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Ayah
Word by Word
وَأَن
And that
لَّيۡسَ
is not
لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ
for man
إِلَّا
except
مَا
what
سَعَىٰ
he strives (for)
وَأَن
And that
لَّيۡسَ
is not
لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ
for man
إِلَّا
except
مَا
what
سَعَىٰ
he strives (for)
Translation
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
Tafsir
and that (wa-an, to be understood as wa-annahu) man shall have only what he [himself] strives for, of good [deeds], and so he shall not have anything of [the reward for] good [deeds] striven for by another;
Chastising Those Who disobey Allah and stop giving Charity
Allah the Exalted says,
أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّى
Did you observe him who turned away (from Islam).
Allah the Exalted chastises those who turn away from His obedience,
فَلَ صَدَّقَ وَلَا صَلَّى
وَلَـكِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى
So he (the disbeliever) neither believed nor prayed! But on the contrary, he belied and turned away! (75:31-32)
وَأَعْطَى قَلِيلًأ وَأَكْدَى
And gave a little, then stopped,
Ibn Abbas said, Gave a little, then stopped giving.
Similar was said by Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ikrimah, Qatadah and several others.
Ikrimah and Sa`id said:
Like the case of a people who dig a well, during the course of which they find a rock preventing them from completing their work. So they say, `We are finished' and they abandon the work.
Allah's statement,
أَعِندَهُ عِلْمُ الْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَى
Is with him the knowledge of the Unseen so that he sees?
means, does this person, who stopped giving for fear of poverty and ended his acts of charity have knowledge of the Unseen and thus knows that if he does not stop giving, his wealth will go away?
No. Such a person has stopped giving in charity for righteous causes and did not keep relations with kith and kin because of his miserliness, being stingy and out of fear of poverty.
The Prophet said in a Hadith,
أَنْفِقْ بِلَلُ وَلَا تَخْشَ مِنْ ذِي الْعَرْشِ إِقْلَلاً
O Bilal, spend and fear not less provisions from the Owner of the Throne.
Allah the Exalted and Most honored said,
وَمَأ أَنفَقْتُمْ مِّن شَىْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ
And whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allah's cause), He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers. (34:39)
The Meaning of `fulfilled
Allah the Exalted said,
أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَى
وَإِبْرَاهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّى
Or is he not informed with what is in the Suhuf of Musa. And of Ibrahim who fulfilled,
Sa`id bin Jubayr and Ath-Thawri said it means:
Conveyed all that he was ordered to convey.
Ibn `Abbas said about:
وَفَّى
(fulfilled) ,
He delivered all that Allah ordered him to deliver.
Sa`id bin Jubayr said about:
وَفَّى
(fulfilled), What he was ordered.
Qatadah said about:
وَفَّى
(fulfilled),
He obeyed Allah and delivered His Message to His creatures.
This is the view preferred by Ibn Jarir because it includes the statement before it and supports it.
Allah said,
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَـتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّى جَـعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا
And (remember) when the Lord of Ibrahim tried him with (certain) commands, which he fulfilled. He said:Verily, I am going to make you an Imam (a leader) for mankind. (2:124)
Therefore, Ibrahim fulfilled all the commands of his Lord, stayed away from all the prohibitions, and conveyed Allah's Message in its entirety. Therefore, he is worthy of being made a leader for mankind in all of his affairs, statements and actions.
Allah the Exalted said,
ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَأ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ
Then, We have sent the revelation to you (saying):Follow the religion of Ibrahim, a Hanif, and he was not of the idolators. (16:123)
None shall carry the Burden of Any Other on the Day of Resurrection
Allah the Exalted explained what He has revealed in the Scripture of Ibrahim and Musa,
أَلاَّ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى
That no burdened person shall bear the burden of another.
Meaning, every soul shall carry its own injustices, whether disbelief or sin, and none else shall carry its burden of sin, as Allah states
وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَى حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى
And if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin. (35:18)
Allah said,
وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلْأِنسَانِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَى
And that man can have nothing but what he does.
So just as no soul shall carry the burden of any other, the soul shall only benefit from the good that one earns for himself.
As for the Hadith recorded by Muslim in the Sahih, that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِذَا مَاتَ الاِْنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلَثٍ مِنْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِه
When a person dies, his deeds will cease except in three cases:-
- from a righteous son who invokes Allah for him, or
- an ongoing charity after his death, or
- knowledge that people benefit from.
These three things are, in reality, a result of one's own deeds, efforts and actions.
For example, a Hadith states,
إِنَّ أَطْيَبَ مَا أَكَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ كَسْبِهِ وَإِنَّ وَلَدَهُ مِنْ كَسْبِه
Verily, the best type of provision that one consumes is from what he himself has earned, and one's offspring are among what he has earned.
The ongoing charity that one leaves behind, like an endowment, for example, are among the traces of his own actions and deeds.
