3. Yusuf Ali comments: “Mere lip profession of Faith is not enough. It must be tried and tested in the real turmoil of life. The test will be applied in all kinds of circumstances, in individual life, and in relation to the environment around us, to see whether we can strive constantly and put Allah above Self. Much pain, sorrow, and self-sacrifice may be necessary, not because they are good in themselves, but because they will purify us, like fire applied to a goldsmith's crucible to burn out the dross.”

Although the ayah is in the general sense, most early commentators have said that the allusion is to those who had suffered persecution in Makkah; and a few have mentioned specific instances. One of them refers to the martyrdom of Mahja` the freed slave of `Umar who was the first to fall at Badr. His martyrdom evoked the Prophet’s words: “Mahja` is the Prince of Martyrs and will be the first to be invited to the gates of Paradise.”

Sha`bi has said that this ayah refers to some people who embraced Islam at Makkah but did not migrate to Madinah. The Companions of the Prophet wrote to them that their Islam was invalid if they did not migrate. So they attempted to migrate but the Makkans chased them and brought them back. It was at this point that this verse was revealed: “Do the people reckon that they will be left alone that they say, ‘We believed,’ and will not be tested?” So the Companions wrote to them again informing them that such and such a verse had been revealed concerning them. So they said to themselves, “Let us go. If the pagans fight, we shall give them a fight.” So they made another attempt at Hijrah. As expected, the pagans gave them a chase. So they fought them. Some got killed, others escaped to Madinah; and Allah (swt) revealed another verse (of Surah Al-Nahl, no. 110) which said, “But, verily your Lord, unto those who migrated, after they were persecuted, yet struggled thereafter, and persisted in patience .. after all that, Your Lord is (unto them) All-forgiving, All-kind” (Ibn Jarir at verse 3 and Qurtubi). Zamakhshari has a similar report but does not name Sha`bi.

The report is also in `Abd b. Humayd and Ibn Abi al-Mundhir (Shawkani).

Ibn Jarir presents this same narrative a second time at ayah 10, but as an opinion of Ibn `Abbas, and then remarks that according to Qatadah, the first ten verses of this chapter are Madinan while the rest of the Surah is Makkan.

Qurtubi quotes a hadith of Ibn Majah which reports about Abu Sa`id al-Khudri:

أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِىَّ دَخَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- وَهُوَ مَوْعُوْكٌ عَلَيْهِ قَطِيفَةٌ فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَوَجَدَ حَرَارَتَهَا فَوْقَ الْقَطِيفَةَ فَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ : مَا أَشَدَّ حَرَّ حُمَّاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- : إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ يُشَدَّدُ عَلَيْنَا الْبَلاَءُ ، وَيُضَاعَفُ لَنَا الأَجْرُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَشَدُّ النَّاسِ بَلاَءً؟ قَالَ : الأَنْبِيَاءُ. قَالَ : ثُمَّ مَنْ؟ قَالَ : ثُمَّ الْعُلَمَاءُ. قَالَ : ثُمَّ مَنْ؟ قَالَ : ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ يُبْتَلَى بِالْفَقْرِ حَتَّى مَا يَجِدُ إِلاَّ الْعَبَاءَةَ يَلْبَسُهَا وَيُبَتَلَى بِالْقَمْلِ حَتَّى يَقْتُلَهُ وَلأَحَدُهُمْ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِالْبَلاَءِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ بِالْعَطَاءِ.

That he entered upon the Prophet while he was ill, covered in a blanket. He placed his hand over the blanket and found it hot. H remarked, ‘How severe your fever is, Messenger of Allah.’ He replied, ‘This is how it is with us Prophets. Our trials are doubled, and so are our rewards.’ I asked, ‘Which of the people is tried most?’ He answered, ‘Prophets.’ I asked, ‘Who after them?’ He replied, ‘Scholars.’ He asked, “Who after them?’ He answered, ‘The righteous ones. One of them was tried with poverty to such extent that he had nothing on him but torn clothes, and another tried with lice that would almost kill him. Yet, one of them would be more pleased with tribulations than you are with ease.’”

The above version is from Adab al-Mufrad declared trustworthy by Albani.

