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Ayah
Word by Word
قُل
Say
لِّلَّذِينَ
to those who
ءَامَنُواْ
believe
يَغۡفِرُواْ
(to) forgive
لِلَّذِينَ
those who
لَا
(do) not
يَرۡجُونَ
hope
أَيَّامَ
(for the) days
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
لِيَجۡزِيَ
that He may recompense
قَوۡمَۢا
a people
بِمَا
for what
كَانُواْ
they used (to)
يَكۡسِبُونَ
earn
قُل
Say
لِّلَّذِينَ
to those who
ءَامَنُواْ
believe
يَغۡفِرُواْ
(to) forgive
لِلَّذِينَ
those who
لَا
(do) not
يَرۡجُونَ
hope
أَيَّامَ
(for the) days
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
لِيَجۡزِيَ
that He may recompense
قَوۡمَۢا
a people
بِمَا
for what
كَانُواْ
they used (to)
يَكۡسِبُونَ
earn
Translation
Say, [O Muḥammad], to those who have believed that they [should] forgive those who expect not the days of Allāh [i.e., of His retribution] so that He may recompense a people1 for what they used to earn.
Footnotes
1 - In the Hereafter, where those who forgive will be rewarded and those who earned evil will be punished. This was at the outset of daʿwah (invitation to Allāh) before permission for jihād.
Tafsir
Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not anticipate, [those who do not] fear, the days of God, the events which He precipitates, that is to say, forgive the disbelievers the harm which they have caused you - this was before the command to struggle against them [had been revealed] - that He, God, may requite (a variant reading [for li-yajziya] has li-najziya, 'that We may requite') a people for what they used to earn, when they used to forgive disbelievers the harm which they did.
The Subjugation of the Sea, etc., is among Allah's Signs
Allah the Exalted says,
اللَّهُ الَّذِي سخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْبَحْرَ
Allah, it is He Who has subjected to you the sea,
Allah the Exalted mentions some of the favors He gave to His servants, such as subjecting the sea for their service,
لِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ فِيهِ بِأَمْرِهِ
that ships may sail through the sea by His command,
i.e., of Allah the Exalted, Who ordered the sea to carry ships,
وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ
and that you may seek of His bounty,
i.e. in commercial and business transactions,
وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
and that you may be thankful.
i.e. for earning various provisions brought to you from far away provinces and distant areas through the sea.
Allah the Exalted said
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاَْرْضِ
And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth;
i.e. the stars, the mountains, the seas, the rivers and all that you use for your benefit; these are all from His favor, kindness and bounty.
Allah's statement next,
جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ
it is all from Him.
i.e. Alone without partners in giving any of it.
Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
وَمَا بِكُم مِّن نِّعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا مَسَّكُمُ الضُّرُّ فَإِلَيْهِ تَجْـَرُونَ
And whatever of blessings you have, it is from Allah. Then, when harm touches you unto Him you cry aloud for help. (16:53)
Ibn Jarir recorded that Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said about Allah's statement,
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاَْرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ
(And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth; it is all from Him.)
Everything is from Allah, and that is a Name from His Names. So it all comes from Him without rivals to dispute His authority; surely, this fact is completely certain.
Allah said.
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَايَاتٍ لَّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
Verily, in it are signs for a people who think deeply.
The Command to be Patient with the Harm of Idolators
Allah's saying
قُل لِّلَّذِينَ امَنُوا يَغْفِرُوا لِلَّذِينَ لا يَرْجُون أَيَّامَ اللَّهِ
Say to the believers to forgive those who hope not for the Days of Allah,
means, let the believers forgive the disbelievers and endure the harm that they direct against them.
In the beginning of Islam, Muslims were ordered to observe patience in the face of the oppression of the idolators and the People of the Scriptures so that their hearts may incline towards Islam. However, when the disbelievers persisted in stubbornness, Allah legislated for the believers to fight in Jihad.
Statements of this meaning were collected from Abdullah bin Abbas and Qatadah.
Mujahid said about Allah's statement,
لاا يَرْجُون أَيَّامَ اللَّهِ
(those who hope not for the Days of Allah),
They do not appreciate Allah's favors.
Allah said,
لِيَجْزِيَ قَوْمًا بِما كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
that He may recompense people, according to what they have earned.
meaning, if the believers forgive the disbelievers in this life, Allah will still punish the disbelievers for their evil in the Hereafter.
Allah's statement next,
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَاء فَعَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ
Whosoever does a good deed, it is for himself, and whosoever does evil, it is against (himself). Then to your Lord you will be made to return.
meaning, you will all return to Allah on the Day of Resurrection, when you and your actions will be displayed before Him. Then, He will recompense you for your deeds, good for good and evil for evil
Preference of Allah to the Children of Israel and their dispute thereafter
Allah the Exalted mentions the favors He granted the Children of Israel, such as revealing the Divine Books to them, sending the Messengers to them and granting them kingship.
Allah said,
وَلَقَدْ اتَيْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَايِيلَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ
وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ
And indeed We gave the Children of Israel the Scripture, and the understanding of the Scripture and its laws, and the Prophethood; and provided them with good things,
such as foods and drinks,
وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ
and preferred them above the nations. (of their time)
وَاتَيْنَاهُم بَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الاْاَمْرِ
And gave them clear proofs in matters.
i.e. `We gave them evidences, proofs and unequivocal signs.'
فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا إِلاَّ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءهُمْ الْعِلْمُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ
And they differed not until after the knowledge came to them, through envy among themselves.
Therefore, the proof has been established against them, yet they differed among themselves after the proof came to them, out of transgression against each other,
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ
Verily, your Lord (`O Muhammad'),
يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection about that wherein they used to differ.
He will judge between them by His just judgement.
Warning to this Ummah against following the Ways of the Children of Israel
This Ayah contains a warning to the Muslim Ummah as well. It warns them not to take the path the Jews took nor adopt their ways. This is why Allah said
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِّنَ الاَْمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا
Then We have put you on a (legal) way of commandment. So follow you that.
`follow what was revealed to you from your Lord, O Muhammad, there is no true deity except Him, and turn away from the idolators.'
Allah said,
وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاء الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
إِنَّهُمْ لَن يُغْنُوا عَنكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَييًا
وإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ
and follow not the desires of those who know not.
Verily, they can avail you nothing against Allah. Verily, the wrongdoers are protecting friends of one another,
Allah says, `what will the loyalty that the idolators give each other avail them?' Indeed, all they will earn from their protecting friends is more loss, destruction and demise,
وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
but Allah is the Protector of those who have Taqwa.
and He will deliver them from the darkness to the light. In contrast, all the false deities are the protecting friends of those who disbelieve, taking them out of the light to the darkness.
Allah said
هَذَا بَصَايِرُ لِلنَّاسِ
This is a clear insight and evidence for mankind,
in reference to the Qur'an,
وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمِ يُوقِنُونَ
and a guidance and a mercy for people who have faith with certainty.
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