Cattle, Livestock — Verse 55

The Prophet Understands What He Conveys; Torment is in Allah's Hands Not the Prophet's Allah says, just as We mentioned the clear signs that testify and direct to the path of guidance, all the while chastising useless arguments and defiance, كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَـتِ (And thus do We explain the Ayat in detail,) that is, whatever responsible adults need explained to them, in the affairs of life and religion, وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ (That the way of the criminals may become manifest.) so that the path of the criminals who defy the Prophets is apparent and clear. This Ayah was also said to mean, so that you, O Muhammad , are aware of the path of the criminals. Allah's statement, قُلْ إِنِّى عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّى (Say: "I am on clear proof from my Lord...") means: I have a clear understanding of the Law of Allah that He has revealed to me, وَكَذَّبْتُم بِهِ (but you deny it.) meaning, but you disbelieve in the truth that came to me from Allah. مَا عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ (I do not have what you are hastily seeking) meaning, the torment, إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ للَّهِ (The decision is only for Allah,) for the ruling of this is with Allah. If He wills, He will punish you soon in response to your wish! If He wills, He will give you respite, out of His great wisdom. This is why Allah said, يَقُصُّ الْحَقَّ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْفَـصِلِينَ (He declares the truth, and He is the best of judges.) and the best in reckoning between His servants. Allah's statement, قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ (Say: "If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I,") means, if I have what you ask for, I will surely send down what you deserve of it, وَاللهُ أَعْلَمْ بِالظَّالِمِيَن (but Allah knows best the wrongdoers) Someone might ask about the meaning of this Ayah compared to the Hadith in the Two Sahihs, from `A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said to the Messenger ﷺ, "O Allah's Messenger ! Have you encountered a day harder than the day (of the battle) of Uhud" The Prophet replied, «لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْ قَوْمِكِ، وَكَانَ أَشَدَّ مَا لَقِيتُ مِنْهُمْ يَوْمَ الْعَقَبَةِ،إِذْ عَرَضْتُ نَفْسِي عَلَى ابْنِ عَبْدِيَالِيلَ بْنِ عَبْدِكُلَالٍ، فَلَمْ يُجِبْنِي إِلَى مَا أَرَدْتُ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ وَأَنَا مَهْمُومٌ عَلَى وَجْهِي، فَلَمْ أَسْتَفِقْ إِلَّا بِقَرْنِ الثَّعَالِبِ، فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي، فَإِذَا أَنَا بِسَحَاَبَةٍ قَدْ ظَلَّلَتْنِي، فَنَظَرْتُ فَإِذَا فِيهَا جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، فَنَادَانِي فَقَالَ: إِنَّ الله قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ، وَمَا رَدُّوا عَلَيْكَ، وَقَدْ بَعَثَ إِلَيْكَ مَلَكَ الْجِبَالِ، لِتَأْمُرَهُ بِمَا شِئْتَ فِيهِمْ، قَالَ: فَنَادَانِي مَلَكُ الْجِبَالِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيَّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ سَمِعَ قَوْلَ قَوْمِكَ لَكَ، وَقَدْ بَعَثَنِي رَبُّكَ إِلَيْكَ، لِتَأْمُرَنِي بِأَمْرِكَ فِيمَا شِئْتَ، إِنْ شِئْتَ أَطْبَقْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَخْشَبَيْن» فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِصلى الله عليه وسلّم: «بَلْ أَرْجُو أَنْ يُخْرِجَ اللهُ مِنْ أَصْلَابِهِمْ، مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللهَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا» (Your people have troubled me alot and the worst trouble was on the day of `Aqabah when I presented myself to Ibn `Abd Yalil bin `Abd Kulal, who did not respond to my call. So I departed, overwhelmed with severe sorrow, proceeded on and could not relax until I found myself at Qarn Ath-Tha`alib where I raised my head towards the sky to see a cloud unexpectedly shading me. I looked up and saw Jibril in it and he called me saying, `Indeed Allah has heard what you said to the people and what they have responded to you. Therefore, Allah has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.' The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, `O Muhammad! verily, Allah has heard how your people responded to you and He has sent me to you so that you could order me to do what you wish. If you like, I will let Al-Akhshabayn (two mountains to the north and south of Makkah) fall on them.' The Prophet said, No, but I hope that Allah will let them generate offspring who will worship Allah Alone, and will worship none besides Him.) This is the wording of Muslim. Tormenting the disbelievers of Quraysh was offered to the Prophet , but he chose patience and asked Allah for respite for them, so that Allah might let them generate offspring who will not associate anything with Him in worship. Therefore, how can we combine the meaning of this Hadith and the honorable Ayah, قُل لَّوْ أَنَّ عِندِى مَا تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِهِ لَقُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالظَّـلِمِينَ (Say: "If I had that which you are asking for impatiently (the torment), the matter would have been settled at once between you and I, but Allah knows best the wrongdoers.") The answer to this question is, Allah knows the best, that the Ayah states that if the punishment that they asked for was in the Prophet's hand at the time, he would have sent it on them as they asked. As for the Hadith, the disbelievers did not ask the Prophet to send the torment down on them. Rather, the angel responsible for the mountains offered him the choice to let the two mountains to the north and south of Makkah close in on the disbelievers and crush them. The Prophet did not wish that and asked for respite out of compassion for them. Allah said next, وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَآ إِلاَّ هُوَ (And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He.) Al-Bukhari recorded that Salim bin `Abdullah said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلَّا الله» (The keys of the Unseen are five and none except Allah knows them: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الاٌّرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَداً وَمَا تَدْرِى نَفْسٌ بِأَىِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَيمٌ خَبِيرٌ (Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware)") 31:34. Allah's statement, وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ (And He knows whatever there is on the land and in the sea;) means, Allah's honored knowledge encompasses everything, including the creatures living in the sea and on land, and none of it, not even the weight of an atom on earth or in heaven, ever escapes His knowledge. Allah's statement, وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلاَّ يَعْلَمُهَا (not a leaf falls, but He knows it.) means, He knows the movements of everything including inanimate things. Therefore, what about His knowledge of the living creatures, especially, those whom the Divine laws have been imposed upon such as mankind and the Jinns In another Ayah, Allah said; يَعْلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ (Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.) 40:19

