Tafsir

Idolators enjoy Their destined Share in This Life, but will lose Their Supporters upon Death

Allah said,فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَـتِهِ(Who is more unjust than one who invents a lie against Allah or rejects His Ayat) meaning, none is more unjust than whoever invents a lie about Allah or rejects the Ayat that He has revealed. Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi said that, أُوْلَـئِكَ يَنَالُهُمْ نَصِيبُهُم مِّنَ الْكِتَـبِ(For such their appointed portion will reach them from the Book) refers to each person's deeds, alloted provisions and age. Similar was said by Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam. Allah said in similar statements, قُلْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الْكَذِبَ لاَ يُفْلِحُونَ - مَتَـعٌ فِى الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الْعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْفُرُونَ (Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah, will never be successful. (A brief) enjoyment in this world!

And then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve.) 10:69-70 and, وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلاَ يَحْزُنكَ كُفْرُهُ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُهُمْ فَنُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ نُمَتِّعُهُمْ قَلِيلاً(And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you. To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done. Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts (of men). We let them enjoy for a little while.) 31:23-24.

Allah said next, حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا يَتَوَفَّوْنَهُمْ(until when Our messengers come to them to take their souls.) Allah states that when death comes to the idolators and the angels come to capture their souls to take them to Hellfire, the angels horrify them, saying, "Where are the so-called partners (of Allah) whom you used to call in the life of this world, invoking and worshipping them instead of Allah Call them so that they save you from what you are suffering." However, the idolators will reply, ضَـلُّواْ عَنَّا("They have vanished and deserted us") meaning, we have lost them and thus, we do not hope in their benefit or aid, وَشَهِدُواْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ(And they will bear witness against themselves) they will admit and proclaim against themselves, أَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ كَـفِرِينَ(that they were disbelievers.)

The first and the second verse both mentioned two crimes committed by disbelievers. They took Halal as Haram and made the Haram become Halal for themselves by themselves. The third verse (34) describes their sad end and the punishment they would have in the Hereafter. It was said:وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُ‌ونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ(And for every people there is an appointed time. So, when their appointed time comes, they will not be late for a moment, nor will they go before).

In other words, what is being said here is that those committing excesses who, despite their contumacy, are basking in the sunshine of the blessings of Allah Ta` ala, and do not seem to be anywhere close to being punished, they should not lose sight of the customary practice of Allah that He, in His infinite mercy, keeps granting a long leash to sinners so that they would somehow stop doing what they do. But, the term of this leash and the time of this respite stands determined in the ultimate knowledge of Allah Ta` ala. When that time comes, it just comes - neither too late nor too soon. Thus, criminals are caught in punishment. At times, the punishment descends right here in this world - and if, the punishment does not visit them here, it waits to receive them soon after their death.

As for the appointed time not being late or early as stated in this verse, it is a manner of saying, something like saying to a salesperson in a store: at is your last price, more or less? It is obvious that the inquiry is for the lower price, not the higher. But, it is put there as a subordinate suffix. Similarly, the real objective here is to state that there will be no delay after the appointed time. The mention of ` before' along with ` late' makes it closer to common comprehension.

لا أحد أشد ظلمًا ممن اختلق على الله تعالى الكذب، أو كذَّب بآياته المنزلة، أولئك يصل إليهم حظُّهم من العذاب مما كتب لهم في اللوح المحفوظ، حتى إذا جاءهم ملك الموت وأعوانه يقبضون أرواحهم قالوا لهم: أين الذين كنتم تعبدونهم من دون الله من الشركاء والأولياء والأوثان ليخلِّصوكم مما أنتم فيه؟ قالوا: ذهبوا عنا، واعترفوا على أنفسهم حينئذ أنهم كانوا في الدنيا جاحدين مكذبين وحدانية الله تعالى.

يقول تعالى ( فمن أظلم ممن افترى على الله كذبا أو كذب بآياته ) أي : لا أحد أظلم ممن افترى الكذب على الله ، أو كذب بآيات الله المنزلة .( أولئك ينالهم نصيبهم من الكتاب ) اختلف المفسرون في معناه ، فقال العوفي عن ابن عباس : ينالهم ما كتب عليهم ، وكتب لمن يفتري على الله أن وجهه مسود .وقال علي بن أبي طلحة ، عن ابن عباس يقول : نصيبهم من الأعمال ، من عمل خيرا جزي به ، ومن عمل شرا جزي به .وقال مجاهد : ما وعدوا فيه من خير وشر .وكذا قال قتادة ، والضحاك ، وغير واحد . واختاره ابن جرير .وقال محمد بن كعب القرظي : ( أولئك ينالهم نصيبهم من الكتاب ) قال : عمله ورزقه وعمره .وكذا قال الربيع بن أنس ، وعبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم .

وهذا القول قوي في المعنى ، والسياق يدل عليه ، وهو قوله : ( حتى إذا جاءتهم رسلنا يتوفونهم ) ويصير المعنى في هذه الآية كما في قوله تعالى ( إن الذين يفترون على الله الكذب لا يفلحون متاع في الدنيا ثم إلينا مرجعهم ثم نذيقهم العذاب الشديد بما كانوا يكفرون ) [ يونس : 69 ، 70 ] وقوله ( ومن كفر فلا يحزنك كفره إلينا مرجعهم فننبئهم بما عملوا إن الله عليم بذات الصدور نمتعهم قليلا ثم نضطرهم إلى عذاب غليظ ) [ لقمان : 23 ، 24 ] .وقوله تعالى ( حتى إذا جاءتهم رسلنا يتوفونهم قالوا أين ما كنتم تدعون من دون الله ) الآية : يخبر تعالى أن الملائكة إذا توفت المشركين تفزعهم عند الموت وقبض أرواحهم إلى النار ، يقولون لهم أين الذين كنتم تشركون بهم في الحياة الدنيا وتدعونهم وتعبدونهم من دون الله؟ ادعوهم يخلصوكم مما أنتم فيه . قالوا : ( ضلوا عنا ) أي : ذهبوا عنا فلا نرجو نفعهم ، ولا خيرهم . ( وشهدوا على أنفسهم ) أي : أقروا واعترفوا على أنفسهم ( أنهم كانوا كافرين ) .