Hud — Verse 112

The Command to Stand Firm and Straight Allah, the Exalted, commands His Messenger and His believing servants to be firm and to always be upright. This is of the greatest aid for gaining victory over the enemy and confronting the opposition. Allah also forbids transgression, which is to exceed the bounds (of what is allowed). Verily, transgression causes destruction to its practitioner, even if the transgression was directed against a polytheist. Then, Allah informs that He is All-Seer of the actions of His servants. He is not unaware of anything and nothing is hidden from Him. Concerning Allah's statement, وَلاَ تَرْكَنُواْ إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ (And incline not toward those who do wrong,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Do not compromise with them." Ibn Jarir said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Do not side with those who do wrong." This is a good statement. This means, "Do not seek assistance from wrongdoers, because it will be as if you are condoning their actions (of evil)." فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَوْلِيَآءَ ثُمَّ لاَ تُنصَرُونَ (lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allah, nor you would then be helped.) This means that you will not have besides Allah any friend who can save you, nor any helper who can remove you from His torment.

So remain upright acting in accordance with the commandment of your Lord and supplicating Him as you have been commanded and let him also remain upright he who repents who believes with you; and do not transgress do not overstep the bounds of God. Truly He sees what you do and will requite you for it.

So remain upright as you have been commanded, by fulfilling the dues of God through God. For he, blessings and peace be upon him, was commanded to safeguard God's dues and to magnify His command and to direct His creatures by enforcing the judgements of the self-disclosures of the [divine] attributes after his return to creatures together with his presential vision of the [inclusive] unity of the Essence in such a way that he does not move, be still, speak or reflect except through Him, without the manifestation of any variegation from the remnants of his attributes or essence and [such] that no incoming thought occurs to him from without Him without violating one of the conditions of [his] magnification [of God], as he himself said: 'Should I not then be a grateful servantḍ', when, after his feet became swollen from [standing in lengthy] night vigils, he was asked, 'Did not God [already] give you the good tidings with His words that God may forgive you what is past of your sin and what is to come [Q. 48:2]ḍ'; and without [violating] any substation (daqīqa) pertaining to the forbidding of indecency and the enjoining of decency and to [his prophetic] warning and call, which is an incredibly difficult thing. That is why he [the Prophet] said, 'Sūrat Hūd has made my hair turn grey'. It is reported that when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw a certain knower in his dream who asked him about that saying: 'Why, O Messenger of Godḍ Is it because of the stories of the prophets [mentioned therein] and the chastisement that befell their denying communities and the hardship they [the prophets] had to endure because of their communitiesḍ', to which he [the Prophet] said, 'No! It is because of His words So remain upright as you have been commanded'; and he who repents, from his ego and the sin of his existence, with you, from among the affirmers of Oneness who have arrived at the presential vision of the multiplicity at the source of [the inclusive] unity and the station of subsistence after annihilation. And do not transgress, by veiling yourselves with the veil of I-ness and ascribing the non-delimited divine perfections to your individuated I-ness which are confined to seeing [only] you and which necessarily result in veiledness by virtue of being confined to [something] other than non-delimitation. For the Divine ipseity cannot be confined by haecceity (hādhiyya) or I-ness (anāÌiyya). Truly He sees what you do, [and] whether you do it through Me or through your souls.

