“Every soul will be detained for what it has earned”: Imam al-Sa’di

In his short work of assorted benefits from the Qur’an, sheikh ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Naasir al-Sa’di mentioned:

قوله معالى: [ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ * إِلَّا أَصْحَابَ الْيَمِينِ ] (المدثر: ٣٨ ، ٣٩) أى كل نفس مرتهنة محبوسة وموثقة بكسبها السيء وحبسها في العذاب السيء. وذلك لأن الجزاء من جنس العمل ، فكما حبس المجرمون ما لديهم لله ولخلقه من الحقوق اللازمة فلم يؤدوا الصلاة التي هى أكبر العبادات المتضمنة لاخلاص للمعبود ، ولا أطعموا المساكين من الحق الذي أوجبه الله لهم فى أموالهم، ولا حبسوا نفوسهم على ما شرع، وقيدوها بقيود الدين، بل أطلقوها فيما شاءوا من المرادات الفاسدة ء فخاضوا بالباطل مع الخائضن ، ولا صدقوا ربهم ورسله مع تواتر الآيات ، بل كانوا مكذبون بيوم الدين ، فلذلك حبسوا فى هذا المحبس الفظيع، وأدخلوا فى سقر . ـ

Allah’s statement:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ * إِلَّا أَصْحَابَ الْيَمِينِ

Every soul will be detained for what it has earned, * Except the Companions of the Right [74:38-39]

meaning: every soul is held in custody and securely imprisoned because of the evil that it earned, and its holding cell is one of awful punishment. That is because the deeds are recompensed in kind. For just as criminals are imprisoned, Allah and His creations have rights which are due to them.

Allah Presents a Parable of a City: Tafsir al-Tabari

Allah struck the following parable in surah al-Nahl:

وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْيَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً يَأْتِيهَا رِزْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللَّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ

And Allah presents a parable: a city which was safe and secure, its provision coming to it in abundance from every location, but it denied the favors of Allah. So Allah made it taste the envelopment of hunger and fear for what they had been doing. [16:112]

In his explanation of this ayah, Imam Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari wrote:

يقول الله تعالى ذكره : ومثل الله مثلا لمكة التي سكنها أهل الشرك بالله هي القرية التي كانت آمنة مطمئنة ، وكان أمنها أن العرب كانت تتعادى ، ويقتل بعضها بعضا ، ويسبي بعضها بعضا ، وأهل مكة لا يغار عليهم ، ولا يحاربون في بلدهم ، فذلك كان أمنها . وقوله ( مطمئنة ) يعني قارة بأهلها ، لا يحتاج أهلها إلى النجع ، كما كان سكان البوادي يحتاجون إليها ( يأتيها رزقها رغدا ) يقول : يأتي أهلها معايشهم واسعة كثيرة . وقوله ( من كل مكان ) يعني : من كل فج من فجاج هذه القرية ، ومن كل ناحية فيها . ـ

Allah is saying: Allah has presented a parable of Mecca where the people who associate partners with Allah lived. Mecca was a city that was safe and secure. Its safety lay in the fact that the Arabs used to antagonize, fight, and insult one another, but they did not attack the people of Mecca or fight them in their homeland. As a result, the people of Mecca were safe. And the meaning of “secure” here is that its people were stable and not in search of a homeland, unlike the bedouins who were in need of a place to call home.

“O Mankind, a Proof Has Come to You From Your Lord”: Tafsir al-Tabari

In the last part of surah al-Nisaa’, Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُّبِينًا

O mankind, a proof has come to you from your Lord and We have sent down a clear light to you. [4:174]

Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari began his tafsir of this ayah by summarizing the meaning as follows:

قال أبو جعفر : يعني جل ثناؤه بقوله : ” يا أيها الناس قد جاءكم برهان من ربكم ” ، يا أيها الناس من جميع أصناف الملل ، يهودها ونصاراها ومشركيها ، الذين قص الله جل ثناؤه قصصهم في هذه السورة” قد جاءكم برهان من ربكم ” ، يقول : قد جاءتكم حجة من الله تبرهن لكم بطول ما أنتم عليه مقيمون من أديانكم ومللكم ، وهو محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ، الذي جعله الله عليكم حجة قطع بها [ ص: 428 ] عذركم ، وأبلغ إليكم في المعذرة بإرساله إليكم ، مع تعريفه إياكم صحة نبوته ، وتحقيق رسالته” وأنزلنا إليكم نورا مبينا ” ، يقول : وأنزلنا إليكم معه”نورا مبينا” ، يعني : يبين لكم المحجة الواضحة ، والسبل الهادية إلى ما فيه لكم النجاة من عذاب الله وأليم عقابه ، إن سلكتموها واستنرتم بضوئه . وذلك”النور المبين” ، هو القرآن الذي أنزله الله على محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم .ـ

