In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. Aqil Ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-Saff.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Everything in the heavens and everything on earth glorifies Allah, for He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
Everything in the seven heavens and on earth, from among all creation, glorifies Allah.
They are submissive to Him, acknowledging His divinity and His Lordship.
He is the Almighty in His retribution against those among them who disobeyed Him, disbelieved in Him, and opposed His command.
He is the All-Wise in His governance of them.
“O ye who believe! Why say ye that which ye do not?” (61:2)
“It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do not.” (61:3)
O you who have believed in Allah and His Messenger!
Why do you say that which you do not practice?
For your actions contradict your words.
It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.
By this, He meant those who said:
"If we only knew which deeds are most beloved to Allah, we would surely perform them."
Yet, they fell short in their actions after they had come to know.
“Lo! Allah loveth them who battle for His cause in ranks, as if they were a solid structure.” (61:4)
...in ranks, as though they were a solid structure.
Indeed, Allah, O people,
loves those who fight in His cause and for the religion to which He has called, standing in ranks,
as if they were, in their alignment there, like built walls,
reinforced, firmly set, and perfected,
leaving no gaps between them.
Some of them used to say:
"Built with lead."
And when Moses said to his people, "O my people,
“And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Why persecute ye me, when ye well know that I am Allah's messenger unto you? So when they went astray Allah sent their hearts astray. And Allah guideth not the evil-living folk.” (61:5)
“And (remember) when Moses said unto his people: O my people! Why persecute ye me, when ye well know that I am Allah's messenger unto you? So when they went astray Allah sent their hearts astray. And Allah guideth not the evil-living folk.” (61:5)
and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people."
And remember, O Muhammad,
when Moses Ibn Imran said to his people:
"O my people, why do you harm me, when you know for certain
that I am the Messenger of Allah to you?"
So when they deviated and turned away from the straight path,
Allah caused their hearts to deviate from the truth.
And Allah does not guide those who choose disbelief over faith to the attainment of the truth.
Those are the people who chose disbelief over faith.
“And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic.” (61:6)
“And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic.” (61:6)
confirming what came before me of the Torah,
and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.
But when he came to them with clear proofs,
they said, "This is obvious magic."
And remember also, O Muhammad,
when Jesus, son of Mary, said to his people,
from among the Children of Israel:
“And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic.” (61:6)
"Confirming what came before me of the Torah that was revealed to Moses,
and I bring you good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad."
But when Ahmad came to them with clear proofs,
which are the signs and arguments Allah gave him as evidence of his prophethood,
they said, "This is an obvious sorcerer."
“And who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie against Allah when he is summoned unto Al-Islam? And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” (61:7)
“And who doeth greater wrong than he who inventeth a lie against Allah when he is summoned unto Al-Islam? And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.” (61:7)
And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.
And who is more unjust and aggressive than one who fabricates lies against Allah?
This refers to the statement of those who said to the Prophet, peace be upon him:
"He is a sorcerer, and what he has brought is magic."
Likewise is their fabrication of lies against Allah when they are invited to enter Islam;
they speak lies about Allah and invent falsehoods against Him.
And Allah does not grant those who have wronged themselves through their disbelief the ability to attain the truth.
“Fain would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light however much the disbelievers are averse.” (61:8)
And Allah will perfect His light.
These people who say to Muhammad, peace be upon him,
"This is an obvious sorcerer,"
wish to extinguish with their mouths the truth with which Allah sent Muhammad, peace be upon him.
But Allah is the Proclaimer of the truth and the Manifestor of His religion, Islam,
and He is the Supporter of Muhammad, peace be upon him, against those who show him enmity,
even if the disbelievers in Allah dislike it.
It is He who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth
to manifest it over all religion, even if the polytheists dislike it.
Allah is the One who sent His Messenger, Muhammad, with guidance and the clarification of the truth and Islam,
to make His true religion, with which He sent His Messenger, superior to every other religion.
This will occur at the descent of Jesus, son of Mary,
and when the nation becomes one,
so that no religion remains except Islam.
“O ye who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will save you from a painful doom?” (61:10)
“Ye should believe in Allah and His messenger, and should strive for the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is better for you, if ye did but know.” (61:11)
“O ye who believe! Shall I show you a commerce that will save you from a painful doom?” (61:10)
You believe in Allah and His Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him, and you strive in the cause of Allah and the path He has legislated for you with your wealth and your lives.
That is better for you than wasting that opportunity and neglecting it, if you only knew the harms and benefits of things.
“He will forgive you your sins and bring you into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, and pleasant dwellings in Gardens of Eden. That is the supreme triumph.” (61:12)
Your Lord will cover your sins if you do that; He will overlook them, forgive you, and admit you into gardens beneath whose trees rivers flow.
And He will also admit you into pleasant dwellings in gardens of eternal residence, from which there is no departure. That is the great salvation from the punishment of the Hereafter and its terrors.
“And (He will give you) another (blessing) which ye love: help from Allah and present victory. Give good tidings (O Muhammad) to believers.” (61:13)
And you will have another favor besides that in this world which you love: support from Allah for you against your enemies and a near victory which He will hasten for you. So give good tidings, O Muhammad, to the believers of Allah’s support for them against their enemy and a swift victory for them.
“O ye who believe! Be Allah's helpers, even as Jesus son of Mary said unto the disciples: Who are my helpers for Allah? They said: We are Allah's helpers. And a party of the Children of Israel believed, while a party disbelieved. Then We strengthened those who believed against their foe, and they became the uppermost.” (61:14)
The disciples said, "We are the supporters of Allah." So a faction of the Children of Israel believed, and a faction disbelieved. So We supported those who believed against their enemy, and they became dominant.
O you who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, be supporters of Allah, just as Jesus, son of Mary, said to the disciples, "Who are my supporters for Allah?"
The disciples said, "We are the supporters of Allah" regarding the truth with which He sent His prophets. So a faction of the Children of Israel believed in Jesus, and a faction among them disbelieved in him.
So We strengthened those who believed from the two factions of the Children of Israel against their enemy who disbelieved in Muhammad, peace be upon him,
because of their belief that Jesus is the servant of Allah and His Messenger, and their rejection of those who said he is a god or the son of Allah.
Thus, the believing faction became dominant over their disbelieving enemy.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.