Verses 127–135
Various threats, promises, proofs, rules and consolation to the Prophet following on sequentially from what precedes it in the chapter.
Commentary
وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي مَنْ أَسْرَفَ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّهِ ۚ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ أَشَدُّ وَأَبْقَىٰ ١٢٧
(20:127) And thus do We recompense him who is extravagant and does not believe in the communications of his Lord, and certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter is severer and more lasting.
[The word] isrāf means going beyond the limit. It is likely that the wāw in wa kadhālika (and thus) is resumptory and the demonstrative refers to the aforementioned punishment for whoever turns away from God’s reminder and forgets the communications of his Lord because it is transgression on his part of the bounds of servitude and rejection of his Lord’s communications. Thus, his punishment is the punishment for whoever forgets and forsakes his Lord’s communications after He makes them a covenant with him, and turns away from remembering Him.
… and certainly the chastisement of the Hereafter is severer and more lasting: This is relative to the chastisement of the world, because it encompasses a person both inwardly and outwardly, and because it lasts forever without any cessation.
أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُمْ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ يَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي النُّهَىٰ ١٢٨
(20:128) Does it not then direct them aright how many of the generations In whose dwelling-places they go about We destroyed before them? Most surely there are signs in this for those endowed with understanding.
It is likely that yahdi, direct, comprises a sense of “make clear”. That is: “If they believe in Our communications and try to learn lessons is it not clear to them that We destroyed many previous generations, in whose dwelling places they walked about? Indeed the way of the people of Mecca in their journeys passed by the dwelling places of ʿĀd in the winding sand dunes of Yemen, the dwelling places of Thamūd and the dwellers of the thicket in Syria and the dwelling places of Lot’s people in Palestine”.
Most surely there are signs in this for those endowed with understanding: Uli al-Nuha means those endowed with understanding.
وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَكَانَ لِزَامًا وَأَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى ١٢٩
(20:129) And had there not been a word (that had) already gone forth from your Lord and an appointed term, it would surely have been made to cleave (to them).
The context provided by what precedes it dictates that lizām should mean mulazamah (inseparability)—they are two maṣdars of lazama, yulāzim. A maṣdar means a verbal noun. Thus it is a noun meaning the same as the pronoun referring to the destruction referred to in the previous verse. And an appointed term is joined by the conjunction to, a word (that had) already gone forth. The implied meaning is: “And had there not been a word that had already gone forth from your Lord and an appointed term, destruction would have been inseparable from them because they were extravagant and did not believe in their Lord’s communications”.
Some think that it is possible that lizām is a noun of instrument (ism ālah) like hizām (belt) and rikāb (saddle), and others [say] that it is the plural of lāzim (concomitant) just as qiyām is the plural of qāʾim (standing). However neither explanation fits the context to any great extent.
And had there not been a word (that had) already gone forth from your Lord: These words of His appear repeatedly in relation to the Israelites and others in various places in the Qur’an, for example: … and had not a word already gone forth from your Lord, the matter would have certainly been decided between them (; ; ).
“An appointed term” is made the end to it in: … and had not a word gone forth from your Lord till an appointed term ().
It was said in the exegesis of chapters 10 and 11 that it means the word with which He passed judgment when Adam descended to the earth, like: … and there is for you in the earth an abode and a provision for a time ().
Thus, people are safe from destruction and exterminatory punishment for their extravagance and disbelief between their abiding on the earth and their appointed time unless a Messenger comes and decides between them. He says: And every nation had a Messenger; so when their Messenger came, the matter was decided between them with justice and they shall not be dealt with unjustly ().
This includes the case of exterminatory punishment that follow requested signs if they are not believed in after they come. This nation’s state is the same as all other nations as regards being safe from exterminatory punishment through a prior promise from God. As for judgment between them and the Prophet, God put it off to another time as previously inferred from His Words: And every nation had a Messenger ().
The verse is from Sūrah Yunus. Some think that it is possible that the word means a promise exclusive to this nation to delay their punishment to the day of resurrection. It was stated above in the exegesis of Sūrah Yunus that the literal meaning of the verses contradicts this. True His Words do indicate that it is delayed to another time as stated above.
Similarly invalid is what others say, that the word means the decision to punish the participants at Badr with the sword. The appointed term is for the rest of the unbelievers of Mecca. [The problem] with this [interpretation] is obvious.
