61- Surat Alsaff/Tafseer
14 Verses Medinan (revealed in Medina)
A'auzu Bellahi mena alshaiytani alrajeem
I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan
Besmi Ellahi Alrhmani Alraheem
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Sabbaha li-llahi ma fee alsamawati wa ma fee al-ardi wa huwa Al-Azizu Al-Hakeem (1).
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu lema taquluna ma la taf-alun (2).
O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do?.
Kabura maqtan inda Allahi an taqulu ma la taf-alun (3).
Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.
Inna Allaha youhibbu allazina youqatiluna fee sabeelihi saffan ka-annahum bunyanun marsus (4).
Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His way in a row, as if they were a structure joined firmly.
Wa iz qala musa li-qawmihi ya-qawmi lema tu'zunani wa qad ta'lamuna anni rasulu Allahi ilaykum fa-lamma zaghu azagha Allahu qulubahum wa Allahu la yahdi al-qawma al-fasiqeen (5).
And when Moses said to His people, O My people! Why do you hurt Me while you certainly know that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?, so when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate, and Allah does not guide the disobedient people.
Wa iz qala isa ibnu maryama ya-bani israila inni rasulu Allahi ilaykum musaddiqan lema bayna yadayya mena altawrati wa mubashshiran bi-rasulin ya'ti men ba'di esmuhu Ahmadu fa-lamma ja-ahum bil-bayyinati qalu haza sihrun mubeen (6).
And when Juses, the son of Mary, said O children of Israel! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before Me of the Torah, and bringing glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after Me, whose name is Ahmad, but when He came to them with clear proofs, they said this is a clear magic.
Wa man azlamu mimmani eftara ala Allahi al-kaziba wa huwa youda ila al-islami wa Allahu la yahdi al-qawma alzalimeen (7).
And who is more unjust than the one who invents a lie against Allah, while he is being invited to Islam, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
Youriduna li-youtfi-ou nura Allahi bi-afwahihim wa Allahu mutimmu nurihi wa laww kariha al-kafirun (8).
They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light even though the disbelievers dislike.
Huwa Allazi arsala rasulahu bil-huda wa deeni al-haqqi li-youzhirahu ala aldeeni kullihi wa laww kariha al-mushrikun (9).
He is the One who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He makes it prevail over all religions even though the polytheists dislike.
Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu hal adullukum ala tijaratin tunjikum men azabin aleem (10).
O you who have believed! Shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?.
tu'minuna bi-llahi wa rasulihi wa tujahiduna fee sabeeli ellahi bi-amwalikum wa anfusikum zalekum khayrun lakum in kuntum ta'lamun (11).
You believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that is better for you if you should know.
Yaghfir lakum zunubakum wa youdkhilkum jannatin tajri men tahtiha al-anharu wa masakina tayyibatan fee jannati adnin zalika al-fawzu al-azeem (12).
He will forgive for you your sins and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of Eden, that is the great success.
Wa aukhra tuhibbunaha nasrun mena Allahi wa fat-hun qareebun wa bashshiri elmu'mineen (13).
And another that you love, victory from Allah, and an imminent conquest, and Give glad tidings to the believers.
Ya-ayyuha allazina amanu kunu ansara Allahi ka-ma qala isa ibnu maryama lil-hawariyyina man ansari ela Allahi qala al-hawariyyuna nahnu ansaru Allahi fa-amanat ta-ifatun men bani israila wa-kafarat ta-ifatun fa-ayyadna allazina amanu ala aduwwihim fa-asbahu zahireen (14).
O you who have believed! Be supporters of Allah, as when Juses, the son of Mary, said to the disciples, Who are my supporters for Allah?, the disciples said we are supporters of Allah, so a group of the Children of Israel believed, and a group disbelieved, so We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant.
Simplified interpretation:
Surat Alsaff is one of the seven Surahs of the Holy Quran that begin with glorification, and it was revealed as a blame from Allah to a group of the believers who wanted to know the best deeds that Allah loves, so they would do them, and when Allah made them known to them, they did not do them, so Allah revealed "O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do?".
Allah Almighty says in the first verse (1) "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise", that is, Allah affirms that whatever is in the Heavens and the earth glorifies Him, so all creatures glorify their Creator, and Allah assures in Aya (44) of Surat Alisraa that man does not understand their manner of glorification. And Allah is the Almighty who is Severe in His revenge on those who disobeyed Him, and He is All-Wise who manages His creation with wisdom in His laws and destiny.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (2,3) "O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do?, great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do", that is, Allah addresses the believers with a question of denial and blame saying Why do you say what you do not do?, so Why do you say things that do not match your actions, and Why do your deeds contradict your words?, then Allah assures that it is most hateful to Him that they say what they do not do. There are differing opinions regarding the cause of revelation of these verses, but the most reliable cause is that reported by Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal and Imam Altirmidhi, as Abdullah bin Abdul-Rahman narrated from Muhammad bin Katheer, from Al-Awzai from Yahya bin Abi Katheer from Abi Salama from Abdullah Bin Salam: "A group of Us, companions of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), sat talking, and we said If we knew which deed was most beloved to Allah then we would do it, so Allah, Most High, revealed Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise, O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do?, Abdullah bin Salam said so the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) recited it to us" (Jami' Altirmidhi 3309). Ibn Abbas said that Abdullah bin Rawaha said that some believers said if we knew what deeds were most beloved to Allah, we would do them, but when Jihad (Fighting in the way of Allah) was revealed, they disliked it.
