Verses 27–38
These verses embark upon a new argument for and other signs of God’s oneness. The book—that it is the truth and has been sent down from God—is also recounted here. Since, in the previous section, the focus of the discussion was on prophethood and the book—for instance, We have sent you with truth as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner () and Their messengers came to them with clear arguments and the Psalms and with the illuminating book ()—it is an appropriate place to present some of the effects and specifics of the book.
Commentary
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاء مَاء فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ ٢٧
(35:27) Do you not see that Allah sends from the sky water, and We bring forth with it fruits of various colors? And in the mountains streaks of white and red, of various colors, and intensely black?
This is another proof of the oneness of God. Namely, that God sends rain from the sky, which is the most significant agent in growing fruits. If all of them were solely dependent on this single agent, all of them would be the same color; therefore, the variety of colors is a sign of the divine hand.
Some say that the variety of colors hinges on the various agents affecting them, such as the different factors found inside a species. This can be refuted by saying that all of them are composed of the same type of physical matter; therefore, the root of the difference between them must lie in a metaphysical agent which controls them and directs them towards different ends.
The apparent meaning of the “various colors of fruits” is the actual variance in colors, which concord with other differences between them in taste, fragrance, and other properties. Some say that “various colors” refers to different types of fruit, as the expression is sometimes used for fruit or foodstuffs of different types—for instance, one can say metaphorically, “So-and-so offered ‘colors’ of food and fruit”. Similarly, the verse speaks of and in the mountains, streaks of red and white. However, the first view is stronger.
And We bring forth with it fruits of various colors: There is a shift here from third-person to first-person [“God does” to “We do”]. Some exegetes say that this is to draw attention to the action, in that it reflects God’s power and wisdom in fashioning things from anew. Similar examples are found in: We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and as warner () and Then I seized those who rejected [the truth], and how [intense] was the disavowal! () Perhaps it indicates that the matter is directly between them and God without anyone standing between them to intercede for them, assist them, or save them from torment.
And in the mountains streaks (judad) of whites (bīḍ) and reds (ḥumr), of various colors, and intensely black (gharābīb sūd)? Judad is the plural of juddah, meaning “a path” or “a road”. Bīḍ and ḥumr are plural forms of abyaḍ (“white”) and aḥmar (“red”). According to the apparent meaning of the verse, of various colors refers to the streaks (or pathways) in the mountains, and colors acts as a type of subject for various. [That is, if it were a sentence, it would read “the colors vary”.] However, if it were a subject-predicate sentence, it would say mukhtalifah alwānuhā (in the feminine). Gharābīb is the plural of gharbīb, meaning “an intense black”. The word “crow” (ghurāb) comes from the same root. Sūd also means “black” and either reiterates or specifies the meaning of gharābīb.
It means, “Do you not see pathways of white, red, and black—of different colors—in the mountains?” The intent behind “pathways” is either real roads that are walked upon, or else the streaks that stretch along the faces of the mountains themselves, in white, red, and black, of different colors.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَلِكَ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاء إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ٢٨
(35:28) And of mankind, beasts, and cattle there are those of diverse colors, likewise (kadhalik). Only those of His servants who know (min ʿibādihi al-ʿulamāʾ) fear Allah. Allah is mighty, forgiving.
This is referring to people, land-animals, and quadrupeds, such as camels, sheep, and cows. They are also of different colors, and white, red, and black, just like fruits and mountains vary in their colors.
Regarding likewise (kadhalik), some exegetes say that it is part of a subject-predicate sentence with an elided subject referring to all of the aforementioned things (such as the varieties of fruit, mountains, people, animals, and quadrupeds). Other exegetes say that it hinges on fear in those of His servants who know fear Allah, meaning that the ones who fear God are those who of His servants who consider His signs such as the fruits, mountains, etc.; however, both the wording and meaning of this view are farfetched.
