47:1. Those who disbelieve and bar others from the path of Allah, He will cause their deeds to come to naught.

47:2. Those who believe and do righteous deeds, and believe in that which was sent down to Muhammad - for it is the truth from their Lord He will absolve them of their bad deeds and rectify their condition.

47:3. That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood and those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah set forth for humankind their comparisons.

These verses include mention of the reward of the believers and the punishment of the sinners, the reason for that, and the call to humankind to learn lessons from that. Allah says:

﴾Those who disbelieve and bar others from the path of Allah﴿ - this refers to the leaders of disbelief and misguidance, who combine disbelief in Allah and His signs with barring themselves and others from the path of Allah, which means believing in and following that to which the Messengers called.

﴾He﴿ namely Allah ﴾will cause their deeds to come to naught﴿ that is, He will render them invalid and cause their doom because of them. This includes their efforts to oppose the truth and the close friends of Allah. Allah will cause their schemes to backfire, so they will not attain any of their goals. As for the deeds for which they hoped to be rewarded, Allah will cause them to come to naught. The reason for that is that they followed falsehood. That includes every effort that is not made for the sake of Allah, such as worshipping idols and images, and efforts that are put into supporting falsehood, because such aims are invalid, and any deeds done for their sake are also invalid.

As for ﴾Those who believe﴿ in what Allah sent down to His Messengers in general, and to Muhammad (ﷺ) in particular,

﴾and do righteous deeds﴿ by doing what is required of duties towards Allah and towards people, both obligatory and recommended, t(He﴿ that is, Allah ﴾will absolve them of their bad deeds﴿ both minor and major, and if their bad deeds are absolved, they will be safe from punishment in this world and the hereafter

﴾and rectify their condition﴿ that is, He will rectify their religious and worldly affairs, rectify their hearts and deeds, and rectify all their affairs. The reason for that is that they ﴾follow the truth from their Lord﴿ which is contained in this mighty Qur’an, that comes ﴾from their Lord﴿ Who has been caring for them by means of what He bestows of blessings, and managing their affairs by means of Hiskindness, so He cares for them by guiding them to the path of truth, which they follow, and thus their affairs are rectified.

As their goal is connected to the truth, that is attributed to Allah the Eternal, the Manifest Truth, their means of achieving that is sound and eternal, and the reward for that will be stored up for them.

﴾Thus does Allah set forth for humankind their comparisons﴿ as He explains to them who the good people and evil people are, and gives for each a description by which they may be recognised and distinguished from others,

﴾...so that those who chose to perish [by choosing disbelief] might do so after seeing clear evidence, and those who chose to live [by choosing faith] might do so after seeing clear evidence...﴿ (al-Anfal

8: 42)

47:4. When you meet the disbelievers [in battle], strike their necks until, when you have thoroughly subdued them, then bind the captives firmly - then after that [you may release them], either as an act of grace or in return for a ransom - until the war ends. Thus [are you commanded]. If Allah had so willed. He could have exacted retribution upon them [without you fighting], but He [commands you to fight] in order to test some of you by means of others. For those who are slain in Allah’s cause, He will never allow their deeds to come to naught.

47:5. He will guide them and rectify their condition.

47:6. and will admit them to paradise, which He has already made known to them.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says, guiding His slaves to that which is in their best interests and supporting them against their enemies:

﴾f\Vhen you meet the disbelievers [in battle])﴿ then be steadfast in fighting them, and strike their necks, until you have thoroughly subdued them, weakened their resolve and broken their spirit. Then when you have done that and you think it is more appropriate to take prisoners than to kill, ﴾then bind the captives firmly﴿. This is a precaution lest the captives run away; if they are bound firmly, then the Muslims will be reassured that they will not flee, and will not harm them.

Once they are your prisoners, then you have the choice between doing an act of grace towards them by letting them go without payment of a ransom, or ransoming them by not releasing them until they have bought their freedom, or their companions have done so, or they are exchanged for Muslim prisoners held by the enemy.

This should continue ﴾until the war ends﴿ that is, until there is no more fighting, and you reach a peace deal or truce. For every situation there is a different attitude and different rulings. The rulings mentioned in this verse have to do with situations of war.

But sometimes there is no war, and if there is no war for some reason, then there is no fighting and no taking of prisoners.

﴾Thus [are you commanded]﴿ that is, the ruling mentioned above is for the purpose of testing the believers by means of the disbelievers, and to make fortunes and victories alternate between them.