And thus in the same way that We have explained what has been mentioned We distinguish We expound the signs the Qur’ān so that truth becomes manifest and is implemented in people’s deeds and that the way the path of the sinners may be become clear evident and hence avoided wa-li-yastabīna may also be read wa-li-tastabīna ‘that you may discern’ with sabīla ‘the way’ read in the accusative as opposed to the nominative sabīlu implying a direct address to the Prophet s.

And thus We distinguish the signs, that is, just like that clarification that We have made to these believers, We clarify to you Our attributes, and that it may become clear [to you] the way, of those who are veiled by their attributes, those who act on them in the [evil] way that they do, which is their crime.

And thus We distinguish the signs, that is, just like that clarification that We have made to these believers, We clarify to you Our attributes, and that it may become clear [to you] the way, of those who are veiled by their attributes, those who act on them in the [evil] way that they do, which is their crime.

ومثل هذا البيان الذي بيَّنَّاه لك -أيها الرسول- نبيِّن الحجج الواضحة على كل حق ينكره أهل الباطل؛ ليتبين الحق، وليظهر طريق أهل الباطل المخالفين للرسل.

يقول تعالى وكما بينا ما تقدم بيانه من الحجج والدلائل على طريق الهداية والرشاد وذم المجادلة والعناد "كذلك نفصل الآيات" أي التي يحتاج المخاطبون إلى بيانها "ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين" أي ولتظهر طريق المجرمين المخالفين للرسل وقرئ "ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين" أي ولتستبين يا محمد أو يا مخاطب سبيل المجرمين.

ثم قال تعالى { وَكَذَلِكَ نفَصِّلُ الآيات } المنزلة فى بيان الحقائق التى يهتدى بها أهل النظر الصحيح والفقه الدقيق .{ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ المجرمين } أى ولأجل أن يظهر بها طريق المجرمين فيمتازوا بها عن جماعة المسلمين .