His Words, and an appointed term—it was stated above in the exegesis of the beginning of Sūrah al-Anʾām that the appointed term is the time designated by the name which cannot be speeded up or put back as He says: No people can hasten on their doom nor can they postpone (it) ().
Some say that an appointed term means the day of resurrection and others that it is the word which had already gone forth from God, making the conjunction explanatory. Neither opinion can be relied upon because there is no evidence.
In short, the verse means: “Were it not for the word that had already gone forth from your Lord—the annexation of Lord to the second person pronoun [constituting] reinforcement and support for the Prophet—dictating their punishment being delayed, the time of the appointed term determined within the condition of delay, their destruction would have been concomitant to them as soon as they were extravagant and disbelieved”.
Thus it is clear that the word that had already gone forth and the appointed term put together are a single, complete reason for their punishment being delayed as opposed to each of them being an independent reason for it as many of them choose [to believe].
فَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا ۖ وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَىٰ ١٣٠
(20:130) Bear then patiently what they say, and glorify your Lord by the praising of Him before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and during hours of the night do also glorify (Him) and during parts of the day, that you may be well pleased.
[The verse] enjoins him to bear patiently what they say, making it consequential to what precedes it—as if to say: If it is part of God’s decision to delay and not hasten punishing them by taking revenge for what they say, then there remains no [recourse] for you other than to bear patiently, content with what God has decided of the matter, clear Him of what they say—the word of polytheism—and the evil they confront you with, praise Him for the traces of His decision which you face. There is nothing but what is beautiful, so bear patiently what they say and glorify your Lord by the praising of Him … that you may be well pleased.
His Words, and glorify your Lord by the praising of Him mean absolve Him by engaging in glorifying and praising Him for it, because these incidents which are hard to bear and put up with are attributable to their agents and are nothing but ill—which He should be absolved of. They are linked through His permission to Him and via this link, they are beautiful—nothing but general benefits consequential to them, by which the universe’s system is in order—for which God should be glorified and praised.
His Words, before the rising of the sun and before its setting are two time qualifiers linked to His Words, and glorify your Lord by the praising of Him.
The sentence, and during hours of the night do also glorify (Him) (wa min anaʾi l-layli fa sabbiḥ) is similar to: … and of Me, Me alone, should you be afraid (wa iyyāyya farhabūn) ().
Anāʾ of the afʾāl form is the plural of anān or inwīn meaning time. Min (during) is partitive. The preposition governing the genitive and the word in the genitive governed by the preposition (al-jār wa al-majrūr) linked to His Words, and glorify are indicative of a qualifier (ẓarf), meaning the same, linked to the verb. The implied meaning is: “And some of the times of the night, glorify therein”. Wa aṭrāf al-nahār (and during parts of the day) is accusative through removal of the preposition (bi naz ʿal-khāfiḍ), as they say, joined with a conjunction to, during hours. The implied meaning is: “And glorify during parts of the day”. Do parts of the day mean what is before sunrise and before sunset or something else? Exegetes disagree over it, as will be alluded to.
The glorifying referred to in the verse is unqualified with nothing in the wording to indicate that it means obligatory daily prayers. Some exegetes incline towards this. However, most of them insist that glorification means prayer, pursuant to what is narrated on the authority of some of the early ones like Qatādah and others.
They say that put altogether, the verse refers to the commandment to pray five times a day. Thus before the rising of the sun means dawn prayer (salāt al-subḥ), before its setting means late afternoon prayer (ṣalāt al-ʿaṣr), and during hours of the night means sunset and evening prayers (ṣalāta al-maghrib wa al-ʿishāʾ) and parts of the day means noon prayer (ṣalāt al-ẓuhr). It is at the edges of the day (fī aṭrāf al-nahār)—even though if the day were cut into half, in the middle of it, after the meridian, there would be two halves—the first and the last. The noon prayer (ṣalāt al-ẓuhr) is in the first part of the second half. Thus it is at the edge of the first half because the end of the first half ends with a part connected to the time for it and at the edge of the second half because it begins with a part which is time for it. Hence the time for it, in spite of being a single [time] is an edge to the first half in one respect and an edge to the second half in another, so it can be mentally conceived as two-edged.