Another report narrated by Sa`d b. abi Waqqas says,

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلَاءً قَالَ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ ثُمَّ الْأَمْثَلُ فَالْأَمْثَلُ مِنْ النَّاسِ يُبْتَلَى الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صَلَابَةٌ زِيدَ فِي بَلَائِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ رِقَّةٌ خُفِّفَ عَنْهُ وَمَا يَزَالُ الْبَلَاءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتَّى يَمْشِيَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ خَطِيئَةٌ

“I asked the Prophet, ‘Which of the people is tried most?’ He answered, ‘The Prophets; then the next best, and then the next best. A man is tested in accordance with his religion. If there happens to be strength in his religion, his trials are increased in severity. Tribulations keep visiting a slave until they leave him walking on the earth without any sin on him” (Qurtubi).

So trials are in the nature of things. Allah said elsewhere (3: 142),

{أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَعْلَمِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا مِنْكُمْ وَيَعْلَمَ الصَّابِرِينَ } [آل عمران: 142]

“Or, do you reckon that you will enter Paradise (without being tested) while Allah has not yet known those of you who fight (in His cause), and (in order that) He may know the persevering (ones).”

He said at another place (2: 214),

{أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُمْ مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاءُ وَالضَّرَّاءُ وَزُلْزِلُوا حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللَّهِ أَلَا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللَّهِ قَرِيبٌ} [البقرة: 214]

“Or do you reckon that you will enter Paradise, while (trials) similar to those (that visited others) before you, have not yet come to you? Suffering and adversity touched them, and they were shaken until the Messengers and those who had believed in them cried out: ‘When (will come) Allah's help?’ Verily, Allah's help is nigh” (Ibn Kathir).

We could quote a few lines from Ibn al-Qayyim: “When a Messenger is raised among a people, they face two alternatives. Either one of them says, ‘yes I believe,’ or he decides to continue on the path of sin. Now, whoever says, ‘I believe,’ is subjected to tests and trials to determine the truth of his claim. Allah said (3: 179),

{مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ} [آل عمران: 179]

‘Allah was not such as to let the believers remain in the state in which you are, until He distinguished the corrupt from the good.’

“To be sure, he who says ‘no’ to the message, should not imagine that he will escape the trials. Indeed, he faces greater tribulations, which are an immediate chastisement for the choice he made. In the next life he will meet with everlasting condemnation. In short, in this world, none can escape tribulations: whether he is a believer or an unbeliever.

“Therefore, whoever imagines that he can somehow escape sufferings and trials, is sadly mistaken. They are part of this life: in two ways. Man is made up of conflicting elements and, in trying to meet with the demands of these elements, he commits excesses in one or the other direction, and exposes himself to a variety of sufferings. Another factor is that he is a social being who must cooperate with others to meet with his needs. This cooperation leads to competition between individuals, so that, at one end he is loved, but at the other, hated. If he fails in giving what the others expect of him – as price for their co-operation with him – he faces their ire. If he gives in, it is to his peril. For, such giving in has to be in terms of efforts whose consequence is pain. To escape, therefore, from belief in Allah, in fear of trials and tribulations, or pain and suffering, is not an intelligent strategy. We might therefore keep before us `A’isha’s admonition to Mu`awiyyah, ‘He who pleased Allah at the cost of the people’s displeasure will find Allah sufficient against their harm. But he who pleased the people at the cost of Allah’s anger, will find that they cannot benefit him aught against Him’ (Bada’i`).”

Sayyid Qutb adds, “A word on trials: Iman is Allah’s trust in the land that none will bear and carry except those worthy of it, and have the ability to carry it – whose hearts bear sincerity for it, in the absolute sense; and not those who give preference to ease and comfort over it.. to peace and security, to materials and temptations. It is the trust of the vicegerency in the earth; and people’s guidance to the way of Allah, and establishment of his Word in the world of the living. Thus it is a noble trust .. and it is a burdensome trust. It is Allah’s strategy whereby He exposes the people. It needs a special class of people to bear the trust: people who can be patiently persevering during the course of trials.”

4. Allah (swt) knew all about them before the test, during the test and after the test. What He meant here is that ‘He shall make known the truth of the truthful and the lie of the liars’ (Tabari).

