Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (789)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

⦗25–28⦘ “Indeed, those who turned back after guidance had become clear to them—Satan enticed them and prolonged their false hopes. * That is because they said to those who hated what Allah had sent down, ‘We will obey you in part of the matter.’ And Allah knows their secrets. * How, then, will it be when the angels take their souls, striking their faces and backs? * That is because they followed what angered Allah and hated His pleasure, so He rendered their deeds worthless.”

Allah Most High tells of the condition of those who turned on their heels, away from guidance and faith and back to misguidance and unbelief. This was not because of any evidence that led them or any proof. Rather, their enemy Satan enticed them, made it seem attractive to them, and held out false hopes to them: “He makes promises to them and arouses false hopes in them, but Satan promises them nothing but delusion.”

Guidance had become clear to them, yet they disdained and rejected it. They “said to those who hated what Allah had sent down”—those who openly displayed hostility toward Allah and His Messenger—“We will obey you in part of the matter,” meaning in whatever accorded with their whims. Allah therefore punished them with misguidance and with persisting in a course that would lead them to eternal misery and everlasting punishment.

“And Allah knows their secrets.” He therefore exposed them and disclosed their secrets to His believing servants, lest they be deceived by them.

How dreadful, then, will be their vile condition and the horrific sight they present “when the angels take their souls”—the angels entrusted with seizing their souls—“striking their faces and backs” with terrible clubs!

“That”—the punishment they deserved and received—was “because they followed what angered Allah,” including every form of disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience.

“And they hated His pleasure.” They had no desire for anything that would draw them near to Him or bring them close to Him, “so He rendered their deeds worthless”; that is, He nullified them and caused them to come to nothing. This is in contrast to one who follows what pleases Allah and abhors His wrath: Allah will expiate that person’s evil deeds and multiply his reward and recompense.

﴿٢٥-٢٨﴾ ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ ارْتَدُّوا عَلَى أَدْبَارِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الْهُدَى الشَّيْطَانُ سَوَّلَ لَهُمْ وَأَمْلَى لَهُمْ * ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لِلَّذِينَ كَرِهُوا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ سَنُطِيعُكُمْ فِي بَعْضِ الأمْرِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِسْرَارَهُمْ * فَكَيْفَ إِذَا تَوَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلائِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ * ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اتَّبَعُوا مَا أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ وَكَرِهُوا رِضْوَانَهُ فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ﴾ . يخبر تعالى عن حالة المرتدين عن الهدى والإيمان على أعقابهم إلى الضلال والكفران، ذلك لا عن دليل دلهم ولا برهان، وإنما هو تسويل من عدوهم الشيطان وتزيين لهم، وإملاء منه لهم: ﴿يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلا غُرُورًا﴾ وذلك أنهم قد تبين لهم الهدى، فزهدوا فيه ورفضوه، و ﴿قَالُوا لِلَّذِينَ كَرِهُوا مَا نزلَ اللَّهُ﴾ من المبارزين العداوة لله ولرسوله ﴿سَنُطِيعُكُمْ فِي بَعْضِ الأمْرِ﴾ أي: الذي يوافق أهواءهم، فلذلك عاقبهم الله بالضلال، والإقامة على ما يوصلهم إلى الشقاء الأبدي، والعذاب السرمدي. ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِسْرَارَهُمْ﴾ فلذلك فضحهم، وبينها لعباده المؤمنين، لئلا يغتروا بها. ﴿فَكَيْفَ﴾ ترى حالهم الشنيعة، ورؤيتهم الفظيعة ﴿إِذَا تَوَفَّتْهُمُ الْمَلائِكَة﴾ الموكلون بقبض أرواحهم، ﴿يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَارَهُمْ﴾ بالمقامع الشديدة؟!. ﴿ذَلِكَ﴾ العذاب الذي استحقوه ونالوه ﴿بـ﴾ سبب ﴿أنهم اتَّبَعُوا مَا أَسْخَطَ اللَّهَ﴾ من كل كفر وفسوق وعصيان. ﴿وَكَرِهُوا رِضْوَانَهُ﴾ فلم يكن لهم رغبة فيما يقربهم إليه، ولا يدنيهم منه، ﴿فَأَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالَهُمْ﴾ أي: أبطلها وأذهبها، وهذا بخلاف من اتبع ما يرضي الله وكره سخطه، فإنه سيكفر عنه سيئاته، ويضاعف أجره وثوابه.