Verse:27 Commentary Commentary

Sequence of the Verses

Some early commentators have said that these verses return to the subject of Tauhid, Oneness of Allah or pure monotheism supported by proofs of Divine power and mastery in nature. Some others have said that described in the previous verses were different states of people along with examples, such as: وَمَا يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ‌ وَلَا الظُّلُمَاتُ وَلَا النُّورُ‌ وَلَا الظِّلُّ وَلَا الْحَرُ‌ورُ‌. (And the blind and the sighted are not equal, (35:19) nor darkness and light, nor shade and heat of the sun - 35:19-20). What is being said here further clarifies that mutual difference in Divine creations is something inherent. It exists even in organic and inorganic substances, in fact, it is present not only in shapes and colors, but in traits and temperaments as well.

A subtle grammatical point

The Holy Qur'an has mentioned different colors of fruits at the first place in Verse 27, and of the mountains at the second place. But the grammatic style is different in both places. With regard to fruits the difference of colors is mentioned by an adverbial phrase (translated above as ' having different cobblers', while in the case of mountains, it has been expressed by an adjectival phrase (translated above as ' of different cobblers'. According to the Arabic grammar, an adjective normally refers to the permanent quality of a thing, while an adverb may refer to a quality or condition that is subject to change. Keeping this in view, there may be a hint here to the effect that the difference of colors in fruits does not remain constant in a single state, rather keeps changing after brief intervals. On the contrary, there are the colors of human beings and other life forms. These are generally fast and abiding, and do not change.

And in case of mountains, used there was the word: جُدَدٌ (judad). This is the plural form of: جُدَّہ (juddah) the well-recognized meaning of which is that of a mini pathway also known as: جادہ (jadah). Some respected elders have taken juddah in the sense of a tract, patch or segment that, in both situations, denotes parts of the mountains being different in colors. Out of these, white was mentioned first while black, last. In between, along with the mention of red, the expression: مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا (of different colors) was introduced. This could be releasing a hint that, in reality, the colors in this world are no more than two - white and black. The rest of the colors in the spectrum emerge by compounding different degrees of white and black. Verse:28 Commentary The place where the word: كَذَٰلِكَ (kadhalik: translated above by the words, 'as well' ) appears in verse 28 just before: كَذَٰلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّـهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ (Only those of His slaves fear Allah who are knowledgeable), but in the translation above it has been separated from the next verse by a full stop, because this is the place of a stop (waqf) according to the consensus of the majority of commentators and scholars. As such, it is a sign denoting that this word is related to the previous subject, that is, the creation of all that exists in categories and kinds and different colors is a very special sign of the power and wisdom of Allah Ta' ala.

Then there are narrations that suggest that this word is related to the next sentence. If this interpretation is adopted, the full stop would be appropriate after the words, 'having different colors, and the word 'kadhalika' should be translated as 'similarly' in which case, it would mean that 'the way fruits, mountains, human beings and other life forms are marked out by different colors, similarly, there are different degrees among people who have the awe or fear of Allah in their hearts. Someone may have achieved its highest degree. Others may have arrived at what is less than that. Then, the whole thing depends on knowledge. Whoever has a certain degree of knowledge will have a corresponding degree of the awe or fear of Allah. (Ruh-ul-Ma' ani)

In previous verses, it was said: إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ‌ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَ‌بَّهُم بِالْغَيْبِ (18) This is to give solace to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم which means, 'when you warn people and convey the message of Allah to them, only those who have the awe of Allah without having seen Him get the maximum benefit out of it.' In symmetry with this, the present verse: إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّـهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ (Only those of His slaves fear Allah who are knowledgeable - 35:28) has mentioned people about whom it can be said that they have the awe of Allah and fear Him as is His due. Then, there is another parallelism here. Mentioned earlier were disbelievers and deniers along with the different states they were submerged in. In the present verse, what has been put forth is the opposite of it. The verse talks about the men of Allah (the auliya' of Allah) particularly. The word:إِنَّمَا (innama) is used in the Arabic language to describe hasr or exclusiveness. Therefore, this sentence obviously means that only the ` Ulama' (the knowing, the learned, the initiated) fear Allah or have the genuine awe of Allah. But Tafsir authority, Ibn ` Atiyyah and others said that the wayإِنَّمَا (innama) is employed to show exclusiveness, it is also used to describe the singularity of something, and the later is what is meant here - that fearing Allah and remaining in awe of Him is a specially incumbent attribute of the ` Ulama'. It does not necessarily imply that those other than them have no such fear and awe in them. (Al-Bahr ul-Muhit, Abu Hayyan)

And the word: عُلَمَاءُ (Ulama' ) in the verse means people who have due knowledge of the being and attributes of Allah Ta' ala and who have the fact of His power and control, and His favors and blessings, on what He has created, always in sight. In the terminology of the Qur'an, no one is considered to be an ` alim simply by virtue of knowing the Arabic language, grammar and rhetoric unless he has acquired the knowledge and understanding of the attributes of Allah Ta' ala in the manner stated above.