Imam Qurtubi said that this verse obligates everyone who commits himself to an act of obedience to fulfill it, and Imam Ibn Katheer said that this verse was used as an evidence by some of the early scholars, who held that promises must be fulfilled absolutely, and they supported this view with the hadith narrated in Sahih Albukhari and Sahih Muslim, that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abu Hurayrah: "The signs of a hypocrite are three, whenever he speaks, he tells a lie, whenever he promises, he breaks his promise, and whenever he is entrusted, he betrays" (Sahih Albukhari 6095 and Sahih Muslim 59).
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (4) "Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His way in a row, as if they were a structure joined firmly", that is, Allah declares that He loves the believers when they line up, facing the enemies of Allah in the battlefield, and fight in the cause of Allah those who disbelieved in Him and oppose His Messenger. Sa'id bin Jubair said regarding this verse that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) would not fight the enemy unless He had the companions organized in rows, and that is a teaching from Allah to the believers, and he said regarding Allah's saying "As if they were a structure joined firmly" that they are joined together, one part to the other in the ranks during the battle. Qatada said Allah has lined up the believers in their fighting and He has lined them up in their prayers, so you must adhere to Allah's command, for it is a protection for whoever follows it. And Abaya bin Rafi' bin Khadij said that Abu Abs, who is Abdul-Rahman bin Jabr told him that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: ''Anyone whose both feet get covered with dust in Allah's cause will not be touched by the Fire" (Sahih Albukhari 2811).
Imam Qurtubi said that some scholars of interpretation have used this verse as evidence that fighting on foot is superior to fighting on horseback, because horsemen do not line up in this manner, but others said that horsemen do not fall outside the meaning of the verse, and that this is inconsistent with what has been mentioned regarding the horsemen reward, as Qatada narrated from Anas bin Malik that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Nobody who enters Paradise likes to go back to the world even if he got everything on the earth except the Shaheed (martyr in the way of Allah) who wishes to return to the world so that he may be martyred ten times because of the dignity he receives" (Sahih Albukhari 2817).
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (5) "And when Moses said to His people, O My people! Why do you hurt Me while you certainly know that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?, so when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate, and Allah does not guide the disobedient people", that is, Allah informs that His Messenger Moses, the son of Imran peace be upon Him, was harmed by the Children of Israel, despite their knowledge that He was the Messenger of Allah for He came to them with clear signs of His prophecy, so when they turned away from following the truth despite their knowledge of it, Allah turned their hearts away from guidance, and Allah does not guide the disobedient people, and those who oppose Him and oppose His Messengers. Imam Ibn Katheer said that this verse is a consolation for Allah's Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH), regarding what He suffered at the hands of the disbelievers from His own people and others, and He was commanded to be patient with their harm, therefore, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said in narration of Abdullah bin Mas'ud: "May Allah have mercy on Moses, for He was harmed with more than this, yet He kept patient" (Sahih Albukhari 3150).
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (6) "And when Juses, the son of Mary, said O children of Israel! Indeed, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming what came before Me of the Torah, and bringing glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after Me, whose name is Ahmad, but when He came to them with clear proofs, they said this is a clear magic", that is, the Prophet Jesus, the son of Mary peace be upon Him, was the last of the Prophets of the Children of Israel, and the Torah has foretold his coming, so when Allah sent Him to the Children of Israel, He said to them I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming the glad tidings of the Torah about Me, and He stood among the Children of Israel, giving glad tidings of the Muhammad (PBUH) who is Ahmed, the last of Prophets and Messengers, after whom there is no message or prophecy.