As for the use of the word aṭrāf in the plural for its time, even though they are two edges, considerationarily, it is because the plural possibly may be used for the dual even though it is commoner for a minimum of three to be considered to constitute a plural in Arabic. It is claimed that al-nahār (the day) means the genus, there are two edges in every individual day thus making aṭrāf (edges). Discussion of the explanation is protracted among them, both objecting and responding. However, to be fair, the whole basis of the explanation falls far from good sense and taste. After much ado, the middle of the day resists being called the edges of the day on the basis of fanciful suppositions and considerations, completely uncalled for in the context, and without anything taste is satisfied with or disgusted at. As for whoever says that glorification means any glorification and praise—not the obligatory prayers—either remembering His exaltedness and praising Him in one’s heart or in words, for example, subḥānallāh (glory be to God) and al-ḥamdu lillāh (praise be to God) with one’s tongue, or either with one’s heart or one’s tongue, they then say that before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and during hours of the night means dawn prayer (al-subḥ) and late afternoon prayer (al-ʿaṣr) and times of the night. Aṭrāf al-nahār [literally: the edges of the day] means dawn prayer (al-subḥ) and late afternoon prayer (al-ʿaṣr). As for the need to refer to the two—dawn and late afternoon prayer—as aṭrāf (edges) in the plural—their answer to that is similar to that in the previous opinion that is, considering the plural to be for a minimum of two. As for the need for repetition—referring to dawn and late afternoon prayer twice—some of them insist on that, claiming that it is for emphasis, and to show extra regard for glorification at those two times. It appears from [what] some [say] that aṭrāf means dawn prayer, late afternoon prayer and the middle of the day.
The reader will know that a similar objection can be raised to this as was raised to the previous explanation with some minor difference. The problem all arises from wa aṭrāf al-nahār as regards its applicability to the middle of the day or dawn and late afternoon.
What can be said is that, wa aṭrāf al-nahār is an accompanying object (mafʿūl maʿahu) and not a time qualifier, the implied meaning of which is “in” (fī), even though exegetes, as far as I recall, do not refer to this. Aṭrāf al-nahār [literally: the edges of the day] means before sunrise and before sunset with regard to their both being protracted periods of time. Both have parts, each of which is an edge in relation to the middle of the day so it is correct to call them the edges (aṭrāf) of the day just the same as it is correct to call them the two edges (ṭarafay) of the day. That is the same as [the period] before sunrise being called the beginning of the day with regard to its oneness and the beginnings of the day with regard to its being made up of parts. [The period] before sunset is called the end of the day or the ends of the day. Thus, the meaning of the verse can be construed as being similar to: “And glorify your Lord by the praising of Him before sunrise and sunset—which are the edges of the day—and glorify at some times of the night along with the edges of the day during which you have been commanded to glorify”.
So, the reader may ask, how can it be correct for aṭrāf al-nahār to be an accompanying object when it is a time qualifier for the glorification implying fī (in)—like anāʾ al-layyl being a time qualifier?
Reply: Anāʾ al-layyl is not literally (bi lafzihi) a circumstantial qualifier. How could it be if it follows min (of), so it makes no sense to infer fī (in) alongside it. It is only through it [that is, min] that it indicates the circumstance (ẓarf). Wa min anāʾ al-layyl fa sabbiḥu means: Glorify in some of the times of the night. Wa aṭrāf al-nahār should be the same as that meaning: along with the edges of the day in which you glorify. The time qualification is implicitly indicated on both sides. Furthermore, if we were to say that glorification in the verse does not mean the obligatory prayers, it means glorification during parts of the beginning and parts of the end of the day and parts of the night along with the parts of the beginning and end of the day. This does not necessitate the problem of repetition or of using the plural for fewer than three, as is obvious.
If we were to say that glorification in the verse means the obligatory daily [prayers], the verse would only contain the instruction to pray dawn, late afternoon, sunset and evening prayers—like the instruction in: And keep up prayer in the two parts of the day and in the first hours of the night ().
Reference in the verse under discussion to the two times as the edges of the day (aṭrāf al-nahār) may be to allude to the protracted nature of the two times.
There would be no harm in the verse containing four of the five daily prayers because the chapter—as will be alluded to—was one of the first chapters to be revealed in Mecca. Exhaustive oral traditions narrated by both the Sunnis and the Shias indicate that five obligatory daily prayers were only prescribed during the ascension—as said to be five in Sūrah al-Isrāʾ, revealed after the ascension: Keep up prayer from the declining of the sun till the darkness of the night and the morning recitation ().
It may be that out of the obligatory daily prayers, four were prescribed when Sūrah Ṭā Hā and similarly Sūrah Hūd were revealed; noon prayer had not yet been prescribed. Indeed, that is the apparent meaning of the two verses, one in Ṭā Hā and the other in Hūd. Obviously the same objection cannot be raised to this explanation as was raised to the opinion that glorification means the five prayers and that aṭrāf al-nahār applies to the time for the noon prayer (ṣalāt al-ẓuhr) that is, the middle of the day. Contemplate on this.