﴾If Allah had so willed, He could have exacted retribution upon them [without you fighting]﴿, for He has power over all things and is able to never let the disbelievers be victorious over the Muslims in any place, until the Muslims completely defeat them.﴾but He [commands you to fight] in order to test some of you by means of others﴿ so that jihad will flourish and it will become clear who is sincere and who is lying, and so that some people will believe sincerely on the basis of understanding, not on the basis of following the group that has the upper hand, for such faith is very weak and can hardly survive trials and tests.

﴾For those who are slain in Allah’s cause﴿ there is a great reward, for they are the ones who fought those who they were commanded to fight, so that the word of Allah may be supreme. Allah will never let the deeds of such people go to waste. In other words. He will not let them come to naught and be invalid; rather He will accept them, cause their reward to grow, and show the outcome of their deeds in this world and the hereafter.

﴾He will guide them﴿ to follow the path that leads to paradise ﴾and rectify their condition﴿ that is, their condition, their affairs and their reward will all be complete and sound, with no stress and nothing to spoil it in any way whatsoever.

﴾and will admit them to paradise, which He has already made known to them﴿ that is, He made it known first of all to make them long for it; He described it to them and told them the deeds that lead to it, one of which is fighting in His cause, and He enabled them to do what He commanded and urged them to do. Then when they enter paradise. He will show them their dwellings and what they contain of eternal bliss and sound living.

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47:7. O you who believe, if you help Allah’s cause. He will help you and steady your footsteps.

47:8. As for those who disbelieve, how wretched they are. Allah will cause their deeds to come to naught.

47:9. That is because they resent that which Allah has sent down, so He will cause their deeds to come to nothing.

This is a command from Allah Be) to the believers, instructing them to support His cause by adhering to His religion, calling others to Him, striving against His enemies, seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah. If they do that, Allah will help them and steady their footsteps. In other words. He will instil in their hearts patience, reassurance and steadfastness, He will give them physical endurance and help them against their enemies.

This is a promise from One Who is generous and true in His promise, that whoever supports His cause in word and deed, his Lord will support him and grant him the means of victory, such as steadfastness and the like.

As for those who disbelieve in their Lord and support falsehood, they are in a wretched state; that is, their affairs are in decline and doomed to failure.

﴾Allah will cause their deeds to come to naught﴿ that is. He will render invalid their efforts to plot against the truth, so their schemes will backfire on them, and the deeds which they claim to do for the sake of Allah will come to naught.

That misguidance and wretchedness is for those who disbelieve, because ﴾they resent that which Allah has sent down﴿ of the Qur'an, which Allah sent down to show people the path of righteousness and prosperity. But they did not accept it; rather they hated it and resented it, ﴾fso He will cause their deeds to come to nothing﴿.ii>t Jn .4.J V jji iic jK'ijS . J

47:10. Have they not travelled in the land and seen what was the fate of those who came before them? Allah destroyed them utterly, and a similar fate awaits those who disbelieve.

47:11. That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe, whereas the disbelievers have no protector.

That is, have these people who reject the Messenger (ﷺ) not travelled ﴾fand seen what was the fate of those who came before them?﴿ For they will not find that anything befell them but the worst of fates. Wherever they turn, right or left, they will find around them people who perished and were doomed and eradicated because of their rejection of the truth and their disbelief. So they became lifeless, and Allah destroyed their property and homes around them; in fact He destroyed their efforts and plots. The disbelievers in every time and place will have similar bad consequences and terrible punishments.

As for the believers, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will save them from punishment and bestow upon them a great reward.

﴾That is because Allah is the Protector of those who believe﴿, so He cares for them and shows them mercy, bringing them forth from the depths of darkness to light, rewarding them and supporting them Himself.

﴾whereas the disbelievers y who disbelieve in Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and deprive themselves of divine protection and mercy

﴾have no protector﴿ to guide them to the paths of peace or save them from the wrath and punishment of Allah. In fact their protectors are the false gods; from light they will lead them forth into the depths ofdarkness. They will be inhabitants of the fire; they will abide therein

47:12. Verily Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to gardens through which rivers flow. As for those who disbelieve, they are taking their pleasure [in this world] and they eat as cattle eat; the fire will be their abode.

Having stated that He is the protector of the believers, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now tells us what will happen to them in the hereafter, of admittance to gardens through which rivers flow, which irrigate those verdant gardens and beautiful trees that bear all kinds of delicious fruit.