Explaining this verse, Hasan al-Basri (رح) said: ` Alim is a person who fears Allah in private and in public, and likes what Allah likes him to do, and hates what is detestable in the sight of Allah.

And Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ said:

لیَسَ العِلمُ الحدِیثِ و لٰکِنّ العِلمَ عَن کَثرَۃِ الخَدیَۃِ

Memorizing many ahadith (or, talking a lot) is no 'Um (knowledge). Instead, (real) knowledge comes when one has the awe and fear of Allah with it.

In short, the degree of the fear of Allah one has shall go on to make him an ` Alim of that very degree. And Ahmad Ibn Salih al-Misri said: Fear of Allah cannot be recognized on the basis of someone's prolific reporting of events or abundance of knowledge, in fact, it is identified through one's adherence to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet. (Ibn Kathir)

Shaykh Shahabuddin as-Suhrawardi (رح)) said: This verse clearly indicates that a person who has no fear of Allah is no ` alim. (Mazhari) This is confirmed by the sayings of the early forbears of Islam (Salaf).

Sayyidna Rabi' Ibn Anas ؓ said:

مَن لَّم یَخش فَلَیسَ بِعَالِمِ

One who does not fear Allah is not an Vim.

And early commentator, Mujahid said:

انَّما العَالِمُ مَن خَشِیَ اللہَ

Only he who fears Allah is the (real) Vim.

Someone asked Sa'd Ibn Ibrahim: Who knows Divine Law at its best in the city of Madinah? He said: a;J r mti (He who is the most fearing of his Lord).

And Sayyidna ` Ali al-Murtada ؓ defined a Faqih (master of Islamic jurisprudence) by saying:

اِنَّ الفَقِیہِ حَقَّ الفَقِیہِ مَن لَّم یَقنط النَّاسَ مِن رَّحمَۃِ اللہِ وَ لَم یرخص لَھُم فِی مَعَاصِی اللہِ تَعَالٰی ، وَلم یُؤمِنھُم مَّن عَذَابِ اللہِ تَعَالٰی وَ لَم یَدَعُ القُرآنَ رَغبَہُ عَنہُ الٰی غَیرِہٖ اَنَّہ لَاخَیرَ فِی عِبَادَۃِ لَّاعِلمَ فِیھَا وَلَا عِلمِ لَّا فِقہ فِیہِ ولَاقِرَاَء لَّاتَدَبُّرَ فِیہِ (قرطبی)

A Faqih, perfect as he must be, is he who would not make people lose hope in the mercy of Allah, nor leave them free to indulge in acts of disobedience to Him, nor give them the guarantee of remaining safe from the punishment of Allah, nor forsake the Qur'an by indulging in pursuits other than it. (And he said): Verily, there is no good in an act of worship that is without knowledge, and there is no good in a knowledge that is without understanding, and there is no recitation (Qira'ah of the Qur'an) without deliberation in it. (Qurtubi)

The clarifications appearing above also help remove the doubt about many ` Ulama' who do not seem to have the kind of awe and fear of Allah required of them. These clarifications tell us that, in the sight of Allah, the bland knowledge of Arabic is not what 'ilm is, and certainly, the one who is proficient in it is not an ` Alim. Anyone who does not have the fear of Allah in his heart is simply not an ` Alim in the terminology of the Qur'an.

However, at times, awe and fear of Allah are rooted in one's creed and reason because of which one adheres to the injunctions of the Shari' ah as a matter of obligation. Then, there are occasions when this awe and fear of Allah become the very state of one's existence and rise to the degree of a firmly ingrained asset whereby the readiness to follow the Shari' ah becomes a natural reflex. The first degree of the awe and fear of Allah is mandatory and, for an ` Alim necessary. The second degree is certainly superior and sublime, but not necessary. (Bayan ul-Qur an) Verse:29 Commentary Commentary

Mentioned earlier, in verse 28, there was a quality of true ` Ulama' who acknowledge Allah. This quality related to the heart. It was to have Allah's awe in the heart. In the first of the present verses (29), some those qualities of the same blessed people, the awliya' or men of Allah, are mentioned that find expression through outward parts of the body. Out of these, the first quality is the tilawah (recitation) of the Qur'an. This denotes the people who recite the Book of Allah constantly. The use of the aorist tense (mudari) in: یَتلُونَ (yatluna: they recite) releases a hint in this direction. Then, there are other elders who have taken: یَتلُونَ (yatluna) at this place in its literal sense, that is, they follow the Qur'an in deed. But, the first Tafsir is weightier, even though, it also stands determined from the context that recitation can be trustworthy only when it brings forth actions in accordance with the Qur'an. But, the word: تِلَاوَت (tilawah or recitation) used here appears in its recognized sense. Similarly, Mutarrif Ibn ` Abdullah Ibn Shikhkhir (رح) said: ھَذِہٖ آیَۃُ القُرَّاِء (This verse is for al-qurra' ), the phoneticians of the Qur'an, who make the recitation of the Qur'an their special activity of life.

