The Family of Imran, The House of Imran — Verse 107

The Command to Establish the Invitation to Allah Allah said, وَلْتَكُن مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ (Let there arise out of you a group of people) that calls to righteousness, enjoins all that is good and forbids evil in the manner Allah commanded, وَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ (And it is they who are the successful.) Ad-Dahhak said, "They are a special group of the Companions and a special group of those after them, that is those who perform Jihad and the scholars." The objective of this Ayah is that there should be a segment of this Muslim Ummah fulfilling this task, even though it is also an obligation on every member of this Ummah, each according to his ability. Muslim recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِع فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَان» (Whoever among you witnesses an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then let him change it with his tongue. If he is unable, then let him change it with his heart, and this is the weakest faith.) In another narration, The Prophet said, «وَلَيْسَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ حَبَّةُ خَرْدَل» (There is no faith beyond that, not even the weight of a mustard seed.) Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said that the Prophet said, «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِه، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ، ثُمَّ لتَدْعُنَّــهُ فَلَا يَسْتَجِيبَ لَكُم» (By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah shall send down a punishment from Him to you. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication.) At-Tirmidhi also collected this Hadith and said, "Hasan". There are many other Hadiths and Ayat on this subject, which will be explained later. The Prohibition of Division Allah said, وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاخْتَلَفُواْ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَـتُ (And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them) 3:105. In this Ayah, Allah forbids this Ummah from imitating the division and discord of the nations that came before them. These nations also abandoned enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil, although they had proof of its necessity. Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu `Amir `Abdullah bin Luhay said, "We performed Hajj with Mu`awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. When we arrived at Makkah, he stood up after praying Zuhr and said, `The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ افْتَرَقُوا فِي دِينِهِمْ عَلى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً، وَإِنَّ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً يَعْنِي الْأَهْوَاءَ كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ وَإِنَّهُ سَيَخْرُجُ فِي أُمَّتِي أَقْوَامٌ تَجَارَى بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْأَهْوَاءُ كَمَا يَتَجَارَى الْكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِه، لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُ عِرْقٌ وَلَا مَفْصِلٌ إِلَّا دَخَلَه» (The People of the Two Scriptures divided into seventy-two sects. This Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, that is, the Jama`ah. Some of my Ummah will be guided by desire, like one who is infected by rabies; no vein or joint will be saved from these desires.) Mu`awiyah said next: By Allah, O Arabs! If you do not adhere to what came to you from your Prophet then other people are even more prone not to adhere to it. " Similar was recorded by Abu Dawud from Ahmad bin Hanbal and Muhammad bin Yahya. The Benefits of Brotherly Ties and Unity and the Consequence of Division on the Day of the Gatherin Allah said next, يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ (On the Day when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;) 3:106 on the Day of Resurrection. This is when the faces of followers of the Sunnah and the Jama`ah will radiate with whiteness, and the faces of followers of Bid`ah (innovation) and division will be darkened, as has been reported from Ibn `Abbas. Allah said, فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ اسْوَدَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ أَكْفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ (As for those whose faces will become black (to them will be said): "Did you reject faith after accepting it") Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "They are the hypocrites." فَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْفُرُونَ (Then taste the torment (in Hell) for rejecting faith,) and this description befits every disbeliever. وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ابْيَضَّتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ فَفِى رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ (And for those whose faces will become white, they will be in Allah's mercy (Paradise), therein they shall dwell forever.) in Paradise, where they will reside for eternity and shall never desire to be removed. Abu `Isa At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Ghalib said, "Abu Umamah saw heads (of the Khawarij sect) hanging on the streets of Damascus. He commented, `The Dogs of the Fire and the worst dead people under the cover of the sky. The best dead men are those whom these have killed.' He then recited, يَوْمَ تَبْيَضُّ وُجُوهٌ وَتَسْوَدُّ وُجُوهٌ (On the Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) when some faces will become white and some faces will become black;) until the end of the Ayah. I said to Abu Umamah, `Did you hear this from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ' He said, `If I only heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ once, twice, thrice, four times, or seven times, I would not have narrated it to you.' " At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan." Ibn Majah and Ahmad recorded similarly. Allah said, تِلْكَ آيَـتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ (These are the Ayat of Allah. We recite them to you) meaning, `These are the verses of Allah, His proofs and signs that We reveal to you, O Muhammad,' بِالْحَقِّ (in truth) making known the true reality of this world and the Hereafter. وَمَا اللَّهُ يُرِيدُ ظُلْماً لِّلْعَـلَمِينَ (and Allah wills no injustice to the `Alamin. ) for He never treats them with injustice. Rather, He is the Just Ruler Who is able to do everything and has knowledge of everything. Therefore, He does not need to treat any of His creatures with injustice, and this is why He said next, وَللَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَا فِى الاٌّرْضِ (and to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the Earth.), they are all His servants and His property, وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الأُمُورُ (And all matters go back to Allah,) for His is the decision concerning the affairs of this life and the Hereafter, and His is the Supreme Authority in this life and the Hereafter.

