Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah An-Nahl -> The Command to maintain the Ties of Kinship and the prohibition of Immoral Sins, Evil and Tyranny |
﴿وَإِيتَآءِ ذِى الْقُرْبَى﴾ (and giving (help) to relatives,) meaning that Allah is commanding us to uphold the ties of kinship, as He says: ﴿وَءَاتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَى حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلاَ تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا ﴾ (And give the relative his due and to the poor and to the wayfarer. But do not spend wastefully in the manner of a spendthrift.) (17:26) ﴿وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ﴾ (and He forbids immoral sins, and evil) Fahsha' refers to all things that are forbidden, and Munkar refers to those forbidden deeds that are committed openly by the one who does them. Hence Allah says elsewhere: ﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ﴾ (Say (O Muhammad): "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are the indecencies, whether committed openly or secretly) (7:33) Baghy refers to aggression towards people. In a Hadith, the Prophet said: «مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ أَجْدَرَ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ اللهُ عُقُوبَتَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعَ مَا يَدَّخِرُ لِصَاحِبِهِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْبَغْيِ وَقَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِم» (There is no sin more deserving of having its punishment hastened in this world, as well as what is reserved in the Hereafter for the one who does it, than tyrannical aggression and cutting the ties of kinship.) ﴿يَعِظُكُمُ﴾ (He admonishes you,) meaning, He commands what He commands you of good and He forbids what He forbids you of evil; ﴿لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ﴾ (so that perhaps you may take heed) Ash-Sha`bi reported that Shatiyr bin Shakl said: "I heard Ibn Mas`ud say: `The most comprehensive Ayah in the Qur'an is in Surat An-Nahl: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإْحْسَانِ﴾ (Verily, Allah enjoins justice and kindness...)''' It was reported by Ibn Jarir.
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