Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah As-Saff -> The Trade that saves One from the Painful Torment

We mentioned a Hadith from `Abdullah bin Salam in that the Companions wanted to ask the Prophet of Allah about the best actions with Allah the Exalted and Most Honored, so they could practice them. Allah the Exalted sent down this Surah, including this Ayah,

﴿ظٹط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ‡ظژظ„ظ’ ط£ظژط¯ظڈظ„ظ‘ظڈظƒظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ طھظگط¬ظژظ€ط±ظژط©ظچ طھظڈظ†ط¬ظگظٹظƒظڈظ… ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظچ ط£ظژظ„ظگظٹظ…ظچ ﴾

(O you who believe! Shall I guide you to a trade that will save you from a painful torment) Allah then explained this great trade that will never fail, the trade that will earn one what he wishes and saves him from what he dislikes. Allah the Exalted said,

﴿طھظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژطھظڈط¬ظژظ€ظ‡ظگط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظپظگظ‰ ط³ظژط¨ظگظٹظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¨ظگط£ظژظ…ظ’ظˆظژظ„ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظپظڈط³ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط®ظژظٹظ’ط±ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ† ظƒظڈظ†طھظڈظ…ظ’ طھظژط¹ظ’ظ„ظژظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(That you believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that will be better for you, if you but know!) this is better than the trade of this life and striving hard for it and amassing it. Allah the Exalted said,

﴿ظٹظژط؛ظ’ظپظگط±ظ’ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط°ظڈظ†ظڈظˆط¨ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(He will forgive you your sins,) meaning, `if you fulfill what I commanded you and guided you to, then I will forgive your sins and admit you into the Gardens of Paradise. In them, you will have exalted residences and high postitions.' This is why Allah the Exalted said,

﴿ظˆظژظٹظڈط¯ظ’ط®ظگظ„ظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¬ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ€طھظچ طھظژط¬ظ’ط±ظگظ‰ ظ…ظگظ† طھظژط­ظ’طھظگظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژظ€ط±ظڈ ظˆظژظ…ظژط³ظژظ€ظƒظگظ†ظژ ط·ظژظٹظ‘ظگط¨ظژط©ظ‹ ظپظگظ‰ ط¬ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ€طھظگ ط¹ظژط¯ظ’ظ†ظچ ط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظپظژظˆظ’ط²ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظڈ﴾

(and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in `Adn (Eternal) Paradise; that is indeed the great success.) Allah said,

﴿ظˆظژط£ظڈط®ظ’ط±ظژظ‰ طھظڈط­ظگط¨ظ‘ظڈظˆظ†ظژظ‡ظژط§﴾

(And also another (blessing) which you love,) meaning, `I will grant you more favors that you like,'

﴿ظ†ظژطµظ’ط±ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظپظژطھظ’ط­ظŒ ظ‚ظژط±ظگظٹط¨ظŒ﴾

(help from Allah and a near victory.) meaning, if you fight in Allah's cause and support His religion, He will grant you victory. Allah the Exalted said,

﴿ظٹط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ† طھظژظ†طµظڈط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظٹظژظ†طµظڈط±ظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظٹظڈط«ظژط¨ظ‘ظگطھظ’ ط£ظژظ‚ظ’ط¯ظژط§ظ…ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ﴾

(O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.) (47:7), and,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظٹظژظ†طµظڈط±ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظژظ† ظٹظژظ†طµظڈط±ظڈظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظ„ظژظ‚ظژظˆظگظ‰ظ‘ظŒ ط¹ظژط²ظگظٹط²ظŒ﴾

(Verily, Allah will help those who help His (cause). Truly, Allah is All Strong, All-Wise.) (22:40) Allah's statement,

﴿ظˆظژظپظژطھظ’ط­ظŒ ظ‚ظژط±ظگظٹط¨ظŒ﴾

(and a near victory.) means, it will come sooner, and this is the increased favor that is earned in this life and continues, becoming the delight of the Hereafter. It is for those who obey Allah and His Messenger and support Allah and His religion. Allah said;

﴿ظˆظژط¨ظژط´ظ‘ظگط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ’ظ…ظگظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(And give glad tidings to the believers.)

﴿ظٹط£ظژظٹظ‘ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژظ†طµظژظ€ط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظƒظژظ…ظژط§ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط¹ظگظٹط³ظژظ‰ ط§ط¨ظ’ظ†ظڈ ظ…ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژظ…ظژ ظ„ظگظ„ظ’ط­ظژظˆظژط§ط±ظگظٹظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژطµظژظ€ط±ظگظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظˆظژط±ظگظٹظ‘ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ظ†ظژط­ظ’ظ†ظڈ ط£ظژظ†طµظژظ€ط±ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظپظژظ€ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژطھ ط·ظ‘ظژط¢ط¦ظگظپظژط©ظŒ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ط¨ظژظ†ظگظ‰ ط¥ظگط³ظ’ط±ظژط،ظگظٹظ„ظژ ظˆظژظƒظژظپظژط±ظژطھ ط·ظ‘ظژط¢ط¦ظگظپظژط©ظŒ ظپظژط£ظژظٹظ‘ظژط¯ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط¹ظژط¯ظڈظˆظ‘ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظپظژط£ظژطµظ’ط¨ظژط­ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¸ظژظ€ظ‡ظگط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(14. O you who believe! Be you helpers (in the cause) of Allah as said `Isa, son of Maryam, to the Hawariyyin (the disciples): "Who are my helpers (in the cause) of Allah'' The Hawariyyun said: "We are Allah's helpers'' (i.e., we will strive in His cause!). Then a group of the Children of Israel believed and a group disbelieved. So, We gave power to those who believed against their enemies, and they became the victorious (uppermost).)