Only those of His servants who know fear Allah: This resumes the discussion and clarifies that reflecting on these divine signs affects the soul and results in true faith in and reverence towards God, in all meanings of the sense, among those who have knowledge, as opposed to those who are ignorant. It was mentioned previously that warnings shall be effective for them: You can only warn those who fear their Lord in secret and establish the prayer (). Therefore, this verse clarifies what is meant there, and that true reverence towards God is found among those with knowledge.
ʿUlamāʾ (“those who know”) here refers to those who have knowledge of God. They are the ones with a deep understanding of God through His names, attributes, and acts. It is a complete understanding which makes their hearts certain and removes any splotch of doubt or disquietude from themselves. The effects of this are seen in their deeds, for their deeds match their words. Fear refers to true reverence and is followed by inner and outer humility.
This is what the context of the verses indicates.
Allah is mighty, forgiving: This wraps up the verse with an explanation—His might is such that he is perpetually victorious and never overpowered. None can overthrow Him! Those with true knowledge fear and revere Him from every angle. And because He is forgiving—that is, one who often forgives sins and slips—they believe in Him, come close to Him, and desire to meet Him.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ ٢٩
(35:29) Those who recite the book of Allah (yatlūna kitāb Allāh) and establish the prayer and spend of what We have provided them secretly and openly, hoping for an exchange that will never perish.
“Reciting the book” (yatlūn or tilāwah) refers to reciting the Qur’an, an act which God has praised. “Establishing the prayer” meanings performing it consistently and not letting it slide. “Spending of sustenance secretly and openly” refers to giving of wealth in secret to prevent showing-off and losing sincerity when giving the charitable gifts encouraged but not obligated by the Sunnah. Giving money openly is done to encourage others and refers to the mandatory charitable contributions [like zakāt and khums].
Hoping for an exchange that will never perish: Meaning, that will never be destroyed. Some exegetes say that hoping for an exchange will never perish is the predicate of a sentence beginning with inna at the beginning of the verse. Other exegetes say it is the predicate of that He may pay them their rewards in full (yuwaffihīm) [in the next verse], meaning that this is why they do what they do.
لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ٣٠
(35:30) That He may pay them their rewards in full and increase them in His bounty. He is forgiving, gracious.
This clause is the consequence of they recite and other things appended to it in the previous verse—meaning, “They do what they do before they will be recompensed completely and fully with the good reward for their deeds.”
And increase them in His bounty: Possibly, “increase” here refers to the multiplying of good deeds, as in: Whoever comes with a good deed shall have tenfold of its like () and The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is the example of a seed from which seven ears of grain sprout; on each ear of grain are a hundred seeds. Allah multiplies for whom He wills! () It is also possible that something other than the multiplying of divine reward is meant, as in: In it [heaven], they shall have whatever they want, and with Us is more. ()
He is forgiving, gracious: This wraps up the verse of an explanation of why it is so: it is because God is innately forgiving; He forgives their slips. It is also because God is innately appreciative (shakūr) and hence rewards them and sends them more blessings from Himself.
وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِعِبَادِهِ لَخَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ ٣١
(35:31) That which We revealed to you of the book is the truth (huwa al-ḥaqq), confirming what is in your hands. Allah is aware of His servants, seeing.
The pronoun huwa (“it”, “he”, omitted in translation) reiterates the subject before proceeding to the next part of the sentence. The al- in is the truth (huwa al-ḥaqq) is for emphasis, not restriction; meaning that it is truth untarnished by falsehood [not that it is the only truth].
ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْكَبِيرُ ٣٢
(35:32) Then we gave the book as an inheritance to those of our servants whom We chose. Among them is the one who wrongs his own soul, and among them is the one who takes a middle course, and among them is the one who is foremost in acts of good by the permission of Allah. This is a high grace.
It is said: Awrathahu mālan (“giving someone something in inheritance”) refers to a situation where someone owns something, can make use of it as he likes, and then leaves it to someone to make use of after him. Similar are inheritance of knowledge, position, and related things; the person who used them before leaves them to others to use. So “giving a book in inheritance to a group of people” means handing it over to them for them to pass down over generations and to benefit from.