The second quality they have is the establishing of Salah and the third is the spending of their wealth in the way of Allah. When the text says 'secretly and openly', it indicates that it is often better to spend secretly in order to stay safe from riya' (show off) in acts of worship. But, there are occasions when religious considerations require that it should be done openly, as in the case of congregational prayers for which the command is to call adhan from minarets and perform salah openly with the highest possible attendance. Similarly, there are occasions when it is necessary to let spending in the way of Allah be open in order to persuade others to do the same. Muslim jurists have laid out details in the matter of salah and spending in the way of Allah. According to them, when it is فَرض fard (obligatory), Wajib (necessary) or sunnah mu'akkadah (emphasized sunnah), doing this openly is better. Other than this, when doing nafl salah, it is better to do it privately. Similarly, in instances when spending one's wealth is Fard or Wajib, such as, the obligatory Zakah or sadaqatul-fitr or qurbani, spending openly on these is better and worthy of more merit. As for the rest of voluntary charities (Sadaqatun-nafilah), spending these secretly carries more merit and grace.

From people who carry these three qualities in their person, that is, they recite the Qur'an constantly, establish salah as due and spend in the way of Allah cheerfully, it is also expected that they would not simply stop at Fard and Wajib spending, rather, would also be contributing to voluntary charities. Identified next, there is yet another attribute of theirs: (they hope for a trade that will never crash,). The expression: يَرْ‌جُونَ تِجَارَ‌ةً لَّن تَبُورَ‌ (Ian tabur) is a derivation from: بَوَار (bawar) which means to go waste. The verse means that believers having these attributes hope to go in a trade that never runs into a loss. The very word: يَرْ‌جُونَ (yarjun: hope) indicates that a believer has no room for certainty in any good deed done by him or her in this mortal world. No one can say it will definitely bring forgiveness to them and that they will get its reward for sure - because, no matter how good one is in deeds, one simply cannot fulfill the right of reverence and worship Allah Ta' ala has on His servants. Therefore, forgiveness for one and all will not be possible without the grace of Allah Ta' ala, as has been clearly stated in a Hadith. In addition to that, with the doing of everything good, one should not neglect the danger of some secret trick of Satan or one's own self getting mixed up with so many good deeds because of which they do not remain acceptable. Or, on occasions, along with a good deed, some bad deed gets to be committed which in turn stops the good deed from being accepted. Therefore, by introducing the word: يَرْ‌جُونَ (yarjun: hope) in the verse, it was pointed out that even after having become particular with all possible good deeds, no one has the right to become sure of his or her salvation and of high ranks that follow in its wake. The most one can do is hope. (Ruh- ul Ma' ani)

Good deeds likened with trade

In this verse, good deeds mentioned above have been likened to a

trading activity - as it was done in another verse where Faith and Jihad in the way of Allah have been expressed as trade or business deal:

هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ تِجَارَ‌ةٍ تُنجِيكُم مِّنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَرَ‌سُولِهِ وَتُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ

O those who believe, shall I tell you about a trade that saves you from a painful punishment? (It is that) you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and carry out Jihad in His way with your riches and your lives - As-Saff, 61:10).

It has been characterized as trade in the sense that a trader invests his capital and time in some venture only when he hopes that by doing so, his capital will increase and he will profit by it. But, every trading activity in this world is hemmed with the probability of loss along with the hope of profit. In the present verse, by adding the word: لَن تَبُور (lan tabur) to trade, it was pointed out that in this deal made for the sake of the benefits of the Hereafter, there was no probability of a loss. Then, the good people of Allah who take pains to do what is good and right do not go about running a business as businesses are commonly run. Instead of that, they hope to engage in a trading activity that never suffers a loss. As for the mention of the stance of hope on the part of such people, it serves as a delicate hint in the direction that Allah Ta' ala is the noblest of the noble and the most generous of the generous, so He will not sever the hope of the hopeful, instead, would fulfill it. In fact, in the next sentence, it was also said that their hope is limited to receiving only a full return of their deed, but Allah Ta ala would, in His infinite mercy, bestow on them much more, far more than they would have ever hoped: لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَ‌هُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ (so that He pays them their rewards in full, and gives them more out of His grace - 30). The word: لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ (liyuwaffiahum: so that He pays them in full) is connected with لَّن تَبُور‌ (lan tabur: has no loss), that is, this trade of theirs not only that it admits of no loss, but that it will also bring their return and reward in full, and in addition to that, Allah Ta' ala will bless them, out of His grace, with much more, rather, far beyond their fondest hopes of returns.