Having stated that the disbelievers have no protector, Allah now tells us that they are left to their own devices, so they do not have any qualities of dignity or humanity; rather they have sunk to the level of cattle that possess no reason or virtue, and all they care about and seek is enjoyment of worldly pleasures and desires. So you see that all their thoughts and activities are focused on such matters, and do not go beyond them to that in which there could be some goodness and happiness. Hence the fire will be their abode; that is, it is prepared for them and they will never leave it, and their punishment will never be alleviated.

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47:13. How many cities there were, that were more powerful than your city which has expelled you. Yet We destroyed them and there was none to help them.

That is, how many cities of the disbelievers there were that were more powerful than your city in terms of wealth, sons, helpers, buildings and technology.

﴾Yet We destroyed them﴿ when they rejected Our Messengers, and when exhortation proved to be of no avail in their case. And there was none to help them; their strength did not avail them at all against the punishment of Allah.

So how about these weak people, the people of your city, when they expelled you from your homeland, rejected you and opposed you at the time when you are the best of the Messengers, the best of the first and the last?

Are they not more deserving than others of doom and punishment, were it not for the fact that Allah sent His Messenger (ﷺ) to show mercy towards every disbeliever and not be hasty (in seeking their punishment)?

47:14. Is one who possesses clear proof from his Lord like one whose evil deeds are made fair-seeming to him or those who follow their own whims and desires?

That is, they are not equal. One who clearly understands his religion and acts upon it by learning about the truth and following it, hoping for what Allah has promised to those who follow the truth, isnot like one who is spiritually blind and has rejected the truth, gone astray and followed his whims and desires, with no guidance from Allah, yet he thinks that what he is following is true. How great is the difference between the two groups, the followers of truth and the followers of misguidance!

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47:15. The likeness of paradise, which the righteous are promised, [is that of a garden] in which there are rivers of water forever fresh; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, delightful to those who drink it; and rivers of honey, pure and clear. There they will have all kinds of fruit and forgiveness from their Lord. Can they be like those who will abide forever in the fire and be given scalding water to drink that will tear their intestines?

That is, the likeness of paradise, which Allah has prepared for His slaves who feared His wrath and sought His pleasure, is a beautiful likeness.

(fin which there are rivers of water forever fresh﴿ that is, it never changes, becomes stagnant, develops a foul smell, or becomes bitter or murky. Rather it is the freshest and purest of water, with the best fragrance and most delicious taste.

﴾rivers of milk of which the taste never changes﴿ by turning sour or otherwise﴾rivers of wine, delightful to those who drink it﴿ that is, the one who drinks it enjoys it very much. It is not like the wine of this world that tastes bad, causes headache and makes people lose their minds.

﴾and rivers of honey, pure and clear﴿, free of wax and other dirt.

﴾There they will have all kinds of fruit﴿ such as dates, grapes, apples, pomegranates, citrons, figs and other fruits that have no equal in this world. They will have attained all that they wanted and that was dear to them.

﴾and forgiveness from their Lord﴿ by means of which all that they fear will be kept away from them. Are they better, or those who will abide forever in the fire, with its intense heat and multiple punishments, where they will ﴾be given scalding﴿ that is, intensely hot ﴾water to drink that will tear their intestines﴿?

Glory be to the One Who has differentiated between the two abodes, the two recompenses, the two types of people and the two types of deeds.

47:16. Among them are some who listen to you [O Muhammad], but when they leave your presence, they say to those who have been given knowledge: What did he say just now? These are the ones whose hearts Allah has sealed up and they follow their own whims and desires.

47:17. But as for those who follow guidance, Allah increases them in guidance and instils in them righteousness.

Here Allah tells us that among the hypocrites ﴾are some who listen to you [O Muhammad]﴿ that is, they listen to what you say, but it is not by way of accepting and following; rather they are not really paying attention. Hence Allah says: ﴾but when they leave your presence, they say to those who have been given knowledge﴿, asking about what you said and what they heard, that they had no real interest in: ﴾What did he say just now?﴿

This is a criticism of them, for if they had really been eager to attain good, they would have listened attentively and with understanding, and they would have complied with it. But their attitude is the opposite of that, hence Allah says: ﴾These are the ones whose hearts Allah has sealed up﴿ that is. He has barred to them the goodness that could have reached their hearts, because they followed their whims and desires and had no inclination except towards falsehood.

