Verse:102 Commentary Commentary

In the previous verses, Muslims were warned that the people of the Book, and others, want them to go astray from the right path so Muslims must remain vigilant of their moves and take steps to counter their anti-Muslim activities.

In the two verses appearing here, two important principles have been given which go to "Pregnable. These are:

1. Taqwa

2. Unity Verse:103 Commentary The first principle appears in the first of the two verses. The second principle follows in the second verse. The first principle stated in the said verse is that one must 'fear Allah', that is, one should organize and manage his life with a full sense of responsibility before Allah, avoiding all that is forbidden or undesirable, doing so in a manner 'which is His due'.

What تقویٰ Taqwa is?

In Arabic, the word, تقویٰ 'Taqwa' is used to denote avoidance and abstinence. It is translated as 'fear' in the sense that things one is asked to abstain from are nothing but things that cause fear, or alert one to the danger of Divine retribution.

تقویٰ Taqwa has its own degrees, the lowest is to avoid کفر Kufr and شرک Shirk, that is, disbelieving in Allah and His Message and attributing partners to His Divinity. In this sense, every Muslim can be counted as مُتَّقی Muttaqi (one who has the quality of تقوی Taqwa ), even if he is involved in sins. At several places in the Holy Qur'an, the words, مُتَّقین 'Muttaqin' (plural of مُتَّقی Muttaqi and تقویٰ 'Taqwa ' have been used in that sense as well. What is really desirable falls under the second degree of تقویٰ Taqwa , that is, to avoid that which is disliked by Allah and His Messenger. The merits and blessings of تقویٰ Taqwa enumerated in the Qur'an and Iiadith have been promised on this degree of avoidance and abstinence.

As far as the third degree of تقویٰ Taqwa is concerned, this is a high station destined for prophets, (علیہم السلام) ، their devoted deputies and men of Allah, for it is not within the grasp of everybody. To stand guard over one's heart against the onslaught of what does not relate to Allah, and to keep it filled with the remembrance of Allah and the desire to seek His pleasure, are great assignments.

The meaning of تقویٰ Taqwa 'as due'

While giving a directive to attain تقویٰ 'Taqwa ' the Holy Qur'an has qualified the word of تقویٰ Taqwa with (a fear which is His due) which mean: that one should seek to attain a degree of تقویٰ Taqwa which it inherently deserves.

This has been explained by the blessed Companions, ` Abdullah ibn Masud, Rabi', Qatadah and Hasan al-Basri ؓ in the following words:

حق تقاتہ ہو ان یطاع فلا یعصٰی و یذکر فلا ینسیٰ ویشکر فلا یکفر (البحر المحیط)

'A fear which is His due' means that one obeys, then does not disobey; remembers then does not forget; and is grateful, then does not become ungrateful.' (Al-Bahr Al-Muhit)

The above explanation has also been reported with its chain of authorities ascending to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself.

Major commentators have explained the sense of the above report differently. For instance, some say that the due fear of Allah means that, in obedience to Allah, one should dismiss all derogatory criticism, no matter where it comes from, always standing firm on what is just, even if, by being just, he has to hurt his own self, or his children, or his parents. Some say, that one can never hope to achieve تقویٰ ' Taqwa as due' unless he protects his tongue.

There is another verse in the Holy Qur'an where it is said:

اتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ

Fear Allah as much as you can. (64:16)

According to the blessed Companions, Ibn ` Abbas and Tawus ؓ ، this is really nothing but an explanation of حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ (a fear which is His due). It means that should one be doing his best, using all his attention and energy to guard against evil, the obligation of Taqwa shall stand fulfilled. If one, who has already done everything he could, happens to fall a victim to something impermissible, that would not be considered being against تقویٰ 'Taqwa as due'.

The statement which follows immediately: وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ (and let not yourself die save as Muslims) tells us that تقویٰ Taqwa is, in reality, the whole of Islam since the total obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and the total avoidance of disobedience both to Allah and His Messenger is what تقویٰ Taqwa is all about; and this is what Islam is.

The command in the verse, 'and let not yourself die save as Muslims' raises a possible doubt as man does not control death, it may come anytime, anywhere. This doubt is removed when we consider the

کما تَحِبُّون تموتون و کما تموتون تحشرون

'As you live, so shall you die; and as you die, so shall you be raised.'

Therefore, anyone who is determined to live his entire life by the tenets of Islam, and to the best of his determination and ability, acts accordingly, his death will definitely come, God willing, on a state of Islam. Now, about some hadith narrations where it is said that there will be people who may have spent a life-time of good deeds, yet the entire roster of such deeds shall go waste because of something awful they did later. Such fate can befall those people only who did not act with sincerity and steadfastness from the very beginning. And Allah knows best.

UNITY: The second principle of collective Muslim strength:

In the second verse, 103: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا (And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you), the golden principle of unity has been presented with great eloquence and wisdom, for the principle, being the only effective binding factor, has been identified before the command to unite was given, following which, came the prohibition of disunity and chaos.

Elaborating this a little, it can be said that unity is something good and desirable, a premise generally approved by all human beings, no matter what place, time, religion or life style they adhere to. A person, who considers fights and disputes as something useful, and good in themselves, would be hard to find anywhere. This is why all groups and parties around the world invariably ask people to unite, but experience shows that all is not well in world affairs. No doubt, everybody agrees that unity is useful, and necessary, yet humanity is divided apart in sects, groups and parties. Then, there is a whole chain of sects within sects and parties within parties, reaching the limits of absurdity where even the unity of two people, in the real sense, has become a myth. A few people get together, agree on something under the driving force of temporary objectives; then, no sooner do interests get served, or remain unrealized, unity evaporates in thin air, and instead, there remains the fall-out of mutual bickering and hostility.

With a little deliberation, it will become clear that every group, every sect, almost every person would like to unite people on some self-made programme, while the position is that other people have their own self-made programmes. So, rather than agree with them, they invite others to line up under their programme. Therefore, all calls for unity end up in break-ups and chaos among parties and persons. Thus, stuck in this quagmire of differences, humanity at large is the loser.

