Tafsir

Commentary

The first of the seven verses cited above relates to people who deny 'Akhirah (Hereafter, life to come). For this reason, when they are warned against the punishment of 'Akhirah, they mockingly say, ` if you are telling the truth, bring this punishment now' or say something like, ` why would this punishment not come soon enough?' This was like what Nadr ibn Harith had said, ` O Allah, if this thing is true, let stones rain down upon us from the heavens, or send some other severe punishment.'It has been answered in the same verse by saying that Allah Ta` ala is, after all, powerful over everything. He can send the promised punishment instantly, right now. But, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, He prefers not to do so. When people like these wish to have evil and hardship sent upon them, they do not realize what they were doing. Had Allah Ta` ala been granting their curses on themselves as soon as they wished - similar to how He would answer their positive prayers fairly often - all of them would have been destroyed to the last man.

From here we learn that it is the customary practice of Allah Ta` ala that He would answer prayers for one's good fairly often and if, on one or the other occasion, a prayer is not answered due to some wise consideration, it would not be contrary to the general rule. But, the case of a person who, because of his ignorance, or anger, or grief, falls into the error of hurling on himself or his family a curse in the fair name of prayer is different. Similar to this is the unfortunate one who invites Divine punishment, due against those who reject the truth of a Here-after, to fall on him, as if playing a game with God. Allah Ta` ala does not accept these prayers promptly, instead, gives them respite so that the denier gets the time to think and abstain from his denial. Or, if the curse has been invoked because of some sudden grief, anger or desperation, then one gets the lease of time to sort out his conduct, avoid what is bad about it and try to stay away from it thereafter.

Ibn Jarir on the authority of Qatadah and al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Mujahid report that, at this place, the invoking of curse refers to what an angry person sometimes does when he breaks into supplicating adversely to the effect that his children, wealth or property be destroyed. Even if the person were to blurt out words of curse on these, it will stand included therein. Allah Ta` ala, in His infinite mercy, does not hasten to answer such prayers. Imam al-Qurtubi, on the authority of a Hadith narrative, reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ` I have prayed to Allah jalla thana'uh imploring Him not to answer the curse invoked by a friend or relative upon another friend or relative.' Shahr ibn Hawshab says, ` I have read that angels appointed to take care of human needs have been instructed by Allah Ta` ala, in His mercy, that they should not write down what His servant says in grief or anger.' (Qurtubi)Despite what has been said here, there are occasions when comes that moment of Divine approval in which what one is saying on the spot gets to be accepted instantly.

Therefore, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, ` never pray that evil may fall on your children or things you own - lest, that time be the time the prayer is to be accepted - and the curse so invoked may stand answered (and activated) all of a sudden (causing you remorse afterwards).' This Hadith on the authority of Sayyidna Jabir ؓ appears in the Sahih of Muslim under the event of the battle of Buwat.

The outcome of all these Hadith reports is as follows. As obvious, the main address in the verse under reference concerns the deniers of 'Akhirah who demanded an instant punishment. But, in view of its universality, it includes Muslims as well, who may also break into invoking a curse on themselves or on their belongings and children under some fit of grief or anger. Such is the customary practice of Allah Ta` ala, because of His grace and compassion, that he deals with both of them in the same manner. He does not allow such invocations for curses to be actualized and implemented instantly so that the erring person gets the opportunity to think it out and rescind.