولُ اللهُ أَنَا عِنۡدَ ظَنِّ عَبۡدِي بِي
Allah said, ""I am as My servant thinks of Me.""
The Necessity of Holding to the Path of Allah and the Community of the Believers
Allah said next
وَاعۡتَصِمُواۡ بِحَبۡلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواۡ
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves.
It was said that,
بِحَبۡلِ اللّهِ
(to the Rope of Allah),
refers to Allah's covenant, just as Allah said in the following Ayah,
ضُرِبَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيۡنَ مَا ثُقِفُواۡ إِلاَّ بِحَبۡلٍ مِّنۡ اللّهِ وَحَبۡلٍ مِّنَ النَّاسِ
(Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men); (3:112) in reference to pledges and peace treaties.
Allah's statement
وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواۡ
(and be not divided among yourselves),
orders sticking to the community of the believers and forbids division.
There are several Hadiths that require adhering to the Jama`ah (congregation of believers) and prohibit division.
Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِنَّ اللهَ يَرۡضَى لَكُمۡ ثَلَثًا وَيَسۡخَطُ لَكُمۡ ثَلَثًا
يَرۡضَى لَكُمۡ
أَنۡ تَعۡبُدُوهُ وَلَا تُشۡرِكُوا بِهِ شَيۡيًا
وَأَنۡ تَعۡتَصِمُوا بِحَبۡلِ اللهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَاأ تَفَرَّقُوا
وَأَنۡ تَنَاصَحُوا مَنۡ وَلاَّهُ اللهُ أَمۡرَكُمۡ
وَيَسۡخَطُ لَكُمۡ ثَلَثًا
قِيلَ وَقَالَ
وَكَثۡرَةَ السُّوَالِ
وَإِضَاعَةَ الۡمَال
It pleases Allah for you to acquire three qualities and displeases Him that you acquire three characteristics.
It pleases Him that;
you worship Him Alone and not associate anything or anyone with Him in worship,
that you hold on to the Rope of Allah altogether and do not divide, and
that you advise whoever Allah appoints as your Leader.
The three that displease Him are that;
you say, `It was said,' and, `So-and-so said,'
asking many unnecessary questions and
wasting money.
Allah said,
وَاذۡكُرُواۡ نِعۡمَةَ اللّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ كُنتُمۡ أَعۡدَاء فَأَلَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِكُمۡ فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم بِنِعۡمَتِهِ إِخۡوَانًا
and remember Allah's favor on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren.
This was revealed about the Aws and Khazraj. During the time of Jahiliyyah, the Aws and Khazraj were at war and had great hatred, enmity and ill feelings towards each other, causing long conflicts and battles to occur between them. When Allah brought Islam, those among them who embraced it became brothers who loved each other by Allah's grace, having good ties for Allah's sake and helping each other in righteousness and piety.
Allah said,
هُوَ الَّذِيَ أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصۡرِهِ وَبِالۡمُوۡمِنِينَ
وَأَلَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِهِمۡ لَوۡ أَنفَقۡتَ مَا فِي الَارۡضِ جَمِيعاً مَّا أَلَّفَتۡ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ إِنَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
He it is Who has supported you with His Help and with the believers. And He has united their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise.(8:62-63)
وَكُنتُمۡ عَلَىَ شَفَا حُفۡرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنۡهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمۡ ايَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُونَ
and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may be guided.
Before Islam, their disbelief had them standing at the edge of a pit of the Fire, but Allah saved them from it and delivered them to faith. The Messenger of Allah reminded the Ansar (from both Aws and Khazraj) of this bounty when he was dividing the war booty of Hunayn. During that time, some Ansar did not like the way the booty was divided, since they did not get what the others did, although that was what Allah directed His Prophet to do.
The Messenger of Allah gave them a speech, in which he said,
يَا مَعۡشَرَ الاۡاَنۡصَارِ أَلَمۡ أَجِدۡكُمۡ ضُلَّلاًا فَهَدَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي
وَكُنۡتُمۡ مُتَفَرِّقِينَ فَأَلَّفَكُمُ اللهُ بِي
وَعَالَةً فَأَغۡنَاكُمُ اللهُ بِي
O Ansar! Did I not find you misguided and Allah directed you to guidance because of me!
Were you not divided beforehand and Allah united you around me!
Were you not poor and Allah enriched you because of me!
Whenever the Prophet asked them a question, they would answer, ""Indeed, Allah and His Messenger have granted us bounty.
The Command to Establish the Invitation to Allah
Allah said,
وَلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةٌ
Let there arise out of you a group of people,
يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى الۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنكَرِ
inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma`ruf (all that Islam orders) and forbidding Al-Munkar (all that Islam has forbidden).
that calls to righteousness, enjoins all that is good and forbids evil in the manner Allah commanded.
وَأُوۡلَـيِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ
And it is they who are the successful.
Ad-Dahhak said,
""They are a special group of the Companions and a special group of those after them, that is those who perform Jihad and the scholars.""
The objective of this Ayah is that there should be a segment of this Muslim Ummah fulfilling this task, even though it is also an obligation on every member of this Ummah, each according to his ability.
Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَنۡ رَأَى مِنۡكُمۡ مُنۡكَرًا فَلۡيُغَيِّرۡهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنۡ لَمۡ يَسۡتَطِعۡ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنۡ لَمۡ يَسۡتَطِع فَبِقَلۡبِهِ وَذلِكَ أَضۡعَفُ الاِۡيمَان
Whoever among you witnesses an evil,
let him change it with his hand.