Allah the Exalted said,
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى وَنَكْتُبُ مَاَ قَدَّمُواْ وَءَاثَارَهُمْ
Verily, We give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before (them) and their traces. (36:12)
The knowledge that one spreads among people which they are guided by is among his actions and deeds.
A Hadith collected in the Sahih states,
مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الاَْجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْيًا
Whoever invites to guidance, he will earn as much reward as those who follow him, without decreasing anything out of their own rewards.
Allah said,
وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَى
And that his deeds will be seen.
meaning, on the Day of Resurrection,
وَقُلِ اعْمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُوْمِنُونَ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَـلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ فَيُنَبِّيُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
And say:Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do. (9:105),
Then Allah will remind you of your actions and recompense you for them in the best manner, good for good and evil for evil.
Allah's statement here,
ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَاء الاَْوْفَى
Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense.
Some Attributes of the Lord, that He returns Man as He originated Him, and some of what He does with His Servants
Allah the Exalted said,
وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَى
And that to your Lord is the End.
meaning, the return of everything on the Day of Resurrection.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that `Amr bin Maymun Al-Awdi said,
Once, Mu`adh bin Jabal stood up among us and said, `O Children of Awd! I am the emissary of Allah's Messenger to you; know that the Return is to Allah, either to Paradise or the Fire.'
Allah's statement,
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَى
And that it is He Who makes you laugh, and makes you weep.
means that He created in His creatures the ability to laugh or weep and the causes for each of these opposites,
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا
And that it is He Who causes death and gives life.
In a similar statement, Allah said,
الَّذِى خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَوةَ
Who has created death and life. (67:2)
Allah said,
وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالاْأُنثَى
مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَى
And that He creates the pairs, male and female. From Nutfah when it is emitted.
as He said:
أَيَحْسَبُ الاِنسَـنُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى
أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِىٍّ يُمْنَى
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّى
فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالاٍّنثَى
أَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحْيِىَ الْمَوْتَى
Does man think that he will be left neglected? Was he not a Nutfah? Then he became an `Alaqah (something that clings); then (Allah) shaped and fashioned (him) in due proportion. And made of him two sexes, male and female. Is not He (Allah) able to give life to the dead? (75:36-40)
Allah the Exalted said,
وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّشْأَةَ الاْأُخْرَى
And that upon Him is another bringing forth.
meaning, just as He first originated creation, He is able to bring it back to life, resurrecting it for the Day of Judgement,
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى
And that it is He Who Aghna (gives much) and Aqna (a little).
It is Allah Who gives wealth to His servants and this wealth remains with them. This means they are able to use it to their benefit, is this out of the completeness of His favor.
Most of the statements of the scholars of Tafsir revolve around this meaning, such as those from Abu Salih, Ibn Jarir and others.
Mujahid said that,
أَغْنَى
(Aghna) meaning:He gives wealth.
وَأَقْنَى
(Aqna) meaning:He gives servants.
Similar was said by Qatadah.
Ibn Abbas and Mujahid said;
أَغْنَى
(Aghna) means:He granted;
while,
وَأَقْنَى
(Aqna) means:He gave contentment.
وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَى
And that He is the Lord of Ash-Shi`ra.
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said about Ash-Shi`ra that
it is the bright star, named Mirzam Al-Jawza' (Sirius), which a group of Arabs used to worship.
وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَادًا الاْأُولَى
And that it is He Who destroyed the former `Ad,
the people of Hud. They are the descendants of `Ad, son of Iram, son of Sam, son of Nuh.
As Allah the Exalted said,
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِعَادٍ
إِرَمَ ذَاتِ الْعِمَادِ
الَّتِى لَمْ يُخْلَقْ مِثْلُهَا فِى الْبِلَـدِ
ﷺ you not how your Lord dealt with `Ad. Of Iram, with the lofty pillars, the like of which were not created in the land, (89:6-8)
The people of `Ad were among the strongest, fiercest people and the most rebellious against Allah the Exalted and His Messenger. Allah destroyed them,
بِرِيحٍ صَرْصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍسَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَـنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُوماً
By a furious violent wind! Which Allah imposed in them for seven nights and eight days in succession. (69:6-7)
Allah's statement,
وَثَمُودَ فَمَا أَبْقَى
And Thamud. He spared none,
declares that He destroyed them all and spared none of them
وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ
And the people of Nuh aforetime.
before `Ad and Thamud,
إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَى
Verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious and transgressing.
more unjust in disobeying Allah than those who came after them,
وَالْمُوْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى
And He destroyed the overthrown cities.
meaning, the cities (of Sodom and Gomorrah) to which Prophet Lut was sent. Allah turned their cities upside down over them and sent on them stones of Sijjil.
Allah's statement that whatever has covered it, has covered it, is like the case with the stones of Sijjil that He sent on them,
وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِم مَّطَراً فَسَأءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنذَرِينَ
And We rained on them a rain (of torment). And how evil was the rain of those who had been warned! (26:173)
فَغَشَّاهَا مَا غَشَّى
So, there covered them that which did cover.
Allah said,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى
Then which of the graces of your Lord will you doubt1
meaning, `which of Allah's favors for you, O man, do you doubt,' according to Qatadah.
Ibn Jurayj said that the Ayah,
فَبِأَيِّ الَاء رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى
(Then which of the graces of your Lord will you doubt!),
is directed towards the Prophet saying:
O Muhammad!
However, the first explanation is better, and it is the meaning that Ibn Jarir preferred.
A Warning and Exhortation, the Order to prostrate and to be humble
Allah said,
هَذَا نَذِيرٌ
This is a warner, (in reference to Muhammad),
مِّنَ النُّذُرِ الاُْولَى
from the warners of old.
means, just like the warners of old, he was sent as a Messenger as they were sent as Messengers.
Allah the Exalted said,
قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعاً مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ
Say:
I am not a new thing among the Messengers. (46:9)
Allah said;
أَزِفَتْ الاْزِفَةُ
The Azifah draws near.
that which is near, the Day of Resurrection, has drawn nearer,
لَيْسَ لَهَا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَاشِفَةٌ
None besides Allah can avert it.
no one besides Allah can prevent it from coming, nor does anyone know when it will come, except Him. The warner is eager to convey his knowledge of the imminence of a calamity, so that it does not befall those to whom he is a warner.
As He said;
إِنِّينَذِيرٌ لَّكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
He is only a warner to you in face of a severe torment. (34:46)
And in the Hadith:
أَنَا النَّذِيرُ الْعُرْيَان
I am the naked warner,
meaning, I was in such a hurry to warn against the evil I ﷺ coming, that I did not wear anything. In this case, one rushes to warn his people in such haste that he will be naked.
This meaning befits the meaning of the Ayah,
أَزِفَتْ الاْزِفَةُ
(the Azifah draws near), in reference to the nearing Day of Resurrection. Allah said in the beginning of the Surah Al-Qamar:
اقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ
The Hour has drawn near. (54:1)
Imam Ahmad recorded that Sahl bin Sa`d said that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحَقَّرَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ
فَإِنَّمَا مَثَلُ مُحَقَّرَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ نَزَلُوا بِبَطْنِ وَادٍ فَجَاءَ ذَا بِعُودٍ وَجَاءَ ذَا بِعُودٍ حَتْى أَنْضَجُوا خُبْزَتَهُمْ وَإِنَّ مُحَقَّرَاتِ الذُّنُوبِ مَتَى يُوْخَذُ بِهَا صَاحِبُهَا تُهْلِكُه
Beware of small sins!
The example of the effect of small sin is that of people who settled near the bottom of a valley. One of them brought a piece of wood, and another brought another piece of wood, until they cooked their bread!
Verily, small sins will destroy its companion, if one is held accountable for them.
Allah the Exalted admonishes the idolators because they hear the Qur'an, yet they turn away from it in heedless play,
Allah said;
أَفَمِنْ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ تَعْجَبُونَ
Do you then wonder at this recitation,
تَعْجَبُونَ
(wonder) doubting that it is true.
وَتَضْحَكُونَ وَلَا تَبْكُونَ
And you laugh at it and weep not,
وَتَضْحَكُونَ
(And you laugh) in jest and mock at it,
وَلَا تَبْكُونَ
(and weep not), just as those who believe in it weep,
وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلٌّذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا
And they fall down on their faces weeping and it increases their humility. (17:109)
Allah said;
وَأَنتُمْ سَامِدُونَ
While you are Samidun.
Sufyan Ath-Thawri reported that his father narrated that Ibn Abbas said about Samidun,
Singing; in Yemenite dialect `Ismidfor us' means `Sing for us.'
Ikrimah said something similar.
In another narration from Ibn Abbas, he said that,
سَامِدُونَ
(Samidun) means, Turning away.
Similar was reported from Mujahid and Ikrimah.
Allah the Exalted ordered His servants to prostrate to Him, worship Him according to the way of His Messenger, and to fulfill the requirement of Tawhid and sincerity,
فَاسْجُدُوا لِلَّهِ وَاعْبُدُوا
So fall you down in prostration to Allah and worship Him.
meaning, with submission, sincerity, and Tawhid.
Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ma`mar said that Abdul-Warith said that Ayyub said that Ikrimah said that, Ibn Abbas said,
The Prophet prostrated upon reciting An-Najam and the Muslims, idolators, Jinns and mankind who were present prostrated along with him.
Only Muslim collected this Hadith.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Muttalib bin Abi Wada`ah said,
While in Makkah, the Messenger of Allah once recited Surah An-Najam, then prostrated along with all those who were with him at the time. I raised my head, however, and I refused to prostrate.
Al-Muttalib had not embraced Islam yet, but ever since he became Muslim, he would never hear anyone recite this Surah until the end, without prostrating with whomever was prostrating after reciting it.
An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith in the Book of Al-Bukhari, excluding prayer in his Sunan.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah An-Najm. All praise and thanks are due to Allah.
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