The Believers — Verse 8

Which was Revealed in Makkah بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Success is for the believers whose qualities are described here قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ (Successful indeed are the believers) means, they have attained victory and are blessed, for they have succeeded. These are the believers who have the following characteristics: الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلاَتِهِمْ خَـشِعُونَ (Those who with their Salah are Khashi`un.) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: خَـشِعُونَ "(Khashi`un) means those with fear and with tranquillity." This was also narrated from Mujahid, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Az-Zuhri. It was reported from `Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, that Khushu` means the Khushu` of the heart. This was also the view of Ibrahim An-Nakha`i. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Their Khushu` was in their hearts." So they lowered their gaze and were humble towards others. Khushu` in prayer is only attained by the one who has emptied his heart totally, who does not pay attention to anything else besides it, and who prefers it above all else. At that point it becomes a delight and a joy for eyes, as in the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and An-Nasa'i from Anas, who said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «حُبِّبَ إِلَيَّ الطِّيبُ وَالنِّسَاءُ، وَجُعِلَتْ قُرَّةُ عَيْنِي فِي الصَّلَاة» (Fragrance and women have been made dear to me, and Salah was made the joy of my eye.) وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُّعْرِضُونَ (And those who turn away from Al-Laghw.) refers to falsehood, which includes Shirk and sin, and any words or deeds that are of no benefit. As Allah says: وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّواْ كِراماً (And if they pass by Al-Laghw, they pass by it with dignity)25:72. Qatadah said: "By Allah, there came to them from Allah that which kept them away from that (evil)." وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَـوةِ فَـعِلُونَ (And those who pay the Zakah.) Most commentators say that the meaning here is the Zakah that is paid on wealth, even though this Ayah was revealed in Makkah, and Zakah was ordained in Al-Madinah in the year 2 H. The apparent meaning is that the Zakah that was instituted in Al-Madinah is the one based upon the Nusub and the specific amounts, apart from which it seems that the basic principle of Zakah was enjoined in Makkah. As Allah says in Surat Al-An`am, which was also revealed in Makkah: وَءَاتُواْ حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ (but pay the due thereof on the day of their harvest, ) 6:141 It could be that what is meant here by Zakah is purification of the soul from Shirk and filth, as in the Ayah: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن زَكَّـهَا - وَقَدْ خَابَ مَن دَسَّـهَا (Indeed he succeeds who purifies himself (Zakkaha). And indeed he fails who corrupts himself.) 91:9-10 It could be that both meanings are intended, purification of the soul and of one's wealth, because that is part of the purification of the soul, and the true believer is one who pays attention to both matters. And Allah knows best. وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـفِظُونَ - إِلاَّ عَلَى أَزْوَجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ - فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَآءَ ذلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ (And those who guard their private parts. Except from their wives and their right hand possessions, for then, they are free from blame. But whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors.) means, those who protect their private parts from unlawful actions and do not do that which Allah has forbidden; fornication and homosexuality, and do not approach anyone except the wives whom Allah has made permissible for them or their right hand possessions from the captives. One who seeks what Allah has made permissible for him is not to be blamed and there is no sin on him. Allah says: فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَفَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَآءَ ذلِكَ (they are free from blame. But whoever seeks beyond that) meaning, other than a wife or slave girl, فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ (then those are the transgressors.) meaning , aggressors. وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لاًّمَـنَـتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَعُونَ (Those who are faithfully true to their Amanat and to their covenants) When they are entrusted with something, they do not betray that trust, but they fulfill it, and when they make a promise or make a pledge, they are true to their word. This is not like the hypocrites about whom the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «آيَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ ثَلَاثٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَان» (The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.) وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلَوَتِهِمْ يُحَـفِظُونَ (And those who strictly guard their Salawat.) means, they persistently offer their prayers at their appointed times, as Ibn Mas`ud said: "I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, `O Messenger of Allah, which deed is most beloved to Allah' He said, «الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا» (Prayer at the appointed time.) I said, `Then what' He said, «بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْن» (Kindness to one's parents. ) I said, `Then what' He said, «الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله» (Jihad in the way of Allah.) It was recorded in the Two Sahihs. Qatadah said: "At the fixed times, with the proper bowing and prostration." Allah begins and ends this list of praiseworthy qualities with Salah, which is indicative of its virtue, as the Prophet said: «اسْتَقِيمُوا وَلَنْ تُحْصُوا، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ خَيْرَ أَعْمَالِكُمُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَلَا يُحَافِظُ عَلَى الْوُضُوءِ إِلَّا مُؤْمِن» (Adhere to righteousness, you will never be able encompass it all. Know that the best of your deeds is Salah. None will preserve his Wuddu' except the believer.) Having described them with these praiseworthy characteristics and righteous deeds, Allah then says: أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْوَرِثُونَ - الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ (These are indeed the heirs. Who shall inherit Firdaws. They shall dwell therein forever.) It was recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِذَا سَأَلْتُمُ اللهَ الْجَنَّةَ فَاسْأَلُوهُ الْفِرْدَوْسَ، فَإِنَّهُ أَعْلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَأَوْسَطُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَمِنْهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنْهَارُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَفَوْقَهُ عَرْشُ الرَّحْمن» (If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise, and above it is the (Mighty) Throne of the Most Merciful.) Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَلَهُ مَنْزِلَانِ: مَنْزِلٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْزِلٌ فِي النَّارِ، فَإِنْ مَاتَ فَدَخَلَ النَّارَ وَرِثَ أَهْلُ الْجَنَّةِ مَنْزِلَهُ، فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ: أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْوَرِثُونَ » (There is not one among you who does not have two homes, a home in Paradise and a home in Hell. If he dies and enters Hell, the people of Paradise will inherit his home, and this is what Allah said: (These are indeed the heirs.) Ibn Jurayj narrated from Layth from Mujahid: أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْوَرِثُونَ (These are indeed the heirs.) "The believers will inherit the homes of the disbelievers because they were created to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate. So when these believers did what was enjoined on them of worship, and the disbelievers neglected to do that which they were commanded to do and for which they had been created, the believers gained the share that they would have been given if they had obeyed their Lord. Indeed, they will be given more than that as well." This is what was reported in Sahih Muslim from Abu Burdah, from his father, from the Prophet who said: «يَجِيءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ نَاسٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِذُنُوبٍ أَمْثَالِ الْجِبَالِ،فَيَغْفِرُهَا اللهُ لَهُمْ وَيَضَعُهَا عَلَى الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى» (Some of the Muslims will come on the Day of Resurrection with sins like mountains, but Allah will forgive them and put (their burden of sin) on the Jews and Christians.) According to another version: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ دَفَعَ اللهُ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ يَهُودِيًّا أَوْ نَصْرَانِيًّا، فَيُقَالُ: هَذَا فِكَاكُكَ مِنَ النَّار» (When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah will appoint for every Muslim a Jew or Christian, and it will be said, "This is your ransom from the Fire.") `Umar bin `Abd Al-`Aziz asked Abu Burdah to swear by Allah besides Whom there is no other God, three times, that his father told him that from the Prophet , and he swore that oath. I say: this Ayah is like Allah's saying: تِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِى نُورِثُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا مَن كَانَ تَقِيّاً (Such is the Paradise which We shall give as an inheritance to those of Our servants who have had Taqwa.) 19:63 وَتِلْكَ الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِى أُورِثْتُمُوهَا بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit because of your deeds which you used to do.) 43:72