Therefore, the Holy Qur'an has not stopped at giving sermons on unity and order, instead, it has also come forward with a just principle which would help achieve and sustain the desired state of affairs in the world, something in which no group should find a ground for differences. The truth of the matter is that imposing a system or programme conceived by one or some members of the human race on other human beings, and hoping that all of them will accept it unanimously, is simply against commonsense, and justice, and is nothing but cheeky self-deception. However, the system and the programme given by the Creator-Sustainer of all the worlds, the رَ‌بِّ الْعَالَمِينَ Rabb al-` Alamin, is something all human beings should naturally agree upon. No rational human being can deny it on principle. Now, the only possible inroad to difference here can show up in the actual identification of the system given by the Sovereign of Sovereigns, the رَ‌بِّ Rabb, the Lord. Which is it? The Jews say it is the system of the Torah, the Christians say it is the system of the Evangel; both say it was sent by God and it is necessary to act upon it. The approach goes as far as even the poly-theists, who have groups among them attributing their respective religious rites to none but god.

But, if man could rise a little above his group prejudice and the blind following of forefathers, using his own God-given reason, he would stand face to face with the reality without any frills; the reality that the Last of the Prophets, صلى الله عليه وسلم ، has come with the last message of Allah Almighty in the form of the Holy Qur'an and that, at this point of time, there is no other system or living pattern acceptable in the sight of Allah Almighty. Leaving this wider focus aside, we can turn to the first and present addressees of the Qur'an, the Muslims who believe that in the world as we have found it, the Holy Qur'an is the only way of life revealed by Allah Almighty without any shadow of doubt in it, and since Allah Almighty has Himself taken the responsibility of protecting it, there is just no possibility of interpolation or change in it right through to the Day of Judgment. With this position in view, I leave the part of the subject dealing with non-Muslim groups for some other occasion and say to Muslims alone who, being believers in the Qur'an, have no other alternative line of action except this. If different parties among Muslims were to unite on the system of the Holy Qur'an, thousands of their differences based on group, race and country would be resolved instantly, which block the road to human progress. Whatever difference may remain among Muslims, would possibly be in the understanding and the interpretation of the Qur'an. If such difference stays within limits, it is neither blame-worthy nor harmful to collective human living. In fact, the existence of such difference of opinion among the learned is natural. Therefore, exercising restraint and observing limits should not be so difficult to manage. Contrary to this, if our parties were to go on fighting in complete disregard to the Qur'an then, they would not be left with any possibility of correction. It is this chronic dissension and disorder which the Holy Qur'an has sternly forbidden, and it is because of this abandonment of a great Qur'anic principle that our community at large is wasting its potential by succumbing to chaos and factionalism. The Holy Qur'an, in the present verse, shows us the way as to how we can eliminate this tendency to become divided when it says:

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا

And hold on to the cord of Allah, all of you.

Here, حَبْلِ اللَّـهِ (the cord of Allah) means the Holy Qur'an. The blessed Companion, ` Abdullah ibn Masud ؓ is the narrator of the hadith in which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported to have said:

کتاب اللہ ہو حبل اللہ الممدود من السماء الی الارض

The Book of Allah is the cord of Allah, extended from the heavens to the earth.

In another narration of the hadith by the noble Companion, Zayd ibn Arqam ؓ ، the words are: حبل اللہ ہو القرآن : The cord of Allah is the Qur'an (Ibn Kathir).

In Arabic usage, the word, حبل 'habl' also means 'covenant' and, in an absolute sense, it covers everything that can be used as a connecting link. The metaphor of 'cord' has been used for the Qur'an or the Faith to suggest that this is the connecting link which, on one side, establishes the lines of communion between those who believe and their Lord, while, on the other side, it brings all those who believe close together, forming one group.

In short, this one statement of the Qur'an is full of wise rules of conduct. To begin with, it can be said that man must firmly act in accordance with the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, that is, the Holy Qur'an. Then comes the unity of action, that is, all Muslims should join hands to act in accordance with it. The result will be that Muslims will become united and organized as if they were a group holding on to the same cord firmly, turning the whole group into a powerful single body. The Holy Qur'an has explained this mystique of Muslim unity more clearly in another verse where it was said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّ‌حْمَـٰنُ وُدًّا ﴿96﴾

Surely, those who believe and do good deeds, among them the X11-Merciful Allah shall create (mutual) affection. (19:96)

Also present here is a subtle analogy focused on Muslims holding fast to the Book of Allah. Their effort resembles the effort of those who would grip a strong rope while climbing and thus remain protected against a fall. So, the hint is: If Muslims keep holding on to the Book of Allah with their total strength, all in unison, no شیطان satan will ever succeed in dividing them. As a result, like their individual life, the collective strength of the Muslim community as well shall become stable and impregnable. Keeping a firm grip on the Qur'an is some-thing which helps in uniting scattered forces through which a dead nation gets new life. God forbid, if Muslims break away from it, it is certain that their national and collective life will be ruined, and when this happens, their individual life is not likely to fare any better.

Islam is the only source of the Muslim Unity

Unity and agreement need a centre of attraction or a common idea. This idea of a centre has been different with different peoples of the world. Somewhere it was race and tribal affinity. For instance, among the tribal complex of Arabia, Quraysh was one nation and Banu Tamim another. There were other places where colour was the criterion, with black people taken as one nation, and the white people as another. There were still other places where the geographical or lingual factor was the centre of unity making Indian one nation and the Arab, another. Then there were areas where people rallied around ancestral customs drawing a line between those who follow these customs and those who do not, for instance, the Arya Samajists in India.

