Tafseer Ibn Kathir of THAAHAA [131]

131. And strain not your eyes in longing for the things We have given for enjoyment to various groups of them, the splendor of the life of this world, that We may test them thereby. But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting. 132. And enjoin Salah on your family, and be patient in offering them. We ask not of you a provision: We provide for you. And the good end is for those who have Taqwa. 133. And they say: Why does not he bring us a miracle from his Lord? Has there not come to them the proof of that which is in the former papers (Scriptures) 134. And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this, they would surely have said: ”Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger we should certainly have followed Your Ayat, before we were humiliated and disgraced.” 135. Say: Each one is waiting, so wait you too; and you shall know who are they that are on As-Sirat As-Sawi. Allah, the Exalted, says to His Prophet Muhammad , ”Do not look at what these people of luxury and their likes and peers have of nice comforts. For verily, it is only short-lived splendor and a feeble bounty, which We are using to test them with. And very few of My servants are truly thankful.'' Mujahid said,

(various groups of them,) ”This means the wealthy people.'' This means, ”Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad) better than that which We have given them.'' This is just as Allah says in another Ayah,

(And indeed, We have bestowed upon you seven repeatedly recited verses, and the Grand Qur'an. Look not with your eyes ambitiously.) ï´¿15:87-88ï´¾ Likewise, that which Allah has stored for His Messenger in the Hereafter is something extremely great. It is an unlimited reward that cannot be described. This is as Allah says,

(And verily, your Lord will give you so that you shall be well-pleased.) ï´¿93:5ï´¾ For this reason, Allah says,

(But the provision of your Lord is better and more lasting. ) In the Sahih it is recorded that `Umar bin Al-Khattab entered upon the Messenger of Allah while he was in the small room in which he had separated himself from his wives after he had vowed to stay away from them. When he came in, he saw him (the Prophet ) lying down upon a sandy straw mat. There was nothing in the house except a pile of sant tree pods and some hanging equipment. `Umar's eyes filled with tears (upon seeing this), so the Messenger of Allah said to him,

(What makes you cry, O Umar) He replied, ”O Messenger of Allah, verily Kisra and Caesar are living in their luxurious conditions, yet you are the chosen Friend of Allah amongst His creation'' The Prophet said,

(Do you have doubt, O son of Al-Khattab Those people have had their good hastened for them in the life of this world.) Thus, the Prophet was the most abstinent of people concerning worldly luxuries, even though he had the ability to attain them. If he acquired anything of worldly treasures he would spend it on this and that for the servants of Allah. He would never save anything for himself for the next day. Ibn Abi Hatim reported from Abu Sa`id that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Verily, the thing I fear most for you all is what Allah will allow you to acquire of the splendor of this world. ) They (the Companions) said, ”What is the splendor of this world, O Messenger of Allah'' He said,

(The blessings of the earth.) Qatadah and As-Suddi said, ”The splendor of this worldly life means the beautiful adornments of the life of this world.'' Qatadah said,

(that We may test them thereby.) ”So that We may put them to trial.'' Concerning Allah's statement,

(And enjoin the Salah on your family, and be patient in offering them.) This means to save them from the punishment of Allah by the establishment of the prayer, and you also be patient in performing it. This is as Allah says,

(O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell).) ﴿66:6﴾ Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Zayd bin Aslam reported from his father that he and Yarfa' would sometimes spend the night at `Umar bin Al-Khattab's. `Umar had a certain time of night that he would get up and pray. However, sometimes he would not get up for it. Then, we would say, ”He is not going to get up like he usually does.'' When he would awaken, he would make his family get up as well. He would say,

(And enjoin the Salah on your family, and be patient in offering them.)'' Allah said;

(We ask not of you a provision: We provide for you.) This means that if you establish the prayer, your sustenance will come to you from where you did not expect. This is as Allah says,

(And whosoever has Taqwa of Allah, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine.) ï´¿65:2-3ï´¾ Allah also says,

(And I (Allah) created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone).) until,

(Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong.) ï´¿51:56-58ï´¾ Thus, Allah says,

