Verse:30 Commentary - - - Verse:31 Commentary - - - Verse:32 Commentary Analysis of "Awwab" and 'Hafiz'

لِكُلِّ أَوَّابٍ حَفِيظٍ (" This is what you were promised for everyone oft-returning to Allah, vigilant....50:32). That is to say, Paradise has been promised to every person who is awwab and hafiz. Awwab refers to the person who turns to Allah. Here it means who turns to Him in repentance against sins. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud, Sha` bi and Mujahid ؓ said that Awwab refers to a person who recalls his sins in loneliness, private and secret, and seeks Allah's forgiveness. ` Ubaid Ibn ` Umair ؓ said that Awwab is one who seeks Allah's forgiveness of his sins in every sitting. And he further said that we are advised to recite the following invocation:

سُبحانَ اللہِ وَ بِحَمدِہٖ اللَّھُمَّ اِنِّی اَستغفِرُکَ مِمَّآ اَصَبتُ فِی مَجلِسِی ھٰذا

"Pure is Allah and praise be to Him. 0 Allah, I seek Your forgiveness of the evil that I might have committed in this sitting."

In a Prophetic Tradition, we are advised to recite the following supplication when dispersing. Allah will forgive all the sins that might have been committed in that session:

سُبحَانَکَ اللَّھُمَّ وَ بِحَمدِکَ لَٓا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اَنتَ اَستغفِرُکَ وَ اَتُوبُ اِلَیکَ

"Pure are You, 0 Allah, and praise be to You. There is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and turn to You in penitence."

Hafiz (حَفِيظٍ ), according to Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، is one who remembers his sins, so that he may return to Allah in penitence and make amends. Another report from him defines اَلحَفِظُ ھُوِ الحَافِظُ لِاَمرِ اللہِ haflz as one who remembers his covenant with Allah, and does not break or betray it. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ reports from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم who said: "Whoever performs four rak` at of Ishraq prayer early in the day is Awwab and Hafiz (Qurtubi). Verse:33 Commentary In verse [ 33] we have the statement وَجَاءَ بِقَلْبٍ مُّنِيبٍ (...and comes up with a heart oriented towards Him....50:33]. Abu Bakr Warraq (رح) says that the characteristics of a munib is that he always maintains respect for Allah and humbles himself to Him and gives up his sensual and base desires. Verse:34 Commentary - - - Verse:35 Commentary Verse [ 35] depicts the delights of Paradise: The first part states لَهُم مَّا يَشَاءُونَ فِيهَا (For them there will be whatever they wish,,,,, 50:35]. In other words, the righteous will have whatever delights they wish brought forthwith without any delay. It is recorded in Musnad of Ahmad on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Said Khudri ؓ that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "If anyone in Paradise wishes for children, the conception, delivery of the baby and its growth will all take place in a short span of time." (Ibn Kathir)

The second part of the verse states: وَلَدَيْنَا مَزِيدٌ (and with Us there is even more.) In other words, there are with Allah such desirable delights which have not been conceived of by any man and, therefore, they could not wish or desire for them. Sayyidna Anas and Jabir ؓ said that "more" in this context refers to the greatest reward of enabling the people of Jannah to see Allah bila kaif [ without "how" or in an indescribable manner ]. This, according to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، is similar to His other statement in [ 10:26] لِّلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ "For those who have done good is the best and even more." Some reports narrate that the inmates of Paradise will see Allah on Friday [ Qurtubi ] Verse:36 Commentary Warning the Disbelievers of the imminent Torment

In the concluding sentence of verse [ 36] نَقَّبُوا فِي الْبِلَادِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ (and they searched out the cities: Was there any place to escape?), the verb نَقَّبُوا naqqabu is derived from the infinitive tanqib which literally means to make a hole, to perforate or pierce. Idiomatically, it connotes to go or go away through the distant land or country or journey or traverse. (al-Qamus).

The word mahis means asylum or a place of refuge. In this verse Allah poses a rhetorical question to the unbelievers: How many generations We have destroyed before you! They were more numerous and mightier than you, and they traveled throughout the land for trade and business, but they could not find shelter from their destined death. No land could give them shelter. Verse:37 Commentary Channels of Acquiring Knowledge

لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ ( who has a heart - 50:37). Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has said that here the word qalb [ heart ] means ` aql [ intellect ], because the centre of intellect is heart. Some scholars of Qur'an say that "heart" here refers to life, because the axis of life is heart. Thus the verse means only that person will be able to benefit from the advice and lesson of the Qur'an who has life or a sound understanding with which he comprehends. The one devoid of intellect cannot benefit from the Qur'an.

أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ (and gives ear [ to the truth ] attentively....50:37). The phrase Ilqa'-us- sam' connotes to listen to someone attentively and the word Shahid means present. The message of the above verses is that two types of people benefit: [ 1] a person who has the mind and the intellect who understands it in his mind and accepts it; and [ 2] a person who gives his ears and listens to the Divine verses with an attentive heart, while his heart is present and not absent. Mazhari interprets that the first type is called kamilin [ thoroughly proficient members of the Islamic community ]. The second type is their followers and sincere seekers of Reality who are under the direction of a spiritual guide who, on account of their sincerity and purity of heart, accept the teachings of the religion. Verse:38 Commentary - - - Verse:39 Commentary وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَ‌بِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُ‌وبِ (and proclaim His purity along with your Lord's praise before sunrise and before sunset... 50:39). The imperative verb sabbih is derived from the infinitive tasbih which originally means to declare or proclaim the purity of Allah. This comprehends the verbal declaration or proclamation and the worship, such as prayer. Therefore, some scholars say that tasbih before sunrise refers to the morning prayer, and tasbih before sunset refers to ` Asr (late afternoon) prayer. Sayyidna Jarir Ibn ` Abdullah ؓ reports from the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم [ as part of a long Tradition ]

