289. Ihsan is to do something in the most spirited fashion while remaining within the rules of the Shari`ah. The allusion by the words "unto one who excelled" could both be to Musa who excelled (in his mission) as well as the true believers of his time who excelled (in all they were asked to do) Ibn Jarir.

289a. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Qatadah and others have said that the allusion by the words, “two groups before us” is to Jews and Christians (Ibn Kathir).

290. Imam Razi does not spare the occasion to deny the movement of Allah. Qurtubi says that Allah's "coming and going" does not involve movement. Yet He does come and go but we do not know the "how" of it.

291. It is widely reported that it is the Sun rising from the West that is alluded to by the sign. A hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah says that

لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا فَإِذَا رَآهَا النَّاسُ آمَنَ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَذَاكَ حِينَ {لَا يَنْفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ}

the Hour will not strike until the Sun rises from the West. With that happening, everyone would believe in Allah, but that would be the time about which Allah said: "The day some of His signs appear, of no profit will then be the belief of him who did not believe earlier, or did not earn good (deeds) through his faith." (The hadith is in Bukhari and almost all other Masanid: Ibn Kathir). Another hadith narrated by Safwan b. `Assal says the Prophet (saws) said:

إِنَّ بِالْمَغْرِبِ بَابًا مَفْتُوحًا لِلتَّوْبَةِ مَسِيرَتُهُ سَبْعُونَ سَنَةً لاَ يُغْلَقُ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ نَحْوِ

"In the West there is a repentance door, of width seventy years. It will remain open until the Sun appears from that side."

A report coming from Abu Dharr is as follows:

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِأَبِي ذَرٍّ حِينَ غَرَبَتْ الشَّمْسُ أَتَدْرِي أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّهَا تَذْهَبُ حَتَّى تَسْجُدَ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ فَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَيُؤْذَنُ لَهَا وَيُوشِكُ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ فَلَا يُقْبَلَ مِنْهَا وَتَسْتَأْذِنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَنَ لَهَا يُقَالُ لَهَا ارْجِعِي مِنْ حَيْثُ جِئْتِ فَتَطْلُعُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى {وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ}

"The Prophet asked him at sunset time, ‘Do you know where the Sun goes when it sets?' He replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said, ‘It keeps going until it prostrates itself below the `Arsh. Then it seeks permission (to rise) and it is allowed. But a time will come when it will prostrate itself but it will not be accepted and asks permission (to rise) but it will not be allowed. It will be to, ‘Return to where you came from and so it will rise from the West. That is the interpretation of the statement of Allah (36: 38): "And the Sun moves in its appointed course. That is the decree of the All Mighty, the All knowing"' (Ibn Jarir).

But we have taken the hadith from Bukhari (Au.).

One might be led to believe that the hadith about the Sun prostrating itself below the `Arsh confirms the idea that the earth is stationary and the sun revolves around it. Such an opinion is incorrect. We shall explain it in detail when we take up the verse quoted viz., 36: 38 (Au.).

There are other reports from the Prophet which speak of three signs: the rising of the Sun from the West, (the appearance of) Dajjal, and a Beast rising from the earth (which will speak to the people). [A hadith to this effect is in Tirmidhi: Ibn Kathir]. Another hadith narrated by Hasan (al Busri) says:

بَادِرُوا بِالأَعَمَالِ سِتًّا: الدَّجَّالَ، وَالدُّخَانَ، وَدَابَّةَ الأَرْضِ، وَطُلُوعَ الشَّمْسِ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، وَأَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ، وَخُوَيِّصَةَ أَحَدِكُمْ

"Hurry up with good deeds before the six things: Dajjal, the Smoke, a Beast from the earth, rising of the Sun from the West, rule by the masses and especially, your affair (Ibn Jarir). A few other signs have been added to the above six in a report of Muslim: Yajuj and Majuj, `Isa's descent, three caving in of the lands: one in the East, another in the West and a third in the Arabian Peninsula, and a fire that will appear from the Yemen to drive people to the Field of Reckoning, resting with them when they would stop in the night or for their siesta (Ibn Kathir).

292. The allusion is to the deeds in the light of faith, conforming with Islamic principles (Au.). According to Suddi and Dahhak, those who regularly performed good deeds prior to the Signs of the Doomsday, would have them accepted even after the Signs. But those who led a life of impiety, even if they were believers, but began acting good only after the appearance of the Signs, will not have their deeds accepted (Ibn Jarir).

293. The verse is equally applicable to Jews and Christians as well as to the innovators in Islam (Ibn Jarir).

294. The textual words "created schism in their religion" imply that it is a fundamental principles and it is the mainstay of the religion that is alluded to. Differences in details cannot be avoided, and cannot be termed as creating schism in religion (based on Shabbir and he from Shah `Abdul `Aziz).

295. The Salaf are unanimous over the opinion that by "the good" the allusion is to the words "La ilaha illa Allah" pronounced with sincerity, and by "the evil" it is to Association (Ibn Jarir).