Included within this grace and increase is the promise of Allah Ta' ala that He rewards the deed of a believer multiplied many times, the lowest denominator of which could be ten times of the deed, and the highest could reach seven hundred times, even higher than that. Then, also included in this grace is the acceptance of their intercession on behalf of sinners - as it appears in a Hadith narrated by Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ where he has reported the explanation of this grace from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم : 'These people will intercede on behalf of anyone who had done some favor to them during the life of the mortal world. Then, despite being deserving of the punishment of Jahannam, such people will stand delivered of it by virtue of their intercession.' (Tafsir Mazhari with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim) (And it is obvious that intercession will be possible only for the people of faith. No one will be allowed to intercede on behalf of a disbeliever). Similarly, the foremost part of this grace is that they will have an opportunity to see Allah Ta' ala. Verse:30 Commentary - - - Verse:31 Commentary - - - Verse:32 Commentary The word: ثُمَّ (thumma: Then) in verse 32: ثُمَّ أَوْرَ‌ثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا (Then We conveyed the Book as an heritage to those of Our slaves whom We chose.) serves as a conjunction to denote that the two things mentioned before and after it, despite having common characteristic, are marked by precedence and succession. What comes first has precedence, and that which comes after, succeeds. In addition to that, on some occasions, this precedence and succession takes effect in terms of time while, on some others, in terms of rank and degree. In this verse, the word: ثُمَّ (thumma: Then) is عَطف (atf: Conjunctive particle) connected to the word: اَوحَینا (awhaina: We revealed). It means: This Book, that is, the Qur'an which is nothing but the truth, and confirms all earlier Scriptures, We first sent to you as a revelation. After that, We made those We chose out of Our servants inherit the Book. The earlier and later of it, or the precedence and succession of it in terms of rank and degree is already very obvious in the sense that the sending of the Qur'an to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم through the medium of wahy (revelation) has precedence in rank and degree. Then, its bestowal on the community of Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم takes effect in succession to it. And if making the Muslim ummah the inheritor of the Qur'an is taken to mean that he", rather than leave behind his legacy in the form of wealth and lands, left behind the Book of Allah as his legacy or inheritance - as borne by Hadith: 'Prophets do not leave coins of gold and silver as inheritance: They leave (true) knowledge as their legacy.' Or, '"Ulama' are inheritors of prophets" - then, in those terms, this precedence and succession could also reflect a time frame in the sense that 'We have blessed you with this Book. After that, you passed it on to your ummah as its inheritor.' To make someone inherit something means to bestow it on someone, give it as legacy, gift. This act of bestowal when expressed as inheritance points out to the fact that the way an inheritor gets his or her share from the inheritance without he or she having done anything to acquire it, similarly, this wealth of the noble Qur'an has been given as a gift to these chosen servant without any effort on their part.

A peculiarity of the Muslim Community, and that of its ` Ulama'

According to the majority of commentators, the sentence: الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا (those of Our slaves whom We chose) in verse 32, means the ummah (community) of Sayyidna Muhammad al-Mustafa صلى الله عليه وسلم ، its ` Ulama' - directly, and others, through the ` Ulama'. Reporting a Tafsir of this verse from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، ` Ali Ibn Abi Talhah has said: The expression: الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا (those whom We chose) means the the ummah of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . These are the people Allah Ta' ala has made the inheritors of every Book He has revealed (that is, the Qur'an, as being the Book that confirms and preserves all previous Scriptures, encompasses the contents of all revealed Books. Being its inheritor amounts to inheriting all revealed Books). Then he (Ibn ` Abbas) said: فَظَالِمُھُم یُغفَرُلَ ، وَ مُقتَصِدُھُم یُحَاسَبُ حِسَاباً یَسِرا وَّ سَابِقُھُم یُدخَلُ الجَنَّۃَ بغَیرِ حِسَابِ that is, even the unjust one from among them will be forgiven, and those who pursue a middle course among them will pass through a reckoning that is easy, while those who excel in good deeds will enter Jannah without reckoning. (Ibn Kathir)

The word: اصْطَفَيْنَا (istafaina: We chose) used in this verse shows the great honor bestowed upon the Muslim ummah, because this word: اِصطِفَاء (istifa': to choose) has frequently appeared for prophets in the Holy Qur'an as in: اللَّـهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُ‌سُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ (Allah chooses messengers from the angels and from men. - a1-Hajj, 22:75) and in: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَ‌انَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ (Verily, Allah has chosen Adam and Nuh and the House of Ibrahim and the House of ` Imran over the worlds - Al-` Imran, 3:33). In the verse under study, Allah Ta' ala has put the Muslim ummah in line with the chosen ones, the prophets and the angels, although the degrees of such choice vary. The choice of prophets and angels occupies a higher degree, while the choice of the Muslim ummah, one that is posterior.

