The Ascending Stairways, The Ladders — Verse 22

except those who perform prayers that is the believers

إن الإنسان جُبِلَ على الجزع وشدة الحرص، إذا أصابه المكروه والعسر فهو كثير الجزع والأسى، وإذا أصابه الخير واليسر فهو كثير المنع والإمساك، إلا المقيمين للصلاة الذين يحافظون على أدائها في جميع الأوقات، ولا يَشْغَلهم عنها شاغل، والذين في أموالهم نصيب معيَّن فرضه الله عليهم، وهو الزكاة لمن يسألهم المعونة، ولمن يتعفف عن سؤالها، والذين يؤمنون بيوم الحساب والجزاء فيستعدون له بالأعمال الصالحة، والذين هم خائفون من عذاب الله. إن عذاب ربهم لا ينبغي أن يأمنه أحد. والذين هم حافظون لفروجهم عن كل ما حرَّم الله عليهم، إلا على أزواجهم وإمائهم، فإنهم غير مؤاخذين.

دل على أن ما قبله في الكفار; فالإنسان اسم جنس بدليل الاستثناء الذي يعقبه كقوله تعالى: "إن الإنسان لفي خسر. إلا الذين آمنوا" [العصر:2-3]. النخعي: المراد بالمصلين الذي يؤدون الصلاة المكتوبة. ابن مسعود: الذين يصلونها لوقتها, فأما تركها فكفر. وقيل: هم الصحابة. وقيل: هم المؤمنون عامة, فإنهم يغلبون فرط الجزع بثقتهم بربهم ويقينهم.

ثم وصف - سبحانه - من استثناهم من الإِنسان الهلوع ، بجملة من صفات الكريمة ، فقال : ( إِلاَّ المصلين . الذين هُمْ على صَلاَتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ) .أى : إن الناس جميعا قد جبلوا على الجزع عند الضراء ، وعلى المنع عند السراء . . إلا المصلين منهم .

وقوله: (إِلا الْمُصَلِّينَ * الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ ) يقول: إلا الذين يطيعون الله بأداء ما افترض عليهم من الصلاة، وهم على أداء ذلك مقيمون لا يضيعون منها شيئا، فإن أولئك غير داخلين في عداد من خلق هلوعا، وهو مع ذلك بربه كافر لا يصلي لله.وقيل: عُني بقوله: (إِلا الْمُصَلِّينَ ) المؤمنون الذين كانوا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؛ وقيل: عُنِي به كلّ من صلى الخمس.* ذكر من قال ذلك:

ثم استثنى فقال: "إلا المصلين"، استثنى الجمع من الوحدان لأن الإنسان في معنى الجمع كقوله: " إن الإنسان لفي خسر * إلا الذين آمنوا ".

إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ (22) استثناء منقطع ناشىء عن الوعيد المبتدأ به من قوله : { يودّ المجرم لو يفتدي من عذاب يومئذٍ } [ المعارج : 11 ] الآية .فالمعنى على الاستدراك . والتقدير : لكن المصلين الموصوفين بكَيْت وكَيْتتِ أولئك في جنات مكرمون .فجملة { أولئك في جنات مكرمون } حيث وقعت بعد { إلاَّ } المنقطعة وهي بمعنى ( لكنَّ ) فلها حكم الجملة المخبر بها عن اسم ( لكنَّ ) المشددة أو عن المبتدأ الواقع بعد ( لكنْ ) المخففة وهو ما حققه الدماميني ، وإن كان ابن هشام رأى عدّ الجملة بعد الاستثناء المنقطع في عداد الجمل التي لا محلّ لها من الإِعراب .والكلام استئناف بياني لمقابلة أحوال المؤمنين بأحوال الكافرين ، ووعدهم بوعيدهم على عادة القرآن في أمثال هذه المقابلة .وهذه صفات ثمان هي من شعار المسلمين ، فعدل عن إحضارهم بوصف المسلمين إلى تعداد خصال من خصالهم إطناباً في الثناء عليهم لأن مقام الثناء مقام إطناب ، وتنبيهاً على أن كلّ صلة من هذه الصلات الثمان هي من أسباب الكون في الجنات .وهذه الصفات لا يشاركهم المشركون في معظمها بالمرة ، وبعضها قد يتصف به المشركون ولكنهم لا يراعونه حق مراعاته باطراد ، وذلك حفظ الأمانات والعهد ، فالمشرك يحفظ الأمانة والعهد اتقاء مذمة الخيانة والغدْر ، ومع أحلافه دون أعدائِه ، والمشرك يشهد بالصدق إذا لم يكن له هوى في الكذب ، وإذا خشي أن يوصم بالكذب . وقد غدر المشركون بالمسلمين في عدة حوادث ، وغدر بعضهم بعضاً ، فلو علم المشرك أنه لا يطلع على كذبه وكان له هوى لم يؤد الشهادة .ولما كان وصف { المصلين } غلب على المسلمين كما دل عليه قوله تعالى : { ما سلككم في سقَر قالوا لم نك من المصلين } الآية [ المدثر : 42 ، 43 ] ، أتبع وصف المصلين في الآية هذه بوصف { الذين هم على صلاتهم دائمون } أي مواظبون على صلاتهم لا يتخلفون عن أدائها ولا يتركونها . والدوام على الشيء : عدم تركه ، وذلك في كل عمل بحسب ما يعتبر دواماً فيه ، كما تقرر في أصول الفقه في مسألة إفادة الأمر التكرار .وفي إضافة ( صلاة ) إلى ضمير { المصلين } تنويه باختصاصها بهم ، وهذا الوصف للمسلمين مُقابل وصف الكافرين في قوله : { بعذاب واقع للكافرين } [ المعارج : 1 ، 2 ] .ومجيء الصلة جملةً اسمية دون أن يقال : الذين يدومون ، لقصد إفادتها الثبات تقوية كمفاد الدوام .

{ إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ } الموصوفين بتلك الأوصاف فإنهم إذا مسهم الخير شكروا الله، وأنفقوا مما خولهم الله، وإذا مسهم الشر صبروا واحتسبوا.

قوله تعالى : إلا المصلين دل على أن ما قبله في الكفار ; فالإنسان اسم جنس بدليل الاستثناء الذي يعقبه كقوله تعالى : إن الإنسان لفي خسر إلا الذين آمنوا . قال [ ص: 267 ] النخعي : المراد بالمصلين الذي يؤدون الصلاة المكتوبة . ابن مسعود : الذين يصلونها لوقتها ، فأما تركها فكفر . وقيل : هم الصحابة . وقيل : هم المؤمنون عامة ، فإنهم يغلبون فرط الجزع بثقتهم بربهم ويقينهم .

These verses give a brief description of the qualities of two types of human beings: those who will be treated as entitled to enter Paradise and those whose deeds will cause them to be thrown into Hell on Doomsday.

إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ‌ جَزُوعًا وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ‌ مَنُوعًا (very upset when touched by evil, and very niggard when visited by good (fortune)... 70:20-21). This verse describes the fickle nature of man. When bad things happen to him he becomes desperate and upset, and loses patience. When good things come to him, such as wealth and comfort, he becomes begrudging and miserly in spending his wealth for good causes. 'Impatience', in this context, signifies 'that which is outside the limits of Shari` ah'. 'Niggard', in this context, signifies 'failing to fulfill pecuniary obligations imposed by the Shari'ah' as explained previously. The verses that follow make an exception of the righteous believers to the characteristics of the general body of human beings. This exception starts from إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ (except the performers of salah...70:22) and ends at عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ (regular in their salah.... 70:23) The first exception is expressed with the words 'the performers of salah' [ 22]. Obviously, it means the believers, but referring to them as 'performers of salah' indicates that 'salah' is the greatest sign and the essential characteristic of a believer. In fact, the only people worthy of the name 'believers' are 'the performers of salah'. The following verses describe the qualities of the performers of salah. الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ (who are regular in their salah...70:23). This means that the entire salah needs to be performed with due concentration. Imam Baghawi, on the basis of his own chain of narrators, transmits a narration on the authority of Abul-Khair that they asked Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn ` Amir ؓ about the meaning of this verse (23) whether it implies that they perform their salah constantly and always without any break or non-stop, he replied that is not its meaning. It means they, from the outset to the end, perform it with due concentration - without an intentional deviation This is similar to the verse 2 of Surah Mu'minun: الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ 'who are concentrative in their salah [ 23:2] ' Thus Verse 23 describes the quality of Khushu' ('humbleness) while Verse 34 وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ (and those who take due care of their salah) speaks of those who regularly offer it on its due time and take care of its general etiquette. Thus it may not be surmised that the subject-matter has been repeated. The qualities of the righteous believers given in forthcoming verses are almost the same as those given in Surah Al- Mu'minun.

(Save worshippers) those who pray the five daily prayers for they are not like this.

except those who pray�That is, those who have cognisance of (ʿārifūn) the [true] proportions (maqādīr) of things, since they do not find joy (faraḥ) in anything other than God. They do not repose in anything other than Him and they do not fear anything other than Him, their [only source of] anxiety being the possibility of separation from Him, just as He says, and who are apprehensive of the chastisement of their Lord [70:27].The saying is narrated from the Prophet : �According to what the highest host in the highest ranks informed me, among the best of my nation are people who laugh out loud at the amplitude of the mercy of their Lord, and weep in secret out of fear of the severity of the punishment of their Lord. They remember their Lord morning and night in His blessed houses, and make supplications to Him with their tongues in hope and fear. They petition Him with their hands, lowering [their upturned palms] and raising them, and they long for Him constantly with their hearts. Their demands on people are light, but their demands on themselves heavy. They tread upon the earth [lightly] with their feet, as an ant would tread, without gloating, boasting or swaggering�� to the end of the ḥadīth. His words, Exalted is He:

Man is Impatient Allah informs about man and his inclination to corrupt his behavior. Allah says, إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعاً (Verily, man was created very impatient;) Then, Allah explains this statement by saying, إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعاً (Apprehensive when evil touches him;) meaning, whenever any harm touches him he is frightful, worried and completely taken back due to the severity of his terror and his despair that he will receive any good after it. وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعاً (And suppressive when good touches him.) meaning, if he attains any blessing from Allah, he is stingy with it, not sharing it with others. He will withhold the right of Allah with that blessing. Imam Ahmad said that Abu `Abdur-Rahman informed them that Musa bin `Ali bin Rabah told them that he heard his father narrating from `Abdul-`Aziz bin Marwan bin Al-Hakim that he heard Abu Hurayrah saying, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «شَرُّ مَا فِي رَجُلٍ: شُحٌّ هَالِعٌ وَجُبْنٌ خَالِع» (The worst thing that can be in a man is greedy impatience and unrestrained cowardice.) Abu Dawud recorded this Hadith from `Abdullah bin Al-Jarrah on the authority of Abu `Abdur-Rahman Al-Muqri', and this is the only Hadith through `Abdul-`Aziz with him. The Exclusion of Those Who pray from what has preceded and an Explanation of Their Deeds and Their P Then Allah says, إِلاَّ الْمُصَلِّينَ (Except those who are devoted to Salah.) meaning, man is described with blameworthy characteristics except for He whom Allah protects, helps and guides to good, making its means easy for him -- and these are those people who perform Salah. الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ (Those who with their Salah are Da'imun;) It has been said that this means they guard its times and the elements obligatory in it. This has been said by Ibn Mas`ud, Masruq and Ibrahim An-Nakha`i. It has also been said that it means tranquility and humble concentration (in the prayer). This is similar to Allah's statement, قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ - الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلاَتِهِمْ خَـشِعُونَ (Successful indeed are the believers. Those who with their Salah are Khashi`un.) (23:1-2) This was said by `Uqbah bin `Amir. From its meanings is the same terminology used to describe standing (still) water (Al-Ma' Ad-Da'im). This proves the obligation of having tranquility in the prayer. For verily, the one who does not have tranquility (stillness of posture) in his bowing and prostrating, then he is not being constant (Da'im) in his prayer. This is because he is not being still in it and he does not remain (in its positions), rather he pecks in it (quickly) like the pecking of the crow. Therefore, he is not successful in performing his prayer. It has also been said that the meaning here refers to those who perform a deed and are constant in its performance and consistent in it. This is like the Hadith that has been recorded in the Sahih on the authority of `A'ishah that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, «أَحَبُّ الْأَعْمَالِ إِلَى اللهِ أَدْوَمُهَا وَإِنْ قَل» (The most beloved deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if they are few.) Then Allah says, وَالَّذِينَ فِى أَمْوَلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ - لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ (And those in whose wealth there is a recognized right. For the one who asks, and for the deprived.) meaning, in their wealth is a determined portion for those who are in need. Concerning Allah's statement, وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ (And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.) meaning, they are sure of the Final Return (to Allah), the Reckoning and the Recompense. Therefore, they perform the deeds of one who hopes for the reward and fears the punishment. For this reason Allah says, وَالَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ (And those who fear the torment of their Lord. ) meaning, they are fearful and dreadful. إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ (Verily, the torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure.) meaning, no one is safe from it (Allah's torment) of those who understand the command from Allah, except by the security of Allah Himself. Then Allah says, وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـفِظُونَ (And those who guard their private part (chastity).) meaning, they keep their private parts away from that which is forbidden and they prevent their private parts from being put into other than what Allah has allowed them to be in. This is why Allah says, إِلاَّ عَلَى أَزْوَجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُهُمْ (Except from their wives or their right hand possessions) meaning, from their female slaves. إِلاَّ عَلَى أَزْوَجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ - فَمَنِ ابْتَغَى وَرَآءَ ذلِكَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ (for (then) they are not blameworthy. But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.) The explanation of this has already preceded at the beginning of Surat Al-Mu'minun, and therefore does not need to be repeated here. Allah said, وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لاًّمَـنَـتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَعُونَ (And those who keep their trusts and covenants.) meaning, if they are given a trust they do not deceit and when they make a covenant they do not break it. These are the characteristics of the believers which are opposite of the characteristics of the hypocrites. This is like what is reported in the authentic Hadith, «آيَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ ثَلَاثٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَان» (The signs of the hypocrites are three. When he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, and when he is given a trust he behaves treacherously (with it).) In another narration it states, «إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا عَاهَدَ غَدَرَ، وَإِذَا خَاصَمَ فَجَر» (When he speaks he lies, when he makes a covenant he breaks it, and when he argues he is abusive.) Concerning Allah's statement, وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَـدَتِهِم قَائِمُونَ (And those who stand firm in their testimonies.) This means that they guard their testimonies. They do not add or decrease from what they testify to nor do they conceal their testimonies. Allah says in another Ayah, وَمَن يَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُ ءَاثِمٌ قَلْبُهُ (Who hides it, surely, his heart is sinful.) (2:283) Then Allah says, وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ (And those who are with their Salah, Yuhafizun.) meaning, they maintain its proper times, its pillars, its obligations and its recommended acts. So Allah begins this discussion (of the believers' attributes) with prayer and He concludes it with prayer. This proves the importance of it and the praise of its noble status, just as what preceded at the beginning of Surat Al-Mu'minun. It is exactly the same discussion. This is why Allah says there (in Al-Mu'minun), أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْوَرِثُونَ - الَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ الْفِرْدَوْسَ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـلِدُونَ (These are indeed the inheritors. Who shall inherit the Firdaws (Paradise). They shall dwell therein forever.) (23:10-11) And He says here, أُوْلَـئِكَ فِى جَنَّـتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ (Such shall dwell in the Gardens, honored.) meaning, they will be honored with various types of pleasures and delights. فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ - عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ - أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِىءٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ - كَلاَّ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