Al-Shūrā (or Ḥā Mīm ʿAyn Sīn Qāf)^{1The former title is used in the published edition and in Z515, f. 96a and the latter in the two Fātiḥ MSS.}

His words, Exalted is He:

…That you may warn [the people of] the Mother of Cities, and those around it…

He said:

In its outward meaning, it [the Mother of Cities] refers to Mecca. In its inner meaning it refers to the heart, while those around it refer to the bodily members (jawāriḥ). Therefore warn them that they might safeguard their hearts and bodily members from delighting in acts of disobedience and following [their] lusts.

His words:

…and that you may warn [people] about the Day of Gathering…

He said:

That is, the Day when the inhabitants of the earth will be gathered for His remembrance, just as the Hosts of the Heavens are assembled [for His remembrance].

His words:

…[whereupon] some will be in the Garden and some will be in the Blazing Fire.

He said:

Whoever plants thorn trees will not reap grapes. So do what you will, for indeed there are just two paths, and whichever one of those paths you [choose to] tread, you will end up with its folk.

His words:

And had God willed, He would have made them one community…

He said:

The outer meaning [of the verse] refers to disbelief (kufr),^{1One community here being understood to mean, ‘If God willed He could have made everyone part of a community of believers’. The second part of this verses reads: but He admits whomever He will into His mercy, and the evildoers have neither guardian nor helper.} and its inner meaning refers to the servant’s [moments of] activity (ḥarakāt) and passivity (sukūn).^{2In other contexts, we have translated these words as ‘[moments of] activity or stillness’, when, as stated above (p. 66, n. 17), it might also be understood to mean ‘every single thing that we do’. However, the translation here of sukūn as ‘passivity’ seems to be required by the context. Relevant to this passage is Tustarī’s commentary on 2:30.} If God so willed He would have placed them all in obedience to Him; but He admits whomever He will into His mercy, that is, into His obedience. And the evildoers, who claim to possess the power (ḥawl) and strength (quwwa), have neither guardian nor helper in [their being] contrary (khilāf) [to the state they should be in], that is, they are in a state of passivity (sukūn) with regard to [His] commandments (amr) and activity with regard to that which is forbidden (nahy).

His words:

…He revives the dead…

In its inner meaning, it refers to the hearts of the people of truth, which He revives through remembrance (dhikr) and the contemplative witnessing (mushāhada) of Him.

He [also] said:

Souls cannot gain [real] life until they die.^{1This accords with the well-known saying attributed to the Prophet ‘Die before you die’, which is listed in, among other sources, Muḥammad al-Sakhāwī, al-Maqāṣid al-ḥasana fī bayān kathīr min al-aḥādīth al-mushtahira ʿala’l-alsina (Beirut, 1979), p. 436 and ʿAjlūnī, Kashf al-khafāʾ, vol. 2, p. 291.}

His words:

He has prescribed for you as a religion that which he enjoined upon Noah…

⸢He said⸣^{1Added on the basis of Z515, f. 96b, F638, f. 45a and F3488, f. 273a.}

The first [prophet] to have made it unlawful [to marry] one’s daughters, mothers, and sisters was Noah عليه السلام. Hence, God has legislated for us [Muslims] the best of the laws that the prophets brought.

His words:

…and that which We have revealed to you, and which We enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus…

[is] that they should uphold obedience (ṭāʿa) to God,^{2MSS Z515, f. 96b and F3488, f. 273a precede this clause with an aqīmū al-dīn, ‘that they should uphold religion…’} maintain sincerity (ikhlāṣ) in that, and manifest [goodness in their] moral character (akhlāq) and states (aḥwāl).

His words:

And whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter, We will enhance for him his harvest…

He said:

The harvest of the Hereafter is being satisfied [with one’s lot] (qanāʿa) in this world, and [finding] contentment (riḍā) in the Hereafter. The harvest of this world is that which is sought other than Him.

