Banning, Prohibition — Verse 7

‘O you who disbelieve! Do not make any excuses today — this is said to them upon their entering the Fire — in other words because this excusing will be of no use to you. You are only being requited for what you used to do’ that is only the due requital thereof.

ويقال للذين جحدوا أن الله هو الإله الحق وكفروا به عند إدخالهم النار: لا تلتمسوا المعاذير في هذا اليوم؛ إنما تعطون جزاء الذي كنتم تعملونه في الدنيا.

وقوله "يا أيها الذين كفروا لا تعتذروا اليوم إنما تجزون ما كنتم تعملون" أي يقال للكفرة يوم القيامة لا تعتذروا فإنه لا يقبل منكم ولا تجزون إلا ما كنتم تعلمون وإنما تجزون اليوم بأعمالكم.

ثم بين - سبحانه - ما تقوله الملائكة لأهل النار عند ما يعرضون عليها فقال : ( ياأيها الذين كَفَرُواْ لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ اليوم ) والمراد باليوم ، يوم القيامة فأل فيه للعهد .أى : تقول الملائكة لهم فى هذا اليوم العسير على سبيل التبكيت والتوبيخ - لا تعتذروا - أيها الكافرون عن كفركم ، بأن تقولوا ما جاءنا من بشير ولا نذير أو بأن غيرنا أضلنا ، أو بأننا ما كنا مشركين . . . فإن هذه الأعذار لن تنفعكم ، وأنتم فى هذا اليوم إنما تعاقبون على كفركم فى الدنيا ، وعلى إصراركم على ذلك حتى أدرككم الموت .فالآية الكريمة تبيوخ الكافرين ، وتيئيس لهم من قبلو أعذارهم الكاذبة .

يقول تعالى ذكره مخبرا عن قيله يوم القيامة للذين جحدوا وحدانيته في الدنيا( يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ) الله (لا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ) يقول: يقال لهم: إنما تثابون اليوم، وذلك يوم القيامة، وتعطون جزاء أعمالكم التي كنتم في الدنيا تعملون، فلا تطلبوا المعاذير منها.

"يا أيها الذين كفروا لا تعتذروا اليوم إنما تجزون ما كنتم تعملون".

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (7)هو من قول الملائكة الذين على النار . وذكر هذه المقالة هنا استطرَاد يُفيد التنفير من جهنم بأنها دار أهل الكفر كما قال تعالى : { فاتقوا النار التي وقودها الناس والحجارة أعدت للكافرين } [ البقرة : 24 ] ، وإلاّ فإن سياق الآية تحذير للمؤمنين من الموبقات في النار .ومعنى { ما كنتم تعملون } مماثل { ما كنتم تعملون } ، وأفادت { إنما } قصرَ الجزاء على مماثلة العمل المجزى عليه قصرَ قلب لتنزيلهم منزلة من اعتذر وطلب أن يكون جزاؤه أهون مما شاهده .والاعتذار : افتعال مشتق من العُذر . ومادة الافتعال فيه دالة على تكلف الفعل مثل الاكتساب والاختلاق ، والعذر : الحجة التي تُبرىء صاحبها من تِبعة عمل مّا . وليس لمادة الاعتذار فعل مجرد دال على إيجاد العذر وإنما الموجود عَذَر بمعنى قِبل العُذر ، وقد تقدم عند قوله تعالى : { وجاء المعذرون من الأعراب } في سورة [ براءة : 90 ] .

أي: يوبخ أهل النار يوم القيامة بهذا التوبيخ فيقال لهم: { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا الْيَوْمَ } [أي:] فإنه ذهب وقت الاعتذار، وزال نفعه، فلم يبق الآن إلا الجزاء على الأعمال، وأنتم لم تقدموا إلا الكفر بالله، والتكذيب بآياته، ومحاربة رسله وأوليائه.

قوله تعالى : ياأيها الذين كفروا لا تعتذروا اليوم إنما تجزون ما كنتم تعملونقوله تعالى : يا أيها الذين كفروا لا تعتذروا اليوم فإن عذركم لا ينفع . وهذا النهي لتحقيق اليأس .إنما تجزون ما كنتم تعملون في الدنيا . ونظيره : فيومئذ لا ينفع الذين ظلموا معذرتهم ولا هم يستعتبون . وقد تقدم .

In the present world it often happens that a man knows that something is right, but excessive attachment to his wife and children compels him to shun the right path and do only that which his wife and children desire. But this is a terrible lapse on his part. Man should know that the children for whose sake he forgets to act with rectitude today, will be handed over tomorrow to fierce agents of Hell, who will be as heartless as robots and who will not make any concessions to them.