This model is correct, even if the one who takes it up after them is a group, but not all of them. God says:
And we gave Moses the guidance and had the Israelites inherit the book after him as a guidance and remembrance to those who think. ()
We sent down the Torah. In it is guidance and a light by which the prophets—those who submitted—pass judgments for the Jews, as did the rabbis and the scholars—with respect to what they have been entrusted with of the book of Allah. ()
Those who inherited the book after them were in wavering doubt about it. ()
So the Israelites inherited the book, even though only some of them upheld its strictures and gave it its just due.
Book (kitāb), according to the context here, refers to the Holy Qur’an. How is this so? The previous verse—that which We revealed to you of the book (al-kitāb) is the truth ()—specifies it. The al- in al-kitāb refers to a specific book, not books in general, so do not pay any regard to those who say that the al- is for type, and that book refers to all heavenly books sent to the prophets.
Choosing (al-iṣṭifāʾ) means “selecting” and is close in meaning to ikhtiyār (also “choosing”, “selecting”). The difference is that ikhtiyār refers to selecting the best item from many, whereas al-iṣṭifāʾ refers to selecting the choicest and purest item.
Of our servants (min ʿibādinā): The min here may offer further explanation, specify the beginning of a range [as in when someone says “from one to ten people”], or specify the selection of one or some from many [as in “one of the three people”]. At first glance, it seems to provide further necessary explanation, as in: And peace be upon His servants whom He chose ().
Exegetes differ regarding who these chosen servants are. Some say they are the prophets. Some say they are the Israelites, citing the verse: Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of ʿImrān above all nations (). Some say that they are the nation of Muḥammad, because they inherited the Qur’an from their prophet, and their scholars benefit from it directly, without any intermediary. And some say that it is the scholars of the Muslims.
Some say—and this is reinforced by many well-sourced (mustafīḍah) narrations from Imām al-Bāqir and Imām al-Ṣādiq—that those who are intended are the descendants of the Prophet through Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ, who are included in the family of Abraham—that is, the verse Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham… (). This is because of their knowledge of the Qur’an and that they are inseparable from it, as reflected in the highly-narrated (mutawātir), agreed-upon narration: “I am leaving behind among you the two weighty things, the book of God and my descendants, the people of my house. They shall not separate until they are brought back to the fount [in Paradise].”
With that in mind, the meaning is that “We revealed you the Qur’an”—because the word thumma (“then”, which introduces the verse) conveys the meaning of a delay in sequence—“and had your offspring inherit it. They are the ones whom We chose from among our servants when We chose the family of Abraham.” Adding our to servants (ʿibād) expresses honor.
Among them is the one who wrongs his own soul, and among them is the one who takes a middle course, and among them is the one who is foremost in acts of good by the permission of Allah: Possibly, the pronoun them in among them (minhum) refers to those whom We chose. Thus, those who shared in the inheritance fall into three groups: those who wrong their souls, the moderate, and those who are foremost in good deeds. A true inheritor who knows the book and protects it is foremost in good deeds.
It is also possible that the pronoun them refers to our servants. In this case, adding our is not just honorary. Rather, and among them is explanatory. It means, “We have given the book as an inheritance to some of our servants—the chosen ones, not all of them, for among our servants are those who wrong themselves, and among them are those who take a middle course, and among them are those who are foremost. Not all of them are suitable for this inheritance.”
The first interpretation is supported by the fact that nothing prevents the inheritance from going to the entire group, even though only some of them can actually carry it. Something similar is found in the verse: And we had the Israelites inherit the book ().
The differentiation in the verse between “those who wrong their own souls”, “those who follow a middle course”, and “those who are foremost” gives the sense that “those who wrong their own souls” commit some misdeeds. This refers to Muslims who have the Qur’an, in that they were chosen to bear it. “Those who follow a middle course” are in the middle. “The foremost in good” are those who—by the permission of God—outstrip the wrongdoer or middling person in levels of nearness [to God], and this refers to the Imam or others through the permission of God, because they are doing good, as in the verse: And the foremost, the foremost; they are the near ones ().