Three kinds of the Muslim ummah

The sentence: فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَ‌اتِ (Then, some of them are those who wrong their own selves, and some of them are mediocre, and some of them are those who outpace (others) in righteous deeds with Allah's permission - 35:32) is virtually an explanation of the first sentence of the verse. In other words, it means that 'there are three kinds of Our servants We have chosen and have made them inherit the Qur'an: (1) The unjust (2) The moderate (3) The excellent.

Imam Ibn Kathir (رح) has explained these three kinds by saying: The one who wrong himself means a person who falls short in fulfilling some obligatory duties, and goes on to commit some of what is forbidden as well. And the one who follows the middle course is a person who fulfills all legally binding obligations and avoids everything forbidden, but on occasions, leaves out what has been recommended and falls into what is reprehensible. And excellent is the one who goes ahead of everyone in good deeds, fulfills all obligatory and recommended duties and avoids everything declared forbidden or considered reprehensible and goes on to leave what is allowed to him because of his devotion to acts of worship or because of some doubt in its lawfulness.

This is what Ibn Kathir (رح) has said. Other commentators have reported many more sayings while explaining these three kinds. Tafsir Ruh-ul-Ma' ani mentions forty-three sayings with reference to at-Tahrir. But, on deliberation, the outcome of most is the same as stated with reference to Ibn Kathir.

A doubt and its answer

The explanation given above proves that الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا (those whom We chose) means the Muslim ummah that has three kinds and that its first kind - the unjust - is also included among the chosen servants of Allah. Taking this probability to be obviously remote, some people have said that this kind of people (who have wronged themselves) is excluded from the definition of: الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا (We chose) and from the Muslim ummah. But, it already stands proved from many authentic ahadith that each one of these three kinds relate to Muslim ummah and are not excluded from the characteristic of: اصْطَفَيْنَا (We chose). In fact, this is the ultimate merit of the believing servants of the Muslim ummah that even those who are somewhat wanting in the matter of deeds are also sharers in this supreme distinction. At this place, Ibn Kathir has put together all those Hadith narrations, some of which are being cited below:

According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri ؓ ، the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said about these three kinds of: الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا (those We chose): They rank alike and alike they are in Jannah, all of them.' The expression 'being in one rank' means that all of them will be forgiven and all of them will go to Jannah - not that there will be no variance among them in terms of their ranks.

Then, there is a Hadith reported from Sayyidna Abu-d- Darda' ؓ which is supported by several chains of authorities. Ibn Kathir has documented all of them. One of these has been reported by Ibn Jarir from Sayyidna Abu Thabit ؓ who, when he went to the Masjid one of those days, found Sayyidna Abu-d-Darda' ؓ already sitting there. Sayyidna Abu Thabit went close, sat down by his side and started making a prayer: اللَّھُمَّ اٰنِس وَحشَتِی وَارحم غُربَتِی وَیَسِّرلِی جلِیساًصالِحاً ( O Allah, mollify the loneliness and anxiety of my heart, and have mercy on me in my state of homelessness, and make it easy on me by (sending) a good companion' ). (At this point, it is worth recalling that the great emphasis was placed by the early forbears of Islam on the quest for a good companion. They took this need to be an important objective in life and considered it to be a cure of all anxieties, so much so that they would raise their hands of prayer before Allah and ask Him that they be blessed with one). When Sayyidna Abu-d- Darda' ؓ heard this prayer, he said, 'If you are honest in your prayer (for a companion), then, I am more fortunate than you (in the sense that Allah blessed me with a good companion like yourself, on the spot, without asking). Then, he said, 'I relate to you a Hadith I have heard from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . But, since the time I heard it, I did not have the occasion to relate it before anyone. Here is the Hadith: He mentioned this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَ‌ثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا (Then We conveyed the Book as an heritage to those of Our slaves whom We chose - 32). Then, he said, 'As for those who race ahead of others in the matter of good deeds, out of the three kinds, they will go to Jannah without reckoning. And those who are in the middle will face an accounting that will be easy on them. And the unjust, the ones who fall short in deeds and are prone to slip into sins, will be overwhelmed with remorse at this juncture. After that, they too will be asked to enter Jannah and all their sorrows will stand removed from them.' It finds mention in the next verse: وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ (" Praise be to Allah who has removed all sorrow from us. Surely our Lord is Most-Forgiving, Very-Appreciative," ).