If he is unable, then let him change it with his tongue.
If he is unable, then let him change it with his heart, and this is the weakest faith.
In another narration, The Prophet said,
وَلَيۡسَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الاِۡيمَانِ حَبَّةُ خَرۡدَل
There is no faith beyond that, not even the weight of a mustard seed.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said that the Prophet said,
وَالَّذِي نَفۡسِي بِيَدِه لَتَأۡمُرُنَّ بِالۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَلَتَنۡهَوُنَّ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ أَوۡ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنۡ يَبۡعَثَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ عِقَابًا مِنۡ عِنۡدِهِ ثُمَّ لتَدۡعُنَّــهُ فَلَا يَسۡتَجِيبَ لَكُم
By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah shall send down a punishment from Him to you. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication.
At-Tirmidhi also collected this Hadith and said, ""Hasan"".
There are many other Hadiths and Ayat on this subject, which will be explained later.
The Prohibition of Division
Allah said
وَلَا تَكُونُواۡ كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُواۡ وَاخۡتَلَفُواۡ مِن بَعۡدِ مَا جَاءهُمُ الۡبَيِّنَاتُ
And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them.
In this Ayah, Allah forbids this Ummah from imitating the division and discord of the nations that came before them. These nations also abandoned enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, although they had proof of its necessity.
وَأُوۡلَـيِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
It is they for whom there is an awful torment.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Amir Abdullah bin Luhay said,
""We performed Hajj with Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan. When we arrived at Makkah, he stood up after praying Zuhr and said, `The Messenger of Allah said,
إِنَّ أَهۡلَ الۡكِتَابَيۡنِ افۡتَرَقُوا فِي دِينِهِمۡ عَلى ثِنۡتَيۡنِ وَسَبۡعِينَ مِلَّةً وَإِنَّ هذِهِ الاُۡمَّةَ سَتَفۡتَرِقُ عَلى ثَلَثٍ وَسَبۡعِينَ مِلَّةً يَعۡنِي الاَۡهۡوَاءَ كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلاَّ وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الۡجَمَاعَةُ
وَإِنَّهُ سَيَخۡرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقۡوَامٌ تَجَارَى بِهِمۡ تِلۡكَ الاۡإَهۡوَاءُ كَمَا يَتَجَارَى الۡكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِه لَاإ يَبۡقَى مِنۡهُ عِرۡقٌ وَلَاإ مَفۡصِلٌ إِلاَّ دَخَلَه
The People of the Two Scriptures divided into seventy-two sects. This Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, that is, the Jama`ah.
Some of my Ummah will be guided by desire, like one who is infected by rabies; no vein or joint will be saved from these desires.
Muawiyah said next:
By Allah, O Arabs! If you do not adhere to what came to you from your Prophet then other people are even more prone not to adhere to it.""
Similar was recorded by Abu Dawud from Ahmad bin Hanbal and Muhammad bin Yahya.
The Benefits of Brotherly Ties and Unity and the Consequence of Division on the Day of the Gathering
Allah said next
يَوۡمَ تَبۡيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسۡوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ
On the Day when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;
on the Day of Resurrection.
This is when the faces of followers of the Sunnah and the Jama`ah will radiate with whiteness, and the faces of followers of Bid`ah (innovation) and division will be darkened, as has been reported from Ibn Abbas.
Allah said,
فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسۡوَدَّتۡ وُجُوهُهُمۡ أَكۡفَرۡتُم بَعۡدَ إِيمَانِكُمۡ
As for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said):""Did you reject faith after accepting it!""
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said,
""They are the hypocrites.""
فَذُوقُواۡ الۡعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنۡتُمۡ تَكۡفُرُونَ
Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting faith.
and this description befits every disbeliever.
وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابۡيَضَّتۡ وُجُوهُهُمۡ فَفِي رَحۡمَةِ اللّهِ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever.
in Paradise, where they will reside for eternity and shall never desire to be removed.
Abu Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Ghalib said,
""Abu Umamah ﷺ heads (of the Khawarij sect) hanging on the streets of Damascus. He commented, `The Dogs of the Fire and the worst dead people under the cover of the sky. The best dead men are those whom these have killed.'
He then recited,
يَوۡمَ تَبۡيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسۡوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ
(On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black), until the end of the Ayah.
I said to Abu Umamah, `Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah?'
He said, `If I only heard it from the Messenger of Allah once, twice, thrice, four times, or seven times, I would not have narrated it to you.""'
At-Tirmidhi said, ""This Hadith is Hasan.""
Ibn Majah and Ahmad recorded similarly.
Allah said
تِلۡكَ ايَاتُ اللّهِ نَتۡلُوهَا عَلَيۡكَ
These are the Ayat of Allah. We recite them to you,
meaning, `These are the verses of Allah, His proofs and signs that We reveal to you, O Muhammad.'
بِالۡحَقِّ
in truth,
making known the true reality of this world and the Hereafter.
وَمَا اللّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلۡمًا لِّلۡعَالَمِينَ
and Allah wills no injustice to the Alamin.
for He never treats them with injustice. Rather, He is the Just Ruler Who is able to do everything and has knowledge of everything. Therefore, He does not need to treat any of His creatures with injustice.
this is why He said next
وَلِلّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الَارۡضِ
and to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the Earth,
they are all His servants and His property.
وَإِلَى اللّهِ تُرۡجَعُ الاُمُورُ
And all matters go back to Allah.
for His is the decision concerning the affairs of this life and the Hereafter, and His is the Supreme Authority in this life and the Hereafter."
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