The Family of Imran, The House of Imran — Verse 16

The Supplication and Description of Al-Muttaqin Allah describes the Muttaqin, His pious servants, whom He promised tremendous rewards, الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا (Those who say: "Our Lord! We have indeed believed") in You, Your Book and Your Messenger. فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا (so forgive us our sins) because of our faith in You and in what You legislated for us. Therefore, forgive us our errors and shortcomings, with Your bounty and mercy, وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ (and save us from the punishment of the Fire.) Allah then said, الصَّـبِرِينَ ((They are) those who are patient) while performing acts of obedience and abandoning the prohibitions. وَالصَّـدِقِينَ (those who are true) concerning their proclamation of faith, by performing the difficult deeds. وَالْقَـنِتِينَ (and obedient) meaning, they submit and obey Allah, وَالْمُنَـفِقِينَ (those who spend) from their wealth on all the acts of obedience they were commanded, being kind to kith and kin, helping the needy, and comforting the destitute. وَالْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِالاٌّسْحَارِ (and those who pray and beg Allah's pardon in the last hours of the night) and this testifies to the virtue of seeking Allah's forgiveness in the latter part of the night. It was reported that when Ya`qub said to his children, سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّى (I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you) 12:98 he waited until the latter part of the night to say his supplication. Furthermore, the Two Sahihs, the Musnad and Sunan collections recorded through several Companions that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «يَنْزِلُ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالى فِي كُلِّ لَيْلَةٍ إِلى سَمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا حِينَ يَبْقَى ثُلُثُ اللَّيْلِ الْآخِرُ، فَيَقُولُ: هَلْ مِنْ سَائِلٍ فَأُعْطِيَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ دَاعٍ فَأَسْتَجِيبَ لَهُ؟ هَلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟» (Every night, when the last third of it remains, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends to the lowest heaven saying, "Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to his invocation Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him") The Two Sahihs recorded that `A'ishah said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed Witr during the first part, the middle and latter parts of the night. Then, later (in his life), he would perform it (only) during the latter part." `Abdullah bin `Umar used to pray during the night and would ask, "O Nafi`! Is it the latter part of the night yet" and if Nafi` said, "Yes," Ibn `Umar would start supplicating to Allah and seeking His forgiveness until dawn. This Hadith was collected by Ibn Abi Hatim.

Those alladhīna is either an adjectival qualification of or a substitution for the previous alladhīna who say “O Our Lord we believe in You and in Your Prophet; so forgive us our sins and guard us from the chastisement of the Fire”.

Those who say: �O, Our Lord, we believe, in the lights of Your acts and attributes, so forgive us our sins, that is, the sins of our existences by Your essence, and guard us from the chastisement of the Fire�, that is, the fire of abandonment and the existence of those who remain,

Those who say: �O, Our Lord, we believe, in the lights of Your acts and attributes, so forgive us our sins, that is, the sins of our existences by Your essence, and guard us from the chastisement of the Fire�, that is, the fire of abandonment and the existence of those who remain,

Those who say: �O Our Lord we believe; so forgive us our sins and guard us from the chastisement of the fire� that is �they occupy themselves with Us entirely bi-l-kulliya and plead for help before Us at the mention of severe trials and afflictions al-raziyya. Those obtain nearness and intimate friendship al-qurba wa-l-khuṣūṣiyya with Us high degrees wa-l-darajāt al-ʿuliyya and pleasing fates wa-l- qisam al-murḌiyya.�

Those who say: �O Our Lord we believe; so forgive us our sins and guard us from the chastisement of the fire� that is �they occupy themselves with Us entirely bi-l-kulliya and plead for help before Us at the mention of severe trials and afflictions al-raziyya. Those obtain nearness and intimate friendship al-qurba wa-l-khuṣūṣiyya with Us high degrees wa-l-darajāt al-ʿuliyya and pleasing fates wa-l- qisam al-murḌiyya.�

هؤلاء العباد المتقون يقولون: إننا آمنا بك، واتبعنا رسولك محمدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم، فامْحُ عنا ما اقترفناه من ذنوب، ونجنا من عذاب النار.

يصف تبارك وتعالى عباده المتقين الذين وعدهم الثواب الجزيل فقال تعالى "الذين يقولون ربنا إننا آمنا" أي بك وبكتابك وبرسولك "فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا" أي بإيماننا بك وبما شرعته لنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وتقصيرنا من أمرنا بفضلك ورحمتك "وقنا عذاب النار".