And at-Tabarani reports from Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud ؓ that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, It means that each of the three kinds will be from this very Ummah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم .

Abu Dawud at-Tayalisi reports from ` Uqbah Ibn Sahban Hana'i that he asked the Tafsir of this verse from Ummul-Mu'minin, Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ . She said, "My son, all these three kinds are to go to Paradise. Out of these, those who were ahead of everyone in good deeds were people who passed away during the period of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم . He himself testified that they are to go to Jannah. And those who took the middle course are people who followed the former as their role models to the extent that they joined up with them. As for those who have been unjust to themselves, they are people like me and you!"

Certainly great was the modesty of Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ that she counted herself too as part of the third kind, that is, among those who are unjust to themselves - although, according to very clear statements in sound and authentic ahadith, she ranks high among the very first and foremost people (as-sabiqun al-awwalun) of early Islam.

And Ibn Jarir has reported from Muhammad Ibn-ul- Hanafiyyah (رح) who said, 'This ummah is a community of people blessed with the mercy of Allah so en masse that even the unjust one in it stands forgiven, and the one of the middle course is in Jannah and the one way ahead in good deeds enjoys high ranks with Allah.'

And Sayyidna Muhammad Ibn al-Baqir ؓ ، while explaining: ظالِمُ لِّنَفسِہٖ (zalim linafsihi: who wrong himself), said: اَلَّذِی خَلُطَ عَمَلاً صالِحاً وَّاخَرَ سَیِّٔاً لِنَفسِہٖ meaning: 'a person who mixes good and bad deeds.'

The great merit of the ` Ulama' of the Muslim ummah

In this verse, Allah Ta' ala has said that He has made a particular people to become inheritors of His Book, people who are chosen and honored ones from among His servants. Then, it is also obvious that ` Ulama' are the direct inheritors of the knowledge relating to the Book of Allah and the mission of prophets, as it has also been stated in the Hadith: اَلعُلَمَاُء وَرَثَہُ الاَنبِیاِء Ulama' inherit [ the legacy of ] prophets). In sum, people who have been so blessed by Allah Ta' ala that they engage in the pursuit of the fields of knowledge relating to the Qur'an and Sunnah with unalloyed sincerity is, in itself, a sign of their being men of Allah worthy of the task. This is as it has been supported by a narration of Sayyidna Tha'labah Ibn al-Hakam ؓ that reports the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to have said, 'Allah Ta' ala will address the ` Ulama' of the Muslim community on the Day of Judgment and say, "I had placed My knowledge and wisdom in your chests, for I had intended to forgive you irrespective of the nature of your actual deeds." (From the earlier presentation, it is already established that a person who has no awe and fear of Allah is simply not counted as one of the ` Ulama'. Therefore, this address will be to people for whom the awe and fear of Allah has become their natural reflex. Hence, it would be virtually impossible for them to indulge in sins carelessly. Yes, on occasions, they too could slip or make a mistake under the dictates of human temperament. This very aspect was alluded to in the Hadith mentioned above where it was said - no matter the nature of your deeds, forgiveness is destined for you).

All these narrations have been taken from Ibn Kathir. The last Hadith reported from Sayyidna Tha'labah (رح) has also been reported by at-Tabarani with all chains of authority cited by him being reliable. (Tafsir Mazhari) And in Tafsir Mazhari, the subject of the same Hadith has been reported from Abu ` Umar San'ani with reference to Ibn ` Asakir. Similarly, according to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Musa al-Ash` ari, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'On the Day of Resurrection (al-mahshar), Allah Ta' ala will gather all His servants together. Then, He will assemble the ` Ulama' from among them at a prominent place and will say to them:

اِنِّی لم اَضَع عِلمِی فِیکُم اِلَّا لعلمی بِکُم وَلَم اَضَعُ عِلمِی فِیکُم لِاُعَذَّبَکُم اِنطَلِقُوا قَد غَفَرتُ لَکُم

I had placed My ilm in you since I knew you (that you will fulfill the due rights of this ilm, the knowledge given to you) and I had not placed My عِلم ilm in you so that I punish you. Go, I have forgiven you - Mazhari.

Special Note

In this verse, mentioned first was the category of the unjust, then of those following the middle course, and finally, of those who are ahead in good deeds. The reason for this order may, perhaps, be that the number of those unjust to themselves is larger, those following the middle course are less than them and those ahead in good deeds happen to be less than the later. Thus, those whose number was large were made to appear first. Verse:33 Commentary A close look at the last sentence of verse 32 and the statement in verse ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ‌ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ‌ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِ‌يرٌ‌ (That is the great bounty, gardens of eternity they enter. They will be ornamented with bracelets of gold and with pearls, and their dress therein will be (of) silk. - 35:32, 33) shows that in the beginning of verse 32, Allah Ta' ala has pointed out to three kinds of His chosen servants following which it was said: ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ‌: That is, 'this counting of all these three among His chosen servants is the great bounty.' Next comes the statement relating to their recompense - that they will go to Jannah, that they will be given bracelets of gold and ornaments of pearls to wear and that their dress shall be of silk.

