The Forgiver, The Forgiving One — Verse 41

The Conclusion of the Believer's Words, and the ultimate Destiny of both Parties That believer said: `Why do I call you to salvation, which is the worship of Allah alone with no partner or associate, and belief in His Messenger, whom He has sent,' وَتَدْعُونَنِى إِلَى النَّارِتَدْعُونَنِى لاّكْـفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَأُشْرِكَ بِهِ مَا لَيْسَ لِى بِهِ عِلْمٌ (while you call me to the Fire! You invite me to disbelieve in Allah, and to join partners in worship with Him of which I have no knowledge;) means, on the basis of ignorance, with no proof or evidence. وَأَنَاْ أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى الْعَزِيزِ الْغَفَّارِ (and I invite you to the Almighty, the Oft-Forgiving!) means, with all His might and pride, He still forgives the sin of the one who repents to Him. لاَ جَرَمَ أَنَّمَا تَدْعُونَنِى إِلَيْهِ (La Jarama, you call me to one) They say it means, "Truly." As-Suddi and Ibn Jarir said that the meaning of His saying: لاَ جَرَمَ (La jarama) means "Truly." Ad-Dahhak said: لاَ جَرَمَ (La Jarama) means, "No lie." `Ali bin Abi Talhah and Ibn `Abbas said: لاَ جَرَمَ (La Jarama) means, "Indeed, the one that you call me to of idols and false gods لَيْسَ لَهُ دَعْوَةٌ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَلاَ فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ (that does not have a claim in this world or in the Hereafter)." Mujahid said, "The idols that do not have anything." Qatadah said, "This means that idols possess no power either to benefit or to harm." As-Suddi said, "They do not respond to those who call upon them, either in this world or in the Hereafter." This is like the Ayah: وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّن يَدْعُو مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَن لاَّ يَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَهُمْ عَن دُعَآئِهِمْ غَـفِلُونَ - وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُواْ لَهُمْ أَعْدَآءً وَكَانُواْ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كَـفِرِينَ (And who is more astray than one who calls on besides Allah, such as will not answer him till the Day of Resurrection, and who are unaware of their calls to them And when the people are gathered, they will become their enemies and deny their worship.) (46:5-6) إِن تَدْعُوهُمْ لاَ يَسْمَعُواْ دُعَآءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُواْ مَا اسْتَجَابُواْ لَكُمْ (If you invoke them, they hear not your call; and if they were to hear, they could not grant it to you) (35:14). وَأَنَّ مَرَدَّنَآ إِلَى اللَّهِ (And our return will be to Allah,) means, in the Hereafter, where He will reward or punish each person according to his deeds. He says: وَأَنَّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ هُمْ أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ (and the transgressors, they shall be the dwellers of the Fire!) meaning, they will dwell therein forever, because of their great sin, which is associating others in worship with Allah. فَسَتَذْكُرُونَ مَآ أَقُولُ لَكُـمْ (And you will remember what I am telling you,) means, `you will come to know the truth of what I enjoined upon `you and forbade you to do, the advice I gave you and what I explained to you. You will come to know, and you will feel regret at the time when regret will be of no avail.' وَأُفَوِّضُ أَمْرِى إِلَى اللَّهِ (and my affair I leave it to Allah.) means, `I put my trust in Allah and seek His help, and I renounce you utterly.' إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ (Verily, Allah is the All-Seer of (His) servants.) means, He knows all about them, may He be exalted and sanctified, and He guides those who deserve to be guided and sends astray those who deserve to be sent astray; His is the perfect proof, utmost wisdom and mighty power. فَوقَاهُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِ مَا مَكَـرُواْ (So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted,) means, in this world and in the Hereafter; in this world, Allah saved him along with Musa, peace be upon him, and in the Hereafter (He will admit him) to Paradise. Proof of the Torment of the Grave وَحَاقَ بِـَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ سُوءُ الْعَذَابِ (while an evil torment encompassed Fir`awn's people.) this refers to drowning in the sea, then being transferred from there to Hell, for their souls are exposed to the Fire morning and evening until the Hour begins. When the Day of Resurrection comes, their souls and bodies will be reunited in Hell. Allah says: وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ (And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Admit Fir`awn's people to the severest torment!") meaning, more intense pain and greater agony. This Ayah contains one of the major proofs used by the Ahlus-Sunnah to prove that there will be torment in the grave during the period of Al-Barzakh; it is the phrase: النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً (The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon). But the question arises: this Ayah was undoubtedly revealed in Makkah, but they use it as evidence to prove that there will be torment in the grave during the period of Al-Barzakh. Imam Ahmad recorded from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that a Jewish woman used to serve her, and whenever `A'ishah did her a favor, the Jewish woman would say, "May Allah save you from the torment of the grave. " `A'ishah said, "Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came in, and I said, `O Messenger of Allah, will there be any torment in the grave before the Day of Resurrection' He said, «لَا، مَنْ زَعَمَ ذَلِكَ؟» (No, who said that) I said, `This Jewish woman, whenever I do her a favor, she says: May Allah save you from the torment of the grave."' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «كَذَبَتْ يَهُودُ وَهُمْ عَلَى اللهِ أَكْذَبُ، لَا عَذَابَ دُونَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَة» (The Jews are lying, and they tell more lies about Allah. There is no torment except on the Day of Resurrection.) Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass, then one day he came out at midday, wrapped in his robe with his eyes reddening, calling at the top of his voice: «الْقَبْرُ كَقِطَع اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ، أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا وَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلًا، أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اسْتَعِـــــــــيذُوا بِاللهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ، فَإِنَّ عَذَابَ الْقَبْرِ حَق» (The grave is like patches of dark night! O people, if you knew what I know, you would weep much and laugh little. O people, seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave, for the torment of the grave is real.)" This chain of narration is Sahih according to the conditions of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, although they did not record it. It was said, `how can this report be reconciled with the fact that the Ayah was revealed in Makkah and the Ayah indicates that there will be torment during the period of Al-Barzakh' The answer is that the Ayah refers to the souls (of Fir`awn and his people) being exposed to the Fire morning and evening; it does not say that the pain will affect their bodies in the grave. So it may be that this has to do specifically with their souls. With regard to there being any effect on their bodies in Al-Barzakh, and their feeling pain as a result, this is indicated in the Sunnah, in some Hadiths which we will mention below. It was said that this Ayah refers to the punishment of the disbelievers in Al-Barzakh, and that it does not by itself imply that the believer will be punished in the grave for his sins. This is indicated by the Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, according to which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon `A'ishah when a Jewish woman was with her, and she (the Jewish woman) was saying, "I was told that you will be tried in the grave." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was worried and said: «إِنَّمَا يُفْتَنُ يَهُود» (Only the Jews will be tested.) `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Several nights passed, then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «أَلَا إِنَّكُمْ تُفْتَنُونَ فِي الْقُبُور» (Verily you will be tested in the graves.)" `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "After that, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to seek refuge with Allah from the torment of the grave." This was also recorded by Muslim. It could be said that this Ayah indicates that the souls will be punished in Al-Barzakh, but this does not necessarily imply that the bodies in their graves will be affected by that. When Allah revealed something about the torment of the grave to His Prophet , he sought refuge with Allah from that. And Allah knows best. The Hadiths which speak of the torment of the grave are very many. Qatadah said, concerning the Ayah, غُدُوّاً وَعَشِيّاً (morning and afternoon.): "(This means) every morning and every evening, for as long as this world remains, it will be said to them by way of rebuke and humiliation, O people of Fir`awn, this is your position." Ibn Zayd said, "They are there today, being exposed to it morning and evening, until the Hour begins. وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُواْ ءَالَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ (And on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): "Cause Fir`awn's people to enter the severest torment!") The people of Fir`awn are like foolish camels, stumbling into rocks and trees without thinking." Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: «إِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا مَاتَ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ مَقْعَدُهُ بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ، إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَمِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، فَيُقَالُ: هذَا مَقْعَدُكَ حَتْى يَبْعَثَكَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة» (When one of you dies, he is shown his place in Paradise or Hell morning and evening; if he is one of the people of Paradise, then he is one of the people of Paradise, and if he is one of the people of Hell, then he is one of the people of Hell. It will be said to him, this is your place until Allah resurrects you to go to it on the Day of Resurrection.)" It was also reported in the Two Sahihs.