اِن اسَطَعتُم اَن لَّا تُغلَبُوا عَلیٰ صَلَوٰۃِ قَبلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمسِ وَقَبلَ غُرُوبِھَا، یَعنِی اَلعَصرَ وَ الفَجرَ ثُمَّ قَرَأ جَرِیر ؓ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُ‌وبِ ۔ (بخاری و مسلم و اللفظ لمسلم)

"So if you can avoid missing the prayer before the sunrise and the prayer before sunset, that is the 'Asr prayer and the morning prayer, you must do so." (Bukhari and Muslim the wordings of Muslim: vide Qurtubi)

Although according to the majority of commentators, tasbih in the verse refers to salah (prayer), yet the general words of tasbih include all those invocations also the recitation of which is encouraged by authentic ahadith at the time of morning and evening. Bukhari and Muslim have recorded a Tradition on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

"If you recite morning and evening سُبحَانَ اللہ subhanallah a hundred times, no one will bring, on the Day of Judgment, a virtuous act better than it, except those who would recite the same tasbih in the same number or even more than that."

In the same collections, a narration by the same authority, says that whosoever recites subhanallahi wa bi hamdihi one hundred times in a day, his sins will be forgiven, even though they may be more than the waves of the sea. (Mazhari) Verse:40 Commentary وَأَدْبَارَ‌ السُّجُودِ (...and at the ends of prostration.... 50:40) Mujahid (رح) interprets sujud in this verse to refer to the five obligatory prayers, and the phrase "at the ends of the prostrations", according to him, refers to all those tasbihat which authentic ahadith encourage us to recite after every prayer. Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ reports that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Whosoever recites after every obligatory prayer 33 times subhanallah (سُبحَانَ اللہ), 33 times al-hamdulillah (اَلحَمدُ للہ) and 33 times allahu 'akbar (اللہُ اَکبَر), and once:

لَا اِلٰہَ ِالّا اللہُ وَحدَہُ ، لَا شَرِیکَ لَہُ ، لَہُ المُلکُ وَ لَہُ الحَمدُ وھُوَ علیٰ کُلِّ شیٔ قَدِیر

la ilaha illatlahu wahdahu la-sharika lahu lah-ul-mulku wa-lah-ul- hamdu wa huwa 'ala kulli shai'in qadeer.

- all his sins will be forgiven, even though they may be equal to the waves of the sea (Bukhari and Muslim). The phrase "at the ends of the prostrations" could also refer to the supererogatory prayers to be performed after the obligatory prayers as authentic Traditions testify (Mazhari). Verse:41 Commentary يَوْمَ يُنَادِ الْمُنَادِ مِن مَّكَانٍ قَرِ‌يبٍ (...the Day when the caller will call from a near place - 50:41). Sayyidna Ibn ` Asakir ؓ reports from Zaid Ibn Jabir Shafi` i that the "caller" referred to here is the angel Israfil (علیہ السلام) who will stand on the Dome of the Rock (Sakhrah) and will address all the dead people of the entire world : "0 you rotten bones! 0 you decomposed skins! 0 you scattered hair! Listen, Allah commands you to reassemble to render account of your actions (Mazhari)." This scene depicts how, after the second blowing of the trumpet, the world will be resurrected. The phrase "a near place" refers to the fact that the voice of the angel will reach everybody who rises from death anywhere on the surface of the earth, and will feel as though the angel had called him from a nearby place. 'Ikrimah ؓ says that the voice will be heard in such a way as if someone is speaking to us in our ears. Other scholars have said that "a near place" refers to the Dome of the Rock, because that is the centre of the earth, and is equidistant, being separated by equal distances from all sides of the globe. (Qurtubi) Verse:42 Commentary - - - Verse:43 Commentary - - - Verse:44 Commentary يَوْمَ تَشَقَّقُ الْأَرْ‌ضُ عَنْهُمْ سِرَ‌اعًا (...on the Day when the earth will burst apart exposing them, while they will be hurrying up. - 50:44). The Prophetic Tradition indicates that this 'hurrying up' will be towards Syria where the Dome of the Rock is situated. Israfil (علیہ السلام) will stand on it, and call the people on the Day of Judgment. It is recorded in Jami` Tirmidhi, on the authority of Sayyidna Mu` awiyah Ibn Hayadah ؓ ، that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ، pointing towards Syria, said:

مِن ھٰھُنَا اِلیٰ ھٰھُنَا تُحشَرُونَ رُکبَاناً وَّ مُشَاۃً وَّ تُجَرُّونَ علیٰ وُجُھِکُم یَومَ القِیامَۃ

"From here towards that [ pointing towards Syria ] you will be raised, some riding, and others on foot, and yet others will be dragged on the faces on the Day of Judgment..." Verse:45 Commentary فَذَكِّرْ‌ بِالْقُرْ‌آنِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ (So give advice, through the Qur'an, to the one who fears My warning... 50:45). This means that the message of the Qur'an is to be conveyed to the entire mankind, to all and sundry. However, only those who fear Allah and dread His torment will remember and heed. Qatadah used to recite this verse and supplicate in the following words:

اَللّٰھُمَّ اجعَلنَا مِمَّن یَّخَافُ وَعِیدَکَ وَ یَرجُوا مَوعوُدَکَ یَا بَارُّ یَا رَحِیمُ

"0 Allah! Make us among those who fear Your threat, and hope for Your promise, 0 the One who fulfills His promise, 0 Rahim [ the Most Merciful ]."

Alhamdulillah

The Commentary on

Surah Qaf

Ends here