ثم حكى - سبحانه - أقوال هؤلاء المتقين ومدحهم على إيمانهم وصلاحهم فقال - تعالى - { الذين يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ آمَنَّا فاغفر لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النار } أى أن هذه الجنات وغيرها منأنواع النعم قد أعدها الله - تعالى - لهؤلاء المتقين الذين يضرعون إلى الله ملتمسين منه المغفرة فيقولون : يا ربنا إننا آمنا بك وصدقنا رسولك في كل ما جاء به من عندك ، فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وتقصيرنا في أمرنا فأنت الغفار الرحيم ، { وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النار } أي جنبنا هذا العذاب الأليم يا أرحم الراحمين .وفي حكاية هذا القول عنهم بصيغة المضارعة { يَقُولُونَ } إشعار بأنهم يجددون التوبة إلى الله دائما لقوة إيمانهم ، وصفاء نفوسهم ، وإحساسهم بأنهم مهما قدموا من طاعات فهى قليلة بجانب فضل الله عليهم ، ولذلك فهم يلتمسون منه الستر والغفران ، والوقاية من النار ، وهذا شأن الأخيار من الناس .وقوله - سبحانه - { الذين يَقُولُونَ } بدل أو عطف بيان من قوله { لِلَّذِينَ اتقوا } ويجوز أن يكون في محل رفع على أنه خبر لمبتدأ محذوف والجملة منهما جواب عن سؤال كأنه قيل : من أولئك المتقون؟ فقيل : هم الذين يقولون ربنا إننا آمنا .. .

القول في تأويل قوله : الَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا إِنَّنَا آمَنَّا فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ (16)قال أبو جعفر: ومعنى ذلك. قل هل أنبئكم بخير من ذلكم للذين اتقوا، [الذين] يقولون: " ربنا إننا آمنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وقنا عذاب النار ".* * *وقد يحتمل " الذين يقولون "، وجهين من الإعراب: الخفض على الردّ على " الذين " الأولى، والرفع على الابتداء، إذ كان في مبتدأ آية أخرى غير التي فيها " الذين " الأولى، فيكون رفعها نظير قول الله عز وجل: إِنَّ اللَّهَ اشْتَرَى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ [سورة التوبة: 111]، ثم قال في مبتدأ الآية التي بعدها: التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ [سورة التوبة: 112]. ولو كان جاء ذلك مخفوضًا كان جائزًا. (1)* * *ومعنى قوله: " الذين يقولون ربنا إننا آمنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا ": الذين يقولون: إننا صدّقنا بك وبنبيك وما جاء به من عندك =" فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا "، يقول: فاستر علينا ذنوبنا، بعفوك عنها، وتركك عقوبتنا عليها =" وقنا عذاب النار "، &; 6-264 &; ادفع عنا عذابك إيانا بالنار أن تعذبنا بها. وإنما معنى ذلك: لا تعذبنا يا ربنا بالنار.وإنما خصّوا المسألةَ بأن يقيهم عذاب النار، لأن من زُحزح يومئذ عن النار فقد فاز بالنجاة من عذاب الله وحسن مآبه.* * *وأصل قوله: " قنا " من قول القائل: " وقى الله فلانًا كذا "، يراد: دفع عنه،" فهو يقيه ". فإذا سأل بذلك سائلٌ قال: " قِنِى كذا ". (2)----------------------------------الهوامش :(1) انظر معاني القرآن للفراء 1: 198.(2) انظر تفسير"قنا" و"وقى" فيما سلف 4: 206.

الذين يقولون ) إن شئت جعلت محل الذين خفضا ردا على قوله ( للذين اتقوا ) وإن شئت جعلته رفعا على الابتداء ، ويحتمل أن يكون نصبا تقديره أعني الذين يقولون ( ربنا إننا آمنا ) صدقنا ( فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا ) استرها علينا وتجاوز عنا ( وقنا عذاب النار )

وقوله : { الذين يقولون } عطف بيان { للذين اتقوا } وصفهم بالتقوى وبالتوجّه إلى الله تعالى بطلب المغفرة . ومعنى القول هنا الكلامُ المطابق للواقع في الخبرِ ، والجاري على فرط الرغبة في الدعاء ، في قولهم : { فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا } إلخ ، وإنّما يجري كذلك إذا سعى الداعي في وسائل الإجابة وترقّبها بأسبابها التي ترشد إليها التقوى ، فلا يُجازَى هذا الجزاءَ من قال ذلك بفمه ولم يعمل لهُ

{ ربنا إننا آمنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وقنا عذاب النار } توسلوا بمنة الله عليهم بتوفيقهم للإيمان أن يغفر لهم ذنوبهم ويقيهم شر آثارها وهو عذاب النار، ثم فصل أوصاف التقوى.

قوله تعالى : الذين يقولون ربنا إننا آمنا فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا وقنا عذاب النارقوله تعالى : الذين بدل من قوله للذين اتقوا وإن شئت كان رفعا أي هم الذين ، أو نصبا على المدح .ربنا أي : يا ربنا . إننا آمنا أي صدقنا . فاغفر لنا ذنوبنا دعاء بالمغفرة . وقنا عذاب النار تقدم في البقرة .

He will be filled with the conviction that the matters of the next world are entirely in the hands of his Lord and all the glitter of this world will appear meaningless. As a result, God will be the entity he fears most and he will be desirous of the next life more than anything else. He will not follow his mundane desires, but will rather determine his course of action, keeping in view the court of the Almighty. There will be no discrepancy between his words and his actions. His wealth will no longer remain his, but will be devoted to the cause of God. Whatever difficulties he faces in the path of his Creator, he will adhere to that path with total steadfastness, because he will have the conviction that no one can give him succour if he turns away from God. His heart will be filled with His remembrance, and he will start calling upon Him spontaneously. God will be his companion in his solitude. In the presence of His greatness and perfection, his own being will appear completely insignificant. He will have no words to utter but—‘O my God, forgive me.’