(We ask not of you a provision: We provide for you.) Verily, At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Allah, the Exalted, says, ”O son of Adam, perform My worship and I will fill your chest with wealth and fulfill your needs. If you do not do so, then I will fill your chest with toil and I will not fulfill your needs.'') It is also reported from Zayd bin Thabit that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying,

(Whoever makes the worldly life his major concern, then Allah will scatter his situation for him (i.e. make it difficult) and his poverty will be placed between his eyes. He will not get from this world anything except that which has already been written for him. Whoever makes the Hereafter his intention, then his situation will be gathered for him (i.e. made easy) and his wealth will be placed in his heart. The worldly life will come to him anyway (in spite of his not seeking it).) Concerning Allah's statement,

(And the good end is for those who have Taqwa.) This means the good end in this life and in the Hereafter. In the Hereafter the good end will be Paradise for whoever feared Allah. In the Sahih it is reported that the Messenger of Allah said,   Allah, the Exalted, informs about the disbelievers in their statement,

(Why does not) This means, `Why doesn't Muhammad bring us some proof from his Lord' They meant a sign that was proof of his truthfulness in his claim that he was the Messenger of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said,

(Has there not come to them the proof of that which is in the former papers (Scriptures)) This means the Qur'an which Allah revealed to him while he was an unlettered man who could not write well and who did not study with the People of the Book. Yet, the Qur'an contains information about the people of the past that tells of their events from times long ago and it agrees with the authentic information in the previous Books concerning these matters. The Qur'an is the supervisor of these other Books. It verifies what is correct and explains the mistakes that were falsely placed in these Books and attributed to them. This Ayah is similar to Allah's statement in Surat Al-`Ankabut,

(And they say: ”Why are not signs sent down to him from his Lord'' Say: ”The signs are only with Allah, and I am only a plain warner.'' It is not sufficient for them that We have sent down to you the Book which is recited to them Verily, herein is mercy and a reminder for a people who believe.) ﴿29:50-51﴾ In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,

(There was not any Prophet except that he was given signs that caused men to believe. That which I have been given is a revelation that Allah has revealed to me, so I hope that I have the most followers among them (the Prophets) on the Day of Resurrection.) In this Hadith, the Prophet only mentioned the greatest of the signs that he was given, which is the Qur'an. However, he did have other miracles, which were innumerable and limitless. These miracles have all been recorded in the books that discuss them, and they have been affirmed in the places that mention them. Then Allah says,

(And if We had destroyed them with a torment before this, they would surely have said: ”Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger...'') This means, ”If We had destroyed these rejecting people before We sent this Noble Messenger to them and revealed the Mighty Book to them, they would have said,

(Our Lord! If only You had sent us a Messenger,) meaning, `before you destroyed us, so we could have believed in him and followed him.' This is like Allah said,

(we should certainly have followed Your Ayat, before we were humiliated and disgraced.) Allah, the Exalted, explains that these rejecters are stubborn and obstinate and they will not believe.

(Even if every sign should come them, until they see the painful torment.) ï´¿10:97ï´¾ This is as Allah says,

(And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and have Taqwa (of Allah), that you may receive mercy.) Until His statement,

(because of their turning away.) ï´¿6:155-157ï´¾ Allah also says,

(And they swore by Allah their most binding oath that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations (before them).) ï´¿35:42ï´¾

(And they swear their strongest oaths by Allah, that if there came to them a sign, they would surely believe therein.) ï´¿6:109ï´¾ to the completion of those Ayat. Then, Allah says,

(Say) ”Say, O Muhammad, to those who deny you, oppose you and continue in their disbelief and obstinance.''

(Each one is waiting,) among you and us;

(so wait you too;) This is a command to await (anticipate).

(and you shall know who are they that are on As-Sirat As-Sawi.) This means the straight road.

(And who are they that have let themselves be guided. ) meaning guidance to the truth and the path of right guidance. This is similar to Allah's statement,

(And they will know, when they see the torment, who it is that is most astray from the path!) ï´¿25:42ï´¾ And Allah said,

(Tomorrow they will come to know who is liar, the insolent one!) ï´¿54:26ï´¾ This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ta Ha, and all praise and gratitude is due to Allah. The Tafsir of Surat Al-Anbiya' will follow this, if Allah wills. And all praise and thanks are due to Allah.