This is a high grace: Meaning, the inheritance is a high grace from God and not something that people earn by their own hands.
This is what the context indicates; narrations support this interpretation. However, exegetes have differed extraordinarily over the details of this verse:
(1) Then (thumma): Some say it denotes sequence in narrating; some say it is for sequence in rank; and some say it denotes sequence in time. Then they disagree over whether it is appended to We revealed or which We revealed.
(2) We gave the book as an inheritance: Some say that its meaning is as it appears to be. Others say that it means “We judged regarding the inheritance and allocated it.”
(3) The book: Some say it is the Qur’an. Other say it refers to all divinely revealed books.
(4) Those whom We chose: Some say it refers to the prophets. Other say it refers to the Israelites. Still others say it refers to the nation (ummah) of Muḥammad or the scholars of the nation of Muḥammad. Others say it refers to the descendants of the Prophet via Fāṭimah al-Zahrāʾ.
(5) Of our servants (min ʿibādinā): Some say that min means “a portion of them”. Other say it expresses the beginning of a range, or is for clarification.
(6) Servants: The understanding of the intended meaning behind servants varies in accordance with how min is understood.
(7) Our (in Our servants): Some say that Our is an honorific; others say that it is not.
(8) Among them (minhum): Some say that them goes back to those; others say that it refers to Our servants.
(9) The one who wrongs his own soul, and among them is the one who takes a middle course, and among the is the one who is foremost in acts of good: Some say that the one who wrongs his own soul is the one who acts better in public than in private (or whose outer self is better than his inner self); the one who takes a middle course is the one whose outer and inner selves are the same; and the foremost is the one whose inner self is better than his outer self. Some say that the foremost are the companions in the time of the Prophet, the one who takes a middle course refers to the first generation after him, and the one who wrongs his own soul refers to everyone else. Some say that the one who wrongs his own soul refers to a person immersed in misdeeds; the one who takes a middle course is moderate; and the foremost are the nearest to God in rank.
There are other views which we have omitted. Were we to consider all of them, we would get into the thousands!
جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ ٣٣
(35:33) Gardens of Eden, which they shall enter, adorned (yuḥallawn) therein with bracelets (asāwir) of gold and pearl, and their raiment shall be of silk.
Yuḥallawn (from taḥliyyah) means “ornamented”, “adorned”. Asāwir (“bracelets” or “sets of bracelets”) is the plural of aswirah, which is the plural of siwār. Al-Rāghib says:
“A woman’s siwār is an Arabicization of the [Persian] word dastwārah.”
This verse comes across as an elaboration upon high grace. Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
This is an explanation of grace, as if someone were to ask, “What is that grace?” So it replies, “It is gardens, or the recompense of gardens, or entering gardens. It might be an equivalent phrase for grace (faḍl), as if it is saying, “That is entering gardens.”
The remainder of it is clear.
وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ ۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ٣٤
(35:34) And they will say, “Praise be to Allah, who took away sadness from us. Our Lord is forgiving, gracious.”
Some exegetes say that the sadness refers to the grief that shadows people due to the trials of life, and that it is removed when they enter heaven; thus, they are praising God for the removal of that grief.
There is also a view that sadness refers to a sadness that befalls them after they pass away. It is also said that they are still troubled by the touch of their misdeeds when they enter the eternal garden [and then it is removed]. However, this would be for the person who “wrongs his own soul” or the “one who takes a middle course”; those who are foremost in good deeds do not have evils in their book of deeds to suffer for.
This view most closely matches what they say: Our Lord is forgiving, gracious.
الَّذِي أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ الْمُقَامَةِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ لَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ ٣٥
(35:35) Who, out of His bounty, has caused us to dwell in the eternal abode (dār al-muqāmah). No toil (naṣab) or weariness (lughūb) shall touch us therein.
Muqāmah means “staying”. An eternal abode is one which someone does not leave and which will not change.
Naṣab means “exhaustion” and “hardship”. Lughūb means “helplessness” and “exhaustion in seeking to earn a living”.
