The Spider — Verse 59

Advice to migrate and the Promise of Provision and a Goodly Reward Allah commands His believing servants to migrate from a land in which they are not able to establish Islam, to the spacious earth of Allah where they can do so, by declaring Allah to be One and worshipping Him as He has commanded. Allah says: يَعِبَادِىَ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِنَّ أَرْضِى وَاسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّاىَ فَاعْبُدُونِ (O My servants who believe! Certainly, spacious is My earth. Therefore worship Me.) When things became too difficult for the believers in Makkah who were in a weak position and were oppressed, they left and migrated to Ethiopia, where they were able to practice their religion. The Muslims found Ethiopia the best place for guest; where Ashamah, the Negus or king, may Allah have mercy on him, gave them refuge, helped them, supported them, and honored them in his land. Later, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his remaining Companions migrated to Al-Madinah, formerly known as Yathrib, may Allah protect it. Then Allah says: كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ (Everyone shall taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.) meaning, `wherever you are, death with catch up with you, so always obey Allah and be where Allah commands you to be, for this is better for you. Death is inevitable and there is no escape from it, and then you will return to Allah, and whoever was obedient to Him will have the best reward.' Allah says: وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفَاً تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ (And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, to them We shall surely give lofty dwellings in Paradise, underneath which rivers flow,) meaning, `We shall cause them to dwell in lofty homes in Paradise under which various kinds of rivers flow -- water, wine, honey and milk -- which they can direct and cause to flow wherever they wish.' خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَآ (to live therein forever.) means, they will remain there forever, never wanting to leave. نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَـمِلِينَ (Excellent is the reward for the workers.) these rooms will be a blessed reward for the good deeds of the believers, الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ (Those who are patient,) in adhering to their religion, who migrated for the sake of Allah and fought the enemy, leaving behind their families and relatives to seek Allah's Face, and hoping for that which is with Him, believing His promise. Ibn Abi Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded from Abu Mu`aniq Al-Ash`ari that Abu Malik Al-Ash`ari told him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him: «إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا يُرَى ظَاهِرُهَا مِنْ بَاطِنِهَا، وَبَاطِنُهَا مِنْ ظَاهِرِهَا، أَعَدَّهَا اللهُ تَعَالَى لِمَنْ أَطْعَمَ الطَّعَامَ، وَأَطَابَ الْكَلَامَ، وَتَابَعَ الصَّلَاةَ وَالصِّيَامَ، وَقَامَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَام» (In Paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside, and their inside can be seen from the outside; Allah has prepared them for those who feed others, who speak well, who pray and fast continually, and who stand in prayer at night while people are asleep.) وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (and put their trust in their Lord.) in all their affairs, spiritual and worldly alike. Then Allah tells us that provision is not limited only to one place, but it is given to all His creatures no matter where they are. Indeed, when the Muhajirin migrated, their provision was greater and better than before, because after a short time they became rulers in the land, in all regions. Allah says: وَكَأَيِّن مِّن دَآبَّةٍ لاَّ تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا (And so many a moving creature carries not its own provision!) meaning, it does not have the ability to gather its provision and save it for tomorrow. اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ (Allah provides for it and for you.) means, Allah allots its provision to it even though it is weak, and makes it easy for it. He sends provision to every creature in the appropriate manner, even the ants in the depths of the earth, the birds in the air and the fish in the sea. Allah says: وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِى كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ (And no moving creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit. All is in a Clear Book.) (11:6) وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.) means, He hears all that His servants say and He knows their every movements.

they are those who are steadfast in enduring the harm inflicted upon them by the idolaters and in enduring the Emigration in order to make manifest the religion of Islam and who put their trust in their Lord so that He provides for them whence they do not expect.

إن تلك الجنات المذكورة للمؤمنين الذين صبروا على عبادة الله، وتمسكوا بدينهم، وعلى الله يعتمدون في أرزاقهم وجهاد أعدائهم.

"والذين صبروا" أي على دينهم وهاجروا إلى الله ونابذوا الأعداء وفارقوا الأهل والأقرباء ابتغاء وجه الله ورجاء ما عنده وتصديق موعوده قال ابن أبي حاتم رحمه الله حدثنا أبي أخبرنا صفوان المؤذن أخبرنا الوليد بن مسلم أخبرنا معاوية بن سلام عن أخيه زيد بن سلام عن جده أبي سلام الأسود حدثني أبو معاوية الأشعري أن أبا مالك الأشعري حدثه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حدثه أن في الجنة غرفا يرى ظاهرها من باطنها وباطنها من ظاهرها أعدها الله تعالى لمن أطعم الطعام وأطاب الكلام وتابع الصلاة والصيام وقام بالليل والناس نيام "وعلى ربهم يتوكلون" في أحوالهم كلها في دينهم ودنياهم.