The Holy Qur'an, bypassing all these, made the Book of Allah basis of unity, that is, the system revealed by Allah Almighty. In a single stroke, it declared that Muslims are a nation attached to حبل للہ 'Hablillah', the cord of Allah, and those who disbelieve are another nation, not attached to this strong 'cord' or 'rope'. The statement: خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ‌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ (It is He who created you. So, some of you are infidels and some of you are believers) means just this. So, the unifying factors of geog-raphy, race, tribe or language do not deserve to be the centre of affinity for man generally has no control over them. One cannot have them by personal effort or choice. Black cannot become white, a Qurayshi cannot become a Tamimi, an Indian cannot become an Arab. Such unities can exist in a very limited frame; they can never claim to have assembled the whole humanity under their umbrella hoping to have the entire world gathered on a united platform. This is why the Holy Qur'an has made the Divinely revealed way of life as the centre of unity, something one can elect to have for himself. Everyone from the East or the West, black or white, speaking Arabic or English or any other language, coming from any family, any tribe, any human group, can freely make this centre of unity his own as the most rational and correct choice available. Then, humankind can come close together around this centre and become brothers and sisters to one another.

What is needed is a little impartial thinking, a slight rising above custom, prejudice and habit, as a result of which, the seeker shall be striking the best bargain of his life. Hopefully, he will discover for himself the way of life revealed by Allah Almighty, understand it, and follow it holding fast on to this strong medium of communion with Allah. As a result of this, the whole humanity will become beneficially concentric, having the centre of God-given guidance in common. Consequently, every individual member of this great brotherhood will be able to tune his deeds, material and spiritual, to the jointly accepted way of life from Allah.

Here is the principle, wise and correct, of which Muslims can be proud, and confident when inviting others to join in. Unfortunately, conspiracies hatched by the Europeans, for centuries to crush the Muslim unity have succeeded in dividing the ranks of those who claim to be Muslims.

Now they have themselves accepted the differences of race, language and nationalities as the dividing forces, and the link of Muslim unity stands severed by the concept of Arabs and Non-Arabs, Indians and non-Indians etc. The Holy Qur'an proclaims a universal reality, loudly and openly, time and again, that these distinctions are ill-founded and divisive and any unity based on them shall remain irrational and false. A centricity is not the solution for Muslims who have no choice but to 'hold on to the cord of Allah', all of them, as a way of life. This has given them a place of honour earlier, and if there is yet another success destined for them, this is how it would come again.

Before we move on to the second part of the verse, let us remember the two distinct instructions given to Muslims in this verse, that is, they should first live by the system prescribed for them by Allah Almighty, then, they should hold fast to the cord of Allah' all together. This is how the Muslim ummah gained ascendance in the past and there is no reason why, it will not rise again.

This far the discussion revolved around the positive aspect of unity among Muslims. The text now takes up the negative aspect when it says: وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (And'be not divided). This is another example of the peculiarly wise style of the Holy Qur'an when it would highlight the positive aspect first, then identify the negative, and forbid the later. In another verse, it was said:

وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَ‌اطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّ‌قَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ Surely, this is the straight path, so, follow it. And do not follow (other) ways which will cause you to become separated from His way. (6:153)

Since disunity is the first and the last reason behind the destruction of a nation, therefore, the Holy Qur'an has repeatedly forbidden it in various ways. It has been said in another verse:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّ‌قُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ

Those who have made divisions in their religion and become sects, you have nothing to do with them. (6:159)

Also narrated in the Holy Qur'an are events concerning communities led by their prophet's (علیہم السلام) communities which fell into temporal and eternal disgrace because of their mutual disputes and disunity which turned them away from the honest pursuit of their central purpose of life.

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that there are three things Allah Almighty has liked for you while there are three others He has disliked. The ones He has liked are as follows:

1. That your worship should be for Allah alone and that you should not attribute partners to His divinity.

2. That you should hold on to the Book of Allah firmly and avoid disunity.

3. That you should have goodwill for those in authority from among you.

The three things which cause Allah's displeasure are:

1. Unnecessary argumentation.

2. Needless asking.

3. Wastage of resources. (Ibn Kathir from Abi Hurairah)

Differences and their Limits

A question that remains unanswered is: Is every difference to be despised or is there a sort of difference which can be called un-blameworthy? The answer is: Every difference is not blameworthy or despicable. A blameworthy difference is one in which individuals and groups stay away from the Qur'an and think in terms of their whims and wishes. But, should it be that everyone stays united in and around the Qur'an and at the same time, continues to accept the explanation and detail coming from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and then, on the basis of God-given natural ability and intellectual quality, expresses differences in opinion about subsidiaries of religion, in which case, this difference will be natural and Islam does not forbid it. The difference among the blessed Companions and their Successors and among leading juristic authorities was of this nature. It was nothing but this difference that was called a 'mercy' for the community. However, if these very subsidiary debates were to be invested with the status of the mainstream of religion, and differences arising out of them were to become a cause of controversy, confrontation, insult and vilification, then, this too will be considered blameworthy.

The Blessing of Brotherhood

The text, after making the two aspects of unity clear, points out to the conditions prevailing among pre-Islam Arabs. Because of tribal rivalries, incessant warfare and long-drawn blood feuds, the entire nation was on the brink of total ruin. What saved them from the fire of hatred was nothing but these blessings of Islam. So, it was said:

وَاذْكُرُ‌وا نِعْمَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَ‌ةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ‌ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا

And remember the blessing of Allah upon you: When you were enemies to each other, and He brought your hearts together, then you, with His grace, became brothers. And you were at the brink of a pit of the Fire, then, He saved you from it. (103)

In other words, by erasing out deep-seated enmities going back to centuries, Allah Almighty made them brothers to each other through the benediction of Islam and the noble Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . This made their life worth living, materially and spiritually, establishing between them such exemplary friendship that even their enemies found it awesome. Where in the whole wide world would they have found this brotherly unity, this enormous blessing of Allah, even if they were to spend the combined treasures of the world?

If we recollect what was said in the opening remarks under these verses, we can see very clearly that the present verse helps eliminate the mischief engineered by the wicked when they tried to disunite the tribes of Aws and Khazraj by reminding them of their past feuds. The lesson is: Once in Islam, division is unthinkable.