القول في تأويل قوله : وَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ (55)قال أبو جعفر: يعني تعالى ذكره بقوله: " وكذلك نفصل الآيات "، وكما فصلنا لك في هذه السورة من ابتدائها وفاتحتها، يا محمد، إلى هذا الموضع، حجتَنا على المشركين من عبدة الأوثان، وأدلتَنا, وميَّزناها لك وبيَّناها, كذلك نفصِّل لك أعلامنا وأدلتنا في كل حقّ ينكره أهل الباطل من سائر أهل الملل غيرهم, فنبينها لك، حتى تبين حقه من باطله، وصحيحهُ من سقيمه.* * *واختلفت القرأة في قراءة قوله: " ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين " .فقرأ ذلك عامة قرأة أهل المدينة: (وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ) بالتاء (سَبِيلَ الْمُجِرمِينَ) بنصب " السبيل ", على أن " تستبين "، خطاب للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، كأن معناه عندهم: ولتستبين، أنت يا محمد، سبيل المجرمين.* * *وكان ابن زيد يتأول ذلك: ولتستبين، أنت يا محمد، سبيلَ المجرمين الذين سألوك طردَ النفر الذين سألوه طردهم عنه من أصحابه .13299 - حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن ريد : " ولتستبين سبيلَ المجرمين "، قال: الذين يأمرونك بطرد هؤلاء .* * *وقرأ ذلك بعض المكيين وبعض البصرين: (وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ) بالتاء (سَبِيلُ الْمُجِرمِينَ) برفع " السبيل "، على أن القصد للسبيل, ولكنه يؤنثها = وكأن معنى الكلام عندهم: وكذلك نفصل الآيات، ولتتضح لك وللمؤمنين طريقُ المجرمين.* * *وقرأ ذلك عامة قرأة أهل الكوفة: (وَلِيَسْتَبِينَ) بالياء (سَبِيلُ الْمُجِرمِينَ) برفع " السبيل " على أن الفعل للسبيل، ولكنهم يذكرونه = ومعنى هؤلاء في هذا الكلام, ومعنى من قرأ ذلك بالتاء في: " ولتستبين " ورفع " السبيل "، واحدٌ, وإنما الاختلاف بينهم في تذكير " السبيل " وتأنيثها. (15)* * *قال أبو جعفر: وأولى القراءتين بالصواب عندي في" السبيل " الرفع, لأن الله تعالى ذكره فصَّل آياته في كتابه وتنـزيله, ليتبين الحقَّ بها من الباطل جميعُ من خوطب بها, لا بعضٌ دون بعض.ومن قرأ " السبيل " بالنصب, فإنما جعل تبيين ذلك محصورًا على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.وأما القراءة في قوله: " ولتستبين "، فسواء قرئت بالتاء أو بالياء, لأن من العرب من يذكر " السبيل " = وهم تميم وأهل نجد = ومنهم من يؤنث " السبيل " = وهم أهل الحجاز. وهما قراءتان مستفيضتان في قرأة الأمصار، ولغتان مشهورتان من لغات العرب, وليس في قراءة ذلك بإحداهما خلافٌ لقراءته بالأخرى، ولا وجه لاختيار إحداهما على الأخرى = بعد أن يرفع " السبيل " = للعلة التي ذكرنا. (16)* * *وبنحو الذي قلنا في تأويل قوله: " نفصل الآيات " قال أهل التأويل.13300 - حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا إسحاق قال، حدثنا عبد الرزاق قال، أخبرنا معمر, عن قتادة: " وكذلك نفصل الآيات "، نبين الآيات .13301 - حدثني يونس قال، أخبرنا ابن وهب قال، قال ابن زيد في : " نفصل الآيات "، نبين.--------------الهوامش :(15) انظر معاني القرآن للفراء 1: 337.(16) انظر تفسير"السبيل" فيما سلف من فهارس اللغة (سبل) = وتفسير"استبان" في مادة (بين) من فهارس اللغة.