So remain upright as you have been commanded, by fulfilling the dues of God through God. For he, blessings and peace be upon him, was commanded to safeguard God's dues and to magnify His command and to direct His creatures by enforcing the judgements of the self-disclosures of the [divine] attributes after his return to creatures together with his presential vision of the [inclusive] unity of the Essence in such a way that he does not move, be still, speak or reflect except through Him, without the manifestation of any variegation from the remnants of his attributes or essence and [such] that no incoming thought occurs to him from without Him without violating one of the conditions of [his] magnification [of God], as he himself said: 'Should I not then be a grateful servantḍ', when, after his feet became swollen from [standing in lengthy] night vigils, he was asked, 'Did not God [already] give you the good tidings with His words that God may forgive you what is past of your sin and what is to come [Q. 48:2]ḍ'; and without [violating] any substation (daqīqa) pertaining to the forbidding of indecency and the enjoining of decency and to [his prophetic] warning and call, which is an incredibly difficult thing. That is why he [the Prophet] said, 'Sūrat Hūd has made my hair turn grey'. It is reported that when the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, saw a certain knower in his dream who asked him about that saying: 'Why, O Messenger of Godḍ Is it because of the stories of the prophets [mentioned therein] and the chastisement that befell their denying communities and the hardship they [the prophets] had to endure because of their communitiesḍ', to which he [the Prophet] said, 'No! It is because of His words So remain upright as you have been commanded'; and he who repents, from his ego and the sin of his existence, with you, from among the affirmers of Oneness who have arrived at the presential vision of the multiplicity at the source of [the inclusive] unity and the station of subsistence after annihilation. And do not transgress, by veiling yourselves with the veil of I-ness and ascribing the non-delimited divine perfections to your individuated I-ness which are confined to seeing [only] you and which necessarily result in veiledness by virtue of being confined to [something] other than non-delimitation. For the Divine ipseity cannot be confined by haecceity (hādhiyya) or I-ness (anāÌiyya). Truly He sees what you do, [and] whether you do it through Me or through your souls.

فاستقم -أيها النبي- كما أمرك ربك أنت ومن تاب معك، ولا تتجاوزوا ما حدَّه الله لكم، إن ربَّكم بما تعملون من الأعمال كلها بصير، لا يخفى عليه شيء منها، وسيجازيكم عليها.

يأمر تعالى رسوله وعباده المؤمنين بالثبات والدوام على الاستقامة وذلك من أكبر العون على النصر على الأعداء ومخالفة الأضداد ونهى عن الطغيان وهو البغي إنه مصرعة حتى ولو كان على مشرك وأعلم تعالى أنه بصير بأعمال العباد فلا يغفل عن شيء ولا يخفي عليه شيء.