Unity among Muslims depends on obedience to Allah:

The above statement of the Holy Qur'an unravels yet another mystery. We now know that, in reality, Allah Almighty is the Master of hearts. Activating mutual love and consideration in the hearts of a people is purely a Divine blessing. Obvious along with it is the fact that one can become deserving of the blessings of Allah only through obedience to Him. With disobedience and sin, one cannot hope to have this reward.

It also follows from here that for Muslims, if they desire to have a stable organization among them, and unity, the only alternative open is that they should make obedience to Allah their life style. This point has been hinted at towards the end of the verse where it was said:

كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

This is how Allah makes His signs clear to you, so that you may take the right path. (103) Verse:104 Commentary Commentary

In the previous verses (102 - 103), Muslims were given two principles which guarantee their collective wellbeing. If everyone practiced Taqwa and made Islam his linkage with Allah,-the result will be that individual life will be corrected and the collective strength of Muslims will come in its wake.

In the present verses': وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (104 - 105), yet another dimension of the proposed system has been added. It has been said here that Muslims are not to rest at the correction of what they think and do individually; but they should, along with that, be affectionately concerned with the good of other brothers and sisters in faith. By doing so, the whole community shall have the benefit of keeping its stance correct at all times, and at the same time, this will guarantee closer mutual cooperation and unity.

Collective well-being of Muslims depends on two things:

These are:

L Self-correction through Taqwa and a firm hold on the 'cord of Allah' through the Qur'an and the Faith.

2. The correction of others through call دعوۃ (da'wah) and positive propagation.

The second article of guidance appears in the opening verse which says: and there has to be a group of people from among you ...' So, the gist of the previous and the present verses is that one must correct his or her deeds and morals in the light of what Allah Almighty has sent as the Law, and with it, one must be concerned that other Muslim brothers and sisters do the same. The subject appears in Surah al-` Asr:

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ‌ ﴿2﴾ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ‌ ﴿3﴾

Except those who believe and do good deeds and invite each

other to truth and invite each other to patience. (103:2, 3)

In order that Muslims have a firm bond of unity, they must relate to Allah, and in order that this bond stays firm through the ages, it is necessary that Muslims consider it their obligation to enjoin what is good in accordance with the dictates of the Qur'an and the Sunnah on their brothers and sisters in faith, and to stop them from what is not good. The purpose is that 'the cord of Allah' should not slip out of one's hands. This was succinctly illustrated by my well-known teacher, Shaykh al-Islam, Maulana Shabbir Ahmad ` Uthmani (رح) who said:

"There is no way this 'cord of Allah' can break. That one loses his hand-hold on it is, of course, possible."

It is to offset this danger that the Holy Qur'an asks Muslims to go on educating other brothers and sisters in faith exhorting them to good deeds and holding them back from the bad ones. This will become a collective effort to stay with Allah and His commands and collective will be their gains in this mortal world and in the Hereafter. There are other proofs in the Holy Qur'an which show that the responsibility of mutual self-correction has been placed on the shoulders of each Muslim.

Cited above, you have seen the statement made in Su-rah al-'Mr. Elsewhere, in this very Surah ` Al-` Imran, it is said:

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ‌ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِ‌جَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌

You are the best Ummah raised for mankind. You bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. (3:110)

As is clear, here too, the obligation - to bid the Fair and forbid the_ Unfair' - has been assigned to the whole community. That they discharge this responsibility is the reason that they are placed higher over other communities. Similarly, there are a large number of sayings of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in this connection. As narrated in Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said:

والذی نفسی بیدہ لتامرون و لتنھون عن المنکراو لیوشکن اللہ ان یبعث علیکم عقابا من عندہ ثم لتدعنہ فلا یستجیب لکم

By Him in whose hands is my life, you must bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair lest Allah inflicts upon you a severe punish-ment; you shall then pray to Him (for mercy) but your prayer shall not be answered.

In another hadith, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

من رای منکم منکراً فیغیرہ بیدہ ، فان لم یستطع فبلسانہ، وان لم یستطع فبقلبہ ، وذلک اضعف الایمان

Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed then, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do that, then, with his spoken word. And if he is unable to do even that, then, with his heart (i.e., abhor it taking it to be evil) and this is the weakest degree of faith.

All these citations leave no doubt about the fact that the duty of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair falls on every individual of the community. The liability will, however, be proportionate to everyone's ability, which is true in the case of all other Islamic injunctions. You may have noticed in the hadith just quoted above that the obligation varies with ability.

Now, each function requires a different ability. First of all, the ability to bid the Fair depends on a correct knowledge of the Fair and the Unfair as such. One who cannot distinguish between the two or does not have a full knowledge of his undertaking would not be the right person to go out to others to bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair. Obviously, this would create disorder instead of discipline. It is quite possible that such a person may, because of his lack of knowledge, forbid something Fair or bid something Unfair. So, one who does not know the Fair and the Unfair is obligated to find it out, get to learn the معروف Ma` ruf and منکر Munkar as determined by the Shari` ah of Islam and then he can go ahead and make these known to others as part of his community service. Let this be clear that until such time that one has acquired the prerequisites of this mission, it is not permissible for him to stand up for this service. These days there are places where many ignorant enthusiasts would stand and deliver a sermon without knowing the Qur'an or the Hadith, or worse still, sections of common people would use hearsay to pick up arguments with others as to how something should or should not be done. This method is not proper to correct the Muslim society. Indeed it will result in more disputes and bring destruction to it.

