Tafsir

The Stubbornness of the Idolators; Their Punishment

Allah the Exalted reaffirms the stubbornness of the idolators and their ignorance of what goes around them,وَإِن يَرَوْاْ كِسْفاً مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ سَـقِطاً(And if they were to see a piece of the heaven falling down,) meaning, on them as punishment, they would not believe it is coming their way, saying that, these are layers of clouds on top of each other. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat,وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَاباً مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ فَظَلُّواْ فِيهِ يَعْرُجُونَ - لَقَالُواْ إِنَّمَا سُكِّرَتْ أَبْصَـرُنَا بَلْ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسْحُورُونَ(And even if We opened to them a gate from the heaven and they were to keep on ascending thereto (all day long), they would surely say (in the evening): "Our eyes have been dazzled.

Nay, we are a people bewitched.")(15:14-15) Allah the Exalted said,فَذَرْهُمْ(So leave them alone), `O Muhammad,'حَتَّى يُلَـقُواْ يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِى فِيهِ يُصْعَقُونَ(till they meet their Day, in which they will sink into a fainting.) on the Day of Resurrection,يَوْمَ لاَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئاً(The Day when their plotting shall not avail them at all, ) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, their deceit and plots they planned in this life shall not help them in the least,وَلاَ هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ(nor will they be helped.) Allah the Exalted said,وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ عَذَاباً دُونَ ذَلِكَ(And verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment before this;) meaning, that of being the torment in this world.

Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ الاٌّدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الاٌّكْبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ(And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may return.)(32:21) Allah said;وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ(but most of them know not.) meaning, `We will torment them in the life of the world and test them with various hardships, so that they might go back and repent. However, they do not understand what is happening to them or why, because when the torment is removed, they revert to committing the worst of what they used to do before.' A Hadith states that,Ordering the Prophet to have Patience and to glorify Allah

Allah the Exalted said,وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا(So wait patiently for the decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes;) meaning, `be patient in the face of their annoyance and do not be concerned about it, for you are under Our Eyes and Protection, and We will surely protect you from the people,'وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) Ad-Dahhak said, "Meaning to stand for the Salah (and say): "Glorious are You and with Your praise, Hallowed be Your Name, Exalted be Your majesty, and there is no God (worthy of worship) except You." In his Sahih, Muslim recorded that `Umar used to recite this supplication when he began Salah. Ahmad and the Sunan compilers recorded this Hadith from Abu Sa`id and other Companions, who stated that the Prophet used to say that. Abu Al-Jawza' commented on the Ayah;وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) "From your sleep, from your bed." And this is the view chosen by Ibn Jarir.

Suporting this view is the Hadith that Imam Ahmad recorded that `Ubadah bin As-Samit said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,«مَنْ تَعَارَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ: لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَالْحَمْدُ للهِ وَلَا إِلهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِي أو قال: ثُمَّ دَعَا اسْتُجِيبَ لَهُ، فَإِنْ عَزَمَ فَتَوَضَّأَ ثُمَّ صَلَّى، قُبِلَتْ صَلَاتُه»(Whoever gets up at night and says: `La ilaha illallah, He is One without partners. For Him is the kingdom and all praise is due to Him. He has power over all things. Glory be to Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and La illaha illallah and Allah is Greater. There is neither might nor power except Allah.' And then says, `O Lord! Forgive me.' Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to it, and if he intends and performs ablution and prays, his prayer will be accepted.) Al-Bukhari and the Sunan compilers also recorded this Hadith.

Ibn Abi Najih reported that Mujahid commented on the Ayah,وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) saying, "From every gathering you sit in." Ath-Thawri said that Abu Ishaq narrated that Abu Al-Ahwas said that,وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ(and glorify the praises of your Lord when you get up.) "When a person wants to stand from a gathering, he says: `Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise."' Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said,«مَنْ جَلَسَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ فَكَثُرَ فِيهِ لَغَطُهُ، فَقَالَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ: سُبْحَانَكَ اللْهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ، إِلَّا غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ مَا كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسِهِ ذلِك»(Whoever sits in a gathering in which he speaks idle excessively, but says before he stands up to depart that gathering, `Glory be to You O Allah , and with Your praise, I testify that there is no God (worthy of worship) except You, I seek Your forgiveness, and I repent to You.' Then, Allah will forgive him what he has said in that gathering.) This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi, and this is his wording, and it was also recorded by An-Nasa'i in `Amal Al-Yawm wal-Laylah.

