Verses 103–108
Introduction
These six verses are like the conclusion to the previous verses of the chapter, explaining the polytheists’ being seduced by the embellishment of life in this world, their reliance on guardians other than God and their being tested with what they had been tested with—a covering over their eyes, heaviness in their ears, and the evil consequence that follows. It is also an introduction to the subsequent verse, Say: I am only a mortal like you, at the end of the chapter.
Commentary
قُلۡ هَلۡ نُنَبِّئُكُم بِٱلۡأَخۡسَرِينَ أَ ۡ َٰ ً ١٠٣
(18:103) Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds?
It appears from the context that it is the polytheists who are being addressed in the second person. It is allusory. They are those meant by the description. It comes close to saying so explicitly in the verse, These are they who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord and His meeting. Those who deny prophethood and resurrection are polytheists.
Even though as a general rule a specifying complement is in the singular, the verbal noun applicable both to little and much, it is claimed that (the clause), of the greatest losers in deeds (bi-l-akhsarīn ʿamalan), was not said in order to make known the variety of their deeds and to show that the loss is intended to apply to all of them.
ٱلَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعۡيُهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَهُمۡ يَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمۡ يُحۡسِنُونَ صُنۡعًا ١٠٤
(18:104) (These are) they whose labor is lost in this world’s life and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of hands.
This is information about the greatest losers in their deeds; in the previous verse, the polytheists were offered information about them so they could be acquainted [with their fate]. He informed the polytheists that their labor is lost in this world’s life. Ḍalāl al-saʿy (lit. straying of labor) means loss of labor. He then follows it up with the words, and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of hands. Thus they are the greatest losers.
By way of further clarification, loss and damage in ventures and labors taken on to try to earn a profit only happen when the venture or labor does not reach its target and results in a loss of capital or loss of the stake. It is what is referred to in the verse as ḍalāl al-saʿy (straying of the labor) as if it has lost its way, ending up the opposite of what was intended.
A person may incur a loss in his earning or labor due to lack of work experience, ignorance of the right way or coincidental factors. It is loss which it is hoped will go away because the person involved will prevent it, start work again, recover the loss, and make up for what was missed. Alternatively, he may willingly consent to profit but actually suffer detriment in the mistaken belief that he is benefitting, unable to see anything else but that. That is the worst loss, for which there is no hope of abatement.
In his life in this world, a person has no concern but to strive for his own happiness, and no worry beyond that. If he travels the road of truth and achieves his goal—true happiness—all well and good, and if he gets the way wrong without realizing his error his labor is lost but there is still hope of being saved. However, if he gets the way wrong, hits upon something other than the truth and has faith in it, whenever he is dropped a hint of truth, his soul will cast a veil over him and make the arrogance and ignorant zeal he is wrapped up in look good to him. He is then the greatest loser with regard to his deeds; his labor is most often thwarted because it is loss for the abatement of which there is no hope and no hope of its changing into happiness one day. That is what is meant by His own explanation of the greatest losers, they whose labor is lost in this world’s life and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of their hands.
Their thinking that their work is good in spite of the obviousness of the truth and the futility of their deeds being made clear to them is only on account of their souls being drawn to the embellishments and vanities of the world and their immersion in desires. That stops them from inclining toward following the truth, listening to the one who invites to the truth and the one who calls to innate, instinctive belief. As He said: And they denied them unjustly and proudly while their soul had been convinced of them . . . (), And when it is said to him, guard against (the punishment of) God; pride carries him off to sin . . . ().
Their following their own desire and continuing to turn away from the truth out of stubbornness, pride, and immersion in their souls’ desires is nothing but satisfaction on their part for the way they were and thinking that what they were doing was good.
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بَِٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلِقَآئِهِۦ فَحَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَٰلُهُمۡ فَ َ نُقِيمُ لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وَزۡنٗا ١٠٥
(18:104) These are they who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord and His meeting, so their deeds are forfeited, and therefore We will assign no weight for them on the Day of Resurrection.
This is a second definition and explanation after the explanation of what, the greatest losers in (their) deeds, means. The meaning of “signs” as dictated by the lack of any qualification is signs on the horizons, in souls and miracles brought by prophets and messengers in support of their message. Disbelief in the signs is disbelief in prophethood. Furthermore, the Prophet himself is one of the signs. What is meant by meeting God is returning to Him, that is, the spirit’s being returned to the body.
Thus the definition of, the greatest losers in (their) deeds, essentially refers to the fact that they deny prophethood and resurrection—this is exclusive to idolaters.
So their deeds are forfeited: The reason their deeds are forfeited is because they do not do anything for the sake of God, do not want reward and happiness in the hereafter, and the incentive to them to act is not remembrance of the Day of Reckoning. Forfeiture [of deeds] was discussed in the section on deeds in volume 2 of [the Arabic edition of] this book.
The clause, and therefore We will assign no weight for them on the Day of Resurrection, follows logically from their deeds being forfeited. Weight on the Day of Resurrection is through the measure of good deeds as indicated by: And the measuring out on that day will be just; then as for him whose measure (of good deeds) is heavy, those are they who shall be successful; And as for him whose measure (of good deeds) is light, those are they who have made their souls suffer loss . . . ().
This is because there is no good deed—they have all been forfeited—and hence no weight.