Then He describes those who follow guidance: ﴾But as for those who follow guidance﴿ by believing, submitting and seeking that which is pleasing to Allah ﴾Allah increases them in guidance﴿, in appreciation of their doing that ﴾and instils in them righteousness﴿ that is, He enables them to do good and protects them from evil. Therefore He mentions two rewards for those who are guided: beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds.

47:18. What are they waiting for, but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly? Its portents have already appeared, so what good will it do them to pay heed when it has actually come upon them?

That is, are these disbelievers waiting for anything ﴾but for the Hour to come upon them suddenly﴿, without them realising?

﴾Its portents﴿ that is, its signs which indicate that it is at hand (fhave already appeared﴿.

﴾so what good will it do them to pay heed﴿ that is, when the Hour comes and their lifespan is over, how can they pay heed to it and mend their ways? It will be too late for that; the time for paying heed will be over, and their lives will have been long enough for anyone who might reflect and pay heed to do so, as the warner did indeed come to them.

This verse urges people to be prepared before death comes suddenly, for a person’s death is the beginning of the Hour for him.

47:19. Know, then, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sins and for [the sins of] believing men and women, for Allah knows your movements [during the day] and your places of rest [at night].

With regard to knowledge, it is essential to affirm it in the heart and understand properly what is required of knowledge, and the perfection thereof is to act in accordance with it.

This knowledge that Allah enjoins - namely knowledge of the oneness of Allah - is an individual obligation upon every human, and is not waived for anyone, no matter who he is. Rather each individual is obliged to know that, and the way to know that there is no god but He is by doing the following:1- The first and greatest way is reflecting upon His names and attributes, and His actions that highlight His perfection, greatness and majesty. That compels one to strive one’s utmost in devotion to Him and in worshipping the Lord Who possesses perfect names and attributes and to Whom belong all praise, glory, majesty and beauty.

2- Knowing that He is the only Creator and controller. Thus one may know that He is the only One Who is deserving of devotion.

3- Knowing that He alone bestows blessings both visible and hidden, spiritual and worldly. That makes one’s heart be attached to Him, love Him and be devoted to Him alone, with no partner or associate.

4- What we see and hear of the great reward for His close friends who affirm His oneness, of divine support and blessings in this world; and the punishment for His enemies who associate others with Him. This makes one realise that He alone is deserving of all worship.

5- Understanding the nature of the idols and rivals that are worshipped alongside Allah and taken as gods, for they are helpless in all aspects, inherently needy and have no power to benefit or harm themselves or their worshippers, or to cause death, give life or resurrect. They do not support those who worship them, and they do not benefit them in the slightest by bringing good or warding off evil. Knowing that leads to knowing that there is no god but Allah, and that all gods besides Him are false.

6- The Books of Allah are all agreed on that and they all stated it.

7- The elite of creation, who are the most perfect of people in attitude, mature thinking, wisdom, sound judgement and knowledge - namely the Messengers, Prophets and devout scholars - have testified that Allah is one.

8- Allah has established proofs in the universe and in people themselves that offer the greatest proof of His oneness and point towards that fact, because of what He has instilled in them of precise creation and what they reflect of brilliant wisdom and amazing design.

These are the ways through which Allah calls people to the message of la ilaha ilia Allah, which He highlights repeatedly in His Book. When a person ponders some of them, he will inevitably develop certain faith and knowledge of that. So how about if he studies all of them, and they all point to His oneness and agree on that? The proofs of divine oneness come from all directions, then faith and knowledge of that become deeply rooted in the heart, so that they are like firm mountains that cannot be shaken by doubts or illusions, and they only increase and grow the more one comes across false ideas and specious arguments. Moreover, there is the greatest evidence and the most important matter - which is pondering this mighty Qur’an and reflecting on its verses - because it is the main gateway to learning about divine oneness, and through it one may learn what it says in detail and in general terms, that one cannot leam from any other source.

﴾fand ask forgiveness for your sins﴿ that is, ask Allah for forgiveness for your sins, by taking measures that lead to forgiveness, such as repentance, praying for forgiveness, doing good deeds that erase sin, refraining from sin and forgiving others for any wrongs they have done to you.

﴾and﴿ seek forgiveness also ﴾for [the sins of] believing men and women﴿ for they - because of their faith - have rights over every Muslim man and woman.