I, Abu Ja’far, say: What Allah means by:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

O mankind, a proof has come to you from your Lord

is: O people of every different kind of religion – Jewish, Christian, polytheist – whose stories Allah has mentioned in this surah

قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

… a proof has come to you from your Lord …

Allah Promises You Forgiveness and Bounty: Tafsir al-Tabari & ibn Kathir

Allah says in surah al-Baqarah:

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ ۖ وَاللَّـهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةً مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًا ۗ وَاللَّـهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

The Shaytaan promise you poverty and commands you to commit immorality, but Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is Generous and All-Knowing [2:268]

The famous mufassir Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari opened his tafsir of this ayah by writing:

قال أبو جعفر: يعني بذلك تعالى ذكره: ” الشيطان يعدكم “، أيها الناس- بالصدقة وأدائكم الزكاة الواجبة عليكم في أموالكم (85) – أن تفتقروا=” ويأمركم بالفحشاء “، يعني: ويأمركم بمعاصي الله عز وجل، وترك طاعته= (86) ” والله يعدكم مغفرة منه “ (87) يعني أن الله عز وجل يعدكم أيها المؤمنون، أن يستر عليكم فحشاءكم، بصفحه لكم عن عقوبتكم عليها، فيغفر لكم ذنوبكم بالصدقة التي تتصدقون=” وفضلا “ يعني: ويعدكم أن يخلف عليكم من صدقتكم، فيتفضل عليكم من عطاياه ويسبغ عليكم في أرزاقكم.ـ

I, Abu Ja’far, say: What Allah means here is:

الشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ

the shaytaan promises you …

O mankind, that giving charity and paying the zakah that is required of your wealth will make you poor

وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِالْفَحْشَاءِ

… and commands you to commit immorality

i.e. he commands you to disobey Allah and to stop obeying Him.

“… And Seek What Allah Has Decreed For You”: Tafsir al-Tabari

In part of the ayaat of fasting in surah al-Baqarah, Allah permits the believers to engage in sexual relations with their spouses during nights of fasting days by saying:

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ ۚ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ ۗ عَلِمَ اللَّـهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ ۖ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ

It has been made permissible for you to go to your wives on the nights of fasting. They are clothing for you and you are clothing for them. Allah knows that you used to deceive yourselves, so He accepted your repentance and forgave you. So now, have relations with them and seek that which Allah has decreed for you. [2:187]

The phrase “and seek what Allah has decreed for you” has been interpreted in multiple ways by the salaf. Ibn al-Jawzi summarized the different explanations in his book of tafsir by writing:

وابتغوا ما كتب الله لكم فيه أربعة أقوال . أحدها: أنه الولد ، قاله ابن عباس ، والحسن ، ومجاهد في آخرين . قال بعض أهل العلم: لما كانت المباشرة قد تقع على ما دون الجماع ، أباحهم الجماع الذي يكون من مثله الولد ، فقال: وابتغوا ما كتب الله لكم يريد: الولد . والثاني: أن الذي كتب لهم الرخصة ، وهو قول قتادة ، وابن زيد . والثالث: أنه ليلة القدر . رواه أبو الجوزاء عن ابن عباس . والرابع: أنه القرآن ، فمعنى الكلام: اتبعوا القرآن ، فما أبيح لكم وأمرتم به فهو المبتغى ، وهذا اختيار الزجاج . ـ

وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّـهُ لَكُمْ

… and seek what Allah has decreed for you.

There are four opinions regarding this phrase:

1) That it refers to offspring. This was the opinion of ibn ‘Abbaas, al-Hasan al-Basri, and the position that Mujahid settled on.

Some of the scholars have said: This is stated because “relations” could involve things that do not reach the level of full sexual intercourse, so Allah permitted them to engage in the sexual relations which result in offspring by saying, “seek what Allah decreed for you”, meaning “children”.