Furthermore, that you may be well pleased [picks up] the previous thread in which [people’s] turning away from remembrance of their Lord, forgetting His communications, being extravagant in their affair, not believing and then their punishment being delayed were referred to. Their being told to be patient, to glorify and praise dictates that being well pleased means being well pleased with God’s decree and assignment.
It means: “So be patient and glorify your Lord by the praising of Him so that you will be well pleased with what God has decided”. It refers back to His Words such as: And seek assistance through patience and prayer ().
The reason for it is that repetition of remembrance of Him by declaring His action to be free of any flaw or disgrace, remembering Him with beautiful praise and persisting at it makes the soul take comfort in doing so, increasing in it and increased comfort in the beauty of His action. Declaring Him to be flawless causes it to become embedded in [the soul] and to appear in one’s sight, and distorted perceptual and mental notions to vanish. The soul is naturally disposed to be pleased with what it loves, and loves only that which is beautiful—free of all ugliness and disgrace. Constantly mentioning Him through glorification and praise causes contentment with His decree.
It is said, that you may be well pleased means intercession and the elevated station in God’s sight.
It is (also) said, that you may be well pleased means what God promised—assistance and to strengthen the religion in this world, and, intercession and Heaven in the Hereafter.
وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَىٰ مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ ۚ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ ١٣١
(20:131) And do not stretch your eyes after that with which We have provided different classes of them, (of) the splendor of this world's life, that We may thereby try them; and the sustenance (given) by your Lord is better and more abiding.
Stretching the eye means stretching and drawing out its sight. There is in it rational metaphor. Further, stretching and drawing it out to something is metonymy for being attached to it and loving it. Azwāj is said to mean different classes of unbelievers, or to men and women couples among them which would mean households. Azwaj appears in the indefinite to make little [of them] and show that they should not be paid any attention to.
The splendor of this world’s life is like exegesis of His Words, that with which We have provided. It is made accusative by an implied verb—“by which We mean …” or “We have assigned to them the splendor of this world’s life”—that is, its embellishment and delight. Fitnah means test or trial or [as is] claimed [in the alternative], it means punishment because an abundance of money and children is a kind of punishment from God to them. As He says: And let not their property and their children excite your admiration; God only wishes to chastise them with these in this world and (that) their souls may depart while they are unbelievers ().
… and the sustenance (given) by your Lord is better and more abiding: In the context of its being made the opposite of what [the others] have been provided with—the splendor of this world’s life—it means the sustenance of the Hereafter which is better and more abiding.
[Put all together] it means: “Do not stretch your gaze to the embellishment and delight of this world’s life with which We have provided several classes or couples of them, to test them through what We have provided. That with which your Lord will provide you in the Hereafter is better and more abiding”.
وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا ۖ لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا ۖ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ ۗ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ١٣٢
(20:132) And enjoin prayer on your followers, and steadily adhere to it; We ask you no provision; We provide you, and the (good) end is for guarding (against evil).
The verse has a thread which fits in with the thread of all the other verses in the chapter—so it is Meccan like all the others. Besides, we have not come across anyone who claims that they are an exception, considering them to be Medinite. Thus, ahlak—in accordance with what it applied to at the time of revelation—means Khadījah, the Prophet’s wife and ʿAlī who was of his family and [lived] in his house. Alternatively, [it means] the two of them and some of the Prophet’s daughters.
The opinions of some of them, that it means his wives, daughters and son-in-law ʿAlī, and of others, that it means his wives, daughters and relatives from Banū Hāshim and [Banū] al-Muṭṭalib, and yet others, that it means all his followers from his nation, are not correct. True, there is no harm in the first opinion as regards to the verse’s continued relevance and applicability but not as regards the circumstances in which it was revealed because the verse is Meccan—the Prophet did not have any other wives apart from Khadījah in Mecca.
It is apparent from the relationship of opposites between the two phrases in His Words, We ask you no provision; We provide you that His asking for Himself is metonymy for I have no need for you and you are exigent and dependent on Us. Thus it means the same as: And I have not created the jinn and the men except that they should serve Me. I do not desire from them any sustenance and I do not desire that they should feed Me. Surely God is the Bestower of sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong ().