Similarly, it is also included in 'to bid the Fair' that there be no formidable danger or unbearable harm likely to affect the person involved. Therefore, it was said in the hadith quoted above that one should stop sin with his hands, that is, by this strength. If he is unable .to do so, let him do it with his tongue. If he is unable to do so with his tongue, he should at the least consider it bad in his heart. It is obvious that 'not being able to stop it with his tongue' does not just mean that this person's tongue cannot move. It simply means that he strongly apprehends that, should he open his mouth and speak the truth, his life will be taken or he will be subjected to some other serious injury or loss. In such a case, this person will not be taken as 'able' and he will not be called a sinner for the abandonment of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. It would be an entirely different matter, if he elects to stake his life and property in the way of Allah, bear all losses and still goes ahead and bids the Fair and forbids the Unfair, which is something many blessed Companions and their Successors have been reported to have done. This is determination at its highest, and a feat of great merit which raised their status in this world and in the Here-after. But, what they did was not obligatory on them.

The nature of this obligation requires that one bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair in what is necessary; this would be obligatory. If done in what is commendable; the act too would remain commendable. For instance, the five salats are obligatory, therefore, giving good counsel to the non-performer of salah will become necessary on everyone. The nawafil (optional prayers) are classed as commendable or desirable, therefore, giving good counsel on these will be commendable. Here, etiquette would require that while advising someone to do a commendable act, soft language and attitude must be adopted in all cases. Similarly, while inviting to an obligatory act, one should start with softness. However, he may resort to firmness in attitude if one rejects the soft call outright. It is common sight these days that people tend to object in case of what is commendable or indifferent rather strongly, but remain silent when people abandon what is obligatory.

In addition to this, this obligation will become operative for everybody when one actually sees something forbidden being done before his eyes. For instance, there is a person who is seeing that a Muslim is drinking wine, or stealing or raping, he will then be obligated with the duty to stop it to the best of his ability. If all this is not happening before his eyes, he is not liable to discharge this duty. Rather, this is the duty of the Islamic government to inquire into the crime, investigate and punish the criminal.

The words of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، من رای منکم منکراً (Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed) point out to this principle.

Then comes another level of this function - that there be a dedicated group among Muslims devoted exclusively to the mission of calling people to the Faith and giving them right guidance towards it. Its single mandate and activity should be that it keeps calling people to the Qur'an and the Sunnah through word and deed. When it sees people less inclined towards what is good, or sees them indulging in evils, it should not fall short of pointing out what is good and preventing people from taking to the evil, of course, according to its ability. It should be realized that this great mission can be carried out fully and effectively only when the performers have a complete knowledge of questions involved, as well as, when they are conversant with methods that go to make the call effective in the light of Sunnah. It is for this reason that a particular group of Muslims has been charged with this responsibility as they are likely to take care of all ramifications of this effort.

So, in the present verse:

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ‌ وَيَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌

it has been said: And there has to be a group of people from among you who call towards the good and bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair.

The first part of the verse' وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ translated as (And there has to be a group of people from among you) gives a hint that the presence of this group is necessary. In case, a government does not shoulder this responsibility, it will become obligatory on Muslims that they should establish and operate such a group, because the vital role of the Ummah depends on the existence of such a group. What are the major features of this group? The Qur'anic answer is يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر (who call towards the good). It means that this call of theirs shall be their primary objective. What does خیر 'khayr' or 'good' mean? The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has himself explained it by saying: الخیر ھو اتباع القرآن و سُنَّتی that is, 'khayr' means following the Qur'an and my Sunnah. (Ibn Kathir)

Seen in a restricted sense, 'to bid the Fair and to forbid the Unfair' could have been taken to mean that doing so shall be needed only on special occasions when the evil or 'the Unfair' منکرات (munkarat) are seen being committed. But, the expression يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْر who call towards the good) in the beginning makes it clear that the function of this group wi11 be to call towards the good, even when evil practices are not seen, or time may not have come to perform something obligatory.

For example, it is known that in the period between sunrise and Zawal (noon) no salah is prescribed by the Sharl'ah. But this group shall continue even in this period, to exhort people to perform salah when it is due. Or, take fasting which may not be due at a particular time, the month of Ramadan being far away, but that group will not shelve its duty and become complacent. Instead, it will keep reminding people about the month of Ramadan in advance, stressing on them that fasting will be obligatory at that time. In short, calling people to good will be the intrinsic duty of this group for all times to come.

Then, this 'call towards good' has two sub-levels:

1. Calling non-Muslims towards 'khayr', that is, Islam. This involves all Muslims. It means that every Muslim, in general, and this group, in particular, is responsible for giving the call of Islam, both by words and acts, to all peoples of the world. Therefore in a verse which enjoins jihad on Muslims, the true Muslims have been defined and praised in the following words:

الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُ‌وا بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌

that is, 'true Muslims are those who when We endow them with authority in a land the first thing they do is to establish a system of obedience to Allah on His earth, of which salah is an outward expression, and raise their financial system on principles governed by zakah, and they make the bidding of the Fair and the forbidding of the Unfair their very purpose of life.' (22:41)

Only if, the Muslim community of today were to take to extending their call towards good to other peoples as their objective, all ills that have crept into our social frame through the blind following of non Muslim nations shall cease to exist. When a community resolves to unite for this great objective and becomes sure that it has to forge ahead among the nations of the world and that the responsibility of teaching and training them falls on its shoulders, will find that all its disunities have disappeared and there remains nothing but that wonderful goal in sight. The secret of the successes achieved by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his noble Companions ؓ lies hidden behind this effort. It appears in a hadith that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم

recited this verse وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ (And there has to be a group of people from among you) and then said: This special group is the group of the noble Companions (Ibn Jarir). This is because each individual from among these blessed souls considered himself personally charged with the responsibility of calling people to good..

2. The second sub-level of this noble function is to call Muslims themselves towards the good. This means that تبلیغ tabligh or the act of conveying the message of Allah should be done by all Muslims generally, and by the special group particularly, among Muslims, fulfilling the duty of دعوۃ da'wah imposed by the Qur'an.