In fact, `Ali (ibn Abi Talib) and Zuhri read the word “la-ya`limanna” as “la-yu`limanna” meaning, He shall make it known (Zamakhshari).

5. The immediate reference was to Walid b. al-Mughirah, Abu Jahl, Al-Aswad b. Hashim, al-`Aas b. Hisham, Shaybah, `Utbah, Walid b. `Utbah, `Uqbah b. Abi Mu`ayt, Hanzala b. Abu Sufyan, `Aas b. Wa’il and others (Qurtubi, Alusi).

Yusuf Ali has in mind another implication of the words, “If the enemies of Truth imagine that they will ‘be first’ by destroying Truth before it takes root, they are sadly at fault, for their own persecution may help to plant Allah's Truth more firmly in men's hearts.”

6. Yusuf Ali explains: “The term (ajal) may signify: (1) the time appointed for death, which ends the probation of this life; (2) the time appointed for this life, so that we can prepare for the Hereafter; the limit will soon expire. In either case the ultimate meaning is the same. We must strive now and not postpone anything for the future. And we must realize and remember that every prayer we make to Allah is heard by Him, and that every unspoken wish or motive of our heart, good or bad, is known to Him, and goes to swell our spiritual account.”

7. Perhaps because whenever the term Jihad is used in the Qur’an, the default meaning is to wage war in Allah’s cause, unless the context lends the meaning of struggle or strive that Hasan al-Busri cautions us about those who had no chance to participate in a battle. He writes, (in words as quoted by Ibn Kathir): “A man might conduct jihad although he might not have struck with the sword once in (his) lifetime.”

8. The translation as done here has the backing of Zamakhshari and as adopted by Alusi and Thanwi. Hence, Alusi points out, every one of their deeds will earn rewards ten times their value, or more.

9. The connection between this and the previous verses seems to be that earlier Allah said, “And whoever strives, strives only for himself,” He points out now that this striving could start with the parents who could be the first, as experienced quite often, to oppose their son embracing Islam (Au.).

Imam Razi extends the meaning to people’s reliance on others for thoughts, ideas and concepts. In Asad’s words, “According to Razi, this phrase may also allude to concepts not evolved through personal knowledge but, rather, acquired through a blind, uncritical acceptance of other people’s views (taqlid).”

Qatadah has said that this verse was revealed in reference to Sa`d b. abi Waqqas’s emigration to Madinah (Ibn Jarir, and Zamakhshari without naming Qatadah), and Qurtubi (as well as Ibn Kathir) quote the following from Tirmidhi who recorded it as the context of revelation of this verse, declaring the report trustworthy. Sa`d’s son narrated from his father that four verses were revealed in reference to him. Sa`d’s mother asked, “Has not Allah commanded you to be good? By God, I shall not eat anything nor drink until I die or you denounce (this new religion).” “So,” said Sa`d, “When they wanted to feed her, they used to forcibly open her mouth.” It is then that Allah revealed this verse. It is also recorded that Sa`d initially tried to persuade her to give up while she taunted him that after her death he will be remembered as the killer of his mother. Finally, Sa`d told her, “Mother, if you had a hundred souls, and gave them all up, one after another, I will not abandon my religion. So, if you wish to eat, you may, but if you do not, then don’t.” She gave up.

Shawkani adds: According to a hadith in Tirmidhi (who declared it Sahih), Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Bayhaqi and a few others, the Prophet (saws) said,

لَقَدْ أُوذِيتُ فِي اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَا يُؤْذَى أَحَدٌ وَأُخِفْتُ مِنْ اللَّهِ وَمَا يُخَافُ أَحَدٌ وَلَقَدْ أَتَتْ عَلَيَّ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ وَمَا لِي وَلِعِيَالِي طَعَامٌ يَأْكُلُهُ ذُو كَبِدٍ إِلَّا مَا يُوَارِي إِبِطَ بِلَالٍ

“I have been persecuted like no one else was persecuted; I feared in the way of Allah like no one feared; a third day would dawn upon me in a condition that I and Bilal had nothing to eat except for what could be concealed in Bilal’s armpit.”