Since the verse ends with, and the (good) end is for guarding (against evil) it is equivalent to the verse: There does not reach God their flesh nor their blood, but to Him is acceptable the guarding (against evil) on your part ().
Hence, the view of some exegetes who have interpreted “We ask you no provision” as charging him with the provision of the creatures or himself is not correct. His Words, and the (good) end is for guarding (against evil) have been discussed repeatedly. It would not be surprising if, with regard to the commandment being restricted to instructing his family to pray, along with what is in the two previous verses—His alone being instructed to perform four daily prayers, to be patient and not to stretch his eyes to what the unbelievers have been provided with—it could be inferred from the verse that the chapter, or this verse specifically, was revealed at the beginning of the Prophetic mission. Among what is narrated on the authority of Ibn Masʿūd is that Sūrah Ṭā Hā was one of the very early first sūrahs (al-ʿitāq al-uwal).
وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا يَأْتِينَا بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ ۚ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ١٣٣
(20:133) And they say: Why does he not bring to us a sign from his Lord? Has not there come to them a clear evidence of what is in the previous books?
[This is] a direct quote of the Meccan polytheists. They only said this, alluding to the Qur’an—that it is not a sign indicating prophecy—“so that he might bring us a sign as the ancients were sent”. A bayyinah is a clarificatory (mubīn) or clear (bayyin) piece of evidence. Alternatively it is said that it is an explanation (bayān). Whatever the case may be, their words, Why does he not bring to us a sign from his Lord? are goading with the motive of insulting the Qur’an and showing the Prophet to be powerless by suggesting another miraculous sign. His Words, Has not there come to them a clear evidence … are a response to it. It means, based on the first interpretation of bayyinah: Did not clear proof and evidence—that is, the Qur’an—come to them, testifying to and explaining whatever true knowledge and religious laws are in the first books—the Torah, the Gospels and all the other Heavenly Scriptures. It was brought by a man not previously taught by a teacher or dictated to by anyone.
Based on the second interpretation: Did not explanation come to them of what is in the first books—tidings of past nations who suggested miraculous signs to their Prophets. [The Prophets] brought them, and their bringing them was the reason for their destruction and extermination when they did not believe in them after they came to them. So why do they not refrain from suggesting a sign beyond the Qur’an? There are parallels to both interpretations in His Words.
وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَذِلَّ وَنَخْزَىٰ ١٣٤
(20:134) And had We destroyed them with chastisement before this, they would certainly have said: O our Lord! why didst Thou not send to us a Messenger, for then we should have followed Thy communications before that we met disgrace and shame.
It is likely that the [masculine] pronoun in min qablihi (before this) refers to the bayyinah [feminine] in the previous verse with regard to the fact that it is the Qur’an [masculine]. It means: Had We destroyed them with punishment because of their extravagance and disbelief before the proof had come to them, the argument against them would not have been complete, they would have had a case against Us and they would have said: O our Lord! why didst Thou not send to us a Messenger? For then we should have followed Thy communications before that we met disgrace and shame. It is said that the pronoun refers to the Prophet known from the content of the previous verse [that is, min qablihi means before him] as testified to by their words, why didst Thou not send to us a Messenger? This explanation is likely with regard to the literal meaning of the words, whereas the first explanation is [likely] with regard to the [actual] meaning. The words, for then we should have followed Thy communications support it. It does not say: “For then we should have followed Thy Messenger”.
قُلْ كُلٌّ مُتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا ۖ فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِيِّ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ١٣٥
(20:135) Say: Every one (of us) is awaiting, therefore do await: So you will come to know who is the follower of the even path and who goes aright.
Tarabbuṣ means waiting and al-ṣirāt al-sawiyy means the even path. Kull mutarabbiṣ means every one of us and you is watching, waiting so we are awaiting what God has promised us with regard to you, with regard to the advancement of His religion and the completion of His light, while you hope for calamities to befall us so that the true invitation will be thwarted. Every one of us and you is following a path to his objective so watch and wait. There is in it a threat—you will realize which group out of us and you are those on the straight path, which leads them to their destination and which are those who are guided to their destination. There is in it [an allusion to] the great battle and tidings of victory.
Examining Narrations
- Tafsīr, Al-Qummī says about His Words, and an appointed term, it would surely have been made to cleave (to them). [It means] punishment would have descended upon them. However, they were put off to an appointed term.