One of those rights is that they should pray for them and seek forgiveness for their sins. If it is the case that the Prophet (ﷺ) is instructed to pray for them, which means asking for their sin to beremoved and for them to be protected from the punishment thereof, it is implied that he is to show sincerity towards them, love good for them as he loves it for himself, hate evil for them as he hates it for himself, enjoin them to do that which is good for them and forbid them to do that which is harmful to them, overlook their shortcomings and faults, and be keen that they should be united and in harmony, and that all grudges between them should be removed that could lead to enmity and division that would increase them in sin.

﴾for Allah knows your movements [during the day]﴿ and your comings and goings ﴾and your places of rest [at night] p where you settle, for He knows all about you and your movements, and He will requite you for that in full.

47:20. Those who believe say: If only a soorah were to be sent down [instructing us to fight]! But when an unambiguous soorah is sent down, in which fighting is mentioned, you see those in whose hearts is a disease staring fixedly at you like one who is about to die. So woe to them!

47:21. It is more appropriate for them to show obedience and speak honourable words. Once the matter is resolved upon [and fighting becomes obligatory], then if they are true to Allah, that will be better for them.

47:22. Then is it to be expected of you, if you tum away, that you will spread mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship?

47:23. These are the ones whom Allah has cursed, and has made them deaf and has blinded their eyes.

﴾Those who believe say﴿ in haste, showing eagerness to comply with tough and difficult commands: ﴾If only a soorah were to be sent down [instructing us to fight]!﴿

﴾But when an unambiguous soorah is sent down﴿, compliance with which is binding,

﴾in which fighting is mentioned﴿, which is the most difficult thing for people, those who are weak in faith cannot comply with the command. Hence Allah says: ﴾you see those in whose hearts is a disease staring fixedly at you like one who is about to die﴿ because they hate it and it is so difficult for them.

This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Have you not seen those to whom it was said: Restrain your hands [from fighting], establish prayer and give zakah? But then when fighting was ordained for them, some of them feared men as much as they feared Allah or even more.. .﴿ (an-Nisa’4■ 77)

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) urges them to do that which is more appropriate to their situation, as He says:

﴾It is more appropriate for them to show obedience and speak honourable words﴿ that is, it is more appropriate for them to comply with the command and focus on what they are required to do now, and not to demand that there be prescribed for them that which is too difficult for them. They should rejoice in the fact that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) is letting them be and showing kindness to them.

6(Once the matter is resolved upon [and fighting becomes obligatory]﴿ that is, once the issue becomes serious and the commandbecomes binding, then in that situation, if they are true to Allah by seeking His help and doing their utmost to comply with His commands, ﴾that will be better for them﴿ than demanding a verse with the command to fight. That is for several reasons:

• The individual is helpless in all ways and has no power, unless Allah helps him. So he should not ask for more than he is obliged to do at present.

• If he starts thinking too much of deeds to do in the future, that will lead to his resolve becoming weakened with regard to what he has to do now and in the future. As for the present, his resolve will be weakened because his focus has been moved to something else, and resolve is connected to focus. As for what he wants to do in the future, the time for that deed will not come before he loses resolve and motivation, and he will not be able to do it.

• The one who thinks of what he wants to do in the future at the time when he is too lazy to do what he must do at present is like someone who is helpless yet still thinks that he will be able to do whatever tasks he will face in the future. Therefore he is more likely to fail and not do what he wanted to do and thought of doing. What he should do is focus his thoughts and energy on what is to be done now, and do it to the best of his ability. Then after that, when he is faced with a new task, he will be able to do it with energy and motivation, and with proper focus, seeking the help of his Lord. Such a person is more deserving of divine help and support in all his affairs.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) mentions the situation of one who turns away from obeying his Lord, stating that he is not turning to anything good; rather he is turning to something bad, as He says: ﴾Then is it to be expected of you, if you turn away, that you will spread mischief in the land and sever your ties of kinship?﴿ That is, there are two scenarios: either to adhere to obedience to Allah and comply with His commands, whichwill lead to goodness, righteousness and success; or to turn away from that and fail to obey Allah, after which there is nothing but spreading mischief in the land by committing sins and severing ties of kinship.

t﴾These﴿ namely the ones who spread mischief in the land and sever ties of kinship

﴾are the ones whom Allah has cursed﴿ by casting them far away from His mercy, and they are subjected to the wrath of Allah.

﴾fand has made them deaf and has blinded their eyes﴿ that is, He has caused them not to hear or see that which will benefit them. So they have ears, but they do not hear in the sense of obedience and acceptance; rather they hear in the sense that the proof of Allah is established against them. And they have eyes, but they do not see the lessons and signs, and they do not pay attention to proof and clear evidence.