The verse however is applicable to deeds also. We have a hadith in Nasa`i, Ibn Majah and Ahmad which says:

مَنْ صَامَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ فَقَدْ صَامَ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ

"Whoever fasted three days of every month is as if one who fasted the whole year round." Tirmidhi has the following words added: "And then he recited: ‘Whoever brought (a) good (deed) shall have (rewards) ten times its like. Nevertheless, whoever brought (an) evil (deed), he shall not be recompensed but with its like.'" This hadith Qudsi of Bukhari, Muslim and Nasa'i, (is in the same vein which) says:

مَنْ هَمَّ بِحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَ لَهُ عَشْرَ أَضْعَافٍ إِلَى سَبْعِ مِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلَى أَضْعَافٍ كَثِيرَةٍ , وَمَنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ , فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كُتِبَتْ لَهُ حَسَنَةٌ , فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا كُتِبَتْ عَلَيْهِ سَيِّئَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ أَوْ مَحَاهَا , وَلا يَهْلِكُ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلا هَالِكٌ

"Whoever intended a good deed but could not do it will have a good deed written into his account. If he does it then anything between ten to seven hundred or more is written down in his account. However, if someone intended an evil deed but did not do it, a good deed is written down in his account. But if he commits it, only one is written down - unless Allah, the Honored, the Exalted, erases it. So none will be destroyed by Allah save one who will destroy himself" (Ibn Kathir).

After narrating the hadith Ibn Kathir explains that there are three kinds of people who intend to do an evil but do not: First, someone who abandoned it for the sake of Allah. He shall have a good deed written in his account. Second, he who forgot about it. There is nothing against him and nothing for him. Third, he who tried but failed, for some reason or the other, to perform the evil deed he had intended. He is like him who did it. This follows the principle laid down in another hadith which says:

إِذَا الْتَقَى الْمُسْلِمَانِ بِسَيْفَيْهِمَا فَالْقَاتِلُ وَالْمَقْتُولُ فِي النَّارِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا الْقَاتِلُ فَمَا بَالُ الْمَقْتُولِ قَالَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَرِيصًا عَلَى قَتْلِ صَاحِبِهِ

"When two Muslims cross swords then the killer and the killed are in the Fire." They asked: "The killer yes, but what about the killed one?" He replied: "He was quite ready to kill his companion."

296. What do the words "millah of Ibrahim" imply? Ibn Kathir helps with a hadith. Ahmad has a report coming from Ibn `Abbas that the Prophet (saws) was asked:

أَحَبُّ الدِّينِ إِلَى اللَّهِ الْحَنِيفِيَّةُ السَّمْحَةُ

"What religion is the most approved of by Allah?" He replied: "Al Hanifiyyah al Samha (i.e., the upright, the easy)." The text is from Bukhari (Au.).

Ibn Kathir then explains that it is the religion of the middle path, the one that avoids extremes is the most approved of by Allah. Accordingly, we have `A'isha telling us that once when some acrobatic men were putting up a show, the Prophet let her watch until she had had enough. On that occasion the Prophet said:

لتعلم يَهودُ أن في ديننا فُسْحَةً، إني أرسلت بِحَنيفيَّة سَمْحَة

"So that the Jews might know that there is lot of flexibility in our religion. I have been sent with Hanifiyyah Samha (i.e., the upright, the easy)." This hadith is in the Sahihayn.

297. A great many of the Salaf have said that by the textual term "nusuk" the allusion here is to sacrifice (Ibn Jarir).

298. Suddi has said that Allah made us succeed the disbelieving generations of the past times (Ibn Jarir, Alusi).

After mentioning Suddi's interpretation, Zamakhshari adds another possible meaning as: Men as Allah's Khalifah in His earth, enjoying its contents and utilizing it the way it pleases them.

Apart from mentioning Suddi's interpretation as well as agreeing with the possibility of Zamakhshari's opinion, Alusi adds Hasan's opinion: "Generation after generation Allah replaces one people after another. This is the meaning of being khalifah in the land."

299. According to Suddi the ranks referred to in the verse are related to wealth and provisions (Ibn Jarir).

300. Imam Ahmad has preserved the following narration of Abu Hurayrah. The Prophet said:

لَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ الْعُقُوبَةِ مَا طَمِعَ فِي الْجَنَّةِ أَحَدٌ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُ الْكَافِرُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ الرَّحْمَةِ مَا قَنَطَ مِنْ الْجَنَّةِ أَحَدٌ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ رَحْمَةٍ فَوَضَعَ رَحْمَةً وَاحِدَةً بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ يَتَرَاحَمُونَ بِهَا وَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ رَحْمَةً

"If the believer knew what punishments are with Allah, no one would ever covet Paradise. And if the unbeliever knew what mercy is with Allah, no one would despair of Paradise. Allah created a hundred parts of mercy. One part He distributed among His creations by which they show mercy to each other. And with Allah are ninety nine (parts of it)" Ibn Kathir.