Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (503)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“And I have chosen you”—that is, I have selected and chosen you above all people. This is the greatest blessing and favor that Allah bestowed upon him, and it demands gratitude befitting it. He therefore said, “So listen attentively to what is revealed.” That is, give your full attention to what is revealed to you, for it truly merits such attention: it is the foundation and starting point of the religion and the mainstay of the Islamic call.

He then explained what He was revealing to him, saying, “Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity worthy of worship except Me.” That is, Allah alone possesses divinity and deserves to be worshipped, for He is perfect in His names and attributes and unique in His acts. He has no partner, counterpart, equal, or namesake. “So worship Me” through every form of worship, outward and inward, fundamental and subsidiary. He then singled out prayer for mention, although it is included within worship, because of its excellence and noble status and because it encompasses the worship of the heart, tongue, and limbs.

Regarding His words, “for My remembrance,” the preposition indicates purpose: establish prayer so that you may remember Me. Remembering Him, Exalted is He, is among the loftiest aims. It is the heart’s worship and the source of its happiness. A heart devoid of Allah’s remembrance is devoid of all good and lies utterly ruined. Allah therefore prescribed various acts of worship for His servants whose purpose is to establish His remembrance, especially prayer.

Allah Most High says: “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer restrains from immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allah is greater.” That is, the remembrance of Allah contained within prayer is greater than its restraint of immorality and wrongdoing. This category is called tawhīd al-ulūhiyya (affirming Allah’s exclusive divinity) and tawhīd al-ibāda (affirming that worship belongs to Him alone): divinity is an attribute of Allah Most High, while servitude is an attribute of His servant.

﴿وَأَنَا اخْتَرْتُكَ﴾ أي: تخيرتك واصطفيتك من الناس، وهذه أكبر نعمة ومنة أنعم الله بها عليه، تقتضي من الشكر ما يليق بها، ولهذا قال: ﴿فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوحَى﴾ أي: ألق سمعك للذي أوحي إليك، فإنه حقيق بذلك، لأنه أصل الدين ومبدأه، وعماد الدعوة الإسلامية، ثم بين الذي يوحيه إليه بقوله: ﴿إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلا أَنَا﴾ أي: الله المستحق الألوهية المتصف بها، لأنه الكامل في أسمائه وصفاته، المنفرد بأفعاله، الذي لا شريك له ولا مثيل ولا كفو ولا سمي، ﴿فَاعْبُدْنِي﴾ بجميع أنواع العبادة، ظاهرها وباطنها، أصولها وفروعها، ثم خص الصلاة بالذكر وإن كانت داخلة في العبادة، لفضلها وشرفها، وتضمنها عبودية القلب واللسان والجوارح. وقوله: ﴿لِذِكْرِي﴾ اللام للتعليل أي: أقم الصلاة لأجل ذكرك إياي، لأن ذكره تعالى أجل المقاصد، وهو عبودية القلب، وبه سعادته، فالقلب المعطل عن ذكر الله، معطل عن كل خير، وقد خرب كل الخراب، فشرع الله للعباد أنواع العبادات، التي المقصود منها إقامة ذكره، وخصوصا الصلاة. قال الله تعالى: ﴿اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ﴾ أي: ما فيها من ذكر الله أكبر من نهيها عن الفحشاء والمنكر، وهذا النوع يقال له توحيد الألوهية، وتوحيد العبادة، فالألوهية وصفه تعالى، والعبودية وصف عبده.