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 Muhammad.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“O ye who believe! Obey Allah and obey the messenger, and render not your actions vain.” (47:33)
O you who have believed in Allah and His Messenger.
Obey Allah and obey the Messenger in all that He has commanded and forbidden.
Do not invalidate the reward of your deeds by disobeying Him or His Messenger.
For disbelief in Allah nullifies any previous righteous deeds.
“Lo! those who disbelieve and turn from the way of Allah and then die disbelievers, Allah surely will not pardon them.” (47:34)
“Lo! those who disbelieve and turn from the way of Allah and then die disbelievers, Allah surely will not pardon them.” (47:34)
Indeed, those who denied the oneness of Allah and hindered those who sought to believe in Allah and His Messenger.
Then died while persisting in that state of disbelief.
Allah will never forgive them for what they have committed.
Rather, He will punish them for it and expose them before all witnesses.
“So do not falter and cry out for peace when ye (will be) the uppermost, and Allah is with you, and He will not grudge (the reward of) your actions.” (47:35)
“So do not falter and cry out for peace when ye (will be) the uppermost, and Allah is with you, and He will not grudge (the reward of) your actions.” (47:35)
So do not falter, O believers in Allah, in your struggle against the polytheists.
And do not call for peace and reconciliation.
While you are the ones who have overcome them and are superior to them.
Allah is with you, granting you victory over them.
And He will never deprive you of the rewards for your deeds, nor will He diminish their merit.
The life of this world is but play and amusement.
“The life of the world is but a sport and a pastime. And if ye believe and ward off (evil). He will give you your wages, and will not ask of you your wordly wealth.” (47:36)
And He does not ask you for your wealth.
“If He should ask it of you and importune you, ye would hoard it, and He would bring to light your (secret) hates.” (47:37)
The life of this world is but play and amusement.
Except for that which is done for the sake of Allah in His cause.
As for anything else, it is merely play and amusement that will vanish and fade away.
Or it is a sin that leaves a lasting burden of shame upon its doer.
And if you believe in Allah and fear Him by performing His obligatory duties and avoiding His prohibitions.
Your Lord will grant you your rewards.
And He will compensate you with that which is better for you than what you spent.
Your Lord does not ask you for your wealth.
Rather, He charges you with His oneness.
If your Lord were to ask you for your wealth.
And press you with the request, insisting upon it from you.
You would be stingy with it and withhold it, out of attachment to it.
But He knew that of you and the narrowness of your souls.
So He did not ask it of you.
And if He were to ask you for your wealth.
He would bring out your hidden grudges through that request.
“Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (47:38)
Yet among you are those who are stingy.
“Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (47:38)
“Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (47:38)
“Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (47:38)
“Lo! ye are those who are called to spend in the way of Allah, yet among you there are some who hoard. And as for him who hoardeth, he hoardeth only from his soul. And Allah is the Rich, and ye are the poor. And if ye turn away He will exchange you for some other folk, and they will not be the likes of you.” (47:38)
Here you are, O people, being called to spend.
In the struggle against the enemies of Allah and for the support of His religion.
Yet among you are those who are stingy in spending for it.
And whoever is stingy in spending in the cause of Allah.
He is only being stingy to the detriment of his own soul.
For if his soul were generous.
It would not be stingy in spending in the cause of Allah.
And Allah has no need, O people, for your wealth.
For He is the Self-Sufficient, independent of His creation.
While the creation is in need of Him.
And if you turn away, O people, from this religion.
He will destroy you and replace you with another people.
In your stead, who will believe in it.
And they will not be stingy with what they are commanded.
Regarding spending in the cause of Allah.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.