ثم أمر الله - تعالى - رسوله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - وأتباعه بالتزام الصرام المستقيم فقال - سبحانه - : ( فاستقم كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلاَ تَطْغَوْاْ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ) .والفاء للتفريع على ما تقدم من الأوامر والنواهى .والاستقامة - كما يقول القرطبى - هي الاستمرار فى جهة واحدة من غير أخذ فى جهة اليمين والشمال . . .والطغيان : مجاوزة الحد . ومنه طغى الماء ، أى ارتفع وتجاوز الحدود المناسبة .والمعنى : لقد علمت - أيها الرسول الكريم - حال السعداء وحال الأشقياء ، وعرفت أن كل مكلف سيوفى جزاء أعماله .وما دام الأمر كذلك فالزم أنت ومن معك من المؤمنين طريق الاستقامة على الحق ، وداوموا على ذلك كما أمركم الله ، بدون إفراط أو تفريط ، واحذروا أن تتجاوزوا حدود الاعتدال فى كل أقوالكم وأعمالكم .وما دام الأمر كذلك فالزم أنت ومن معك من المؤمنين طريق الاستقامة على الحق ، وداوموا على ذلك كما أمركم الله ، بدون إفراط أو تفريط ، واحذروا أن تتجاوزوا حدود الاعتدال فى كل أقوالكم وأعمالكم .ووجه - سبحانه - الأمر بالاستقامة إلى النبى - صلى الله عليه وسلم - تنويها بشأنه ، وليبنى عليه قوله - ( كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ ) ، فيشي بذلك إلى أنه - عليه الصلاة والسلام - هو وحده المتلقى للأوامر الشرعية من الله - تعالى - .وقد جمع قوله - تعالى - ( فاستقم كَمَآ أُمِرْتَ ) أصول الإِصلاح الدينى وفروعه ، كما جمع قوله - تعالى - " ولا تطغوا " أصول النهى عن المفاسد وفروعه ، فكانت الآية الكريمة بذلك جامعة لإِقامة المصالح ولدرء المفاسد .قال الإِمام ابن كثير ما ملخصه : يأمر الله - تعالى - رسوله وعباده المؤمنين فى هذه الآية بالثبات والدوام على الاستقامة ، لأن ذلك من العون على النصر على الأعداء ، وينهاهم عن الطغيان وهو البغى ، لأنه مصرعه حتى ولو كان على مشرك .وقال الآلوسى : والاستقامة كلمة جامعة لكل ما يتعلق بالعلم والعمل وسائر الأخلاق .أخرج ابن أبى حاتم وأبو الشيخ عن الحسن أنه قال ، لما نزلت هذه الآية قال - صلى الله عليه وسلم -" شمروا شمروا ، وما رؤى بعد ضاحكا " .وعن ابن عباس قال : ما نزلت على رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - " آية أشد من هذه الآية ولا أشق " .وفى صحيح مسلم عن سفيان عن عبد الله الثقفى قال : " قلت يا رسول الله ، قل لى فى الإِسلام قولا لا أسأل عنه أحدا بعدك . قال : " قل آمنت بالله ثم استقم " " .وجملة ( إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ) تعليل للأمر بالاستقامة وللنهى عن الطغيان .أى : الزموا المنهج القويم ، وابتعدوا عن الطغيان ، لأنه - سبحانه - مطلع على أعمالكم اطلاع المبصر ، العليم بظواهرها وبواطنها ، وسيجازيكم يوم القيامة عليها بما تستحقون من ثواب وعقاب .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ وَمَنْ تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلا تَطْغَوْا إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ (112)قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره لنبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم: فاستقم أنت ، يا محمد ، على أمر ربك ، والدين الذي ابتعثك به ، والدعاء إليه، كما أمرك ربك (23) ، (ومن تاب معك)، يقول: ومن رجع معك إلى طاعة الله والعمل بما أمره به ربه من بعد كفره ، (ولا تطغوا) ، يقول: ولا تعدوا أمره إلى ما نهاكم عنه. (24) (إنه بما تعملون بصير) ، يقول: إن ربكم ، أيها الناس ، بما تعملون من الأعمال كلِّها ، طاعتها ومعصيتها ، " بصير " ، ذو علم بها، لا يخفى عليه منها شيء، وهو لجميعها مبصرٌ. (25) يقول تعالى ذكره: فاتقوا الله، أيها الناس ، أن يطَّلع عليكم ربكم وأنتم عاملون بخلاف أمره ، فإنه ذو علم بما تعلمون، وهو لكم بالمرصاد.* * *وكان ابن عيينة يقول في معنى قوله: (فاستقم كما أمرت) ، ما:-18600- حدثني المثني قال ، حدثنا إسحاق قال ، حدثنا عبد الله بن الزبير، عن سفيان في قوله: (فاستقم كما أمرت) ، قال: استقم على القرآن.18601- حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال، قال ابن زيد في قوله: (ولا تطغوا) ، قال: الطغيان: خلاف الله ، وركوب معصيته . ذلك " الطغيان ".------------------الهوامش :(23) لنظر تفسير " الاستقامة " فيما سلف ص : 187 .(24) لنظر تفسير " طغى " فيما سلف ص : 34 ، تعليق : 3 ، والمراجع هناك .(25) لنظر تفسير " بصير " فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة ( بصر ) .