Ahmed is the name of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and Imam Qurtubi said that the meaning of Ahmed is "The one who praises His Lord the most", although all the Prophets praised their Lord, but the Prophet Muhammad praised His Lord the most, and Ibrahim bin Al-Munzir said Ma'n told him from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Muhammad bin Jubair bin Mut'im that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmed, I am Al-Mahi through whom Allah will eliminate disbelief, I am Al-Hashir who will be the first to be resurrected, and the people being resurrected there after, and I am also Al-Aqib i.e. there will be no Prophet after Me" (Sahih Albukhari 3532). Although the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was written in the Torah and the Gospel, as mentioned in Aya (157) of Surat Ala'raf {Those who follow the Messenger, the illiterate Prophet whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel}, but when He (PBUH) came to them with clear proofs that indicate the truthfulness of His prophecy, they said that what He brought was clear magic.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (7,8) "And who is more unjust than the one who invents a lie against Allah, while he is being invited to Islam, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people, they want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light even though the disbelievers dislike", that is, Allah affirms that there is no one is more unjust than the one who invents and fabricates lies against Allah, and makes equals and partners to Him, while he is being called to monotheism and sincerity, and Imam Al-Tabari said that his fabrication of lies against Allah is his statement that the Prophet Muhammad is a magician and that what He brought was magic. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people who wronged themselves with disbelief and tyranny. Then Allah assures that the polytheists who make equals to Allah of false gods and idols want to extinguish the light of Allah with which He has sent His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) and intend to invalidate it with their mouths, but it is impossible for them to do so, for Allah refuses except His light to be perfected, His religion to be exalted, His words to be made clear, and the truth with which He has sent His Messenger to be perfected even though the disbelievers dislike.
Imam Qurtubi said that there are five interpretation of the Phrase "The light of Allah": first, that it refers to the Quran; they want to invalidate and refute it verbally, and this was stated by Ibn Abbas and Ibn Zaid. Second, that it refers to Islam; they want to reject it verbally, and this was stated by Alsuddi, third, that it refers to Muhammad (PBUH); they want to destroy Him with falsehoods, and this was stated by Aldahhak, fourth, that it refers to Allah's proofs and evidences; they want to invalidate them through denial and rejection, and this was stated by Ibn Bahr. Fifth, that it is a parable; just as one who tries to extinguish the light of the sun with his mouth finds it impossible, so too does one who tries to invalidate the truth, and this was stated by Ibn Isa, and Imam Ibn Katheer favored the last interpretation saying that they try to refute the truth with falsehood, and their example in this is like that of one who tries to extinguish the sun's light with his mouth, but Imam Al-Tabari said that the light of Allah in this context refers to Islam, so Allah will proclaim the truth, make His religion manifest, and support His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH).
Allah Almighty says in the next verse (9) "He is the One who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He makes it prevail over all religions even though the polytheists dislike", that is, Allah is the One who has sent His Messenger Muhammad with guidance and Islam which is the religion of the truth, and He will make it prevail over all religions even though the polytheists dislike. Imam Qurtubi said that this does not mean that no other religion will remain, but rather that the people of Islam will be superior and victorious, and that another aspect of this prevailing is that no religion other than Islam will remain at the end of time, as Abu Hurayrah and Mujahid said that when Jesus, peace be upon Him, descends to the earth, there will be no religion on earth except Islam, and no disbeliever will remain who does not embrace Islam. Imam Al-Tabari adopted this view saying when Jesus, son of Mary, descends, and the religion becomes one, there will be no religion other than Islam.
Adi bin Hatim reported: "While I was with the Prophet (PBUH), a man came and complained to Him of poverty, then another man came and complained of robbery, the Prophet (PBUH) said Adi! Have you seen Al-Hira?, I said I have not seen it, but I was informed about it, He said if you should live for a long time, you will certainly see that a lady in a Howdah traveling from Al-Hira will perform Tawaf of the Ka'bah, fearing none but Allah. I said to myself What will happen to the robbers of the tribe of tai' who have spread evil throughout the country?, the Prophet (PBUH) further said if you should live long, the treasures of Khosrau will be opened, I asked You mean Khosrau, son of Hurmuz?, He said Khosrau, son of Hurmuz, and if you should live long, you will see that one will carry a handful of gold or silver and go out looking for a person to accept it from him, but will find none to accept it from him. Adi added, later on, I saw a lady in a Howdah traveling from Al-Hira till she performed the Tawaf of the Ka'bah, fearing none but Allah, and I was one of those who opened the treasures of Khosrau, son of Hurmuz. If you should live long, you will see what the Prophet, Abul-Qasim had said: a person will come out with a handful of gold....etc" (Sahih Albukhari 3595).
And Abu Salama narrated from Aisha: "I heard Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying the night and the day will not end until the Lat and Uzza will be worshipped, I said Allah's Messenger! I think when Allah has revealed He is the One who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religion even though the polytheists dislike, that it is going to be fulfilled, thereupon, He said it will happen as long as Allah wills, then Allah will send the good wind by which everyone who has even a weight of mustard grain of faith in his heart will die, until there will remain those in whom there is no good, and they will return to the religion of their fathers" (Sahih Muslim 2907).
