Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (840)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

“Those who believe in Allah and His messengers—it is they who are the supremely truthful and the martyrs with their Lord. They will have their reward and their light. But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs are the inhabitants of Hellfire.”

“Those who believe in Allah and His messengers”—according to Ahl al-Sunnah, faith is what the Quran and Sunnah indicate: conviction in the heart and profession by the tongue, together with action by the heart, tongue, and limbs. It thus encompasses all the outward and inward prescriptions of the religion. Those who combine all these qualities are the supremely truthful: their rank is above that of the general body of believers but below that of the prophets.

[And His words:] “And the martyrs—with their Lord they will have their reward and their light.” As stated in the authentic hadith: “In Paradise there are one hundred levels. The distance between two levels (1) is like the distance between heaven and earth. Allah has prepared them for those who strive in His cause.” This indicates their exceedingly high and exalted rank, and Allah Most High has brought them near.

“But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs are the inhabitants of Hellfire.” These verses encompass the various classes of people: those who give in charity, the supremely truthful, the martyrs, and the inhabitants of Hellfire. Those who give in charity are the ones whose deeds consist predominantly of showing kindness to others and benefiting them to the utmost of their ability, particularly ⦗841⦘ by benefiting them with their wealth in the cause of Allah.

The supremely truthful are those who have perfected the ranks of faith and righteous deeds, beneficial knowledge, and true certainty. The martyrs are those who fought in the cause of Allah [to make the word of Allah supreme, sacrificing their lives and wealth] and were killed. The inhabitants of Hellfire are the disbelievers who denied Allah’s signs.

There remains another group whom Allah mentioned in Sūrat Fātir: those who follow a middle course. They fulfilled their obligations and refrained from prohibited acts, although they fell short in some of the rights owed to Allah and to His servants. Their ultimate destination is Paradise, even if they are punished for some of what they did.

(1) In manuscript B: “between every two levels.”

﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ﴾ . ﴿وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ﴾ والإيمان عند أهل السنة: هو ما دل عليه الكتاب والسنة، هو قول القلب واللسان، وعمل القلب واللسان والجوارح، فيشمل ذلك جميع شرائع الدين الظاهرة والباطنة، فالذين جمعوا بين هذه الأمور هم الصديقون أي: الذين مرتبتهم فوق مرتبة عموم المؤمنين، ودون مرتبة الأنبياء. [وقوله:] ﴿وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ﴾ كما ورد في الحديث الصحيح: ﴿إن في الجنة مائة درجة، ما بين الدرجتين (١) كما بين السماء والأرض، أعدها الله للمجاهدين في سبيله﴾ وهذا يقتضي شدة علوهم ورفعتهم، وقربهم الله تعالى. ﴿وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَحِيمِ﴾ فهذه الآيات جمعت أصناف الخلق، المتصدقين، والصديقين، والشهداء، وأصحاب الجحيم، فالمتصدقون الذين كان جل عملهم الإحسان إلى الخلق، وبذل النفع إليهم بغاية ما يمكنهم، خصوصا ⦗٨٤١⦘ بالنفع بالمال في سبيل الله. والصديقون هم الذين كملوا مراتب الإيمان والعمل الصالح، والعلم النافع، واليقين الصادق، والشهداء هم الذين قاتلوا في سبيل الله [لإعلاء كلمة الله، وبذلوا أنفسهم وأموالهم] فقتلوا، وأصحاب الجحيم هم الكفار الذين كذبوا بآيات الله. وبقي قسم ذكرهم الله في سورة فاطر، وهم المقتصدون الذين أدوا الواجبات وتركوا المحرمات، إلا أنهم حصل منهم تقصير ببعض حقوق الله وحقوق عباده، فهؤلاء مآلهم الجنة، وإن حصل لهم عقوبة ببعض ما فعلوا.

(١) في ب: ما بين كل درجتين.