10. That is, they said to themselves: ‘If we believe, we are persecuted by the unbelievers, and if we do not, then we face Allah’s ire’ - equating the two. But can the two be equated? (Razi, shortened). So one of them decided that he should perhaps take a way in between, and adopt hypocrisy. So Allah said, “But if help comes from your Lord, they will surely say, ‘Indeed, we were with you’” (Au.).

This verse has been differently expressed elsewhere. Said Allah (22: 11-12):

{وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ (11) يَدْعُو مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَضُرُّهُ وَمَا لَا يَنْفَعُهُ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الضَّلَالُ الْبَعِيدُ} [الحج: 11، 12]

“And, among the people is such a one who serves Allah on an edge. If good touches him, he is satisfied therewith. But if a trial touches him, he turns on his face. He loses this world and the Hereafter. That indeed is an evident loss. He calls to one - apart from Allah - who can neither harm him nor benefit him. That indeed is the extreme error” (Ibn Kathir).

11. So you should give us a share in the booty (Zamakhshari).

As Allah said elsewhere (4: 141),

{الَّذِينَ يَتَرَبَّصُونَ بِكُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فَتْحٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ قَالُوا أَلَمْ نَكُنْ مَعَكُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ نَصِيبٌ قَالُوا أَلَمْ نَسْتَحْوِذْ عَلَيْكُمْ وَنَمْنَعْكُمْ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ} [النساء: 141]

“Those who wait upon you so that if victory comes to you from Allah, they ask: ‘Were we not with you?’ But if the unbelievers get a share of it they say (to them): ‘Did we not gain mastery over you, and protect you from the believers?’” – Ibn Kathir.

12. (Thus, we can see once again that trials are in Allah’s scheme). After the battle of Uhud which subjected the believers to extreme tribulation, Allah said (3: 179),

{ مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَى مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ} [آل عمران: 179]

“Allah was not such as to let the believers remain in the state in which you are, until He distinguished the corrupt from the good” (Ibn Kathir).

Asad has a word on hypocrisy: “This is probably the earliest occurrence of the term munafiq in the chronology of the Qur’anic revelation. Idiomatically, the term is derived from the noun nifaq, which denotes an ‘underground passage’ having an outlet different from the entry, and signifying, specifically, the complicated burrow of a field-mouse, a lizard, etc., from which the animal can easily escape or in which it can outwit its pursuer. Tropically, the term munafiq describes a person who is ‘two-faced,’ inasmuch as he always tries to find an easy way out of any real commitment, be it spiritual or social, by adapting his course of action to what promises to be of practical advantage to him in the situation in which he happens to find himself. Since a person thus characterized usually pretends to be morally better than he really is, the epithet munafiq may roughly be rendered as hypocrite.”

Along with the above description, we might keep that definition before us which has been offered by the Salaf, stated elsewhere in this work, which should help us draw a line between a weak Muslim and a hypocrite: “Nifaq is to conceal disbelief and put up a show of faith.” To put it differently, it is the effort to manifest faith in Islam, without its existence in the heart. According to this definition, if someone has belief well planted in his heart, but is unable to make it manifest, for whatever reason, or reasons, other than to mislead Allah and His creations, then he is not a munafiq. Therefore, to qualify Asad’s statement above, (viz., “he always tries to find an easy way out of any real commitment, be it spiritual or social, by adapting his course of action to what promises to be of practical advantage”), we might add, “doing it out of lack of conviction with regard to Islamic values, teachings and demands, in a word, faith in Islam.” On the other hand, if he adopts the course as described by Asad, but either out of inner weaknesses, or simply for practical advantages, which he admits, and is remorseful of, then, Allah willing, it is not hypocrisy (Au.).

13. That is, ‘if there is sin in following our pagan ways and beliefs, then such a sin will be our burden (Alusi); such was the level of confidence of the pagans in their religion. They had a feeling deep down in their hearts that their pagan ways were sinful, but considered it worth bearing the burden! (Au.).