47:24. Will they not then ponder on the Qur’an, or are there locks on their hearts?

That is, why do these people who turn away not ponder the Book of Allah and reflect upon it properly, for if they did that, it would guide them to all that is good and warn them against all that is evil, and it would fill their hearts with faith and certainty, enable them to attain sublime goals and great reward, and explain to them the path that leads to Allah and to His paradise. It would show them what would help them to attain that and what would hinder them from it, and it would highlight the path that leads to punishment and what to beware of. It would tell them about their Lord, His names and attributes, and His kindness; it would make them long for the great reward, and would alert them to the dire punishment.

﴾or are there locks on their hearts?﴿ That is, are their hearts closed on all the evil that they contain, so that nothing good can enter them? This is how they really are.

47:25. Verily those who turn back to disbelief after guidance has become clear to them, Shaytan has made [their evil deeds] fair-seeming to them and has deceived them with false hopes of a long life.

47:26. That is because they [the hypocrites] said to those who hate what Allah has revealed: We will cooperate with you in some matters. But Allah knows their secret dealings.

47:27. How then will they fare when the angels take their souls in death, striking their faces and backs?

47:28. That is because they pursue that which angers Allah, and they hate that which pleases Him; so He will cause their deeds to come to nothing.

Here Allah tells us about the situation of those who apostatise from right guidance and faith, and turn back to misguidance and disbelief. They do not do that on the basis of evidence or proof that led them to that conclusion; rather it is misguidance from their enemy the Shaytan, who made that fair-seeming to them and prompted them to do it.﴾f[Shaytan] makes promises to them and fills them with false hopes; but Shaytan makes promises to them only in order to deceive them. ﴿

That is because guidance became clear to them, but they showed no interest in it and rejected it, ﴾That is because they [the hypocrites] said to those who hate what Allah has revealed﴿ and showed open enmity towards Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ): ﴾We will cooperate with you in some matters﴿ that is, in those matters that suited their whims and desires. Therefore Allah punished them by causing them to go astray and making them persist in that which would lead to their eternal doom and everlasting punishment.

﴾But Allah knows their secret dealings﴿ therefore He exposed them and disclosed their secrets to His believing slaves, lest they be deceived by them.

﴾How then﴿ do you think their terrifying situation will be «fwhen the angels﴿ whose task is to take people’s souls ﴾take their souls in death, striking their faces and backs﴿ with rods of iron?

﴾That﴿ punishment which they deserve and will be given is ﴾because they pursue that which angers Allah﴿ of all kinds of disbelief, evildoing and sin.

﴾fand they hate that which pleases Him﴿ so they have no desire for that which would bring them closer to Him.

﴾so He will cause their deeds to come to nothing﴿ that is, He will render them invalid and cause them to be lost. This is in contrast to those who pursue that which pleases Allah and hate that which angers Him; He will absolve their bad deeds and multiply their reward.on-rt

47:29. Do those in whose hearts is a disease think that Allah will never bring their malice to light?

47:30. If We so willed. We could show them to you, so that you would recognise them by their marks. But you will surely recognise them by the tone of their speech. And Allah knows all that you do.

47:31. We will certainly test you so that We may make known those among you who strive [in Allah’s cause] and are steadfast, and We will expose your deeds.

Do those in whose hearts is a disease﴿ caused by doubt or desires, to the extent that the heart becomes unhealthy and unbalanced, think that Allah will not bring to light what their hearts contain of grudges and enmity towards Islam and its people? This is the notion that is incompatible with the wisdom of Allah, for He will inevitably distinguish between those who are sincere and those who are lying, by means of tests and trials; whoever remains steadfast and persists in his faith when faced with such trials is truly a believer.

But whoever turns on his heels and shows no patience in the face of trials, or when subjected to a test, will panic, his faith will grow weak and he will show what his heart contains of grudges and hypocrisy. This is what is dictated by divine wisdom, even though Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾If We so willed, We could show them to you, so that you would recognise them by their marks﴿ that is, their signs which are like marks on their faces.

﴾But you will surely recognise them by the tone of their speech﴿ that is, what is in their hearts will inevitably appear through slips of the tongue, for what people say reflects what is in their hearts of good and evil.﴾And Allah knows all that you do﴿ and will requite you for your deeds.