Commentary قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ (0 those who believe, save yourselves and your families from a fire...66:6). This verse addresses the general body of Muslims and enjoins upon them to safeguard themselves and their families from a fire of Hell whose fuel is people and stones. Then the verse goes on to describe the intensity and horror of the Hell-Fire. Towards the end of it the angels in charge of it, whose name is Zabaniah, are described. They are harsh and terrible from whom no inmate of Hell will be able to rescue himself by force, power, strength, flattery or bribery. The word أَهْلِيكُمْ (your families) comprehends wife, children and slaves [ males as well as females ]. It is not inconceivable to include full-time servants in the imperative like slaves. When this verse was revealed, Sayyidna ` Umar ؓ inquired: "O Messenger of Allah, we understand how to save ourselves from Hell, that is, we guard ourselves against sins and carry out the Divine injunctions, but how do we safeguard our families from Hell?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied: "Instruct them to refrain from deeds that Allah has prohibited, and ask them to carry out deeds that Allah has enjoined. This will rescue them from the Hell-Fire." [ Ruh-u1-Ma’ ani ] Education and Training of Wife and Children: Every Muslim's Responsibility The jurists have pointed out that, according to the verse under comment, it is the responsibility of every Muslim to educate the wife and children in matters of Shari obligations, and in matters of halal and Haram and train them diligently to act upon them. A hadith says, "May Allah shower His mercy upon a person who says: '0 my wife and children, (be mindful of) your prayers, your fasting, your alms, your indigent, your orphan, your neighbour! It is hopeful that Allah will gather all these with him in Paradise" 'Your prayers, your fasting' and so on' implies 'Take care of them. Do not ignore them.' The phrase مسکینکم یتیمکم 'Your indigent, your orphan and so on' implies 'Fulfill their rights towards them willingly and readily.' Righteous elders have said that the person deepest in punishment on the Day of Judgment will be the one whose family is ignorant and unaware of the religion. [ Ruh ] يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا لَا تَعْتَذِرُ‌وا الْيَوْمَ ۖ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (0 those who disbelieve, do not make excuses today. You will only be recompensed for what you have been doing....66:7) After advising the general body of believers, the current verse turns attention to the non-believers who are asked not to try to make excuses, because they will not be accepted. They will be told that they are merely being repaid for what they did.

(Then it will be said): O ye who disbelieve) in Muhammad (pbuh) and the Qur'an! (Make no excuses for yourselves this day) for your excuses will not be accepted. (Ye are only being paid for what ye used to do) and say in the life of the world.

Teaching One's Family the Religion and Good Behavior `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas; قُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَاراً (Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell)) He said, "Work in the obedience of Allah, avoid disobedience of Allah and order your families to remember Allah, then Allah will save you from the Fire." Mujahid also commented on: قُواْ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَاراً (Protect yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell)) saying, "Have Taqwa of Allah and order your family to have Taqwa of Him." Qatadah said, "He commands obedience to Allah, to not disobey Allah, he orders his family to obey His orders and helps them to act upon His orders. When one sees disobedience, he stops them and forbids them from doing it." Similar was said by Ad-Dahhak and Muqatil; "It is an obligation for the Muslim to teach his near family members, and his male and female slaves what Allah has made obligatory for them and what Allah has forbidden for them." There is a Hadith that confirms the meaning of this Ayah. Ahmad, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi recorded that Ar-Rabi` bin Sabrah said that his father said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «مُرُوا الصَّبِيَّ بِالصَّلَاةِ إِذَا بَلَغَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ، فَإِذَا بَلَغَ عَشْرَ سِنِينَ فَاضْرِبُوهُ عَلَيْهَا» (Order the children to pray when they reach the age of seven and when they reach the age of ten, discipline them for (not performing) it.) This is the narration that Abu Dawud collected; At-Tirmidhi said, "This Hadith is Hasan." Fuel for Hell and a Description of its Angels Allah said, وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ (whose fuel is men and stones,) indicating that the Children of Adam will be fuel for the Fire that will feed it, وَالْحِجَارَةُ (and stones) in reference to the idols that were worshipped, just as Allah said in another Ayah, إِنَّكُمْ وَمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ (Certainly you and that which you are worshipping now besides Allah, are (but) fuel for Hell!) (21:98) `Abdullah bin Mas`ud, Mujahid, Abu Ja`far Al-Baqir and As-Suddi said that these are sulfur stones that are more putrid than rotten corpses, according to Mujahid. Allah's statement, عَلَيْهَا مَلَـئِكَةٌ غِلاَظٌ شِدَادٌ (over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe,) means, their nature of behavior is stern, because the mercy has been taken out of their hearts for those who disbelieve in Allah, شِدَادٌ (severe) meaning, their structure is powerful, strong and frightening, لاَّ يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ (who disobey not the commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded.) meaning, whatever Allah commands them, they rush to obey Him, without delay for even a twinkling of an eye. They are able to fulfill the command; they are called Az-Zabaniyah, meaning, the keepers and guards of Hell, may Allah give us shelter from them. No Excuse will be accepted from the Disbeliever on the Day of Resurrection Allah said, يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ الْيَوْمَ إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (O you who disbelieve! Make no excuses this Day! You are being requited only for what you used to do.) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, the disbeliever will be told, "Do not offer any excuse this Day, because it will not be accepted from you; you will only be recompensed for what you used to do. Today, you will receive the punishment for your actions." Encouraging sincere Repentance Allah the Exalted said, يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ تُوبُواْ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَّصُوحاً (O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance!) meaning, a true, firm repentance that erases the evil sins that preceded it and mend the shortcoming of the repenting person, encouraging and directing him to quit the evil that he used to do. Allah said, عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَن يُكَفِّرَ عَنكُمْ سَيِّئَـتِكُمْ وَيُدْخِلَكُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ (It may be that your Lord will expiate from you your sins, and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow) And when Allah says, "it may be," it means He shall. يَوْمَ لاَ يُخْزِى اللَّهُ النَّبِىَّ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَهُ (the Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who believe with him) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will not disgrace those who believed in the Prophet , نُورُهُمْ يَسْعَى بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَبِأَيْمَـنِهِمْ (Their light will run forward before them and in their right hands.) as we explained in Surat Al-Hadid, يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ أَتْمِمْ لَنَا نُورَنَا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَآ إِنَّكَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ (They will say:"Our Lord! Keep perfect our light for us and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things.") Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and Al-Hasan Al-Basri and other said, "This is the statement that the believers will say on the Day of Resurrection, when they witness the light of the hypocrites being extinguished." Imam Ahmad recorded that a man from the tribe of Banu Kinanah said, "I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ during the year of the Conquest (of Makkah), and heard him say, «اللْهُمَّ لَا تُخْزِنِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة» (O Allah! Please, do not disgrace me on the Day of Resurrection.)"