Again this call takes two forms as given below:

a). The first form will be that of a general and open call to good through which all Muslims will be educated into necessary injunctions and morals which have to be followed in Islam.

b). The second call would be particular and selective through which the objective will be to produce experts in the Muslim community, experts in the sciences of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Another verse of the Holy Qur'an leads in this direction:

فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ‌ مِن كُلِّ فِرْ‌قَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُ‌وا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَ‌جَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُ‌ونَ

So, why should it not be that a group from every section of them goes forth, so that they may acquire perfect under-standing of the Faith, and so that they may warn their people . when they return to them, that they may be cautious. (9:122)

Further on, this responsibility-bearing group has been identified as carrying the additional distinction وَيَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ that is, 'they bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair'.

The word, معروف 'ma` ruf literally means 'recognized' but as a Qur'anic term it includes all good enjoined by Islam, and promoted by all prophets (علیہم السلام) during their respective ages. Since what is good is known and recognized, it has been referred to as معروف 'ma` ruf .

Similarly, the word, منکر 'munkar' literally means 'non-recognized" or alien", but as a Qur'anic term it includes all evils and disorders about which it is well-known and recognized that the Holy Prophet declared them to be impermissible.

Keeping this in view, another point is worth-consideration. The Holy Qur'an could have used the word 'wajib' (what is obligating) instead of معروف 'ma` ruf, and the word معاصی 'ma` asi (sins) instead of 'munkar'., but it did not do so. The selection of the words معروف 'ma' ruf and منکر 'munkar' maybe indicative of the principle that the subject of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair1 must be an act which is recognized by the entire Muslim Ummah as 'fair' or 'unfair' without any difference of interpretation. As for the rules deduced through اجتہاد ijtihad, which have always been open for the different interpretations offered by the capable Muslim jurists, they should not be made an issue during the process of الامر بالمعروف والنھیٰ عن المنکر : 'bidding the fair and forbidding the unfair" It is a pity that such a wise Qur'anic principle is being generally neglected in the Muslim community, and the Muslims are made to fight each other on the secondary issues which can admit different interpretations. People tend to consider such efforts as some feat of piety while the evils which are held by the entire ummah unanimously as sins and are being committed in the community receive much less attention and often go unchecked.

1. It means that if a recognized school of Islamic jurisprudence, such as Hanafi school adopting a particular interpretation of Islamic law, has held an act as 'fair', the holders of an opposite view like Sh'afi'ites should not blame or reproach the former for their action, and vice versa. (editor)

Towards the conclusion of the verse, the commendable end of the group described therein has been enshrined in the following words:

وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

And it is these who are successful.

It simply means that, in reality, success is achieved by such people alone.

Primarily, this description applies to the great group of the Companions of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . They were the ones who rose with the great objective of calling towards the good and of curbing what was bad and in a very brief period of time conquered the entire world of their time. There were power centers of Byzantine and Persia which could not stop them and they went ahead teaching lessons in morality and purity and ushering around the light of righteousness and Godliness wherever they went. Verse:105 Commentary Having established that Muslims have a distinct mission to convey and preach the God-oriented message of good, the text moves on to warn Muslims with the words:

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّ‌قُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ

And do not be like those who became divided and fell into disputes after clear signs had come to them. (105)

It means that Muslims should not be like Jews and Christians who, even after clear injunctions of Allah Almighty had reached them, became divided in the implementation of the basic code of faith simply because they preferred to follow the dictates of their desires. Thus, thrown in violent mutual disputations, vocal and physical, they brought Divine punishment upon themselves. This verse is, in fact, a complement of وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّـهِ جَمِيعًا 103) where Muslims were asked to seek unity and strength by attaching themselves to Allah's commands, individually and collectively, which helps make an entire community act like one body, one person, one entity. Then comes the perpetual mission of دعوۃ da'wah, the act of calling people to good, the process of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair. These nurture and strengthen that unity. After that, by saying وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (and be not divided) in verse 103 and وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّ‌قُوا ; (And do not be like those who became divided) in the present verse, Muslims have been asked to learn a lesson from past communities which were destroyed by mutual dissensions with the good counsel that they should do their best to stay safe against this disease.

The type of divisiveness censured in this verse is a division that shows up because of arrogant and egotistic self-assertiveness, be it in the fundamentals of religion or in its subsidiaries. The statement after clear signs had come to them' is an obvious indicator towards this explanation. The truth is that all fundamentals of religion are dear. Even some subsidiaries are so clear that they allow no margin of disagreement, unless of course, there be a selfish motive behind it.

However, there are subsidiary issues not so definite and clear. They may have no clear support from the texts of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah, (rather they are deduced by the scholars on the basis of analogy) or the text on which they are based is open to different interpretations. The resulting difference of opinion in the understanding of these subsidiaries is not included in the sense of this verse. The well known authentic hadith narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim from the blessed Companion, ` Amr ibn al'As ؓ ، is more than enough to permit it. In this hadith the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that one who does اجتھاد Ijtihad (conducting a competent inquiry within the framework provided by the Sharl'ah to resolve a religious issue) and comes up with a ruling which is correct, he gets a twofold reward; and if he makes a mistake in his اجتھاد Ijtihad, he gets one reward.

This tells us that an made by a competent scholar even if it turns out to be erroneous, is still worthy enough for a reward provided utmost effort has been made. How can this be regarded as blame-worthy? So, the difference of opinion resulting from اجتھاد Ijtihad undertaken by the blessed Companions ؓ and the great Imams رحمۃ اللہ علیہم has absolutely no connection with the present verse. According to Sayyidna Qasim ibn Muhammad and ` Umar ibn ` Abdul-Aziz رحمۃ اللہ علیہما ، the difference of opinion among the noble Companions ؓ is a source of mercy and ease for people (as in Ruh a1-Ma` ani from al-Baihaqi and al-Mudkhal).