And who are keepers of their trusts may be read as plural amānātihim ‘their trusts’ or singular amānatihim ‘their trust’ and covenants made between them or between them and God such as the observance of prayer and so on.

والذين هم حافظون لكل ما اؤتمنوا عليه، موفُّون بكل عهودهم.

وقوله" والذين هم لأماناتهم وعهدهم راعون " أي إذا اؤتمنوا لم يخونوا بل يؤدونها إلى أهلها وإذا عاهدوا أو عاقدوا أوفوا بذلك لا كصفات المنافقين الذين قال فيهم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من " آية المنافق ثلاث: إذا حدث كذب وإذا وعد أخلف وإذا اؤتمن خان ".

أما الصفة الخامسة من صفات هؤلاء المفلحين ، فقد عبر عنها - سبحانه - بقوله : ( والذين هُمْ لأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ) .والأمانات : جمع أمانة ، وتشمل كل ما استودعك الله - تعالى إياه ، وأمرك بحفظه .فتشمل جميع التكاليف التى كلفنا الله بأدائها كما تشمل الأموال المودعة ، والأيمان والنذور والعقود وما يشبه ذلك .والعهود : جمع عهد . ويتناول كل ما طلب منك الوفاء به من حقوق الله - تعالى - وحقوق الناس .قال القرطبى : والأمانة والعهد يجمع كل ما يحمله الإنسان من أمر دينه ودنياه ، قولاً وفعلاً ، وهذا يعم معاشرة الناس والمواعيد وغير ذلك . وغاية ذلك حفظه والقيام به . والأمانة أعم من العهد وكل عهد فهو أمانة فيما تقدم فيه قول أو فعل أو معتقد " .وراعون : من الرعى بمعنى الحفظ يقال : رعى الأمير رعيته رعاية ، إذا حفظها واهتم بشئونها .أى : أن من صفات هؤلاء المفلحين . أنهم يقومون بحفظ ما ائتمنوا عليه من أمانات ، ويوفون بعهودهم مع الله - تعالى - ومع الناس ، ويؤدون ما كلفوا بأدائه بدون تقصير أو تقاعس .وذلك لأنه لا تستقيم حياة أمة من الأمم . إلا إذا أديت فيها الأمانات ، وحفظت فيها العهود ، واطمأن فيها كل صاحب حق إلى وصول هذا الحق إليه .

يقول تعالى ذكره: ( وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لأَمَانَاتِهِمْ ) التي ائتمنوا عليها( وَعَهْدِهِمْ ) وهو عقودهم التي عاقدوا الناس ( رَاعُونَ ) يقول: حافظون لا يضيعون، ولكنهم يوفون بذلك كله.واختلفت القرّاء في قراءة ذلك، فقرأته عامة قرّاء الأمصار إلا ابن كثير: ( وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لأَمَانَاتِهِمْ ) على الجمع. وقرأ ذلك ابن كثير: " لأمانَتِهِم " على الواحدة.والصواب من القراءة في ذلك عندنا: (لأَمَانَاتِهِمْ) لإجماع الحجة من القراء عليها.

( والذين هم لأماناتهم ) قرأ ابن كثير " لأمانتهم " على التوحيد هاهنا وفي سورة المعارج ، لقوله تعالى : " وعهدهم " والباقون بالجمع ، كقوله عز وجل : " إن الله يأمركم أن تؤدوا الأمانات إلى أهلها ( النساء - 57 ) ، ( وعهدهم راعون ) حافظون ، أي : يحفظون ما ائتمنوا عليه ، والعقود التي عاقدوا الناس عليها ، يقومون بالوفاء بها ، والأمانات تختلف فتكون بين الله تعالى وبين العبد كالصلاة والصيام والعبادات التي أوجبها الله عليه ، وتكون بين العبيد كالودائع والصنائع فعلى العبد الوفاء بجميعها .