قوله عز وجل : ( فاستقم كما أمرت ) أي : استقم على دين ربك ، والعمل به ، والدعاء إليه كما أمرت ( ومن تاب معك ) أي : ومن آمن معك فليستقيموا قال عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه : الاستقامة أن تستقيم على الأمر والنهي ، ولا تروغ روغان الثعلب .أخبرنا الإمام الحسين بن محمد القاضي ، أخبرنا أبو الطيب سهل بن محمد بن سليمان ، أخبرنا والدي إملاء ، حدثنا أبو بكر محمد بن إسحاق ، حدثنا محمد بن العلاء بن كريب ، حدثنا أبو أسامة ، عن هشام بن عروة ، عن أبيه ، عن سفيان بن عبد الله الثقفي قال : قلت : يا رسول الله ، قل لي في الإسلام قولا لا أسأل عنه أحدا بعدك ، قال : " قل آمنت بالله ثم استقم " .( ولا تطغوا ) لا تجاوزوا أمري ولا تعصوني ، وقيل : معناه ولا تغلوا فتزيدوا على ما أمرت ونهيت .( إنه بما تعملون بصير ) لا يخفى عليه من أعمالكم شيء . قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما : ما نزلت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم آية هي أشد عليه من هذه الآية ، ولذلك قال : " شيبتني هود وأخواتها " .أخبرنا عبد الواحد المليحي ، أخبرنا أحمد بن عبد الله النعيمي ، أخبرنا محمد بن يوسف ، حدثنا محمد بن إسماعيل ، حدثنا عبد السلام بن مطهر ، ثنا عمر بن علي ، عن معن بن محمد الغفاري ، عن سعيد بن أبي سعيد المقبري ، عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : " إن الدين يسر ولن يشاد الدين أحد إلا غلبه ، فسددوا وقاربوا ، وأبشروا واستعينوا بالغدوة والروحة وشيء من الدلجة " .

ترتب عن التسلية التي تضمّنها قوله : { ولقد آتينا موسى الكتاب فاختلف فيه } [ هود : 110 ] وعن التثبيت المفاد بقوله : { فلا تك في مرية ممّا يَعبد هؤلاء } [ هود : 109 ] الحضّ على الدّوام على التمسك بالإسلام على وجه قويم . وعبّر عن ذلك بالاستقامة لإفادة الدّوام على العمل بتعاليم الإسلام ، دواماً جماعهُ الاستقامة عليه والحذر من تغييره .ولمّا كان الاختلاف في كتاب موسى عليه السّلام إنّما جاء من أهل الكتاب عطف على أمر النّبيء صلى الله عليه وسلم بالاستقامة على كتابه أمرُ المؤمنين بتلك الاستقامة أيضاً ، لأنّ الاعوجاج من دواعي الاختلاف في الكتاب بنهوض فرق من الأمة إلى تبديله لمجاراة أهوائهم ، ولأنّ مخالفة الأمّة عمداً إلى أحكام كتابها إن هو إلاّ ضرب من ضروب الاختلاف فيه ، لأنّه اختلافها على أحكامه . وفي الحديث : " فإنّما أهلكَ الذين من قبلكم كثرةُ مسائلهم واختلافُهم على أنبيائهم " ، فلا جرم أن كانت الاستقامة حائلاً دون ذلك ، إذ الاستقامة هي العمل بكمال الشريعة بحيث لا ينحرف عنها قِيد شبر . ومتعلقها العمل بالشريعة بعد الإيمان لأنّ الإيمان أصل فلا تتعلّق به الاستقامة . وقد أشار إلى صحّة هذا المعنى قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لأبِي عَمْرَةَ الثقفي لمّا قال له : «يا رسول الله قل لي في الإسلام قولاً لا أسأل عنه أحداً غيرك . قال : قل آمنت بالله ثم استَقِمْ» فجعل الاستقامة شيئاً بعد الإيمان .ووُجّه الأمر إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم تنويهاً بشأنه ليبني عليه قوله : { كما أمرتَ } فيشير إلى أنّه المتلقّي للأوامر الشرعيّة ابتداء . وهذا تنويه له بمقام رسالته ، ثم أُعلم بخطاب أمّته بذلك بقوله : { ومن تاب معك }. وكاف التّشبيه في قوله : { كما أمرت } في موضع الحال من الاستقامة المأخوذة من ( استقم ). ومعنى تشبيه الاستقامة المأمور بها بما أمر به النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لكون الاستقامة مماثلة لسائر ما أمر به ، وهو تشبيه المجمل بالمفصّل في تفصيله بأن يكون طبقه . ويؤول هذا المعنى إلى أن تكون الكاف في معنى ( على ) كما يقال : كن كما أنت . أي لا تتغيّر ، ولتشبه أحوالك المستقبلة حالتك هذه .{ ومن تاب } عطف على الضمير المتّصل في { أمرت }. ومصحّح العطف موجود وهو الفصل بالجار والمجرور .{ ومن تاب } هم المؤمنون ، لأنّ الإيمان توبة من الشّرك ، و { معك } حال من { تاب } وليس متعلّقاً ب { تاب } لأنّ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يكن من المشركين .وقد جمع قوله : { فاستقم كما أمرت } أصول الصّلاح الديني وفروعه لقوله : { كما أمرتَ }.قال ابن عبّاس : ما نزل على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم آية هي أشدّ ولا أشق من هذه الآية عليه .ولذلك قال لأصحابه حين قالوا له : لقد أسرع إليك الشيب «شيبتني هود وأخواتها» . وسئل عمّا في هود فقال : قوله { فاستقم كما أمرت }.الخطاب في قوله : { ولا تطغوا } موجه إلى المؤمنين الذين صدق عليهم { ومن تاب معك }.