“And they establish the prayer and spend, secretly and openly, from what We have provided for them”: that is, they give zakah.

“And they repel evil with good.” It is narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: They counter an evil deed with a righteous deed. This is the meaning of His saying: “Indeed, good deeds do away with evil deeds” (Hud 11:114). It is related in a hadith that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whenever you commit an evil deed, follow it with a good deed that will erase it: a private deed with a private deed, and a public deed with a public deed.” (1)

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Abi Tawbah informed us; Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Harith informed us; Muhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kisa’i informed us; Abd Allah ibn Mahmud informed us; Ibrahim ibn Abd Allah al-Khallal informed us; Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak narrated to us from Ibn Lahi’ah; Yazid ibn Abi Habib narrated to me; Abu al-Khayr narrated to us that he heard Uqbah ibn Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, say: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The likeness of one who commits evil deeds and then performs good deeds is that of a man wearing a tight coat of mail that has nearly choked him. Then he performs a good deed, and one ring comes loose; then he performs another, and another comes loose, until he emerges onto the ground.” (2)

Ibn Kaysan said: The meaning of the verse is that they ward off sin through repentance.

It was also said: They do not repay evil with evil; rather, they repel evil with good.

Al-Qutaybi said: Its meaning is that when people behave foolishly toward them, they respond with forbearance. Thus foolishness is the evil deed, and forbearance is the good deed.

Qatadah said: They respond to them with kindness. Its parallel is His saying, Exalted is He: “And when the ignorant address them harshly, they say, ‘Peace.’” (al-Furqan 25:63)

Al-Hasan said: When they are deprived, they give; when they are wronged, they forgive; and when others cut them off, they maintain ties with them.

Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak said: These are eight qualities, corresponding to the eight gates of Paradise.

“It is they who shall have the ultimate abode”: that is, Paradise—their final abode is the Abode of Recompense. He then explained this, saying: “Gardens of perpetual residence.”

“Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter, along with the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their descendants; and the angels will enter upon them from every gate.” (23)

“Gardens of perpetual residence”: gardens of abiding. ⦗190/b⦟ “Which they will enter, along with the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their descendants; and the angels will enter upon them from every gate.”