And O my people! Think what makes me call you to deliverance when you call me to the Fire?

ويا قوم كيف أدعوكم إلى الإيمان بالله واتباع رسوله موسى، وهي دعوة تنتهي بكم إلى الجنة والبعد عن أهوال النار، وأنتم تدعونني إلى عمل يؤدي إلى عذاب الله وعقوبته في النار؟

يقول لهم المؤمن ما بالي أدعوكم إلى النجاة وهي عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له وتصديق رسوله صلى الله عليه وسلم الذي بعثه.

ثم استنكر موقف قومه منه فقال : ( وياقوم مَا لي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النجاة ) من العذاب الدنيوى والأخروى ، بأن آمركم بالإيمان والعمل الصالح ، وأنهاكم عن قتل رجل يقول ربى الله ، وقد جاءكم بالبينات من ربكم وهو موسى - عليه السلام - .وأنتم ( وتدعونني إِلَى النار ) أى : تدعوننى لما يوصل إلى النار وهو عبادة غير الله - تعالى - ، والموافقة على قتل الصالحين أو إيذائهم . .قال صاحب الكشاف : فإن قلت : لم كرر نداء قومه؟ ولم جاء بالواو فى النداء الثالث دون الثانى؟قلت : أما تكرير النداء ففيه زيادة تنبيه لهم ، وإيقاظ عن سنة الغفلة ، وفيه : أنهم قومه وعشيرته . . ونصيحتهم عليه واجبة ، فهو يتحزن لهم ، ويتلطف بهم ، ويستدعى بذلك أن لا يتهموه - فإن سرورهم سروره ، وغمهم غمه - وأن ينزلوا على تنصيحه لهم ، كما كرر إبراهيم - عليه السلام - فى نصيحة أبيه قوله :( ياأبت ) فى سورة مريم .وأما المجئ بالواو العاطفة فى النداء الثالث دون الثانى ، فلأن الثانى داخل على كلام هو بيان للمجمل ، وتفسير له فأعطى الداخل عليه حكمه فى امتناع دخول الواو . وأما الثالث : فداخل على كلام ليس بتلك المثابة .

القول في تأويل قوله تعالى : وَيَا قَوْمِ مَا لِي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النَّجَاةِ وَتَدْعُونَنِي إِلَى النَّارِ (41)يقول تعالى ذكره مخبرا عن قيل هذا المؤمن لقومه من الكفرة: ( مَا لِي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النَّجَاةِ ) من عذاب الله وعقوبته بالإيمان به, واتباع رسوله موسى, وتصديقه فيما جاءكم به من عند ربه ( وَتَدْعُونَنِي إِلَى النَّارِ ) يقول: وتدعونني إلى عمل أهل النار.وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.* ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني محمد بن عمرو, قال: ثنا أبو عاصم, قال: ثنا عيسى; وحدثني الحارث, قال: ثنا الحسن, قال: ثنا ورقاء جميعا, عن ابن أبي نجيح, عن مجاهد, قوله: ( مَا لِي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النَّجَاةِ ) قال: الإيمان بالله.حدثني يونس, قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب, قال: قال ابن زيد, في قوله: ( مَا لِي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النَّجَاةِ وَتَدْعُونَنِي إِلَى النَّارِ ) قال هذا مومن آل فرعون, قال: يدعونه إلى دينهم والإقامة معهم.

( ويا قوم ما لي أدعوكم إلى النجاة ) يعني : ما لكم ، كما تقول : ما لي أراك حزينا ؟ أي : ما لك ؟ يقول : أخبروني عنكم ؟ كيف هذه الحال أدعوكم إلى النجاة من النار بالإيمان بالله ، ( وتدعونني إلى النار ) ؟ إلى الشرك الذي يوجب النار ، ثم فسر فقال :