والطغيان أصله التّعاظم والجراءة وقلة الاكتراث ، وتقدّم في قوله تعالى : { ويمدُّهم في طغيانهم يعمهون } في سورة [ البقرة : 15 ]. والمراد هنا الجراءة على مخالفة ما أمروا به ، قال تعالى : { كلوا من طيبات ما رزقناكم ولا تطغوا فيه فيحلّ عليكم غضبي } [ طه : 81 ]. فنهى الله المسلمين عن مخالفة أحكام كتابه كما نهى بني إسرائيل .وقد شمل الطغيان أصول المفاسد ، فكانت الآية جامعة لإقامة المصالح ودَرْء المفاسد ، فكان النهي عنه جامعاً لأحوال مصادر الفساد من نفس المفسد وبقي ما يخشى عليه من عدوى فساد خليطه فهو المنهى عنه بقوله بعد هذا : { ولا تركنوا إلى الذين ظلموا فتمسّكم النار } [ هود : 113 ].وعن الحسن البصري : جعل الله الدّين بين لاءَيْن { ولا تطغوا } { ولا تركنوا } [ هود : 113 ].وجملة { إنّه بما تعملون بصير } استئناف لتحذير من أخفى الطغيان بأن الله مطلع على كل عمل يعمله المسلمون ، ولذلك اختير وصف { بصير } من بين بقية الأسماء الحسنى لدلالة مادته على العلم البين ودلالة صيغته على قوته .

ثم لما أخبر بعدم استقامتهم، التي أوجبت اختلافهم وافتراقهم, أمر نبيه محمدا صلى الله عليه وسلم، ومن معه، من المؤمنين، أن يستقيموا كما أمروا، فيسلكوا ما شرعه الله من الشرائع، ويعتقدوا ما أخبر الله به من العقائد الصحيحة، ولا يزيغوا عن ذلك يمنة ولا يسرة، ويدوموا على ذلك، ولا يطغوا بأن يتجاوزوا ما حده الله لهم من الاستقامة.وقوله: { إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ ْ} أي: لا يخفى عليه من أعمالكم شيء, وسيجازيكم عليها، ففيه ترغيب لسلوك الاستقامة، وترهيب من ضدها

قوله تعالى : فاستقم كما أمرت ومن تاب معك ولا تطغوا إنه بما تعملون بصيرقوله تعالى : فاستقم كما أمرت الخطاب للنبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - ولغيره . وقيل : له والمراد أمته ; قاله السدي . وقيل : " استقم " اطلب الإقامة على الدين من الله واسأله ذلك . فتكون السين سين السؤال ، كما تقول : أستغفر الله أطلب الغفران منه . والاستقامة الاستمرار في جهة واحدة من غير أخذ في جهة اليمين والشمال ; فاستقم على امتثال أمر الله . وفي صحيح مسلم عن سفيان بن عبد الله الثقفي قال : قلت يا رسول الله قل لي في الإسلام قولا لا أسأل عنه أحدا بعدك ! قال : قل آمنت بالله ثم استقم . وروى الدارمي أبو محمد في مسنده عن عثمان بن حاضر الأزدي قال : دخلت على ابن عباس فقلت أوصني ! فقال : نعم ! عليك بتقوى الله والاستقامة ، اتبع ولا تبتدع .ومن تاب معك أي استقم أنت وهم ; يريد أصحابه الذين تابوا من الشرك ومن بعده ممن اتبعه من أمته . قال ابن عباس ما نزل على رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - آية هي أشد ولا أشق من هذه الآية عليه ، ولذلك قال لأصحابه حين قالوا له : لقد أسرع إليك الشيب ! فقال : شيبتني هود وأخواتها . وقد تقدم في أول السورة . وروي عن أبي عبد الرحمن السلمي قال سمعت أبا علي السري يقول : رأيت النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - في المنام فقلت : يا رسول الله ! روي عنك أنك قلت : شيبتني هود . فقال : نعم فقلت له : ما الذي شيبك منها ؟ قصص الأنبياء وهلاك الأمم ! فقال : لا ولكن قوله : " فاستقم كما أمرت " .ولا تطغوا نهى عن الطغيان ، والطغيان مجاوزة الحد ; ومنه إنا لما طغى الماء . وقيل : أي لا تتجبروا على أحد .

The initial response to a call for the Truth is that it is ignored. Thereafter opposition starts and then it soon goes beyond all limits. This is a very critical situation for the call-givers. At that time the believers begin to consider different ways of thinking. One way is to become irritated and to imagine that, with the help of force, they should clash with those on whom theoretical reasoning had proved ineffective. The other way is to amend their message suitably in order to make it acceptable to the addressees, by omitting those portions which displease them. The first way amounts to going to extremes, while the second means compromising with falsehood, and both of these are equally wrong in the eyes of God; especially the second approach (i.e. amendment of the message in order to make it acceptable) which amounts to a sin, because that which is most desired by Almighty God is the unequivocal declaration of Truth, and in the case of compromises, there cannot be any such declaration. Whenever obstacles arise in the path of giving the call to the Truth, the call-giver should turn towards God as much as possible, because He, being Omnipotent, is the sole and certain means of solving all problems.