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ (8)هذه صفة أخرى من جلائل صفات المؤمنين تنحل إلىَ فضيلتين هما فضيلة أداء الأمانة التي يؤتمنون عليها وفضيلة الوفاء بالعهد .فالأمانة تكون غالباً من النفائس التي يخشى صاحبها عليها التلف فيجعلها عند من يظن فيه حفظها ، وفي الغالب يكون ذلك على انفراد بين المؤتمِننِ والأمين ، فهي لنفاستها قد تغري الأمين عليها بأن لا يردها وبأن يجحدها ربها ، ولكون دفعها في الغالب عَرِيّاً عن الإشهاد تبعث محبتها الأمينَ على التمسك بها وعدم ردها ، فلذلك جعل الله ردّها من شعب الإيمان .وقد جاء في الحديث عن حذيفة بن اليَمَان قال « حدثنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن الأمانة نزلت في جَذْرِ قلوب الرجال ثم علموا من القرآن ثم علموا من السنة » وحدثنا عن رفعها قال : « ينام الرجل النومة فتقبض الأمانة من قلبه فَيَظَلّ أثَرُها مثل أثر الوكْت ثم ينام النومة فتقبض فيبقى أثرها مثل المَجْل كجَمْرٍ دَحرجتَه على رِجلك فَنَفِطَ فتراه مُنْتَبِراً وليس فيه شيء فيصبح الناس يتبايعون فلا يكاد أحد يؤدي الأمانة ، فيقال : إن في بني فلان رجلاً أميناً ، ويقال للرجل : ما أعقله وما أظرفه وما أجلده وما في قلبه مثقال حبة من خردل من إيمان » اه .الوكت : سواد يكون في قِشر التمر . والمَجْل : انتفاخ في الجلد الرقيق يكون شبه قِشر العِنبة ينشأ من مس النار الجلدَ ومن كثْرة العمل باليد وقوله : « مثقال حبة خردل من إيمان » هو مصدر آمنَه ، أي ومَا في قرارة نفسه شيء من إيمان الناس إيَّاه فلا يأتمنه إلاّ مغرور .وقد تقدم الكلام على الأمانة في قوله تعالى : { إن الله يأمركم أن تُؤَدوا الأماناتتِ إلى أهلها } في سورة النساء ( 58 ) . وجمع { الأمانات باعتبار تعدد أنواعها وتعدد القائمين بالحفظ تنصيصاً على العموم .وقرأ الجمهور : لأماناتهم } بصيغة الجمع ، وقرأه ابن كثير { لأمانتهم } بالإفراد باعتبار المصدر مثل { الذين هم في صَلاتهم خاشعون } [ المؤمنون : 2 ] .والعهد : التزام بين اثنين أو أكثر على شيء يعامِل كل واحد من الجانبين الآخرَ به . وسمي عهداً لأنهما يتحَالفان بعهد الله ، أي بأن يكون الله رقيباً عليهما في ذلك لا يفيتهم المؤاخذة على تخلفه ، وتقدم عند قوله تعالى : { الذين ينقضون عهد الله من بعد ميثاقه } في سورة البقرة ( 27 ) .والوفاء بالعهد من أعظم الخلق الكريم لدلالته على شرف النفس وقوة العزيمة ، فإن المرأيْننِ قد يلتزم كل منهما للآخر عملاً عظيماً فيصادف أن يتوجه الوفاء بذلك الإلتزام على أحدهما فيصعب عليه أن يتجشم عملاً لنفع غيره بدون مقابل ينتفع به هو فتسول له نفسه الخَتْر بالعهد شحّاً أو خوراً في العزيمة ، فلذلك كان الوفاء بالعهد علامة على عظم النفس قال تعالى :{ وأوفوا بالعهد إن العهد كان مسؤولاً } [ الإسراء : 34 ] .والرعي : مراقبة شيء بحفظه من التلاشي وبإصلاح ما يفسد منه ، فمنه رعي الماشية ، ومنه رَعي الناس ، ومنه أطلقت المراعاة على مَا يستحقه ذو الأخلاق الحميدة من حسن المعاملة . والقائم بالرعي رَاع .فرعي الأمانة : حفظها ، ولما كان الحفظ مقصوداً لأجل صاحبها كان ردها إليه أولى من حفظها . ورعي العهد مجاز ، أي ملاحظته عند كل مناسبة .والقول في تقديم { لأماناتهم وعهدهم } على { راعون } كالقول في نظايره السابقة ، وكذلك إعادة اسم الموصول .والجمع بين رعْي الأمانات ورعْي العهد لأن العهد كالأمانة لأن الذي عاهدك قد ائتمنك على الوفاء بما يقتضيه ذلك العهد .وذِكْرهما عقب أداء الزكاة لأن الزكاة أمانة الله عند الذين أنعم عليهم بالمال ، ولذلك سُميت : حقّ الله ، وحق المال ، وحق المسكين .

{ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ } أي: مراعون لها، ضابطون، حافظون، حريصون على القيام بها وتنفيذها، وهذا عام في جميع الأمانات التي هي حق لله، والتي هي حق للعباد، قال تعالى: { إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا الْإِنْسَانُ } فجميع ما أوجبه الله على عبده أمانة، على العبد حفظها بالقيام التام بها، وكذلك يدخل في ذلك أمانات الآدميين، كأمانات الأموال والأسرار ونحوهما، فعلى العبد مراعاة الأمرين، وأداء الأمانتين { إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَى أَهْلِهَا } وكذلك العهد، يشمل العهد الذي بينهم وبين ربهم والذي بينهم وبين العباد، وهي الالتزامات والعقود، التي يعقدها العبد، فعليه مراعاتها والوفاء بها، ويحرم عليه التفريط فيها وإهمالها

قوله تعالى : والذين هم لأماناتهم وعهدهم راعون والذين هم على صلواتهم يحافظون قرأ الجمهور ( لأماناتهم ) بالجمع . وابن كثير بالإفراد . والأمانة والعهد يجمع كل ما يحمله الإنسان من أمر دينه ودنياه قولا وفعلا . وهذا يعم معاشرة الناس ، والمواعيد ، وغير ذلك ؛ وغاية ذلك حفظه والقيام به . والأمانة أعم من العهد ، وكل عهد فهو أمانة فيما تقدم فيه قول أو فعل أو معتقد .

In this world of God, success is for one who is a true believer, one who devotes himself fully to God and not to anybody other than God, and who leads a God-oriented life. Realisation of God is not a simple matter. It brings about a revolution in the life of a man. He becomes a worshipper of God and bows down before Him in submission. His sincerity and seriousness increase to the extent that wasting time in useless pursuits appears fatal to him. He sets aside a portion of his earnings in the name of God and with that he helps the needy. He exercises control over his sexual desires and gives free rein to them only within the limit prescribed by God for the purpose. He lives his life in this world as a responsible person and never misappropriates whatever is entrusted to him. Such a man never dishonours any pledge undertaken by him. Those who possess these qualities are the favoured subjects of God. These are the people for whom God has kept ready the ideal world, namely, the gardens of Paradise. After death they will be sent into this sublime atmosphere so that they may savour its joys forever.

Fifth Attribute of a good Muslim is that he should discharge his trust truly and faithfully. وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَ‌اعُونَ (And [ success is attained ] by those who honestly look after their trusts and covenant, - 23:8). The word اَمَنَات (trusts) covers everything which a person has undertaken to perform or which have been placed under his care as trust. Since it may be of many kinds, the word is used in plural, so that it may include all sorts of trusts whether they may relate to the rights of Allah or to the rights of human beings. To perform scrupulously all the injunctions and duties made obligatory by religious laws and to abstain from things which have been forbidden or declared undesirable is to look after the trust that relates to the rights of Allah. As regards the discharge of trusts relating to the rights of human beings, these take numerous forms, and the most well-known is that a person must promptly return to the owner on demand any goods which have been in his custody as trust. Any information received in confidence is a trust and to reveal it to anybody else without the permission of the person who gave it is a breach of trust. Mutual settlement between an employer and an employee of the terms of employment, i.e. the work to be done and time to be spent in the performance of work, and the wages to be paid is a trust and binding on both the parties and a violation of this agreement by either party would constitute a breach of trust. Hence discharge of trust is an all-encompassing word. Sixth Attribute of a perfect Muslim is to fulfill his covenant. The word عھد . (covenant) has two connotations. One is a covenant between two parties specifying the duties and obligations of either party and is binding on both and a breach of this covenant by either party is a fraud and deceit and therefore forbidden in Islam. The other is where a person voluntarily promises to give something to someone or undertakes to do some job. This is known as وعدہ (promise) and its fulfillment is also obligatory under the dictates of Shari. There is a Hadith which says العدۃ دین (a promise is like a debt). It means that a promise is like a debt and must be fulfilled in the same manner as a debt must be discharged, the difference being that whereas the repayment of a debt can be enforced through a court of law, a voluntary promise is not enforceable likewise. Nevertheless the person making the promise is morally bound to abide by it and failure to do so would be a sin unless there is a religious ground for his inability to fulfill his promise.

(And who are shepherds) preserve that with which they have been entrusted (of their pledge) such as fasting, major ritual ablution, trusts and the like, (and their covenant) with Allah or with other people,