At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih." It was also recorded by Al-Hakim in his Mustadrak, and he said, "Its chain meets the criteria of Muslim." Allah the Exalted said;وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ(And in the nighttime also glorify His praises), meaning remember and worship Allah by reciting the Qur'an and praying at night. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَى أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَاماً مَّحْمُودًا(And in some of the night, offer Tahajjud in it as an additional (prayer) for you. It may be that your Lord will raise you to Maqam Mahmud.)(17:79) Allah said;وَإِدْبَـرَ النُّجُومِ(and at the setting of the stars.) is in reference to the two voluntary Rak`ahs before the Dawn prayer, according to a Hadith from Ibn `Abbas. These two Rak`ahs are an established Sunnah performed before the stars are about to set.

It is confimred in the Two Sahihs from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said, "The Prophet was never more regular and particular in offering any voluntary prayer than the two (Sunnah) Rak`ahs of the Fajr prayer." In another narration collected by Muslim, the Prophet said,«رَكْعَتَا الْفَجْرِ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا»(Two (Sunnah) Rak`ahs before Fajr are better than this life and all that in it.)This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat At-Tur, all praise and gratitude is due to Allah.

Commentaryفَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا (...you are before Our Eyes....) The hostility of the enemies towards, and their opposition to, and rejection of the Holy Prophet ﷺ depressed him. At the conclusion of the chapter, the Qur'an says 'You are before Our eyes', that is, under Our care and We shall protect you from every evil. Do not be anxious about it. On another occasion, the Qur'an says, وَاللَّـهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ 'And Allah shall protect you from the people'.

Then the verse goes on to say, وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَ‌بِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ (And proclaim the purity of your Lord along with His praise when you stand [ in Prayer ]... 48]. To proclaim the purity and praise of Allah is the real purpose of life, and also the real cure of every calamity. Thus the Qur'an enjoins it upon the Holy Prophet ﷺ . 'When you stand' could mean to stand up for the Salah or to arise or get up from sleep or bed. The latter meaning is preferred by Ibn Jarir. This view is supported by the Tradition recorded in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (رح) on the authority of Sayyidna ` Ubadah Ibn Samit ؓ who reports that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever gets up at night and recites:لَا اِلٰہَ ِالّا اللہُ وَحدَہُ ، لَا شَرِیکَ لَہُ ، لَہُ المُلک وَ لَہُ الحَمدُ وھُوَ علیٰ کُلِّ شیٔ قَدِیر، سُبحَانَ اللہِ وَالحَمدُ للہِ وَ لا إلہ إلا اللہُ و اللہُ اَکبَر وَلَاحولَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِاللہِ'There is no God except Allah. He is One without partners. For Him is the kingdom and all praise is due to Him. He has power over all things.

Glory be to Allah and all praise is due to Allah, and there is no God except Allah, and Allah is the Greatest. There is neither might nor power except with Allah.' Then, if he intends to pray, and performs prayer after ablution, the prayers will be accepted. (Ibn Kathir)Kaffarat-ul-Majlis : A recitation at the end of a meeting that expiates sins

Sayyidna Mujahid, Abul Ahwas and other leading authorities on Tafsir have interpreted "when you stand" in this verse to mean that when a person wants to stand from a gathering or a meeting, he should recite: سُبحَانکَ اللَّھُمَّ وَ بِحَمدِکَ 'I proclaim Your Purity, 0 Allah, along with Your praise'. Sayyidna ` Ata' Ibn Abi Rabah, interpreting this verse, has said:"When you stand from a gathering, proclaim the purity and praise of Allah. If you have done any good work, your good work will be increased and enhanced. If you had done any bad deed, these words of proclamation will serve as an expiation and atonement".

On the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ ، the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said:"Whoever sits in a gathering in which he speaks idle excessively, but says before he stands up to depart that gathering, سُبحَانَکَ اللَّھُمِّ وَبِحَمدِکَ اَشھَدُ اَن لَّا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا اَنتَ اَستَغفِرُکَ وَ اَتُوبُ اِلَیکَ ('I proclaim Your Purity, 0 Allah, along with Your Praise', I testify that there is no God except You, I seek Your forgiveness, I repent to You.' ) Allah will forgive him what he has said in that gathering ".