Tafsir Ibn Kathir |
All praise is due to Allah,
Who started His Book by saying,
﴿الْحَمْدُ
للَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَـلَمِينَ - الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ - مَـلِكِ يَوْمِ
الدِّينِ ﴾
‘All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. The Most
Gracious, the and Who began His creation with
the Hamd (His praise and appreciation), by saying, ﴿الْحَمْدُ
لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ
وَالنُّورَ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ ﴾
‘All praise and thanks be to
Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness
and the light; yet those who disbelieve hold others equal to their Lords’
﴿وَتَرَى
المَلائِكَةَ حَافِّينَ مِنْ حَوْلِ العَرْشِ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمْدِ
رَبِّهِمْ وَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْحَقِّ وَقِيلَ الحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ
العَالَمِينَ ﴾
Similarly, ﴿وَهُوَ
اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَهُ الحَمْدُ فِي الأُولَى وَالآخِرَةِ
وَلَهُ الحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ﴾
‘He is Allah, there is no illah
except for Him, His is the praise in the beginning and in the
end, His is the judgment and to Him you (all) return.’ (Al Qasas
28:70), All thanks are due
to Allah in the beginning and in the end the end, for what He has created and what He shall create. Allah is
the One praised for all things, just as the praying person says, "O Allah,
Yours is the praise, praise that fills the heavens, the earth and whatever
You will after that." [1] All the thanks are due to Allah
Who sent His Messengers, whom He described as, ﴿رُسُلاً
مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ
حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً ﴾
‘Messengers as bearers
of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no
plea against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah is Ever
AllPowerful, AllWise.’ (An-Nisa 4:165) And ended them with the
unlettered, Arabian, Makkan Prophet who guides to the clear straight path.
Allah sent the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him to all of His creation -
the Jinns and mankind - from the time that his prophet hood began
until the commencement of the Last Hour. Allah
said, ﴿قُلْ يَا
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعاً الَّذِي لَهُ
مُلْكُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُو يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ
فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ
بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ﴾
‘Say (O Muhammad ) :"O mankind!
Verily, I am the Messenger sent to you all by Allah, the One to Whom the
dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs. There is no god (worthy of
worship) but He. It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in
Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and
His Words, and follow him so that you may be guided.’ (Al-A`raf
7:158)
and, ﴿قُلْ أَيُّ
شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً قُلِ اللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ
وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا القُرْآنُ لأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ
أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَى قُل لاَّ
أَشْهَدُ قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا
تُشْرِكُونَ ﴾
' ﴿ لأُنذِرَكُم
بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ ﴾
‘That by it, I may
warn you and whoever it reaches}’ (Al An`am 6:19). Therefore, whether one is an Arab or non-Arab, black or red, human or Jinn's, whoever this Quran is conveyed to, it is a warning for them all. This is why Allah said, ﴿أَفَمَن كَانَ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ وَيَتْلُوهُ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْهُ وَمِن قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَى إِمَاماً وَرَحْمَةً أُوْلَئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ فَلاَ تَكُ فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّنْهُ إِنَّهُ الحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴾
'So is one who [stands] upon a clear evidence from his Lord [like the aforementioned]? And a witness from Him follows it, and before it was the Scripture of Moses to lead and as mercy. Those [believers in the former revelations] believe in the Qur’an. But whoever disbelieves in it from the [various] factions – the Fire is his promised destination. So be not in doubt about it. Indeed, it is the truth from your Lord, but most of the people do not believe.’ (Hud 11: 17) Therefore, whoever disbelieves
in the Qur'an among those whom we mentioned, then, according to Allah, the
Fire will be then their destination. Allah said, ﴿فَذَرْنِي وَمَن يُكَذِّبُ بِهَذَا الحَدِيثِ سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴾
‘Then leave Me alone with those who deny this narration (the Qur'an). We shall gradually punish them from where they perceive not’. (Nun 68:44).The Messenger of Allah Peace be
upon him said, Hence, Muhammad Peace be upon him is the Messenger to all creation, mankind and Jinn, conveying what Allah revealed to him in the Glorious Book that, ﴿لاَ يَأْتِيهِ البَاطِلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلاَ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ ﴾
‘Falsehood cannot come to it
from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the Wise, Worthy of all
praise.’ (Fussilat 41:42) Therefore, the scholars are
required to elaborate upon the meanings of Allah's Speech and to convey
these meanings, providing they seek them from their proper resources. The
scholars are required to learn and convey these meanings, just ﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلاَ تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَناًّ قَلِيلاً فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ ﴾
'And [mention, O Muhammad],
when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the
Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear to the people and not conceal
it." But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a
small price. And wretched is that which they purchased.’ (Al Imran 3:187) and
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْمَانِهِمْ ثَمَناًّ قَلِيلاً أُوْلَئِكَ لاَ خَلاقَ لَهُمْ فِي الآخِرَةِ وَلاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَلاَ يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴾
‘Verily, those who purchase
a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they shall have no
portion in the Hereafter ( Allah criticized the People of the Scriptures - Jews and Christians - who came before us, for ignoring Allah's Book that was revealed to them, and for acquiring and indulging in the affairs of this life, all the while being distracted from what they were commanded, that is, adhering to Allah's Book. We Muslims are thus required to refrain from doing what Allah criticized the People of the Scriptures for, and to heed what He commanded us; learning and comprehending the Book of Allah, revealed to us, and to convey all that is in it. Allah said, ﴿أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَن تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَمَا نَزَلَ مِنَ الحَقِّ وَلاَ يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلُ فَطَالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ - اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يُحْيِي الأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا قَدْ بَيَّنَّا لَكُمُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ﴾
‘Has not the time come for
the hearts of those who believe (in the Oneness
of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) to be
affected by Allah's Reminder
(this Qur'an), and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as
those who received the Scripture before, and the term was
prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of
them were Fasiqun (the rebellious, the disobedient to Allah) Know that
Allah gives life to the earth
after its death! Indeed We have made clear the Ayat to you, if you but understand}’
Hence, Allah's mentioning this Ayah (57:17) after the Ayah that preceded it, alerts us to the fact that just as He brings life to the earth after it has died, He also softens the hearts with faith and guidance after they become hard because of committing sins and errors. We ask Allah to grant us this good end, He is Most Kind, Most Generous.
[1] Al-Bukhari, Muslim and others have recorded Hadiths mentioning this supplication. |