In the second verse that follows (15), the same subject has been further cleared by saying: قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍ‌ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا عِندَ رَ‌بِّهِمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِ‌ي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ‌ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَاجٌ مُّطَهَّرَ‌ةٌ وَرِ‌ضْوَانٌ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بَصِيرٌ‌ بِالْعِبَادِ ﴿15﴾ Say: "Shall I not tell you what is far better than that? For those who fear Allah, there are with their Lord gardens beneath which rivers flow, where they shall live forever, and wives purified, and approval from Allah. And Allah is watchful over His servants." Here, the address is to the Holy Prophet ﷺ who is being asked to tell those who become obsessed with imperfect and perishable blessings they find in the present life that he is in a position to lead them on to far better blessings. These shall be the lot of those who fear Allah and are obedient to Him. These blessings are, 'gardens beneath which rivers flow, wives purified and favours from Allah' - the last being the ultimate man can and should aspire for. It will be recalled that in the preceding verse (14), the total count of blessings that infatuate man was given as six women, children, heaps of gold and silver, fine horses, cattle and tillage. As compared to that, only three blessings of the Hereafter, that is, the gardens of Par-adise, wives purified and the approval from Allah have been identified. Out of the rest, children were not mentioned because man loves children during his life in the world as children help and strengthen him in what he does and through them his name lives on. But, in the Here-after he would not need such help, nor would he 'die' in which case he may have to look for an heir. Apart from this, whoever has children would have them all in the Paradise. Whoever has no children in the mortal world would, to begin with, just not have the desire to have them in the Paradise. Should someone desire that he may have children, Allah Almighty would bless him with children. According to a hadith in Jami` al-Tirmidhi, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: 'If a dweller of Paradise wishes to have children, the process of pregnancy, birth and growth of the child will be completed in no time and he would have what he wished for.' Similarly, gold and silver were not mentioned in relation to the Paradise because gold and silver are needed in the mortal world as material things are bought against them or anything else one-needs can be procured through them. In the Hereafter, there will be just no need to buy anything or sell anything or pay for anything. Instead of that, whatever the dweller of Paradise needs will be instantly provided. Incidentally, the Paradise itself is not without gold and silver. Some sayings of the Prophet ﷺ mention that some places of Paradise will have bricks of gold and silver masoned one after the other. However, in view of the uniqueness of that life; gold and silver were not considered worth mentioning. Now the horses. In the world of our experience, horses help cover distances. In the other world, there is no travel and no riding but, sound hadith reports do prove that fine horses will be presented before the dwellers of Paradise on Fridays which they will ride to go and meet friends and relatives. As is evident, horses were not worth mentioning in this context, which is also true about cattles and farms and their produce. The services they provide have already been provided in the Paradise by Allah Almighty without their medium. However, should there be someone there who for some unnecessary reason wishes to try farming, he will have his wish granted. As it appears in some reports in al-Tabarani, everything needed for farming will be assembled instantly for such a person. Thereafter the whole process of ploughing, seeding, ripening and cutting will be accomplished in no time and he will have what he wished for before him. So, among the blessings of the آخرۃ Akhirah, the mention of 'wives purified' was considered sufficient because the Holy Qur'an has another promise for the people of Paradise: وَلَهُم مَّا يَشْتَهُونَ ﴿57﴾ And for them there is what they wish for). After such a comprehensive declaration, there remains no need to individually mention any particular blessing. Those that have been mentioned are blessings already there without any need to ask for these. The last and most important messing mentioned is the approval of Allah Almighty something one cannot easily conceptualize - after which there is no danger of displeasure from Allah. According to a hadith, when the people of Paradise would have settled down there, happy and content without having any desire remaining unfulfilled, Allah Almighty will speak to them asking if they are happy and if they need anything. They will say: Our Lord, You have given us everything, what else could we ever need. Allah Almighty would say: Now I give you the greatest of all blessings - you all have My approval that I will never be displeased with you, and nearness forever. Since the danger of Allah's displeasure does not exist in Paradise, there is also no danger that the blessings of Paradise will ever be taken back or reduced. It is the very subject of these verses that the Holy Prophet has summarized in the following hadith: الدنیا ملعونۃ و ملعون ما فیھا الا ما ابتغی بہ وجہ اللہ وفی روایہ الا زکر اللہ و ما والاہ او عالماً او متعلماً 'Wordly life is cursed and cursed is what is in there, except what is used to seek the pleasure of Allah'. According to another narration: ' except the Dhikr (Remembrance) of Allah and what Allah likes and except ` Alim عالِم (religious scholar) and Talib ilm طالب العلم (student in religion).' This hadith has been reported by Ibn Majah and al-Tabarani on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ .

Allah then proceeds to describe them, saying: (Those who say) in the life of this world: (Our Lord!) O our Lord! (Lo! we believe) in You and in Your Messenger. (So forgive us our sins) that we committed in the pre-Islamic period as well as after the advent of Islam (and guard us from the punishment of Fire) drive away from us the punishment of hell;