It means, “Here, in this eternal abode, we will experience two conditions as a gift of God from His grace, although we do not deserve them. Neither toil nor exhaustion shall touch us here—that is, in the garden, and neither helplessness nor fatigue shall afflict us when seeking what we want, for, in it, we shall have whatever we desire.”
Out of His bounty: This is particularly appropriate given what was said previously: This is a high grace ().
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يُقْضَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ ٣٦
(35:36) And those who reject [truth] shall have the fire of hell. Their term in it shall be endless—they shall neither die nor will the punishment be lightened for them. Thus do We recompense every ungrateful one.
The l- in lahum (“they shall have”) indicates that the fire is a recompense for them and shall not be separated from them; it is theirs. They shall neither die means, “They will not die from the severe punishment; rather, they shall subsist in it. It shall not be lightened for them. Thus do We recompose the strongly ungrateful.”
وَهُمْ يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَا أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا غَيْرَ الَّذِي كُنَّا نَعْمَلُ ۚ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ مَا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ ۖ فَذُوقُوا فَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ نَصِيرٍ ٣٧
(35:37) And they shall cry (yaṣṭarikhūn) therein for succor. “Our Lord! Let us out, that We may work righteous deeds, other than what we did before.” Did We not make your life long enough for whoever might reflect in it to reflect? And the warner came to you. So taste [this]; the unjust shall have no helper.
Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
Iṣṭirākh (that is, yaṣṭarikhūn) is a cry or call for help. It is from the verb form iftiʿāl [form 8].
Our Lord! Let us out…: This provides further explanation for “crying therein for succor”. Did we not make your life long enough? is the reply to their plea. Taste [this] and the unjust shall have no helper both relate back to what came before.
It means, “Those ungrateful people who denied the truth who are calling out for help in the fire are saying, ‘O Lord! Take us out from the fire so that we might work righteous deeds, not the evil which we used to work.’ And they will receive the reply, ‘No! Did We not keep you alive long enough so that whoever would take heed, would take heed? Didn’t a warner come to you and warn you about punishment, but you neither heeded that nor believed? So taste the punishment; the wrongdoers will have no one to save them from it.’”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَالِمُ غَيْبِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ ٣٨
(35:38) Allah knows what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows what is in the hearts.
Therefore, He will treat them in accordance with their inner selves—their beliefs and the effects of their deeds. He will call them to account for that, whether or not their outsides match their insides. God says: Whether you reveal or hide what is inside yourselves, Allah will take you to account for it () and On the day when secrets will be laid bare ().
Examining Narrations
- Regarding only those of His servants who know fear Allah (), Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
It is narrated that Imām al-Ṣādiq said: “Those who know (ʿulamāʾ) are those whose deeds match their words. A person whose deeds do not match his words does not have true knowledge (that is, is not an ʿālim).”
And in a hadith, it says that the more knowledgeable they are of God, the more they fear God.
Author’s comments: In Rawḍat al-Kāfī, there is a narration with a similar meaning narrated via Abū Ḥamzah from ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn [Imām al-Sajjād].
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from Ibn Abī Shaybah, al-Tirmidhī, and al-Ḥākim that [Imām] al-Ḥasan said that the Messenger of God said:
Knowledge is of two types: knowledge in the heart, and that is beneficial knowledge (ʿilm nāfiʿ), and knowledge which is on the tongue, and that is the proof of God upon His creation.
- In Majmaʿ al-Bayān, Ibn Masʿūd relates that the Prophet said regarding increase them in His bounty ():
This is intercession for whoever deserves hellfire by someone whom he did good to in this world.
- In al-Kāfī, it is related that Aḥmad ibn ʿUmar said:
I asked Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā about the verse Then we gave the book as an inheritance to those of our servants whom We chose. ()
He said, “These are the children of Fāṭimah. The one who is foremost in acts of good is the imam, the one who takes a middle course is the one who knows and acknowledges the imam, and the one who wrongs his own soul is the one who does not know the imam.”