But as for those whose faces are whitened and these are the believers they shall be in God’s mercy that is to say in Paradise abiding therein.

But as for those whose faces are whitened, they shall be in God's mercy, which is the spirit of connectedness and the holy light and the presential visions of [God's] beauty, abiding therein.

But as for those whose faces are whitened, they shall be in God's mercy, which is the spirit of connectedness and the holy light and the presential visions of [God's] beauty, abiding therein.

The day when some faces are blackened and some faces whitened. As for those whose faces are blackened �did you disbelieve after you had believedḍ Then taste the chastisement for what you disbelieved!� But for those whose faces are whitened they shall be in God's mercy abiding therein. The faces of the lords of pretensions daʿāwā will be blackened while the faces of the companions of meanings maʿānī will be whitened. The faces of the people of unveilings kushūfāt will be whitened through illumina- tion. The faces of the companions of the veil ḥijāb will be blackened with shame covered with dust taʿlūhā ghabara and overcast with gloom wa-tarhaquhā qatara. It is said that whoever's heart is white today his face will be white in the future and the one who is the opposite his situation will be the reverse. It is said that whoever turns away from created beings before His auspi- cious occurrences sawāniḥ his face will become white with the spirit of having committed his affairs [to God] rūḥ al-tafwīḌ. Whoever's heart is attached to what is other [than God] with wants and needs ḥawāÌij his heart will become black [and] his face [will be] in the dust of covetousness. As for those whose faces have become white they will be in intimacy and ease rawḥ. As for those whose faces have become blackened they will [experience] tribulations and lamentation nawḥ.

The day when some faces are blackened and some faces whitened. As for those whose faces are blackened �did you disbelieve after you had believedḍ Then taste the chastisement for what you disbelieved!� But for those whose faces are whitened they shall be in God's mercy abiding therein. The faces of the lords of pretensions daʿāwā will be blackened while the faces of the companions of meanings maʿānī will be whitened. The faces of the people of unveilings kushūfāt will be whitened through illumina- tion. The faces of the companions of the veil ḥijāb will be blackened with shame covered with dust taʿlūhā ghabara and overcast with gloom wa-tarhaquhā qatara. It is said that whoever's heart is white today his face will be white in the future and the one who is the opposite his situation will be the reverse. It is said that whoever turns away from created beings before His auspi- cious occurrences sawāniḥ his face will become white with the spirit of having committed his affairs [to God] rūḥ al-tafwīḌ. Whoever's heart is attached to what is other [than God] with wants and needs ḥawāÌij his heart will become black [and] his face [will be] in the dust of covetousness. As for those whose faces have become white they will be in intimacy and ease rawḥ. As for those whose faces have become blackened they will [experience] tribulations and lamentation nawḥ.

وأما الذين ابيضَّتْ وجوهم بنضرة النعيم، وما بُشِّروا به من الخير، فهم في جنة الله ونعيمها، وهم باقون فيها، لا يخرجون منها أبدًا.

يعني الجنة ماكثون فيها أبدا لا يبغون عنها حولا وقد قال أبو عيسى الترمذي عند تفسير هذه الآية: حدثنا أبو كريب حدثنا وكيع عن الربيع بن صبيح وحماد بن سلمة عن أبي غالب قال: رأى أبو أمامة رءوسا منصوبة على درج مسجد دمشق فقال أبو أمامة: كلاب النار شر قتلى تحت أديم السماء خير قتلى من قتلوه ثم قرأ "يوم تبيض وجوه وتسود وجوه" إلى آخر الآية قلت: لأبي أمامة أنت سمعته من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لو لم أسمعه إلا مرة أو مرتين أو ثلاثا أو أربعا ـ حتى عد سبعا - ما حدثتكموه ثم قال هذا حديث حسن وقد رواه ابن ماجه من حديث سفيان بن عيينة عن أبي غالب وأخرجه أحمد في مسنده عن عبدالرزاق عن معمر عن أبي غالب بنحوه. وقد روى ابن مردويه عند تفسير هذه الآية عن أبي ذر حديثا مطولا غريبا عجيبا جدا ثم قال تعالى "تلك آيات الله نتلوها عليك".