( وكذلك نفصل الآيات ) أي : وهكذا ، وقيل : معناه وكما فصلنا لك في هذه السورة دلائلنا وإعلامنا على المشركين كذلك نفصل الآيات ، أي : نميز ونبين لك حجتنا في كل حق ينكره أهل الباطل ، ( ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين ) أي : طريق المجرمين ، وقرأ أهل المدينة " ولتستبين " بالتاء ، " سبيل " نصب على خطاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، أي : ولتعرف يا محمد سبيل المجرمين ، يقال : استبنت الشيء وتبينته إذا عرفته ، وقرأ حمزة والكسائي وأبو بكر " وليستبين " بالياء " سبيل " بالرفع ، وقرأ الآخرون ( ولتستبين ) بالتاء " سبيل " رفع ، أي : ليظهر ويتضح السبيل ، يذكر ويؤنث ، فدليل التذكير قوله تعالى : " وإن يروا سبيل الرشد لا يتخذوه سبيلا " ( الأعراف ، 146 ) ، ودليل التأنيت قوله تعالى : " لم تصدون عن سبيل الله من آمن تبغونها عوجا " ( آل عمران ، 99 ) .

الواو استئنافية كما تقدّم في قوله : { وكذلك فتنَّا بعضهم ببعض } [ الأنعام : 53 ]. والجملة تذييل للكلام الذي مضى مبتدئاً بقوله تعالى : { وأنذر به الذين يخافون أن يحشروا إلى ربّهم } [ الأنعام : 51 ].والتفصيل : التبيين والتوضيح ، مشتقّ من الفصل ، وهو تفرّق الشيء عن الشيء . ولمّا كانت الأشياء المختلطة إذا فُصلت يتبيّن بعضها من بعض أطلق التفصيل على التبيين بعلاقة اللزوم ، وشاع ذلك حتَّى صار حقيقة ، ومن هذا القبيل أيضاً تسمية الإيضاح تبييناً وإبانة ، فإنّ أصل الإبانة القطع . والمراد بالتفصيل الإيضاح ، أي الإتيان بالآيات الواضحة الدلالة على المقصود منها .والآيات : آيات القرآن . والمعنى نفصّل الآيات ونبيِّنها تفصيلاً مثل هذا التفصيل الذي لا فوقه تفصيل ، وهو تفصيل يحصل به علم المراد منها بَيّنا .وقوله : { ولتستبين } عطف على علَّة مقدّرة دلّ عليها قوله : { وكذلك نفصّل الآيات } لأنّ المشار إليه التفصيل البالغ غاية البيان ، فيُعلم من الإشارة إليه أنّ الغرض منه اتِّضاح العلم للرسول . فلمَّا كان ذلك التفصيل بهذه المثابة علم منه أنَّه علَّة لشيء يناسبه وهو تبيّن الرسول ذلك التفصيل ، فصحّ أن تعطف عليه علّة أخرى من علم الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وهي استبانته سبيل المجرمين . فالتقدير مثلاً : وكذلك التفصيل نفصّل الآيات لتعلم بتفصيلها كنهها ، ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين ، ففي الكلام إيجاز الحذف .وهكذا كلّما كان استعمال ( كذلك ) نفعل بعد ذكر أفعال عظيمة صالحاً الفعل المذكور بعد الإشارة لأن يكون علَّة لأمر من شأنه أن يعلّل بمثله صحّ أن تعطف عليه علَّة أخرى كما هنا ، وكما في قوله : { وكذلك نري إبراهيم ملكوت السماوات والأرض وليكون من الموقنين } [ الأنعام : 75 ] بخلاف ما لا يصلح ، ولذلك فإنَّه إذا أريد ذكر علَّة بعده ذكرت بدون عطف ، نحو قوله : { وكذلك جعلناكم أمَّة وسطاً لتكونوا شهداء على الناس } [ البقرة : 143 ].و { سبيل المجرمين } طريقهم وسيرتهم في الظلم والحسد والكبر واحتقار الناس والتصلّب في الكفر .والمجرمون هم المشركون . وضع الظاهر موضع المضمر للتنصيص على أنَّهم المراد ولإجراء وصف الإجرام عليهم . وخصّ المجرمين لأنَّهم المقصود من هذه الآيات كلِّها لإيضاح خفيّ أحوالهم للنبيء صلى الله عليه وسلم والمسلمين .وقرأ نافع ، وابن كثير ، وابن عامر ، وأبو عمرو ، وحفص عن عاصم ، وأبُو جعفر ، ويعقوب بتاء مثنّاة فوقية في أول الفعل على أنَّها تاء خطاب . والخطاب للنبيء صلى الله عليه وسلموقرأه حمزة ، والكسائي ، وأبو بكر عن عاصم ، وخلف بياء الغائب ، ثم إنّ نافعاً ، وأبا جعفر قرآ { سبيل } بفتح اللام على أنَّه مفعول { تستبين } فالسين والتاء للطلب . وقرأه البقية برفع اللام على أنَّه فاعل «يستبينَ» أو «تستبينَ» . فالسين والتاء ليسا للطلب بل للمبالغة مثل استجاب .وقرأ ابن عامر ، وابن كثير ، وأبو عَمرو ، وحفص ، على عاصم برفع { سبيل } على أنّ تاء المضارعة تاء المؤنَّثة . لأنّ السبيل مؤنَّثة في لغة عرب الحجاز ، وعلى أنَّه من استبان القاصر بمعنى بَانَ ف { سبيل } فاعل { تستبين } ، أي لتتّضح سبيلهم لك وللمؤمنين .

{ وَكَذَلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ } أي: نوضحها ونبينها، ونميز بين طريق الهدى من الضلال، والغي والرشاد، ليهتدي بذلك المهتدون، ويتبين الحق الذي ينبغي سلوكه. { وَلِتَسْتَبِينَ سَبِيلُ الْمُجْرِمِينَ } الموصلة إلى سخط الله وعذابه، فإن سبيل المجرمين إذا استبانت واتضحت، أمكن اجتنابها، والبعد منها، بخلاف ما لو كانت مشتبهة ملتبسة، فإنه لا يحصل هذا المقصود الجليل.

قوله تعالى : وكذلك نفصل الآيات ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين قوله تعالى : وكذلك نفصل الآيات التفصيل التبيين الذي تظهر به المعاني ; والمعنى : وكما فصلنا لك في هذه السورة دلائلنا ومحاجتنا مع المشركين كذلك نفصل لكم الآيات في كل ما تحتاجون إليه من أمر الدين ، ونبين لكم أدلتنا وحججنا في كل حق ينكره أهل الباطل . وقال القتبي : نفصل الآيات نأتي بها شيئا بعد شيء ، ولا ننزلها جملة متصلة . ولتستبين سبيل المجرمين يقال : هذه اللام تتعلق بالفعل فأين الفعل الذي تتعلق به ؟ فقال الكوفيون : هو مقدر ; أي : وكذلك نفصل الآيات لنبين لكم ولتستبين ; قال النحاس : وهذا الحذف كله لا يحتاج إليه ، والتقدير : وكذلك نفصل الآيات فصلناها .وقيل : إن دخول الواو للعطف على المعنى ; أي : ليظهر الحق وليستبين ، قرئ بالياء والتاء . ( سبيل ) برفع اللام ونصبها ، وقراءة التاء خطاب للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، أي : ولتستبين يا محمد سبيل المجرمين . فإن قيل : فقد كان النبي عليه السلام يستبينها ؟ فالجواب عند الزجاج - أن الخطاب للنبي عليه السلام خطاب لأمته ; فالمعنى : ولتستبينوا سبيل المجرمين . فإن قيل : فلم لم يذكر سبيل المؤمنين ؟ ففي هذا جوابان ; أحدهما : أن يكون مثل قوله : [ ص: 343 ] سرابيل تقيكم الحر فالمعنى ; وتقيكم البرد ثم حذف ; وكذلك يكون هذا المعنى ولتستبين سبيل المؤمنين ثم حذف . والجواب الآخر : أن يقال : استبان الشيء واستبنته ; وإذا بان سبيل المجرمين فقد بان سبيل المؤمنين . والسبيل يذكر ويؤنث ; فتميم تذكره ، وأهل الحجاز تؤنثه ; وفي التنزيل وإن يروا سبيل الرشد مذكر ( لم تصدون عن سبيل الله ) مؤنث ; وكذلك قرئ ( ولتستبين ) بالياء والتاء ; فالتاء خطاب للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم والمراد أمته .