Then Allah mentions the great test with which He tests his slaves, namely jihad in the cause of Allah, as He says:

﴾We will certainly test you﴿ that is. We will test your faith and patience

(fso that We may make known those among you who strive [in Allah’s cause] and are steadfast, and We will expose your deeds﴿. Whoever complies with the command of Allah and strives in His cause to support His religion and make His word supreme is a true believer; whoever is reluctant to do that, it is due to a shortcoming in his faith.

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47:32. Verily those who disbelieve and bar others from the path of Allah, and oppose the Messenger after guidance has become clear to them, not the least harm will they do to Allah, and He will cause their deeds to come to nothing.

This is a stem warning to those who combine all kinds of evil, namely disbelief in Allah and barring people from the path of Allah which He has set out for people to reach Him.

﴾and oppose the Messenger after guidance has become clear to them﴿ that is, they stubbornly and deliberately go against him, not on the basis of ignorance and misguidance.

﴾not the least harm will they do to Allah﴿ and they will not detract from His sovereignty.

﴾and He will cause their deeds to come to nothing﴿ that is, the efforts they made to support falsehood will not lead to anythingbut failure and loss, and their deeds for which they hoped to attain reward will not be accepted, because they failed to fulfil the necessary conditions.

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47:33. O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and do not let your deeds go in vain.

Here Allah instructs the believers to do something that is essential to their well-being, whereby they may attain happiness in this world and the hereafter, which is to obey Him and obey His Messenger (ﷺ) with regard to fundamental and minor matters of religion. Obedience means complying with commands and heeding the prohibitions, in the manner enjoined, with sincerity, and following in a perfect and precise manner.

﴾and do not let your deeds go in vain jj. This includes a prohibition on rendering deeds invalid after doing them, by doing things that spoil them, such as reminding people of favours, self-admiration, pride and seeking a good reputation, and committing sins that spoil good deeds and cancel out the reward thereof. It also includes a prohibition on spoiling good deeds whilst doing them, by giving them up or doing something that renders them invalid.

Things that render prayer, fasting, Hajj and so on invalid are included in that and are forbidden. The fuqaha’ quote this verse as evidence for it being forbidden to interrupt an obligatory prayer, and for it being disliked to interrupt a supererogatory prayer, for no good reason.

Because Allah has forbidden rendering good deeds invalid, He enjoins doing them properly, in a complete and perfect manner, by having knowledge and acting upon it.

47:34. Verily those who disbelieve and bar others from the path of Allah, and die as disbelievers, Allah will never forgive them.

47:35. Do not falter and call for peace, for you will overcome. Allah is with you and will never detract from the reward of your good deeds.

These verses and the verse in al-Baqarah:

.. .And if any of you turn back from their faith and die as disbelievers, their deeds will come to nothing in this world and in the hereafter...

- make specific every text that speaks in general terms of deeds being nullified by disbelief, and limit it to the case of those who die in a state of disbelief. Allah says here:

﴾Verily those who disbelieve﴿ in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day

﴾and bar others from the path of Allah by making them disinclined towards the truth and calling them to falsehood, making it fair-seeming to them,

﴾and die as disbelievers﴿ without repenting therefrom

﴾Allah will never forgive them﴿ by means of intercession or otherwise, because the punishment will have become inevitable for them, theywill have missed out on reward, they will deserve to abide forever in hell, and the mercy of the Most Merciful, Oft-Forgiving will be denied to them.

What the verse means is that if they repent from that before they die, then Allah will forgive them, have mercy on them and admit them to paradise, even if they spent their entire lives disbelieving in Him, barring others from His path and committing sins.

Glory be to the One Who has opened the gates of mercy to His slaves, and has not barred them to anyone, so long as he is still alive and able to repent.

Glory be to the Most Forbearing Who does not hasten to punish those who disobey Him; rather He grants them well-being and provision, as if they had not disobeyed Him, despite the fact that He has power over them.

Then Allah says: ﴾Do not falter﴿ that is, do not grow weak and lose your energy to fight or let fear overtake you. Rather be patient and steadfast, make firm your resolve to fight and stand firm, seeking the pleasure of your Lord, in sincerity towards Islam, and so as to annoy the Shaytan.

Do not call for peace and give up the fight between you and your enemies in pursuit of comfort, ﴾for you will overcome. Allah is with you and will never detract from the reward of your good deeds﴿.