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (10,11) "O you who have believed! Shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?, you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives, that is better for you if you should know", that is, Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to say to the believers Shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment?, Imam Ibn Katheer said that Allah revealed this Surah including this verse in response to the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) who wanted to know the deeds most beloved to Allah so that they might perform them, as shown above in Ayat (2,3), then Allah explained the great and never-ending transaction saying that your faith in Allah and His Messenger and your striving in the way of Allah with your wealth and your lives, is better for you than the worldly trade and toiling for it, if you should know the harms and benefits of things.
Allah Almighty says in the next two verses (12,13) "He will forgive for you your sins and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of Eden, that is the great success, and another that you love, victory from Allah, and an imminent conquest, and Give glad tidings to the believers", that is, Allah gave the believers glad tidings of two wins, one of them is related to the Hereafter, as if they believe in Allah and His Messenger (PBUH) and strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives, Allah will forgive for them their sins, admit them into gardens beneath which rivers follow, and pleasant dwellings in the gardens of Eden, and it has been said that gardens of Eden mean gardens of perpetual residence in which the believers will abide eternally, and it has been said that it is one of the names of Paradise, and Allah described the win in the Hereafter as the great success. The other success is related to the worldly life which they love, as Allah will grant them victory over their enemies, and a near conquest, then Allah commanded His Messenger (PBUH) to give the believers glad tidings of Allah's victory, so if you fight in the way of Allah and support His religion, Allah will guarantee your victory, as Allah says in Aya (7) of Surat Muhammad {O you who have believed! If you support Allah, He will support you, and plant firmly your feet}.
Allah Almighty says in the last verse (14) "O you who have believed! Be supporters of Allah, as when Juses, the son of Mary, said to the disciples, Who are my supporters for Allah?, the disciples said we are supporters of Allah, so a group of the Children of Israel believed, and a group disbelieved, so We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant", that is, Allah commanded the believers to be supporters of Allah in all their circumstances, with their words, deeds, wealth, and lives, and to respond to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH), just as the disciples responded to the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon Him, when He said Who are My supporters for Allah?, meaning Who will assist Me in calling to Allah?, so the disciples, the followers of Jesus, said we are supporters of Allah, meaning we are Your supporters in what You have been sent with and we will assist You in that. And Uthman bin Al-Mughira narrated from Salim bin Abi Al-Ja'd from Jabir bin Abdullah: "During the Mawqif (Hajj season), the Prophet (PBUH) would present Himself and say Which man will bring Me to his people?, for indeed, Quraish have prevented Me from conveying the Speech of My Lord" (Jami' Altirmidhi 2925). Then Allah supported His Messenger Muhammad (PBUH) with the Aws and Khazraj, tribes of Medina, who pledged allegiance to Him, supported Him and stipulated that they would protect Him from all harm if He emigrated to them, so when He emigrated to them with His companions, they fulfilled their covenant with Allah, and this is why Allah and His Messenger named them the Ansar (Helpers), May Allah be pleased with them.
Then Allah says "So a group of the Children of Israel believed, and a group disbelieved", meaning that when Jesus conveyed Allah's Message to His people, a group of the Children of Israel were guided by what He had brought them, while another group went astray, rejecting His message, denying His prophethood, and accusing Him and His Mother (Mary) of grave things, and a group of His followers went to extremes of their veneration of Him, elevating Him above the prophethood that Allah had bestowed upon Him, and they split into sects and factions, some said that Juses is the son of Allah, some said that He is Allah, and still some said that He is the third of three: the father, the son, and the holy spirit. So Allah supported those who believed in Juses against their enemy, and Allah gave them victory over those who opposed them from among the Christian sects, so they became dominant through the mission of the Prophet Muhammad, this is what Imam Ibn Kather stated, quoting Imam Al-Tabari.
The Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH) will remain steadfast upon the truth until Allah's command comes while they are in that state, and until the last of them fights the Antichrist alongside Jesus, peace be upon Him, as Yazid bin Al-Asam narrated from Mu'awiya bin Abi Sufyan that Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "A group of people from the Muslims will remain on the right path and continue until the day of resurrection to triumph over those who oppose them" (Sahih Muslim 1037). The Prophet Juses Himself will support the religion of Islam at the end of time, as Qatada narrated from Abdul-Rahman bin Adam from Abu Hurayrah: "The Prophet (PBUH) said there is no Prophet between Me and Him, that is Jesus, He will descend, when you see Him, Recognize Him a man of medium height, reddish fair, wearing two light yellow garment, looking as if drops were falling down from His head though it will not be wet, He will fight the people for the cause of Islam, He will break the Cross, kill swine, and abolish Jizya, Allah will perish all religions except Islam, He will destroy the Antichrist (Al-Maseeh Al-Dajjal-the false Messiah), and will live on the earth for forty years, and then He will die, and the Muslims will pray on Him i.e. funeral prayer" (Sunan Abi Dawood 4324).