For men, in this mortal world, it is حَرَام haram to wear ornaments of gold, and dresses made of silk too. To compensate, they will have these in Jannah. Let there be no doubt about it, something like: Ornaments are for women, not for men in whose case these do not suit. The reason is simple. Taking the conditions prevailing in the 'Akhirah (Hereafter) and Jannah (Paradise) on the analogy of conditions prevailing in the mortal world is unreasonable, even dumb.

According to a narration of Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri ؓ ، the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'Crowns on the heads of the people of Jannah will be studded with pearls. Light emitted by the smallest of its pearls will fill the entire horizon from the East to the West.' (Reported by at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim, who has authenticated it, and by al-Baihaqi - from Mazhari)

Imam al-Qurtubi (رح) Ta' ala said: Commentators explain that every inmate of Jannah will have bracelets to wear on their hands - of gold, silver, and pearls. About this celestial bracelet, a verse mentions 'of silver' (76:21) while others, 'of gold' (18:31; 22:23; 35:33; 43:53). The present explanation brings both verses in correspondence. Verse:34 Commentary A person who will use utensils of gold and silver and dresses of silk will remain deprived of these in Jannah

Sayyidna Hudhaifah ؓ says that he heard the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saying, 'Do not wear dresses of silk and do not drink water in utensils of gold and silver, nor use plates made of these in eating food - because, these things are for disbelievers in this world and for you, in the Hereafter.' (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

And Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ reports that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'Any male who wore a dress made of silk in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter' (al-Bukhari and Muslim). And a narration of Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri ؓ says, 'A male who wears a dress made of silk in this world will remain deprived of it in the Hereafter, even if he were to go to Jannah.' (Mazhari)

The next verse (34): وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ إِنَّ رَ‌بَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ‌ شَكُورٌ‌ (And they will say, "Praise be to Allah who has removed all sorrow from us." ) tells us about what the people of Paradise will say when they enter Jannah. What does 'sorrow' mean at this place? Leading commentators have given various explanations about it. However, the truth of the matter is that all sorrows stand included therein. In this world, one may become a king or a prophet or a saint, yet no one can escape it:

دریں دنیا کسے بےغم نباشد۔-- وگر باشد بنی آدم نباشد

In this world, no one is free of sorrow And if one is, one is not a human being.

In this world of our experience, no one good or bad can get away from one or the other concern, anxiety or sorrow. Therefore, people of wisdom call this world a home of sorrows. The sorrow the removal of which this verse mentions includes all these mortal states of concern. The second concern is that of the Day of Judgment and Resurrection. The third concern is that of Reckoning of Deeds, and the fourth, that of the punishment of Jahannam. From the people of Jannah, Allah Ta' ala will remove all these concerns, anxieties and sorrows.

According to a narration of Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar ؓ ، the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'For the people who uphold the Kalimah of لا إلہ إلا اللہ la ilaha il-lal-lah (there is no God but Allah), there is no fear and loneliness at the time of death, nor in the grave, nor when they rise again on the Day of Resurrection - as if I am virtually seeing them rise from their respective graves saying: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ (Praise be to Allah who has removed all sorrow from us." ).' (Reported by at-Tabarani, Mazhari)

At this point, let us refer back to the Hadith of Sayyidna Abu-D-Darda` ؓ that has appeared a little earlier. There it has been stated that it will be said by the unjust, those who have wronged their own selves. This is because they would initially face great anxiety on the plains of Resurrection but, finally, when they are asked to enter Paradise, it will sound removed. This statement does not contradict the Hadith of Sayyidna Ibn ` Umar ؓ appearing immediately above. Again, the reason is that the person who has wronged himself would have an additional sorrow on his hands, more serious than that of others, on the plains of the Resurrection as well - something that will stand removed at the time of one's entry into the Paradise. In short, this is a statement that will be made by all people of Jannah, no matter to which kind they belong, to the ones who have been ahead of all in good deeds, or to those who have followed the middle course, or to those who have been unjust to their own selves. But, the thought of everyone's roster of sorrows being separate from each other is not too far out.

Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas (رح) said: It is the typical state of a believer that he never remains free of concerns while in this world. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said that the world is a prison for the believer. This is the reason why it appears in the accounts of the lives of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his great Sahabah ؓ that these blessed souls used to look sad fairly often. Verse:35 Commentary In verse 35: الَّذِي أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ‌ الْمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضْلِهِ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ (who, out of His grace, has made us land at a home of eternal living where neither we are touched by weariness. Nor are we touched by boredom." ), some characteristics of Jannah have been described: (1) That it is an eternal home with no danger of any lapse of time, or expulsion from there at any time. (2) That no one will face any sorrow while there. (3) That no one there will experience the least fatigue or boredom, as it happens in the mortal world where one needs to sleep after work. Life in Jannah will be free from this too. This subject also finds mention in some narrations of Hadith. (Mazhari) Verse:36 Commentary - - - Verse:37 Commentary When the people in Jahannam will plead with their Lord that they be delivered from its punishment, so that they could do good deeds then, and not do the bad ones they did earlier, at that time they will be told: أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْ‌كُم مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ‌ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ‌ وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ‌ "Did We not give you an age in your life in which lesson could have been learnt by the one who wished to take lesson - 37) Sayyidna Ibn Husain Zain ul-` Abidin رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ said, "It means the age of seventeen years." And Qatadah (رح) gave the age as eighteen years, meaning thereby the age of puberty. And the difference of seventeen and eighteen is possible in determining the age of puberty, as someone may reach puberty at the age of seventeen and someone else at, eighteen. In the Shari'ah, the age of puberty is the first line of demarcation after having crossed which a person is Divinely blessed with enough reason, so that one can understand what is good or bad in his or her case. Therefore, this address will be to disbelievers at large irrespective of their ages being long or short. However, the one who had a long lease of life, yet did not come to his senses, saw all sorts of physical proofs scattered around and heard the teachings of the prophets, still did not recognize the truth - so then, this one will be more blameworthy.

In short, the person who saw nothing beyond the age of puberty, he too was given enough power of discrimination by nature that he could have used to distinguish between the true and the false. When he failed to do that, he too is deserving of censure and punishment. But, the person who was given long years to live, the warning of Allah stood served against him in a more conclusive degree. Then, if he could still not shake off his disbelief and disobedience, he would be more deserving of punishment and blame.

Sayyidna Ali al-Murtada ؓ said, 'The age whereupon Allah Ta' ala has asked His sinning servants to beware is that of sixty years.' Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، according to one narration, has given it as forty years while, according to another narration, as sixty. He has said that this is the age when the argument and warrant of Allah stands served conclusively on an erring person who, then, is left with no room for making excuses. Ibn Kathir has given preference to the second Hadith of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ .

From the presentation made above, it is clear that there is no contradiction in the narrations pointing out to the age of seventeen, eighteen and sixty. Though, someone at the age of seventeen/eighteen is able to distinguish between the true and the false. Therefore, one has been obligated with precepts of the Shari` ah from this benchmark this very age of puberty. But, the age of sixty is such a long period of time that, should one still fail to recognize the truth, there remains no room for making any more excuses. Against such a person, the argument of Allah stands firmly established. Therefore, the aggregate ages of people in this blessed ummah are destined to be between sixty and seventy years - as said in Hadith:

اَعمَارُ اُمَّتِی مَا بَین السِّتِّینَ اِلَی السَّبعِین وَ اَقَلُّھُم مَّن یَّجُوز ذلِکَ

The ages of my ummah will be in between sixty and seventy and there will be few of those who will exceed that - reported by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, Ibn Kathir.

Towards the end of the verse (37), it was said: وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ‌ (And (furthermore) the warner had (also) come to you.). Given here is a hint that Allah Ta' ala gives one from the age one attains puberty enough ability to rationalize and recognize at least his or her creator and master and then goes on to live a life the purpose of which is to seek His pleasure. To do only this much, human reason alone would have been sufficient. But, Allah Ta' ala did not leave it simply at that. In fact, He sent His special people called: نَذِیر (nadhir) to help them reason it out. This word is usually translated as 'one who warns' or 'warner' in English (the later, though, not formally admissible in the language, but is still used in the absence of a suitable equivalent). In fact, a nadhir is a person who, by virtue of his mercy and compassion, asks his people to stay away from things that are likely to bring harm to them or cause their total ruination as a people and tries to instill the fear of such things in their hearts, lest it actually happens. In terms of its well-recognized meaning, it refers to the noble prophets علیہم السلام and to the ` Ulama' who carry out their mission as their deputies. The outcome of the verse is: 'We gave them reason to recognize the true from the false. Along with it, We also sent Our prophets who would guide them on the path of truth and keep them safe from the false.'

And it has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, ` Ikrimah and Imam Ja'far Baqir that nadhir means the gray hair of the old age. When they flare up, they give a message to human beings: Here comes the time to go! This statement too is not contradictory to the first one for gray hair might as well serve as the standard bearers of warning along with Anbiya' and ` Ulama'.

And the truth of the matter is that all conditions faced by human beings after their age of puberty and all minor and major changes that take place in their persons and in that they are surrounded with are, all of them, heralds of warning for human beings.