- In Saʿd al-Suʿūd by Ibn Ṭāwūs, Abū Isḥāq al-Sabīʿī relates in a narration from Imām al-Bāqir about this verse:
It is specifically about us. O Abū Isḥāq! The one who is foremost in acts of good is ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭalib, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, and the martyr from us [Imām al-Bāqir]. The one who takes a middle course is the one who fasts during the day and stands [in prayer] at night. The one who wrongs his own soul refers to the common folk with human failings, and who are forgiven.
Author’s comment: Other narrations indicate that “the martyr from us” refers to the Imam.
- In Maʿānī al-Akhbār, regarding this verse, it is related via a chain of narration that Imām al-Ṣādiq said:
The one who wrongs his own soul hovers (yaḥūm) around his own self; the one who takes a middle course flutters around to his heart; and the one who is foremost in good deeds soars to his Lord.
Author’s comment: Yaḥūm means “to circle around”. The one who wrongs his own soul circles around his own self, following his own desires. He puts his effort into attaining what pleases him. The one who takes a middle course circles around his own heart, busying himself with purifying his heart through abstention and worship. The foremost in good circles around his Lord, sincerely devoted to Him, remembering Him and forgetting everything else. He seeks Him and nothing else.
Know that there are very many Shiʿi narrations from the Imams of the family of the Prophet specifying that this group [the foremost in good] are the descendants of Fāṭimah.
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from al-Fāryābī, Aḥmad, ʿAbd ibn Ḥamīd, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Mundhir, and Ibn Abī Ḥatim, and al-Ṭabarānī, al-Ḥākim, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqī that Abū Dardāʾ said:
I heard the Messenger of God saying: “God, the Exalted, said: Then we gave the book as an inheritance to those of our servants whom We chose. Among them is the one who wrongs his own soul, and among them is the one who takes a middle course, and among the is the one who is foremost in acts of good by the permission of Allah (). Those who are foremost are those who enter heaven with no accounting. Those who take a middle course are those who are taken to account lightly, and those who wrong their own souls are held long for their accounting on the plains of resurrection. They are the ones who will encounter God from the angle of His mercy and who will say, ‘Praise be to Allah, who took away sadness from us. Our Lord is forgiving, gracious, who, out of His bounty, has caused us to dwell in the eternal abode. No toil or weariness shall touch us therein’ ().”
Author’s comments: This narration is also in Majmaʿ al-Bayān, related from Abū Dardāʾ from the Prophet. There are other narrations with the same meaning. However, there are also others that contradict it, and which should not be disregarded. For instance, it is related from Ibn Mardawayh that ʿUmar said that the Prophet said that the one who wrongs his own soul is the one who rejects God (the kāfir).
- In Tafsīr al-Qummī, regarding no toil (naṣab) or weariness (lughūb) shall touch us therein (), it says:
Naṣab means “hardship”, and lughūb means “sluggishness” and “weariness”.
- In Nahj al-Balāghah, it says: The lifespan that God excuses the son of Adam [from his mistakes] for is 60 years.
Author’s comments: This is also narrated from him [Imām ʿAlī] in Majmaʿ al-Bayān, as well as in al-Durr al-Manthūr, from Ibn Jarīr, from him [Imām ʿAlī].
- In al-Durr al-Manthūr, it is related from al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī in Nawādir al-Uṣūl, al-Bayhaqī in his Sunan, and Ibn Jarīr, Ibn Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, al-Ṭabarāni, Ibn Mardawayh, and al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿb al-Īmān from Ibn ʿAbbās that the Prophet said:
When it is the Day of Judgment, it shall be asked, “Where are those who were 60?”, and they are those whose lifespan were lengthened, about whom God said: Did We not make your life long enough for whoever might reflect in it to reflect ()?
Author’s comments: This is related from the Prophet via other chains of narration from Sahl ibn Saʿd and Abu Hūrayrah.
- Majmaʿ al-Bayān says:
It is said that this [verse, that is, ] is a reproval to a youth of 18 years old, and this is narrated from [Imām] al-Bāqir.
Author’s comment: This is also narrated in al-Faqīh from him but without specifying precisely which Imam it was related from.