He [also] said:

Another shade of meaning is that he who acts for the sake of God, Mighty and Majestic is He, in a state of compliance (ījāban), without seeking a reward, [will find that] everything which is sought other than God, Mighty and Majestic is He, becomes diminished in his sight. Thus, he desires neither the world, nor Paradise, but desires only the vision (naẓar) of Him, this being the share (ḥaẓẓ) of the intuition of the spiritual self (dhihn nafs al-rūḥ), the understanding of the intellect (fahm al-ʿaql), and the discernment of the heart (fiṭnat al-qalb), as when He addressed them [before] (ka-mā khāṭabahum); for conformity [lit. imitation, iqtidāʾ], on that occasion was without the presence of the natural self (nafs ṭabīʿiyya).^{1For the natural self was absent at the Covenant of Alast, see above Tustarī’s commentary on 7:172 and IT, p. xliv, n. 184. By iqtidāʾ, Tustarī is presumably referring to the answer ‘Yes, we testify’ to God’s question, ‘Am I not your Lord’?} Notwithstanding the fact that the [natural] self receives a share [of the beatific vision in Paradise], like a fragrant breeze, due to its being fused with those lights.^{2That is, due to its connection to the three modes of man’s spiritual being: nafs al-rūḥ, ʿaql and qalb. On the joining of the natural self and spiritual self in the life of this world see below the commentary on 57:6 and 85:3. See also Böwering, Mystical Vision, p. 249.}

[However,] whoever acts for the sake of this world, …We will give him of it, but in the Hereafter he will have no portion (naṣīb), for his ⸢natural⸣ self will be occupied with the enjoyment (tanaʿʿum or naʿīm) of Paradise, which itself is its share (ḥaẓẓ), [while forgoing] its portion in the Hereafter, namely the vision of God for eternity (ruʾyat al-Ḥaqq ʿalā’l-abad).^{3The published edition has: ‘Whoever acts for the sake of the world’ (man ʿamila li-ajli’l-dunyā), presumably because these words are followed by the Qurʾānic words: We will give him of it, but in the Hereafter he will have no portion. This is what has been translated here. However, all three MSS have the word janna in place of dunyā, so that the passage reads: ‘whoever acts for the sake of Paradise (man ʿamila li-ajli’l-janna)’ followed by the Qurʾānic words: …We will give him of it, but in the Hereafter he will have no portion (nasīb). After this, there is a slight variation between the MSS in terms of wording, though not a significant one in terms of meaning: Z515, f. 97a and F3488, f. 273b have yashghalu nafsahu al-ṭabīʿiyya tanaʿʿum al-janna, while MS F638, f. 45a has: yashghalu nafsahu al-ṭabīʿiyya bi-naʿīm al-janna, both of which would translate as ‘he occupies his natural self with the pleasure of Paradise’, as was indicated in the previous paragraph. Note the MSS also have janna instead of dunyā following the word tanaʿʿum or naʿīm, and we have complied with the MSS here, because it seems that Tustarī is explaining that those who desired a share in this world (or in Paradise) will be denied the naṣīb, which he interprets here and in the previous passage to be the eternal beatific vision of God. This latter will be experienced in the Hereafter by those who desired neither the world nor Paradise.}

His words, Exalted is He:

…Say ‘I do not ask of you any reward for it, except the affection due to [my] kinsfolk’…

He said:

The inner meaning of the verse refers to the link between the Sunna and obligatory acts (farḍ). It is related regarding this verse that Ḥasan [al-Baṣrī] said, ‘Whoever draws closer to God through obedience to Him, [will find that] God’s love becomes obligatory [for Him].’^{1i.e. it will be incumbent upon God to love him.}

His words:

…If anyone acquires a good deed, We shall enhance for him his goodness…

He said:

It refers to the cognisance (maʿrifa) [that a person should have] of his state relating to an act, before entering upon it, and after its completion, as to whether it is unhealthy (saqīm) or sound (saḥīḥ).^{2On this subject, see above Tustarī’s commentary on 9:22 and 19:83.}

His words, Exalted is He:

…For if God so wishes, He can seal your heart…

He said:

He could place the seal of longing (shawq) and love (maḥabba) on your hearts, so that you would cease to notice people and you would not occupy yourselves with love for them and visiting them anymore.

His words, Exalted is He:

…And verily you guide to a straight path.

That is, you summon [people] to your Lord with the light of His guidance.