During the period of the Prophet Muhammad, there were those who demanded miracles before accepting his bona fides. Unlike them, there were others who embraced the faith on hearing him recite the verses of the Quran. This sort of test of man goes on in every era. In the present world God does not appear in physical form. He advances His arguments through the medium of the bearer of truth, casting them in verbal form, so that they may be presented to mankind. Now, one in whom nature is alive is able to see the glow of God in these arguments and he accepts it and bows down before it. But, those who have shrouded their nature in artificial veils fail to find God through His ‘words’. They are unable to see God through reasoning and therefore they want God to appear before them physically, in an observable shape. But this is not possible in the present world of trial. Here, only that person will find God who is able to recognise Him while He is still invisible. One who insists on witnessing God in physical form in this world faces spiritual destitution of the most extreme kind. Those who sedulously avoid the truth by adopting a wrong approach, accuse those who accept the Truth of various kinds of wrongdoing, so that they may prove themselves to be much better than them. They are unable to see their own transgressions but, if a truthful person happens to commit any slight mistake, they try to exaggerate it with a view to establishing that those who have rallied to the quest for truth are unreliable. The truth is quite the reverse. Believers who have abjured untruth and accepted truth tread the path of faith and righteousness. In this way, in accordance with the will of God, they become entitled to receive inspiration for the betterment of their present position and share the bounties of God. Unlike them, those who steer clear of the truth only prove by their actions that they are not interested in adopting the way of faith and righteousness. Even when such people are deprived of God’s guidance, their bravado does not come to an end, and it is their effrontery which constitutes the greatest crime in this world of God. God expresses Himself in the language of ‘symbols’. Symbols are useful only to one who has the desire to read or interpret them. Similarly, guidance will be available only to one who is eager to have it. One who shows no interest in guidance has no other option but to go astray.