The following three things should motivate one to remain patient and not feel weak, for they will overcome:

1 - All means of victory are available and they have a true promise from Allah. Usually people do not falter unless they feel inferior to others, and are weaker in terms of numbers, equipment and psychological and physical strength.

2- Allah is with them, for they are believers, and Allah is with the believers, giving them His help and support. That should give them strength of heart and courage against their enemies.

3- Allah will not detract from the reward of their good deeds in the slightest; rather He will reward them in full and give them more by His grace, especially for the act of worship of jihad, for the reward of spending in jihad will be multiplied up to seven hundredfold, up to many times more than that. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾...That is because whenever they suffer any thirst, weariness or hunger in Allah’s cause, or they take any step that angers the disbelievers, or inflict any loss on an enemy, a righteous deed is recorded to their credit thereby. For Allah will not cause the reward of those who do good to be lost. Nor do they spend anything [for Allah’s cause], small or great, or cross any valley, but it is recorded to their credit, so that Allah may reward them in accordance with the best of their deeds. (at-Tawbah 9.

If a person knows that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will not cause his deeds and efforts to be lost, that will motivate him and make him strive his utmost to do that which will lead to reward. So how about if all these three factors are put together? That will motivate him completely. This is an example of Allah encouraging and motivating His slaves, and strengthening their resolve to persist on the path that will lead to their righteousness and success.

47:36. The life of this world is nothing but play and a distraction. But if you believe and guard against evil, He will grant you your rewards. He does not ask you for all your wealth.

47:37. If He were to ask you for it and insist that you give it all, you would covetously withhold, and that could lead to ill will.

47:38. O you who are being called to spend in Allah’s cause, among you are some who are miserly, but the one who is miserly is miserly only towards his own self. Allah is Self-Sufficient, whereas it is you who are in need of Him. If you tum away, He will replace you with another people, who will not be like you.

This passage is aimed at making His slaves lose interest in the life of this world, by telling them of its reality, for it is no more than play and distraction. It is play in a physical sense and a distraction to their hearts and minds, for a person keeps being distracted by his wealth, children and well-being, and by pleasures such as physical pleasure, food, drink, houses, gatherings, showing off and leadership, playing and doing all kinds of deeds that are of no benefit; rather he is wasting his time in idleness, negligence and heedlessness, until his time in this world comes to an end and he is faced with his death.

Then suddenly all these things disappear and leave him, without him having gained anything from them. Rather he will realise his loss and deprivation, and his punishment will be presented to him. This dictates that the wise man should show no interest in worldly gain, have no desire for it, and pay no attention to worldly matters.

Rather what he should do is pay attention to what is mentioned here: ﴾But if you believe and guard against evil﴿ by believing in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, and you fear Him, which is one of the requirements of faith, and you strive consistently to please Him and avoid disobeying Him. This is whatwill benefit a person and this is what he should compete in and focus all his ambition and efforts on seeking. This is what Allah wants from His slaves, out of compassion and kindness towards them, so that He may reward them abundantly. Hence He says: ﴾But if you believe and guard against evil, He will grant you your rewards. He does not ask you for all your wealth﴿ that is. He does not want to impose on you that which is too difficult for you and will cause you hardship, by taking all of your wealth and leaving you with nothing, or taking so much of it that it will cause you harm. Hence He says:

﴾If He were to ask you for it and insist that you give it all, you would covetously withhold, and that could lead to ill will﴿ that is, developing resentment, if He were to ask you to give what you do not want to give.

The evidence for the fact that if Allah were to ask you to give your wealth and insist that you give it all, you would withhold it, is the fact that you ﴾are being called to spend in Allah’s caused in this manner, which is in your religious and worldly interests, but ﴾among you are some who are miserly﴿, so how about if He were to ask you for all of your wealth, for a purpose of which you cannot see the immediate benefits? Is it not more likely that you would refuse to give?

Then He says: ﴾but the one who is miserly is miserly only towards his own self﴿ because he is depriving himself of the reward of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and missing out on much goodness, and he will never harm Allah in the slightest by his refusal to spend.

For Allah is Self-Sufficient, whereas it is you who are in need of Him﴿ - you need Him at all times, in all your affairs.

﴾If you turn away﴿ from believing in Allah and doing what He commands you to do, He will replace you with another people, who will not be like you﴿ in turning away; rather they will obey Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), and they will love Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says elsewhere:40 you who believe, whoever among you renounces his faith, Allah will bring forth [in their stead] people whom He loves and who love

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat Muhammad.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.