The Ayah of the Reciters: Tafsir al-Tabari

Allah says in surah Faatir:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَتْلُونَ كِتَابَ اللَّـهِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً يَرْجُونَ تِجَارَةً لَّن تَبُورَ * لِيُوَفِّيَهُمْ أُجُورَهُمْ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضْلِهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ

“Those who recite the Book of Allah and establish the prayer and spend out of what We have provided for them both secretly and publicly can hope for a profit that will never perish * that He will give them their rewards in full and increase them out of His bounty. He is certainly forgiving and appreciative.” [35:29-30]

Imam Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari included the following narration under his tafsir of this ayah:

يقول – تعالى ذكره – : إن الذين يقرءون كتاب الله الذي أنزله على محمد – صلى الله عليه وسلم – ( وأقاموا الصلاة ) يقول : وأدوا الصلاة المفروضة لمواقيتها بحدودها ، وقال : وأقاموا الصلاة بمعنى : ويقيموا الصلاة . ـ

Allah is saying: Those who recite the Book of Allah which He revealed to Muhammad

وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ

… and establish the prayers

He is saying: and who perform the obligatory prayers in their proper times within the proper limits.

وقوله ( وأنفقوا مما رزقناهم سرا وعلانية ) يقول : وتصدقوا بما أعطيناهم من الأموال سرا في خفاء وعلانية جهارا ، وإنما معنى ذلك أنهم يؤدون الزكاة المفروضة ، ويتطوعون أيضا بالصدقة منه بعد أداء الفرض الواجب عليهم فيه . ـ

وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً

… and spend out of what We have provided for them both secretly and publicly …

He is saying: they spend some of the wealth that We have given them in charity, both secretly in private and openly in public. And the meaning here is that they pay the obligatory zakah and also give optional charity after having paid what was binding and required of them.

Whoever Does Any Part of Righteous Deeds …: Tafsir al-Tabari

Allah says in surah al-Nisaa’:

وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ نَقِيرًا

And whoever does any part of righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer – those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged even a speck on a date seed. [4:124]

In part of his commentary on this ayah, Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari wrote:

فإن قال لنا قائل: ما وجه دخول: ” مِن ” في قوله: ” ومن يعمل من الصالحات “، ولم يقل: ” ومن يعمل الصالحات “؟ قيل: لدخولها وجهان: ـ

Someone might ask: Why is the phrase “any part of” included in “any part of righteous deeds” rather than just saying “and whoever does righteous deeds”?

In that case, we would respond by saying: there are two reasons why it is included.

أحدهما: أن يكون الله قد علم أن عبادَه المؤمنين لن يُطيقوا أن يعملوا جميع الأعمال الصالحات، فأوجب وَعده لمن عمل ما أطاق منها، ولم يحرمه من فضله بسبب ما عجزتْ عن عمله منها قوّته. ـ

Firstly, Allah knows that His believing slaves will never be able do all of the righteous good deeds. He therefore made His promise apply to those who perform the good deeds within their capacity without depriving anyone of His bounty due to a lack of ability to perform those deeds.

Praise for Tafsir al-Tabari from Great Scholars of the Past

In his handbook to the Qur’anic sciences, Jalal al-Deen al-Suyooti concluded an overview of the famous scholars of tafsir of the past and their books by writing the following high praise for the great mufassir, Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (died 310AH/932CE) and his famous book of tafsir commonly referred to as Tafsir al-Tabari or Tafsir ibn Jarir:

فِإِنْ قُلْتَ : فَأَيُّ التَّفَاسِيرِ تُرْشِدُ إِلَيْهِ وَتَأْمُرُ النَّاظِرَ أَنْ يُعَوِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ؟ قُلْتُ : تَفْسِيرُ الْإِمَامِ أَبِي جَعْفَرِ بْنِ جَرِيرٍ الطَّبَرِيِّ الَّذِي أَجْمَعَ الْعُلَمَاءُ الْمُعْتَبَرُونَ عَلَى أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُؤَلَّفْ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ مِثْلُهُ . قَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ فِي تَهْذِيبِهِ : كِتَابُ ابْنِ جَرِيرٍ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ لَمْ يُصَنِّفْ أَحَدٌ مِثْلَهُ .ـ

If one were to ask, “Which book of tafsir would you recommend for someone looking for something to rely on?” then I would say: the Tafsir of the Imam Abu Ja’far ibn Jarir al-Tabari. All the scholars worth any consideration agree that there hasn’t been anything else like it written in the field of tafsir.

al-Nawawi said in al-Tahdheeb, “The Tafsir of ibn Jarir – no one has authored anything like it.”