About verse 54: وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ (And when to you come those who believe ... ), there are two interpretations given by leading authorities in Tafs.ir: 1. Most of them have declared it to be related to previous verses and event. In support, they refer to the narration about the event when the chiefs of Quraysh demanded through Abu Talib that his nephew should first remove the poor people around him, with whom they could not sit, and then they would come and listen to him, and think about it. Thereupon, it was Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ who advised that it did not matter much, for Muslims were sincere friends and if requested they would move out of the sitting so that the chiefs of Quraysh could listen to the Word of Allah and become Muslims. But, in the previous verses, came the command against this advice that this should never be done. Doing this would be cruel and unjust. The revelation of this verse made Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ realize the gravity of his error. He feared he had become a sinner by advising against what was the will of Allah. He came to tender his apology for it. Thereupon, the present verses were revealed to comfort him. In gist, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been asked here to assure them that there will be no retribution for their past mistakes. In fact, not simply that there will be no retribution for the mistake, but that they will also be blessed in many ways by the most merciful Allah. He has also been asked to tell them about His Law that if a Muslim does something evil in ignorance, then gets alerted, repents and corrects his ways for the future, Allah Almighty will forgive him his past sins - and will also not deprive him of His blessings in this world and in the world to come. According to this explanation, these verses were revealed as related to this particular event described in previous verses. 2. Some commentators have taken these verses to be carrying an independent set of rules for guidance. These relate to people who have committed a sin, then felt ashamed of what they did, and repented, and corrected their ways. A little deliberation will show that there is no contradiction between the two sayings - because it is universally agreed that an in-junction of the Holy Qur'an which has been revealed in the background of a particular event, subject to the condition of its words and subject being general, shall not remain restricted to that event, instead of which, it shall have the status of a general injunction. Therefore, even it were to be granted that the said verses did come to be revealed about the event mentioned, still then, this injunction shall have the status of a general rule of conduct which will cover every sinner who gets alarmed even after having committed the sin, then feels ashamed, repents, corrects and turns watchful for the future. Now let us turn to a fuller explanation of these verses. It is said in the first verse (54): وَإِذَا جَاءَكَ الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِآيَاتِنَا فَقُلْ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ كَتَبَ رَ‌بُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ الرَّ‌حْمَةَ ; It means: When those people come to him who believe in His Ayat ( the word, 'Ayat', at this place, could mean the Ayat or Verses of the Qur'an, and the Ayat or general signs of the perfect power of Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu as well), the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been instructed to address them by saying: سَلَامُ عَلَیکُم (Peace be upon you). Here, 'Salamun Alaikum' could have two meanings. It could either mean: Convey to them the Salam or greetings of Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu - which is the highest honour they could receive. Given this interpretation, that becomes the best antidote for the heart-break of poor Muslims, about whom the chiefs of the Quraysh had said that they should be removed from the gathering before they come. Or it could also mean: You give them the good news of their being safe and protected - that is, if they have fallen short or even made a mistake in what they have done, that will stand forgiven, and that they shall stay protected against all sorts of calamities. In the next sentence of the verse: كَتَبَ رَ‌بُّكُمْ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ الرَّ‌حْمَةَ , the promise of additional favour and reward has been made by saying : You tell these Muslims that Allah has taken it upon Himself that mercy shall be shown to them. Therefore, let them not be frightened or nervous. First of all, by using the word, Rabb, the assertion in the verse has been provided with a proof - that Allah is your Nurturer, Nour'isher, Sustainer. It is obvious no nurturer would let what is being nurtured go to waste. Then, the mercy which was promised by that Rabb has been further clarified through a weighty, yet endearing, statement that their Rabb has prescribed this mercy on Himself'. It is obvious when even an average good person would not go back on his promise, how could this be ever imagined when referred to the Lord of the Worlds Himself, specially so when this promise has been preserved as a written document. Based on a narration of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ has been reported in the Sahih of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, and in the Musnad of Ahmad, that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: When Allah Ta` ala created the whole creation and determined the destiny of everyone, then, in a Book with Him on the ` Arsh, He wrote: اِنَّ رَحمَتِی غَلَبَت غَضَبِی (My Mercy is dominant over My Wrath). And Sayyidna Salman ؓ says: We have seen written in the Torah, when Allah created the heavens and the earth and the entire creation in them, He divided His mercy in a hundred parts. One part from this He distributed all over the creation - and wherever any effect of this mercy is found among human beings, animals and other elements of creation, that owes itself to this same part. The mutual love and concern found among parents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, among relatives, neighbours and friends, are all the outcome of this share from the mercy of Allah. The rest of the ninety nine parts of mercy have been kept by Allah Ta` ala for Himself. There are other narrations in which this has been described as a Hadith from the Holy Prophet ﷺ . This goes to show the quality and extent of Allah's mercy for His creation. It goes without saying that no ` Ibadah (worship) or ` Ita` ah (obedience) can be good enough so as to be considered as presentable before Allah Jalla Sha'nuhu - neither by an angel nor by a human being. We should not see our ` Ibadah and Ita` ah and good deeds in isolation. If we were to look at