ذَٰلِكَ جَزَآؤُهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُواْ وَٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ ءَايَٰتِي وَرُسُلِي هُزُوًا ١٠٦
(18:106) Thus it is that their recompense is hell, because they disbelieved and held My signs and My messengers in mockery.
The relative sentence refers to their stated description. The relative pronoun dhalika (lit. meaning “that”) is the predicate of an implied subject. The subject implied is that matter, that is, their being as We have described them. It is [meant to add] emphasis.
Their recompense is hell, is a new clause which foretells the consequence of their affair.
The sentence, because they disbelieved and held My signs and My messengers in mockery, means, because they disbelieved and compounded their disbelief by mocking My signs and messengers.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ كَانَتۡ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰتُ ٱلۡفِرۡدَوۡسِ نُزُلًا١٠٧
(18:107) Surely (as for) those who believe and do good deeds, their place of entertainment shall be the gardens of paradise (firdaws),
The word firdaws can be either masculine or feminine. It is said that it means garden in Greek or grape in Nabatean. The etymological origin of it is firdasa. It is said that it is a vine garden in Syriac or a garden in Ethiopian. It is claimed that it is Arabic and means a garden surrounded by trees in which vines are predominant.
Some exegetes understand from gardens of firdaws, being prepared as a place of entertainment for those who believe and do good deeds and hell’s being prepared as a place of entertainment for the unbelievers that there is indescribable punishment and reward beyond heaven and hell. This theory may be supported by verses like: So no soul knows what is hidden for them of that which will refresh the eyes . . . () and . . . and what they never thought of shall become plain to them from God ().
خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا لَا يَبۡغُونَ عَنۡهَا حِوَلٗا ١٠٨
(18:108) Abiding therein; they shall not desire (la yabghūna) removal (ḥiwalan) from them.
The word baghy, means “seeking” and ḥiwal, literally means “a change.” The rest is clear.
Examining Narrations
Al-Durr al-manthūr says:
“Ibn Mardawayh cites Abū Ṭufayl as saying, I heard ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib say, the libertines from Quraysh, in reply to Ibn al-Kawwā’s question, Who are those referred to in (the words), Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in (their) deeds?”
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī says on the authority of Imam b. Rubʿi: Ibn al-Kawwā said to the Commander of the Faithful:
“Tell me about God’s words, Say: Shall We inform you . . . work of their hands. He replied: ‘Those are the People of the Book who disbelieved in their Lord and brought innovation into their religion. Their deeds are then forfeited. The people of the river (nahr) are not very different from them.’”
Author’s comment: It is narrated that it means the Christians.
Al-Qummī on the authority of Abū Jaʿfar and al-Ṭabrasī in al-Iḥtijāj on the authority of ʿAlī say that they are the People of the Book.
Al-Durr al-manthūr says on the authority of Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abī Ḥātim on the authority of Abū Khumayṣa ʿAbdullāh b. Qays on the authority of ʿAlī that they are the monks who confined themselves in monasteries.
Author’s comment: The oral traditions are all like demonstrations of the continued relevance and applicability of the Qur’an. Both verses appear in the context of words addressed to the polytheists. The third verse, These are they who disbelieve in the signs of their Lord and His meeting, which is the second explanation—is more applicable to idolaters than it is to anyone else as stated above. Thus what al-Qummī says about the end of the verse in his exegesis—that it was revealed about the Jews and is applicable to the Khawārij—is not correct.
Tafsīr al-burhān says on the authority of Muḥammad b. al-ʿAbbās via his chain of narration on the authority of al-Ḥārith on the authority of ʿAlī: “Everything has a peak and the peak of heaven is firdaws. It is for Muḥammad and the family of Muḥammad.”
Al-Durr al-manthūr says:
al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and Ibn Abī Ḥātim cite Abū Hurayra as saying: “God’s Messenger said: ‘If you ask God for anything, ask Him for firdaws because it is in the middle of heaven and the highest part of heaven. The Merciful’s (Raḥmān’s) Throne is above it. The rivers of heaven gush forth from it.’”
Majmaʿ al-bayān says:
ʿUbada b. al-Ṣāmit narrates on the authority of the Prophet: “Heaven is a hundred levels. The difference between every two levels is like the difference between heaven and earth. Firdaws is the highest of its levels. The four rivers of heaven gush forth from it. If you ask God for anything, ask Him for firdaws.”
Author’s comment: There are other oral traditions to the same effect.
Tafsīr al-Qummī says on the authority of Jaʿfar b. Aḥmad b. ʿUbaydallāh b. Mūsā on the authority of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Abī Ḥamza on the authority of his father on the authority of Abū Baṣīr on the authority of Abū ʿAbdullāh:
“I asked him about (the words), Surely (as for) those who believe and do good deeds, their place of entertainment shall be the gardens of paradise (firdaws). He replied: ‘It was revealed about Abū Dharr, Salmān, Miqdād, and ʿAmmār b. Yāsir. God assigned the gardens of firdaws to them as a nuzul, that is, a refuge and home.’”
Author’s comment: It must be construed as a demonstration of continuing relevance and applicability. Alternatively, it was really revealed about the believers. The only reason the four were singled out for mention was because they were the best examples; the chapter is Meccan and Salmān became a believer in Medina. Furthermore, the chain of narration is not free of weakness.