Ruling on difference of opinion

Let us have a clear understanding of a serious matter of principle which arises out of this discussion. When we talk about differences in اجتھاد Ijtihad, we mean an اجتھاد Ijtihad which is permissible under the Sharah of Islam. (There is no such thing as an اجتھاد Ijtihad outside the ramifications of the Shari` ah). In a Shari` ah -based اجتھاد Ijtihad, one or the other Imam may elect a view to stand by according to his line of thought, but the fact shall remain that, in the sight of Allah, only one of these views is true while other views are not so true. But again, the decision as to which is true and which is not rests with Allah Almighty, who will bestow, on the Day of Resurrection, a twofold reward on the Imam and ` Alim who arrives at the correct ruling through his Ijtihad. Also rewarded on this Day, wi11 be the one whose Ijtihad was not correct. In short, nobody except Allah has the right to sit on judgment in the difference of interpretation and say that this is true and that is false. However, to the best of one's understanding and insight whichever side one thinks is closest to the Qur'an and the Sunnah he may say that, as far as he thinks, his choice is correct, although the possibility of its being incorrect cannot be ruled out and that which is the opinion on the other side, different from his chosen option is regarded as incorrect, with the possibility of that it may be correct in the sight of Allah. This is something all leading Imams of Fiqh, the masters of Muslim jurisprudence, agree upon.

So, the rule becomes clear that no side taken in a difference of interpretations is منکر 'munkar' or 'unfair' and open to objection. Thus it will not be subjected to reproach under the authority of يَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ‌ (Bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair), More so, when it is not unfair, raising an objection against what does not fall under the 'Unfair' would itself be regarded as unfair. This must be avoided. This is a rule most educated people do not fully comprehend these days or simply neglect it. They do not desist from abusing and verbally attacking others who think otherwise with all sorts of derogatory remarks and fretting. Inevitably, this leads to internecine confrontation and rampant disunity among Muslims, a phenomenon visible all over the Muslim world.

It has been already said that a difference of interpretation, if it corresponds to the principles of Ijtihad, does not go against the injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (and be not divided) and, therefore, it is not blameworthy. But, the way this difference is being handled these days, when quarrelsome debates around the tertiary subjects are being nursed as if they were the very basis of Muslim faith. Unfortunately this is what results in mutual confrontation and abuse. It can be said without any shade of doubt that this behaviour is certainly an open violation of the same Qur'anic injunction وَلَا تَفَرَّ‌قُوا (and be not divided). It is, most certainly; -objectionable and totally contrary to the way of our learned elders, the blessed Companions and their Successors. There is no precedent for this type of behaviour among the early scholars (the Companions and their disciples) who were the best of our community. That anyone was ever blamed on the basis of difference of opinion in matters of interpretation in this manner is something unheard of. For instance, Imam Shafi` i (رح) and other Imams, may Allah have mercy on them all, rule that in a salah offered in a congregation behind an imam, all those offering their prayer behind him must recite the Surah al-Fatihah as an obligation. Given this ruling anyone who does not fulfill this obligation will not have offered his salah at all. Parallel to this is the view of Imam Abu Hanifah , may Allah have His mercy on him, according to whom it is not permissible for one who prays behind an imam to recite his own Surah al-Fatihah, therefore, the Hanafiyah do not recite it while offering prayers in a congregation behind an imam. But, nowhere during the entire history of Muslim community there is any report saying that the followers of the Shafi` i school considered Hanafiyah as the deserters of the obligation of salah or that their prayers are not complete. They have never been blamed or criticised in the manner one would criticise and attack the evil acts forbidden by the Shari` ah.

Imam ibn ` Abd al-Barr (رح) has, mentioned the attitude of the early scholars and the revered elders in the following words:

عن یحی بن سعید قال ما برح اھل الفتوی یفتون فیحل ھذا و یحرم ھذا فلا یری المحرم ان المحل ھلک لتحلیلہ ولا یری المحل ان المحرم ھلک لتحریمہ (جامع بیان العلم ، ص 80)

Those who are entitled to give fatwa, have always been issuing fatwas. One of them would rule (concerning injunctions not covered under the texts) that something is lawful while the other will rule it to be unlawful. But, the latter takes the former doomed to perdition, nor does the former think that the later is doomed to perdition. (Jami' Bayan al-` Ilm, p. 80)

An important note of caution

All this discussion about Ijtihad relates to the one carried out under the standard rules governing it. The very first condition is that Ijtihad can be resorted to in questions and issues about which there is no categorical decision available in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Or, it may be that such decision is not clear and susceptible to more than one interpretation. Or, it is possible that a combination of some verses of the Qur'an and some narrations of the hadith may be apparently contradictory. In situations such as this, only those who possess the necessary pre-requisites to carry out Ijtihad will be entitled to do so. Ijtihad is no easy matter. It requires the most perfect expertise (in the real and full sense of the term) of all disciplines related to the Qur'an and the Hadith, a comprehensive and perfect knowledge of the Arabic language, and a comprehensive knowledge of the sayings of the blessed Companions and their Successors. Therefore, anyone who dabbles in questions which have been settled by authoritative texts and comes up with opinions contrary to those of leading authorities, then this difference of opinion will not fall under the category of Ijtihad as envisaged by the Shari` ah..

This will also be true about the person who does not fulfill the conditions of Ijtihad. What he says does not affect the question at all. This tendency has unfortunately become fairly visible in Muslim societies. Those who consider themselves educated (in modern sciences) have started to express their personal opinions relating to matters that have been settled in the Qur'an and Sunnah. This is ignorance at its ugliest. These are issues where even Imams and مجتھدین mujtahids would not dare speak. How can the exercise of so called Ijtihad be acceptable from a person who does not even possess the knowledge of Islamic sciences let alone the highest level of learning required for Ijtihad. Verse:106 Commentary Commentary

The meaning of 'bright' and 'dark' faces:

This expression appears in the Holy Qur'an at several places, for instance:

وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ تَرَ‌ى الَّذِينَ كَذَبُوا عَلَى اللَّـهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسْوَدَّةٌ

On the day of Doom, you shall see those who lied against Allah (with) their faces blackened. (39:60)