them as related to the highest of the high, we would humbly realize that what we have been able to do was not any better than what is simply bad. Still one has to be thankful for being able to do what was possible specially when no human being is free of real evils and sins- unless protected by Allah. Under this situation, justice would have demanded that no one remains safe from a general punishment. But, what is actually happening is that every human being is being showered with the blessings of Allah all the time. This, then, is the direct outcome of that mercy which the great Lord-Nourisher of the universe has put it down in writing as His responsibility. Every Sin is Forgiven by Taubah [ Repentance ] This perfect mercy of Allah appears mentioned in the form of a rule in the third sentence of verse 54: أَنَّهُ مَنْ عَمِلَ مِنكُمْ سُوءًا بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَصْلَحَ فَأَنَّهُ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ It means: One of you who happens to have done something bad by having acted ignorantly, then repents after that and corrects his conduct, then Allah Almighty is most forgiving, He will forgive him his sins; and He is very merciful, so forgiveness alone will not be considered enough, for he will be blessed with rewards also. From the word, " جهَالَةٍ " (Jahalah; literally: ignorance, used in the sense of acting ignorantly) one may think that this promise of forgiveness is valid only when a sin is committed in a state of ignorance, not knowing what is being done - and the commitment of a sin knowingly would be considered excluded from the purview of this injunction. But, this is not true - because Jahalah (ignorance) here means acting ignorantly which refers to the act of ignorance, that is, one ends up doing something as would have been done by one who is ignorant and unaware of the outcome of his or her act. It is not necessary that the doer of the act be ignorant in reality. This is confirmed by the use of the word Jahalah itself - as the word, Jahalah has been used here in-stead of using the word, Jahl, most likely to point out to this refinement in meaning. The reason is that Jahl (also meaning ignorance) is an antonym of ` Ilm (Knowledge) while Jahalah stands in contrast to forbearance and dignity. In other words, the word, Jahalah is employed, in usage, to ignorance which is demonstrated practically, indeed. A little thought will reveal that a sin, whenever it is committed by someone, comes about to be because of this practical ignorance. Therefore, some pious elders have said that a person who acts against any command given by Allah and His Messenger is Jahil (ignorant). It refers to this very practical ignorance. For this, it is not necessary to be uninformed and lacking in knowledge - because countless definitive statements of the Holy Qur'an and Sahih Ahadith (Nass) prove that every sin can be forgiven by making Taubah (repentance), whether committed by heedlessness or ignorance, or knowingly and deliberately through self-wickedness or a blinded following of (the drum-beats of) one's own desire. At this point, it is also worth noticing that the promise of mercy and forgiveness made to sinners in this verse is conditioned with two things: (a) Taubah (repentance), and (b) the Islah of ` Amal (the correction of misdeed). Taubah means being ashamed of the sin. Says the Hadith: التوبۃ النَّدَم اِنَّمَا (Taubah or repentance is another name of Nadamah, that is, being ashamed of or having remorse). As for the second condition, that is, the correction of deed, it means that one should see to it that what happened before will not be repeated in the future. So, this process of trying to better one's doings includes the making of a firm determination not to go near that sin ever again by fully auditing and checking one's behaviour at all times, and also included here is that all rights belonging to someone which have been violated or compromised because of that sin, should be compensated to the best of one's capability. They may be the Rights of Allah (Huququllah) or the Rights of the Servants of Allah (Huquq al-‘Ibad). Example of the rights of Allah are: Usurping someone's property unlawfully, to attack someone's honour, and to cause pain to someone by using bad language or causing such pain in some other manner. Therefore, for Taubah (repentance) to be total and complete, the way it is necessary to first feel ashamed of the of the past sin, then seek forgiveness from Allah Ta` ala, then resolve to keep one's conduct correct and straight in the future and never go near that sin again – similarly, it is also necessary that the prayers (Salah) and fasts (Sawm) which were missed due to heedlessness should be replaced by doing Qada for them. Then, any Zakah which has not been paid earlier should be paid now. If there is a shortcoming in taking care of what was obligatory in Qurbani (Sacrifice) or Sadaqatul Fitr. ( post-Ramadhan charity for the poor and needy), that should be paid off. If one has not done his or her Hajj, despite its being Fard, an absolute obligation, one should do it now; and if it is not possible to do so personally, one should arrange to have it done on his or her behalf (Hajj Badal). And if, one does not have the time to arrange for an authorized proxy for Hajj, and does not have the convenience to personally make up for whatever was missed and the Qada' of which had become due - during his lifetime - then, he or she should make a Wasiyyah (will) so that their inheritors or heirs could take care of paying the Fidyah (ransom) of the obligations her bee against him or her, or make arrangements for Hajj on half. In short, for ` the correction of deed,' the correction of the future conduct only is not enough - it is also necessary to make amends by paying off for obligations left unperformed in the past. Similar is the case of the Rights of the Servants of Allah (Huquq al-'lbad). If someone's property has been taken unlawfully, it should be returned to him, or have him forgive it. And if someone has been caused pain physically or verbally, forgiveness must be sought from the aggrieved person. And if, it is not possible or within one's control to have him forgive it - for example, he dies; or goes away to a place the address of which is not known - then, the way out is that one should make it a point to keep praying for his forgiveness before Allah Ta` ala consistently. If so, it can be hoped that the holder of the right will be pleased and the person who was unable to have the forgiveness of the deceased during his lifetime will become absolved of what was due on him.

(Thus do We expound the revelations) We expound the Qur'an, explaining commands, prohibitions as well as their events (that the way of the unrighteous may be manifest) the way of the idolaters, 'Uyaynah and his folk, why it is that they do not believe?