14. That is, they will carry their own burden of sins and, in addition, the sins of those they misguided (Ibn Jarir).

Thus, there is no contradiction between the previous verse which says that they will not carry the burden, and this one which says they will. What was meant earlier was that the sins of the sinners they misguide will not be offloaded from them on to these people so that the misguided ones become free of any responsibility (adopted from Razi). This is clarified by a Sahih hadith that Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir quote. It says,

مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا

“Whoever invited to guidance will have rewards equal to the rewards of those who follow him until the Day of Standing without their own rewards being reduced by aught. And whoever invited to misguidance, will have upon him sins equal to the sins of all those who follow him until the Day of Standing, without their sins being reduced by aught.”

Another Sahih report says,

لَا تُقْتَلُ نَفْسٌ ظُلْمًا إِلَّا كَانَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ الْأَوَّلِ كِفْلٌ مِنْ دَمِهَا وَذَلِكَ لِأَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَنَّ الْقَتْلَ

“No one is killed unlawfully but a share of the guilt is upon the first son of Adam because he was the first to set the example.”

The report is in Bukhari (Au.).

15. That is, these misguiding people will carry several kinds of loads: sins of their own, sins of those they misguided, and, in addition, sins of fabricating lies when they claimed that they could carry the sins of others (Razi).

In this connection, Abu Umamah al-Bahiliyy reports that the Prophet said,

إياكم والظلم، فإن الله يعزم يوم القيامة فيقول: وعزتي لا يجوزني اليوم ظلم! ثم ينادي مناد فيقول: أين فلان ابن فلان؟ فيأتي يتبعه من الحسنات أمثال الجبال، فيشخص الناس إليها أبصارهم حتى يقوم بين يدي الله الرحمن عز وجل ثم يأمر المنادي فينادي (5) من كانت له تِبَاعة -أو: ظُلامة -عند فلان ابن فلان، فهلمّ. فيقبلون حتى يجتمعوا قياما بين يدي الرحمن، فيقول الرحمن: اقضوا عن عبدي. فيقولون: كيف نقضي عنه؟ فيقول لهم: خذوا لهم من حسناته. فلا يزالون يأخذون منها حتى لا يبقى له حسنة، وقد بقي من أصحاب الظلامات، فيقول: اقضوا عن عبدي. فيقولون: لم يبق له حسنة. فيقول: خذوا من سيئاتهم فاحملوها عليه". ثم نزع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بهذه الآية الكريمة: وَلَيَحْمِلُنَّ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَثْقَالا مَعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ وَلَيُسْأَلُنَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَمَّا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ

“Beware of injustice. Allah will swear by His Power and Majesty and say, ‘No injustice will overtake Me today.’ Then a caller will call out, ‘Where is so and so, son of so and so?’ He will come forward with mountains of good deeds behind him. People’s eyes will be stuck to them (the good deeds) in wonder – until he stands before the All-merciful. He will command a caller to call out, ‘Whoever is owed anything or an injustice (done to him) by so and so, son of so and so, may come forward.’ Such of them will come forward until they stand together before the All-merciful. The All-merciful will say, ‘Pay back from My slave.’ (I.e., the one who did wrong to others: Au.). They will ask, ‘How shall we pay back from him?’ He will say, ‘Pay back out of his good deeds.’ So they will keep transferring the good deeds, until none of his good deeds remains. But there would still be people with scores to be settled. He will say, ‘Pay back from My slave.’ They will ask, ‘Nothing is left of his good deeds.’ He will say, ‘Take their evil deeds and load them on to him.’ Then the Prophet recited this verse, “But rather they shall carry their (own) burdens, and (other) burdens along with their (own) burdens” (Qurtubi).

This report, which is in Ibn Abi Hatim also, has similar reports in Sahih works corroborating it.

Ibn Abi Hatim has another report which fits the context. He narrates Mu`adh b. Jabal as saying,

يا معاذ، إن المؤمن يسأل يوم القيامة عن جميع سعيه، حتى عن كُحْل عينيه، وعن فتات الطينة بإصبعيه، فلا ألْفَيَنَّكَ تأتي يوم القيامة وأحد أسعد بما آتاك الله منك

“The Prophet told me, ‘O Mu`adh. A believer will be questioned on the Day of Judgment about his every action to the extent of the kohl in his eyes and the little dust between his fingers. So, let me not find someone on the Day of Judgment who would have done better than you in reference to what Allah bestowed on you” (Ibn Kathir).

The authenticity of the above report could not be verified (Au.).