Commentary Events relating to past prophets and their peoples, from Sayyidna Nuh (علیہ السلام) to Sayyidna Musa, have been mentioned in Surah Hud in a fair enough order and detail with many wise counsels, injunctions and directives. At the end of the description of these events, it is by ad-dressing the Holy Prophet ﷺ that his entire community has been exhorted to draw their essential lessons from them. It was said: ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْقُرَ‌ىٰ نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ ۖ مِنْهَا قَائِمٌ وَحَصِيدٌ (That is a part of the stories of the towns that We narrate to you. Some of them are standing, and (some) harvested - 100). It means that some of the habitations that were visited by Divine punishment still have their ruins standing while some others have been erased like harvested fields with no signs of what was there in the past. After that it was said that Allah did not wrong them, rather, they had wronged themselves (101, 102) in that they abandoned their creator and sustainer and took to idols and other things as their gods. Finally, when the Divine punishment came, their self-made gods did not come to their rescue in any way. The lesson to learn was that the grip of Allah is painful and severe. When He seizes heedless wrongdoers doing what they do, this is what happens invariably. Then, to turn them round to the concern of the Hereafter, it was said (103-105) that these events carry in them great lessons and signs for those who fear the punishment of the Hereafter, a day when all human beings will be gathered together, with everyone present there. That will be a day of such awe that no one present there shall dare utter a word without Divine permission. Six verses later, the Holy Prophet ﷺ was addressed again by saying: فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْ‌تَ وَمَن تَابَ مَعَكَ وَلَا تَطْغَوْا ۚ إِنَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ‌ So, stand firm - as you have been commanded - you, and those who have repented [ from kufr and are ] with you, and do not cross the limits. Surely, He is watchful of what you do - 112. The Sense of Istiqimah (Standing Firm): Some related problems and their solutions Istiqamah means to stand straight without the least tilt one way or the other (hence expressed in English as straightforwardness, straightness, directness, rectitude etc.) As obvious, it is not something easy to do. If we were dealing with a vertical object cast in iron, rock or some other material, our expert engineers could make it stand straight at the very outset in a way that it stands on perfect right angles from all sides without the least tilt on any side. But, having a moving object stand straight at all times and under all conditions in this perfect state is certainly something extremely difficult. For discerning people, this is no secret. The Holy Prophet ﷺ and all Muslims have been commanded in this verse that they should stand firm under all conditions in everything they do. Istiqamah is a small word but in its sense it extends to many areas of application in a very unusual manner. The very meaning of this act of standing firm is that one has to move straight-forwardly, as commanded by Allah, on the straight path identified by Him, remaining within the limits set by Him. This has to be in all matters of beliefs, acts of worship, personal and collective transactions, morals, social dealings, economic pursuits inclusive of all channels of income and expenditure. In the event, there occurs the slightest tilt, or decrease or increase, or shortcoming or excess, under any condition, and in any deed, in any of these areas of activity, Istiqamah be-comes the first casualty. Errors in thinking and practice that show up around us are an out-come of this deviation from the command to stand firm. When people do not stand firm in beliefs (` aqa’ id), they start with self-invented practices in religion (bid'at) and end up into the extremes of kufr (disbelief) and shirk (associating others with Allah). The principles of Allah's Oneness (Tauhid) and His Being (Dhat) and Attributes (Sifat) conveyed to us by the Holy Prophet u are moderate and sound. People who commit any act of excess and deficiency or addition and deletion in them - even if they may be doing so with good intentions on their part - shall be considered astray and in error. As for those who belittle and lessen the limits set for having regard and love for the blessed prophets, everyone knows that they are astray and audacious. Similarly, those who commit the excess of assigning a prophet proprietary rights in Divine attributes and powers also cross those limits and fall into an error of this nature. The Jews and the Christians lost them-selves into this error. The methods of worshipping Allah and seeking nearness to Him determined by the Glorious Qur'an, and the Holy Prophet ﷺ are great benchmarks. Any slicing, undercutting or shortcoming in these drags one down from the desired level of standing firm and, similarly, any addition to these from one's own side ruins one's chances of standing firm by his indulgence in self-innovated ways in established religion. Unfortunately, such a person honestly thinks that he is pleasing Allah while, in fact, it is precisely the very cause of His displeasure. Therefore, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has very emphatically prohibited his community from indulging in self-innovated ways in established religion (bid'at and muhdathat) and has declared that to be acute error and straying. Therefore, before one does something as an act of worship (` ibadah) for the pleasure of Allah and His Rasul ﷺ he must first investigate and ensure fully as to the nature of his action. He must find out whether or not what he is going to do stands proved from the Holy Prophet ﷺ and his noble Sahabah in the same state and form. If it does not, let him not waste his good time and energy in this pursuit. Similarly, there are matters relating to transactions, morals and social dealings. The Holy Prophet ﷺ has followed the principles given by the Qur'an in his practical teachings through which he has marked out a moderate and sound way of conducting ourselves in our lives. It has provided the Muslims with a moderate and straight course of action in the matters of friendship, enmity, softness and strictness, anger and forbearance, miserliness and generosity, economic activity and monasticism, trust in Allah and use of possible material means, finding what is necessary and relying on the Prime Mover of all causes. These are different things, yet they have been fused into one, a straight path of moderation, and a virtual gift to Muslims not to be found elsewhere in the whole world. So, the key is to act in accordance with these teachings and become perfect human beings. When people do not stand firm and tilt one way or the other, the society goes bad inevitably. In short, the concept of standing firm is comprehensive. It covers all parts and pillars of religion. When acted upon correctly, it becomes its eloquent demonstration. Sufyan ibn ` Abdullah Thaqafi asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ ` please tell me something so comprehensive about Islam that I need not ask anyone anything after you.' He said, قُل اٰمَنتُ بِاللہِ ثُمَّ استقِم : Say: I believe in Allah. Then, stand firm on it.' (Reported by Muslim, as quoted by al Qurtubi) ` Uthman ibn ` Abdullah al-Azdi said that once he went to the famous Sahabi and the commentator, Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ and requested him for some words of advice. He said, علیکَ بِتَقوٰی اللہِ وَ الاِستِقَامَۃِ اِتَّبِع والا تبتَدِع ' (Reported by a1-Darimi in his Musnad, as quoted by al-Qurtubi). It means that he should make the fear of