وَيَا قَوْمِ مَا لِي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النَّجَاةِ وَتَدْعُونَنِي إِلَى النَّارِ (41) أعاد نداءهم وعطفت حكايته بواو العطف للإشارة إلى أن نداءه اشتمل على ما يقتضي في لغتهم أن الكلام قد تخطى من غرض إلى غرض وأنه سَيَطْرَق ما يغاير أول كلامه مغايرة مَّا تُشبه مغايرة المتعاطفين في لغة العرب ، وأنه سيرتقي باستدراجهم في دَرَج الاستدلال إلى المقصود بعد المقدمات ، فانتقل هنا إلى أن أنكر عليهم شيئاً جرى منهم نحوه وهو أنهم أعقبوا موعظتَهُ إياهم بدعوته للإقلاع عن ذلك وأن يتمسك بدينهم وهذا شيء مطوي في خلال القصة دلت عليه حكاية إنكاره عليهم ، وهو كلامُ آيسسٍ من استجابتهم لقوله فيه : { فَسَتَذكُرُونَ مَا أقولُ لَكُم } [ غافر : 44 ] ، ومُتَوقِّععٍ أذاهم لقوله : { وَأُفَوِّضُ أمْرِي إلَى الله } [ غافر : 44 ] ، ولقوله تعالى آخر القصة : { فوقاه الله سيئات ما مكروا } [ غافر : 45 ] . فصرّح هنا وبينّ بأنه لم يزل يدعوهم إلى اتباع ما جاء به موسى وفي اتّباعه النجاة من عذاب الآخرة فهو يدعوهم إلى النجاة حقيقة ، وليس إطلاق النجاة على ما يدعوهم إليه بمجاز مرسل بل يدعوهم إلى حقيقة النجاة بوسائط .والاستفهام في { مَا لِي أدْعُوكم إلى النجاة } استفهام تعجبي باعتبار تقييده بجملة الحال

{ وَيَا قَوْمِ مَا لِي أَدْعُوكُمْ إِلَى النَّجَاةِ } بما قلت لكم { وَتَدْعُونَنِي إِلَى النَّارِ } بترك اتباع نبي الله موسى عليه السلام.

قوله تعالى : ويا قوم ما لي أدعوكم إلى النجاة أي إلى طريق الإيمان الموصل إلى الجنان وتدعونني إلى النار بين أن ما قال فرعون من قوله : وما أهديكم إلا سبيل الرشاد سبيل الغي عاقبته النار ، وكانوا دعوه إلى اتباعه . ولهذا قال :

In other words the sentence, ‘I call you towards the Lord of the Universe, whereas you call me towards one who is quite ineffectual both in this world and in the Hereafter.’ This presents the gist of the speech of a true believer. This gives an idea of what was being discussed in Pharaoh’s court. The discussion was on whether God or other man-made deities should be invoked. The true believer said that God is a living and dominant entity. Calling upon Him amounts to calling upon the real God. As opposed to this, he said that their deities were only the creation of their imagination or objects of superstition, and were of no avail either in this world or in the world Hereafter. When they (the deities) have no real existence, how can they confer any real advantage? (Tafsir ibn Kathir, vol. IV, p. 80).

The word: صرح (sarh) in verse 36: وَقَالَ فِرْ‌عَوْنُ يَا هَامَانُ ابْنِ لِي صَرْ‌حًا (And the Pharaoh said, "0 Haman, make a tower for me,) means a structure that rises high. An outward look at this statement suggests that the Pharaoh ordered his minister, Haman to build a structure that rises high into the sky close enough for him to go up, peek in and have a glimpse of God. If this wild thought, not imaginable even in the case of a man of very ordinary commonsense, really comes from Pharaoh, the sole master of the kingdom of Egypt, then, it is an evidence of his unbelievable folly - and if the minister carried out his orders, then, the apple did not fall far from the tree, as the king, so the courtier! Since no one expects any head of the state to go that wild in his imagination, therefore, some commentators have said that this much he too knew that, no matter how high a structure is made for him, he still cannot reach the skies (by that mode of ascent). But, he did that only to impress or confuse his people. Then, we have no sound and strong report to prove whether or not such a palatial high structure was ever raised. However, al-Qurtubi reports that this building was constructed, but once it reached its higher levels, it collapsed. My respected father, Maulana Muhammad Yasin, a dear disciple of Maulana Muhammad Ya` qub, the first principal of the famous Darul-` Uloom of Deoband in India has reported his learned teacher saying, 'For this lofty palace to collapse, it is not necessary that it be hit by some Divine punishment. The fact is that the height of every building depends on the capability of its foundation to bear weight. No matter how deep the foundation is laid, it cannot go deeper than a certain limit. Now, when levels after levels were added to this building, it was inevitable that, once it exceeded the capability of its foundation to bear additional weight, it must collapse.' This provides another proof of the folly of Pharaoh and Haman. Allah knows best.

(And, O my people! What aileth me that I call you unto deliverance) unto Allah's divine Oneness-this is also the saying of Ezekiel-(when ye call me unto the Fire) while you are calling me to the deeds of the dwellers of the Fire: i.e. to idolatry?