وقوله : ( الذين صَبَرُواْ وعلى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ ) صفة لهؤلاء العاملين .أى : من مناقبهم الجليلة أنهم يصبرون على طاعة الله ، وعلى كل ما يحسن معه الصبر ، وأنهم يفوضون أمورهم إلى خالقهم لا إلى غيره .

الذين صبروا على أذى المشركين في الدنيا، وما كانوا يَلْقون منهم، وعلى العمل بطاعة الله وما يرضيه، وجهاد أعدائه (وَعَلى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ) في أرزاقهم وجهاد أعدائهم، فلا يَنْكُلون عنهم، ثقة منهم بأن الله مُعْلِي كلمته، ومُوهِن كيد الكافرين، وأن ما قُسِم لهم &; 20-58 &; من الرزق فلن يَفُوتَهم.

( الذين صبروا ) على الشدائد ولم يتركوا دينهم لشدة لحقتهم ( وعلى ربهم يتوكلون ) يعتمدون .

الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ (59)وقوله : { الذِينَ صَبَرُوا } خبر مبتدأ محذوف اتباعاً للاستعمال والتقدير : هم الذين صبروا . والمراد : صبرهم على إقامة الدين وتحمل أذى المشركين ، وقد علموا أ ، هم لاقوه فتوكلوا على ربّهم ولم يعبأوا بقطيعة قومهم ولا بحرمانهم من أموالهم ثم فارقوا أوطانهم فراراً بدينهم منالفتن .ومن اللطائف مقابلة غشيان العذاب للكفار من فوقهم ومن تحت أرجلهم بغشيان النعيم للمؤمن من فوقهم بالغرف ومن تحتهم بالأنهار . وتقديم المجرور على متعلّقة من قوله : { وعلى ربهم يتوكلون } للاهتمام . وتقدممعنى التوكل عند قوله : { فإِذا عزمت فتوكل على الله } في سورة آل عمران [ 159 ] .

{ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا } على عبادة اللّه { وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ } في ذلك. فصبرهم على عبادة اللّه، يقتضي بذل الجهد والطاقة في ذلك، والمحاربة العظيمة للشيطان، الذي يدعوهم إلى الإخلال بشيء من ذلك، وتوكلهم، يقتضي شدة اعتمادهم على اللّه، وحسن ظنهم به، أن يحقق ما عزموا عليه من الأعمال ويكملها، ونص على التوكل، وإن كان داخلا في الصبر، لأنه يحتاج إليه في كل فعل وترك مأمور به، ولا يتم إلا به.

نعتهم بقوله : " الذين صبروا وعلى ربهم يتوكلون "

Sometimes a change is necessary in the mode of performing a task. This may require a change in the sphere of influence, in the way that the Hudaybiyah Pact shifted the scene of action from the battlefield to the field of missionary work. But more often, it requires a major step, like migration, for example, the migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah. In these verses the faithful living in Makkah were told that if the people of Makkah were harassing them, they should leave Makkah, migrate to some other place, and carry on God’s worship there. This shows that the exercise of patience and trust means being steadfast in prayer and not persisting in clashing with enemies. Had it been God’s will that they should engage in hostilities under any circumstances, then the instructions would have been to continue fighting with their opponents and not in any event to move away.

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُم مِّنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَ‌فًا تَجْرِ‌ي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ‌ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا (And those who believe and do righteous deeds, We shall accommodate them in mansions of the Paradise beneath which rivers flow, where they will live forever - 29:58). The other risk involved in hijrah (migration) is about the arrangement of sustenance in the strange land. One does manage the sustenance at one's own place through employment, trade, cultivation, or inherited land, but on migration all that is left behind. So, how would he manage the sustenance in the new environment? Answer to this apprehension is given in the next three verses by saying that you regard the mundane possessions and arrangements as the cause of your sustenance, but who has given you all this? It is your mistake to consider that you have arranged it all on your own. Without the help and will of Allah nothing could be procured. If He wills, one gets unlimited sustenance without any visible means, and if He does not, then despite all sorts of visible means, one does not get anything. For elaborating this point first it is said:

(Who persevere) who are steadfast in performing the commands of Allah and in facing hardship, (and put their trust in their Lord) and not in anyone other than Him!