136. What constitutes “`uluww fi’l ard”? Ibn Kathir writes that it is arrogant treatment of the people. The Prophet has said,

إن الله عَز وجَل أَوحَى إِليَّ أنْ تَواضَعُوا ، ولا يَبغِ بَعضُكُم على بَعضٍ

“It has been revealed to me that you should be humble, so that none of you waxes proud against another and no one mistreats another.”

The report is in Muslim and Abu Da’ud: Hussain b. Ibrahim.

And `Ali (ibn Abi Talib) has said that if a man wishes that his shoe-lace should be better than his brother’s, then this verse is applicable to him (Kashshaf). That however, adds Ibn Kathir, if it is out of pride and show of insolence; otherwise not. A sahih report says that a man asked the Prophet,

قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً. قَالَ « إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ

“A man likes that his clothes be good, and shoes beautiful. Does that constitute pride?” He answered, “No. Allah is beautiful and He approves of the beautiful.”

Qurtubi adds the following from Tabarani who narrates through Ahmad b. Hanbal: It is reported that once Hasan b. `Ali passed by a group of poor folks who were having their lunch over pieces of bread. He greeted them and they invited him to join in. Hasan recited this ayah,

{تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ } [القصص: 83]

“That home of the Hereafter We appoint it for those who seek not self-exaltation in the land, nor corruption.” Then he got down from his beast and joined them. When they had finished he said, “I responded to your invitation, now you should respond to mine.” He took them home, fed them and gifted them things.

And it is reported that when `Adiyy b. Hatim entered upon the Prophet for the first time, he spread a cushion for `Adiyy to sit on. But `Adiyy preferred to sit on the bare ground. The Prophet told him,

قال أشهد أنك لا تبغى علوا فى الأرض ولا فسادا

“I testify that you are of those who do not seek self-exaltation in the earth nor corruption.” Not surprisingly, `Adiyy embraced Islam in that session.

And it is reported of `Ali at the time he happened to be the Caliph that he would visit the markets, help the lost one to find his way, assist the weak, pass by the grocery and vegetable sellers and remind them by the Qur’an. All the while he would be repeating,

{تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ } [القصص: 83]

“That home of the Hereafter We appoint it for those who seek not self-exaltation in the land, nor corruption” (Alusi).

137. “This verse was recited by the Prophet at the end of his last public address” (Majid).

138. Linguistically, the construction “ma`ad” is for “a place of return.” To what is the allusion? According to Ibn `Abbas, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Mujahid, `Ikrimah and Sa`id b. Jubayr, it is to Paradise. However, `Ikrimah, Mujahid and Hasan also mentioned it as being an allusion to the Day of Judgment. Ibn `Abbas and Sa`id b. Jubayr offered another opinion. They said that the allusion was to the Prophet’s death. And a fourth opinion is that the allusion was to Makkah. This was the opinion of Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid (Ibn Jarir). This last opinion of Ibn `Abbas is in Bukhari, Nasa’i and others (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani).

Thus Ibn `Abbas figures in all the opinions, perhaps because he had different aspects and implications in mind when making several statements on different occasions. And of course, reconciliation is easily possible, there being no contradiction between the various opinions. Dahhak on the other hand is reported to have said (Kashshaf) that when the Prophet (saws) had reached Juhfah during his Hijrah-journey, he felt nostalgic about Makkah. So to comfort him, Allah (swt) revealed this verse promising him that one day He will take him back to it (Ibn Kathir).

Qurtubi also reports the above opinions as well as the statement of Ibn `Abbas which imply that this verse is neither Makkan nor Madinan.

139. “Wajhahu”, literally, ‘His countenance’ signifies ‘His self’ or ‘Him’” (Majid). Alusi points out that according to the Salaf, “Wajh” is one of the Attributes of Allah which cannot be qualified or quantified.

Some of the Salaf believed that the sentence is purporting to say, “Everything will perish, except such deeds as performed for the sake of His Face – that is, for the sake of Allah’s Pleasure” (Bada’e`, `Uthmani, Shafi`). Ibn Kathir traces this opinion to Mujahid and Thawri as in Bukhari who himself obviously agrees with the meaning. Ibn Jarir quotes a poetical verse to show similar use by the ancients.

140. That is, it is His command alone that is executed in His creation (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). Also see note 117 above.