- The Prophet said regarding His Words, and glorify your Lord by the praising of Him before the rising of the sun and before its setting: “Before the rising of the sun” [means] dawn prayer (ṣalāt al-subḥ) and “before its setting” [means] late afternoon prayer (ṣalāt al-ʿaṣr).
- Tafsīr, Al-Qummī says regarding His Words, and during hours of the night do also glorify (Him) and during parts of the day: In the morning and the evening.
Author’s comment: It supports what was said above.
- al-Bāqir said regarding His Words, and during hours of the night do also glorify (Him) and during parts of the day, that you may be well pleased: It means performance of good deeds voluntarily (ṭaṭawwuʿ) during the day.
Author’s comment: It is based on the exegesis of tasbīḥ as any prayer or any praise.
- Tafsīr, Al-Qummī says regarding His Words, And do not stretch your eyes … that Abū ʿAbdillāh said: When this verse was revealed, God’s Messenger sat up straight. He then said: The soul of whoever is not consoled by God’s condolence devotes itself solely to the world in distress. Whoever’s eye follows what is in people’s hands, his anxiety will be prolonged and his anger will not be healed. The lifespan is shortened of whoever does not know that God has bestowed any blessing other than food or drink upon him, and his punishment will draw near.
- Abū Rāfiʾ said: The Prophet put up a guest but the Prophet did not have anything suitable so he sent me to a Jewish man to sell or lend us flour until the new moon of Rajab. He said: No, only with a security. Thereafter, I went to the Prophet and he said: Verily, by God I am most assuredly trustworthy in Heaven and trustworthy on earth. If he lends to me and sells to me I will repay him. Take my iron body armor to him. Thereafter I did not leave his presence before this verse was revealed: And do not stretch your eyes after that with which We have provided different classes of them as if to console him for the world.
Author’s comment: The purport of the verse, especially the end does not fit the story.
- When it was revealed, And enjoin prayer on your family the Prophet would come to ʿAlī’s door for eight months, saying: Prayer, may God have mercy on you. God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O People of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying.
Author’s comment: It is [also] narrated in Majmaʿ al-bayān on the authority of al-Khudriyy but it says nine months instead of eight months.
- Words to the same effect are narrated in ʿUyūn al-akhbār in al-Riḍā’s seated gathering with al-Maʾmūn on [al-Riḍā’s] authority. Al-Qummī also narrates it in an elevated ascription (marfūʾ) manner in his exegesis. Qualifying it with nine months is based on what the narrator witnessed and not on specifying what he actually did. Evidence of that is what is narrated by the Shaykh in al-Amālī via his chain of narration on the authority of Abu Humayrāʾ: I witnessed the Prophet come to ʿAlī and Fatimah’s door on forty mornings, take hold of the doorposts and say: Peace be upon you, People of the Household and God’s mercy and blessings. May God have mercy on you. God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O People of the House and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.
Author’s comment: The apparent meaning of the narration would be that the verse is Medinite but no one says that as far as I recall. The intention may be to explain that he came to the door in the Medina, acting on the verse even though it was revealed in Mecca, even though this [strays] far from the wording.
There is in Al-Qummī’s narration, to which we alluded, that which supports this interpretation, namely: “He continued doing that every day he was present in Medina until he departed from the world”. The hadith on his instructing the People of the Household to pray is also narrated via other routes beyond those which have been referred to.
- ʿAbdallāh ibn Salām said: Whenever hardship or straitness would descend upon his family, he would instruct them to pray and recite: And enjoin prayer on your family …
Author’s comment: Words to the same effect are narrated on the authority of Aḥmad in al-Zuhd, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Imān on the authority of Thābit on his authority. There is in it an allusion to tasbīḥ (glorification) having a wider meaning in the verse.
Al-Durr al-manthūr cited by al-Ṭabarānī, Ibn Mardawayh and Ibn ʿAsākir on the authority of Jarīr. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī via its chain of narration on the authority of Zurārah ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr cited by Ibn Abī Shaybah, Ibn Rahawayh, al-Bazzāz, Abū Yaʾlā, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh, al-Kharā’iṭī in Makārim al-Akhlāq and Abū Naʾīm in al-Maʾrifah. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr cited by Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn ʿAsākir and Ibn al-Najjār on the authority of Abu Saʾīd al-Khudrī. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr cited by Abū ʿUbayd, Saʿīd ibn Manṣūr, Ibn al-Mundhir, al-Ṭabarānī in al-Awṣat, Abū Naʿīm in al-Ḥilyah and al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Imān via an authentic chain of narration. ↩︎