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُّسْفِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿38﴾ ضَاحِكَةٌ مُّسْتَبْشِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿39﴾ وَوُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَيْهَا غَبَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿40﴾ تَرْ‌هَقُهَا قَتَرَ‌ةٌ ﴿41﴾

Some faces on that day shall shine, laughing, joyous. Some faces on that day shall be dusty, overspread with darkness. (80:38-41)

وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَ‌ةٌ ﴿22﴾

Faces on that day shall be radiant, looking towards their Lord. (75:22)

In these verses, several words such as, بْيَضُّ 'bayad', اسْوَدَّ 'sawad', غَبَرَ‌ةٌ 'ghabarah', قَتَرَ‌ةٌ 'qatarah', and نَّاضِرَ‌ةٌ 'nadirah', have been used to carry the same sense. In the English translation, where applicable, they appear in italics. According to the majority of commentators, 'brightness' signifies the brightness of the light of Faith, that is, the faces of believers shall be resplendent with the light of Faith, fresh and smiling due to happiness (as a result of rewards bestowed upon them by Allah). 'Darkness' signifies the darkness of disbelief, that is, the faces of the disbelievers will be covered with the gloomy anguish of disbelief and the added soot of sin and transgression would turn them still darker.

Who are these people?

Commentators have explained the identity of the people with 'bright and 'dark' faces variously. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، says that the faces of the followers of Sunnah shall be 'bright' and those of the followers of Bid'ah (innovation in the revealed Faith, not intended by Allah and His Messenger, nor by his learned dark Companions). Hadrat ` Ata' (رح) says that the faces of the Muhajirin and Ansar shall be 'bright' and the faces of the Bani Qurayzah and Bani Nadir shall be 'dark' (Qurtubi).

Imam Tirmidhi narrates a hadith from Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ which identifies these as relating to the Khawarij, )the oldest sect of rebels), that is, the 'dark' faces shall belong to the Khawarij, and the 'bright' faces to those whom they shall kill. The hadith is given below:

قال ابو امامہ کلاب النار شرقتلی تحت ادیم السماء، وخیر قتلی من قتلوہ ثم قراَ : يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ

When Sayyidna Abu Umamah ؓ was asked if he had heard the hadith from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، he replied, while counting on his fingers, that he would not have narrated this hadith had he not heard it from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم seven times (Tirmidhi).

Sayyidna ` Ikrimah ؓ says that 'dark' faces shall belong to those from among the people of the Book who did confirm the coming of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم before he was ordained. But when he had been given prophethood they did not accept and support him. On the contrary, they started falsifying him (Qurtubi)

There are other explanations as well, other than those cited above, but they all lead to the same conclusion, and are not contradictory. Imam al-Qurtubi has said in his Tafsir that the expression يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ in the verse means that the faces of sincere Muslims shall be 'bright' but the faces of all those who may have altered their religion, or may have become apostates and disbelievers, or may be concealing their hypocrisy in their hearts, shall be 'dark'.

Some special notes:

In the verse Allah Almighty has mentioned the بْيَضُّ bayyad first, and the سْوَدُّ sawed or darkness after it. But, in the verse which follows: فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ (As for those whose faces turn dark), sawed or darkness has been made to appear before بْيَضُّ bayyad or brightness, although the sequence of 'the original statement required that the mention of brightness appear first at this place as well. This reversal of the order seems to indicate that Allah Almighty has pointed out to His main purpose of creation. That purpose is to bless His creation with His mercy; punishment is not the objective. So, those with bright faces come first as they deserve the mercy and merit from their Lord. People with dark, anguished faces were mentioned later as the ones who deserve punishment. Towards the close of the verse, the statement ففی رحمۃ اللہ (They rest in Allah's mercy) is meant to stress upon the great mercy of the Creator. One cannot miss observing that those deserving of mercy were identified immediately at the beginning of the verse and again, at the end of the verse, and very affectionately indeed. The mention of those whose faces shall turn dark remains in between. All this points out to His limitless, endless mercy, clearly suggesting that human beings were certainly not created to serve as an exhibit or manifestation of Divine punishment; instead, they were created to flourish under the sunshine of Allah's mercy.

About the statement, فی رحمۃ اللہ 'they shall rest in Allah's mercy', the blessed Companion Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that 'rahmah' or 'mercy' in the verse means جَنَّت 'Jannah' or 'paradise'. Here too, the wisdom behind giving the name 'mercy' to 'paradise' is, quite obviously, that man, no matter how worshipful and pious he may be, shall not enter Paradise unless it be through the sole mercy of Allah Almighty. The reason is that being devoted in acts of worship is no feat of human excellence as such. On the contrary, the very ability to do so is, in itself, a gift of Allah. So, عبادہ 'ibadah' or worship does not, in itself, create an inherent right to enter Paradise. It is Allah's mercy alone through which one can enjoy the bliss of Paradise. (al-Tafsir al-Kabir) Verse:107 Commentary 2. The sentence ففی رحمۃ اللہ (they rest in Allah's mercy) is immediately qualified by هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (they are there forever). This means that the mercy in which the believers shall rest will not be temporary; it would be forever and eternal. This blessing will never be taken away or reduced in their case. In contrast to this are those whose faces shall turn dark; for them, it has not be expressly mentioned if they shall be in that state forever.

Sinning man earns his own punishment:

The verse فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُ‌ونَ (106) (now taste the punishment because you have been sinning) indicates that the punishment on that Day is not from Allah but that it is as consequence of what man has earned while living his mortal life, for the truth is that the blessings of paradise and the hardships of hell are simply a changed form of our very deeds. So, later on in verse 108, it was said: وَمَا اللَّـهُ يُرِ‌يدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (and Allah wants no injustice for { anyone in the worlds} which means that Allah has no intention of being unjust to His creation. Whatever reward or punishment is there, is nothing but justice and very much the perfect expression of the divine wisdom and mercy. Verse:108 Commentary - - - Verse:109 Commentary - - -