[al-Itqan 2/476]

al-Suyooti highlighted one of the reasons for the great merit of ibn Jarir and his tafsir earlier in the same discussion when he wrote:

The Seven Qiraa’aat are all Part of One Harf: ibn Taymiyah

Sheikh al-Islaam ibn Taymiyah once received a letter with a series of questions about the qiraa’aat in it, including:

وسئل عن قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ” { أنزل القرآن على سبعة أحرف } ” ما المراد بهذه السبعة ؟ وهل هذه القراءات المنسوبة إلى نافع وعاصم وغيرهما هي الأحرف السبعة أو واحد منها ؟ وما السبب الذي أوجب الاختلاف بين القراء فيما احتمله خط المصحف ؟ وهل تجوز القراءة برواية الأعمش وابن محيصن وغيرهما من القراءات الشاذة أم لا ؟ وإذا جازت القراءة بها فهل تجوز الصلاة بها أم لا ؟ أفتونا مأجورين . ـ

The sheikh was asked about the Prophet’s statement, “The Qur’an was sent down in seven ahruf”

(a) what is meant by these seven?

(b) Are the qiraa’aat attributed to Naafi’ and ‘Asim and others the seven ahruf or just one of them?

(c) What is it that causes there to be differences among the reciters within the bounds of the text of the official ‘Uthmani Mushaf?

(d) Is is permissible to recite the recitation of al-A’mash or ibn Muhaysin or other such shadh [non-canonical] recitations? If so, is allowed to pray with them?

We would greatly appreciate if you could deliver some verdicts for us.

[Majmoo’ Fataawaa 13/389]

What follows is part of Ibn Taymiyah‘s response to these questions, touching on the fourth question (d) and the second question (b) while also addressing a number of related topics such as the collection of the Qur’an:

وأما القراءة الشاذة الخارجة عن رسم المصحف العثماني مثل قراءة ابن مسعود وأبي الدرداء رضي الله عنهما ( والليل إذا يغشى والنهار إذا تجلى والذكر والأنثى كما قد ثبت ذلك في الصحيحين . ـ

There are the shadh [non-canonical] qiraa’aat which do not match with the text of the official ‘Uthmani mushaf, such as the recitation of ibn Mas’ood and Abu al-Dardaa’ (may Allah be pleased with them both) of:

A Parable of the Disbelievers and the Believers: Tafsir al-Tabari

Allah strikes the following parable in surah Hud:

مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْأَصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ ۚ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلًا ۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

The example of the two parties is like the blind and the deaf, and the seeing and the hearing. Are these two equal in comparison? Will you not then remember? [11:24]

Imam Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari wrote the following in his tafsir of this ayah:

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ : يَقُولُ ، تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ : مَثَلُ فَرِيقَيِ الْكُفْرِ وَالْإِيمَانِ كَمَثَلِ الْأَعْمَى الَّذِي لَا يَرَى بِعَيْنِهِ شَيْئًا ، وَالْأَصَمِّ الَّذِي لَا يَسْمَعُ شَيْئًا ، فَكَذَلِكَ فَرِيقُ الْكُفْرِ لَا يُبَصِّرُ الْحَقَّ فَيَتَّبِعُهُ وَيَعْمَلُ بِهِ ، لِشَغْلِهِ بِكُفْرِهِ بِاللَّهِ ، وَغَلَبَةِ خِذْلَانِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ ، لَا يَسْمَعُ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ إِلَى الرَّشَادِ ، فَيُجِيبُهُ إِلَى الْهُدَى فَيَهْتَدِي بِهِ ، فَهُوَ مُقِيمٌ فِي ضَلَالَتِهِ ، يَتَرَدَّدُ فِي حَيْرَتِهِ . وَالسَّمِيعُ وَالْبَصِيرُ فَذَلِكَ فَرِيقُ الْإِيمَانِ ، أَبْصَرَ حُجَجَ اللَّهِ ، وَأَقَرَّ بِمَا دَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ ، وَالْبَرَاءَةِ مِنَ الْآلِهَةِ وَالْأَنْدَادِ ، وَنُبُوَّةَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ ، وَسَمِعَ دَاعِيَ اللَّهِ فَأَجَابَهُ وَعَمِلَ بِطَاعَةِ اللَّهِ ، كَمَا : ـ

I, Abu Ja’far, say: Allah is saying: The comparison of these two parties – that of disbelief and that of belief – is like the comparison of a blind person whose eyes cannot see anything at all and a deaf person who cannot hear anything, for similarly, those in the party of disbelief cannot see the truth that they might follow and act according to it due to how distracted they are with their disbelief in Allah and because their act of forsaking Allah has come back against them. They do not hear Allah’s callers calling them to upright guidance so that they might accept that guidance and become rightly guided by it. Instead they remain in their misguided state, stuck in a perpetual state of confusion.

But the seeing and hearing one is the party of belief. They see Allah’s signs and proofs and therefore affirm that these signs demonstrate Allah’s sole right to be worshiped, His freedom from having any partners or associates, and His having sent prophets. They hear Allah’s callers and respond to the call and obey Allah.

This explanation is similar to the explanations of the salaf, such as: