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Ayah
Word by Word
بَلۡ
Nay!
تُؤۡثِرُونَ
You prefer
ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ
the life
ٱلدُّنۡيَا
(of) the world
بَلۡ
Nay!
تُؤۡثِرُونَ
You prefer
ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ
the life
ٱلدُّنۡيَا
(of) the world
Translation
Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world;
Tafsir
Nay, but you prefer (or read yu'thiroona, 'they prefer') the life of this world, to the Hereafter,
The Command to remind
Allah then says,
فَذَكِّرۡ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكۡرَى
Therefore remind in case the reminder profits.
meaning, remind where reminding is beneficial.
From here we get the etiquette of spreading knowledge, that it should not be wasted upon those who are not suitable or worthy of it.
The Commander of the believers, `Ali said,
You do not tell people any statement that their intellects do not grasp except that it will be a Fitnah (trial) for some of them.
He also said,
Tell people that which they know. Would you like for Allah and His Messenger to be rejected
Allah said:
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخۡشَى
The reminder will be received by him who fears,
meaning, `he whose heart fears Allah and who knows that he is going to meet Him, will receive admonition from what you convey to him, O Muhammad.'
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الاَۡشۡقَى
الَّذِي يَصۡلَى النَّارَ الۡكُبۡرَى
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَى
But it will be avoided by the wretched,
who will enter the great Fire.
There he will neither die nor live.
meaning, he will not die and thus be allowed to rest, nor will he live a life that is beneficial to him. Instead, his life will be harmful to him, because it will be the cause of his feeling of the pain of torment and various types of punishments what he is being punished with.
Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,
أَمَّا أَهۡلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمۡ أَهۡلُهَا لَا يَمُوتُونَ وَلَا يَحۡيَوۡنَ
وَأَمَّا أُنَاسٌ يُرِيدُ اللهُ بِهِمُ الرَّحۡمَةَ فَيُمِيتُهُمۡ فِي النَّارِ فَيَدۡخُلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ الشُّفَعَاءُ فَيَأۡخُذُ الرَّجُلُ الضِّبَارَةَ فَيُنۡبِتُهُمۡ أو قال يَنۡبُتُونَ فِي نَهۡرِ الۡحَيَا أو قال الۡحَيَاةِ أو قال الۡحَيَوَانِ أو قال نَهۡرِ الۡجَنَّةِ فَيَنۡبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الۡحِبَّةِ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيۡل
Concerning the people of the Fire who are deserving of it, they will not die nor will they live.
Regarding the people that Allah wants mercy for, He will cause them to die in the Fire. Then He will allow the intercessors to come to them, and a man will take his groups of supporters and plant them (or he said (they will be planted) in the River of Al-Haya (or he said (Al-Hayah, or Al-Hayawan, or Nahr Al-Jannah). Then they will sprout up like the sprouting of the seed on the moist bank of a flowing stream.)
Then the Prophet said,
أَمَا تَرَوۡنَ الشَّجَرَةَ تَكُونُ خَضۡرَاءَ ثُمَّ تَكُونُ صَفۡرَاءَ ثُمَّ تَكُونُ خَضۡرَاءَ
Haven't you all seen the tree that is green, then it turns yellow, then it turns green (again)?
Abu Sa`id then said that some of those present said,
It is as if the Prophet used to live in the desert wilderness (i.e., due to his parables of nature).
Ahmad also recorded from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,
أَمَّا أَهۡلُ النَّارِ الَّذِينَ هُمۡ أَهۡلُهَا فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَا يَمُوتُونَ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَوۡنَ
وَلَــكِنۡ أُنَاسٌ أو كما قال تُصِيبُهُمُ النَّارُ بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ أو قال بِخَطَايَاهُمۡ فَيُمِيتُهُمۡ إِمَاتَةً حَتۡى إِذَا صَارُوا فَحۡمًا أُذِنَ فِي الشَّفَاعَةِ فَجِيءَ بِهِمۡ ضَبَايِرَ ضَبَايِرَ فَبُثُّوا عَلى أَنۡهَارِ الۡجَنَّةِ فَيُقَالُ
يَا أَهۡلَ الۡجَنَّةِ أَفِيضُوا عَلَيۡهِمۡ
فَيَنۡبُتُونَ نَبَاتَ الۡحِبَّةِ تَكُونُ فِي حَمِيلِ السَّيۡل
Concerning the people of the Fire who will be dwellers of it, they will not die in it nor will they live.
However, there will be a group of people - or as he said -(whom the Fire will burn due to their sins - or he said - (their wrongdoings. So, He will cause them to die until they become burnt coal. Then the intercession will be allowed and they will be brought group after group, and they will be scattered over the rivers of Paradise. Then it will be said:
O people of Paradise! Pour down upon them.
Then they will sprout like the growing of the seed that is upon the moist bank of the flowing stream.
Then, a man from among the people present said,
It is as if the Messenger of Allah used to live in the desert wilderness.
Muslim also recorded this Hadith
A Statement concerning the People of Success
Allah says,
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى
Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success.
meaning, he purifies himself from despised characteristics and he follows what Allah has revealed to the Messenger.
وَذَكَرَ اسۡمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى
And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.
meaning, he establishes the prayer in its appointed time, seeking the pleasure of Allah, obedience to His command, and implementation of His Law.
We have already reported from the Commander of the believers, `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, that he used to command the people to give the Sadaqat Al-Fitr, and he would recite this Ayah:
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى
وَذَكَرَ اسۡمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى
Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.
Abu Al-Ahwas said,
If someone comes to any of you begging, and he wants to pray, then he should give charity (Zakah) before he prays. For verily, Allah the Exalted says,
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى
وَذَكَرَ اسۡمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى
Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah.
Qatadah said concerning this Ayah,
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى
وَذَكَرَ اسۡمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى
Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah (Fasalla).)
He purifies his wealth and pleases his Creator.
This World is Worthless in Comparison to the Hereafter
Then Allah says,
بَلۡ تُوۡثِرُونَ الۡحَيَاةَ الدُّنۡيَا
Rather you prefer the life of this world.
meaning, `you give it precedence over the matter of the Hereafter, and you prefer it because of what it contains of usefulness and benefit for you in livelihood, and your returns (i.e., income, profitable gain).'
وَالاۡاخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ وَأَبۡقَى
Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.
meaning, the reward of the final abode is better than the worldly life, and it is more lasting.
For indeed, this worldly life is lowly and temporal, whereas the Hereafter is noble and eternal. Thus, how can an intelligent person prefer that which is short-lived over that which is eternal. How can he give importance to that which will soon pass away from him, while ignoring the importance of the abode of eternity and infinity.
Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَنۡ أَحَبَّ دُنۡيَاهُ أَضَرَّ بِأخِرَتِهِ وَمَنۡ أَحَبَّ اخِرَتَهُ أَضَرَّ بِدُنۡيَاهُ فَأثِرُوا مَا يَبۡقَى عَلَى مَا يَفۡنَى
Whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his Hereafter, will suffer in his worldly life. Therefore, chose that which is everlasting over that which is temporal.
Ahmad was alone in recording this Hadith.
The Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa
Allah then says,
إِنَّ هَذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الاُۡولَى
صُحُفِ إِبۡرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى
Verily, this is in the former Scriptures -- the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement in Surat An-Najm,
أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَى
وَإِبۡرَهِيمَ الَّذِى وَفَّى
أَلاَّ تَزِرُ وَزِرَةٌ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَى
وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلِنسَـنِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَى
وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُ سَوۡفَ يُرَى
ثُمَّ يُجۡزَاهُ الۡجَزَاءَ الَاوۡفَى
وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الۡمُنتَهَى
Or is he not informed with what is in the Scriptures of Musa. And of Ibrahim who fulfilled (or conveyed) all that (Allah ordered him to do or convey):
that no burdened person (with sins) shall bear the burden (sins) of another.
And that man can have nothing but what he does.
And that his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense.
And that to your Lord is the End (Return of everything).) (53:36-42)
And so forth, until the end of these Ayat.
Abu `Aliyah said, The story of this Surah is in the earlier Scriptures.
Ibn Jarir preferred the view that the meaning of Allah's statement,
إِنَّ هَذَا
(Verily, this) is referring to His previous statement,
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى
وَذَكَرَ اسۡمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى
بَلۡ تُوۡثِرُونَ الۡحَيَوةَ الدُّنۡيَا
وَالاٌّخِرَةُ خَيۡرٌ وَأَبۡقَى
Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success.
And remembers the Name of his Lord, and offers Salah.
Rather you prefer the life of this world.
Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.
Then Allah says,
إِنَّ هَذَا
Verily, this
meaning, the content of this discussion,
إِنَّ هَـذَا لَفِى الصُّحُفِ الاٍّولَى
صُحُفِ إِبۡرَهِيمَ وَمُوسَى
in the former Scriptures, the Scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
This view that he (At-Tabari) has chosen is good and strong.
Similar to it has been reported from Qatadah and Ibn Zayd. And Allah knows best.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-A`la. All praise and blessings are due to Allah, and He is the Giver of success and protection from error.
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