ثم بين - سبحانه - حال الذين ابيضت وجوههم وحسن عاقبتهم فقال : { وَأَمَّا الذين ابيضت وُجُوهُهُمْ } ببركة إيمانهم وعملهم الصاحل { فَفِي رَحْمَةِ الله } أى ففى جنته . والتعبير عن الجنة بالرحمة من باب التعبير بالحال عن المحل فتكون الظرفية حقيقة . وإذا أريد برحمة الله ثوابه وجزاؤه تكون الظرفية مجازية .وفى التعبير عن الجنة بالرحمة إشعار بأن دخولها إنما هو بمحض فضل الله - تعالى - فهو - سبحانه - المالك لكل شىء ، والخالق لكل شىء .وقوله { هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ } بيان لما خصهم الله - تعالى - من خلود فى هذا النعيم الذى لا يحد بحد ، ولا يرسم برسم ، ولا تبلغ العقول مداه . أى هم فى الرحمة باقون دائمون فقد أعطاهم الله - تعالى - عطاء غير مجذوذ .وقد بدأ - سبحانه - كلامه عن الفريقين بالذين ابيضت وجوههم ثم قدم الحديث عن حال الذين اسودت وجوههم على الذين ابيضت وجوههم ، ليكون ابتداء الكلام واختتامه عن هؤلاء السعداء بما يسر القلب ويشرح الصدر ويغرى الناس بالتمسك بعرى الإيمان وبالإكثار من العمل الصالح الذي يوصلهم إلى رحمة الله ورضاه .ووصف - سبحانه - الذين ابيضت وجوههم بأنهم خالدون فى رحمته ، ولم يصف الذين اسودت وجوههم بالخلود فى العذاب للتصريح فى غير هذا الموضع بخلودهم فى هذا العذاب كما فى قوله - تعالى - { إِنَّ الذين كَفَرُواْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الكتاب والمشركين فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَآ أولئك هُمْ شَرُّ البرية } وللإشعار بأن باب رحمته - سبحانه - مفتوح أمام هؤلاء الضالين فعليهم أن يثوبوا إلى رشدهم ، وأن يقلعوا عن الكفر إلى الإيمان والعمل الصالح حتى ينجوا من عذاب الله وسخطه يوم تبيض وجوه وتسود وجوه .

=" وأما الذين أبيضَّت وجوههم ". ممن ثبتَ على عهد الله وميثاقه، فلم يبدِّل دينه، ولم ينقلب على عَقِبيه بعد الإقرار بالتوحيد، والشهادة لربه بالألوهة، وأنه لا إله غيره =" ففي رحمة الله "، يقول: فهم في رحمة الله، يعني: في جنته ونعيمها وما أعد الله لأهلها فيها=" هم فيها خالدون "، أي: باقون فيها أبدًا بغير نهاية ولا غاية.

قوله تعالى : ( وأما الذين ابيضت وجوههم ) هؤلاء أهل الطاعة ، ( ففي رحمة الله ) جنة الله . ( هم فيها خالدون )

لايوجد تفسير لهذه الآية فى تفسير ( التحرير و التنوير)

{ وأما الذين ابيضت وجوههم } فيهنئون أكمل تهنئة ويبشرون أعظم بشارة، وذلك أنهم يبشرون بدخول الجنات ورضى ربهم ورحمته { ففي رحمة الله هم فيها خالدون } وإذا كانوا خالدين في الرحمة، فالجنة أثر من آثار رحمته تعالى، فهم خالدون فيها بما فيها من النعيم المقيم والعيش السليم، في جوار أرحم الراحمين، لما بين الله لرسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم الأحكام الأمرية والأحكام الجزائية

وقوله تعالى : وأما الذين ابيضت وجوههم هؤلاء أهل طاعة الله عز وجل والوفاء بعهده . ففي رحمة الله هم فيها خالدون أي في جنته ودار كرامته خالدون باقون . جعلنا الله منهم وجنبنا طرق البدع والضلالات ، ووفقنا لطريق الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات . آمين .

The benefit the intellectuals have of being imbued with this spirit is that all their attention remains focussed on goodness, that is, on the basics of religion. They have thus no time for hair-splitting arguments about secondary aspects of religion. Those who become the heralds of God’s greatness and arise both as warners and as harbingers of glad tidings have not the time to waste their expertise on matters of no significance. In this way, the task of exhorting people to lead a life of righteousness and forbidding evil engages them in finding solutions to real problems. Verbal jousting over supposed problems seems to them meaningless and futile, just as a farmer finds the game of chess a futile exercise, a waste of time. In showing willingness to be obedient to well-intentioned religious elders, the people are saved from schism and strife. Submitting to an authority unites all of them. Unity becomes a common attribute of believers, and unity, without doubt is the greatest of all powers in this world.

2. The sentence ففی رحمۃ اللہ (they rest in Allah's mercy) is immediately qualified by هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (they are there forever). This means that the mercy in which the believers shall rest will not be temporary; it would be forever and eternal. This blessing will never be taken away or reduced in their case. In contrast to this are those whose faces shall turn dark; for them, it has not be expressly mentioned if they shall be in that state forever. Sinning man earns his own punishment: The verse فَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْفُرُ‌ونَ (106) (now taste the punishment because you have been sinning) indicates that the punishment on that Day is not from Allah but that it is as consequence of what man has earned while living his mortal life, for the truth is that the blessings of paradise and the hardships of hell are simply a changed form of our very deeds. So, later on in verse 108, it was said: وَمَا اللَّـهُ يُرِ‌يدُ ظُلْمًا لِّلْعَالَمِينَ (and Allah wants no injustice for { anyone in the worlds} which means that Allah has no intention of being unjust to His creation. Whatever reward or punishment is there, is nothing but justice and very much the perfect expression of the divine wisdom and mercy.

(As for those whose faces have been whitened, Lo! in the mercy of Allah) in Allah's Paradise (they dwell for ever) never to die or leave it.