Allah essential for him, and also that he should stand firm in his faith. The method of doing so was to follow the percepts of the Shari` ah in all religious matters and not to invent and introduce any bid'ah in it from his own side. Out of the many tough jobs handled in this world, the toughest is nothing but to stand firm. Therefore, Sufi authorities have said that standing firm is a station much superior to the working of miracles (karamah). It means that a person who is holding on firmly to the assignments of his religion is a saint in his own right - even though, no miracle has issued forth from him throughout his life. Sayyidna ` Abdullah ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، said that no verse revealed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in the entire Qur'an was harder and more trying than this (112). And he said that once the Companions noticing some gray strands of hair in his blessed beard sorrowfully re-marked, ` old age is approaching you much earlier.' Thereupon, he said, ` Surah Hud has made me old.' The events of severe punishments that came upon past communities as described in Surah Hud could also be the reason for it, but Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said that this verse alone is its reason. Tafsir al-Qurtubi reports from Abu ` Ali Sirriy that he, on seeing the Holy Prophet ﷺ in a dream asked him, ` have you said some-thing like "Surah Hud has made me old"?' He said, ` yes.' Abu ` Ali asked again, ` had the subject of punishments that came upon the peoples of the past prophets made you old?' He said, ` no, in fact, this saying of Allah Ta` ala did: فَاسْتَقِمْ كَمَا أُمِرْ‌تَ (So, stand firm - as you have been commanded - 112) '. As for the Holy Prophet ﷺ it is obvious that he had graced this world as the blessed substantiation of the perfect universal man. Standing firm was his natural habit. But then, why was it that he felt its weight to be so conspicuous and telling upon him? Perhaps, it was because the verse did not ask him to stand firm in an absolute sense, instead, asked him that this act of standing firm should be as commanded by Allah. How overwhelming is the fear and awe prophets have of their creator and master is well recognized. It must have been the effect of this fear and awe that, despite having his perfect stance of firmness, he was still concerned whether or not he had been able to come up with the kind of firmness and rectitude expected by his master, the most exalted Allah. And it is also possible that he was not that concerned about his personal stance of firmness, because he, by the grace of Allah, had it in him. But, there was something else to it. In this verse, the command given to him was also given to the entire Muslim Ummah. So, it was his realization that his Ummah may find it difficult to stand firm as commanded that made him sad. After the command to stand firm, it was said: وَلَا تَطْغَوْا is (and do not cross the limits). This word is a derivation from the verbal noun: طغیان (tughy an) which means to cross limits, and which is the opposite of standing firm. It will be noticed that the positive statement to stand firm in the verse has not been considered sufficient, rather, its negative aspect, that of its prohibition, was clarified expressly. This establishes the sense of the verse: ` do not cross the limits set by Allah and His Rasul - in beliefs, acts of worship, transactions, morals etc. - for it was the outlet of all disorder and corruption in material and religious life.

(So tread thou the straight path) in obedience of Allah (as thou art commanded) in the Qur'an, (and those who turn (unto Allah) with thee) from disbelief into faith, let them also follow the straight path, (and transgress not) do not disbelieve and do not transgress over that which is in the Qur'an, i.e. from the lawful to the unlawful. (Lo! He is Seer of what ye do) of good and of evil.