Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (895)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(1–7) “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. O you who are cloaked! Arise and warn. Magnify your Lord. Purify your garments. Shun all abomination. Do not hold your favors over others, deeming them great. And be patient for your Lord.”

It was previously explained that al-Muzzammil and al-Muddaththir have the same meaning, and that Allah commanded His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to strive in worship whose benefit is personal as well as worship whose benefit extends to others. There, He commanded him to perform excellent personal acts of worship and to endure his people’s abuse patiently. Here, He commanded him to proclaim the call openly (1) and issue the warning publicly. He said, “Arise”—that is, with earnestness and vigor—“and warn” people through words and deeds that accomplish the intended purpose, clearly explaining what they are being warned against so that they will be more inclined to abandon it. “Magnify your Lord”—that is, glorify Him by affirming His oneness. Let your purpose in warning others be to seek Allah’s countenance and to bring His servants to magnify and worship Him.

“Purify your garments.” His garments may refer to all his deeds, in which case purifying them means making them pure and sincere, performing them in the most perfect manner, and cleansing them of anything that invalidates, corrupts, or diminishes them, such as evil, showing off, hypocrisy, self-admiration, arrogance, heedlessness, and anything else the servant is commanded to avoid in his acts of worship.

This also includes cleansing one’s clothes of impurities, for that forms part of the complete purification of one’s deeds, particularly in prayer. Many scholars have stated that removing impurities from one’s clothing is a condition for prayer.

His garments may also refer to actual clothing, meaning that he was commanded to cleanse it of all impurities at all times, especially when entering prayer. Since he was commanded to purify his outward state, outward purity is part of the perfection of inward purity.

“Shun all abomination.” Abomination may refer to the idols and pagan objects of worship that were worshipped alongside Allah. He was therefore commanded to abandon and disavow them, as well as every word or deed associated with them. It may also refer to every evil deed and word, in which case he was commanded to abandon all sins, minor and major (2), outward and inward. This includes polytheism and every lesser sin.

“Do not hold your favors over others, deeming them great.” That is, do not hold over people the religious and worldly blessings you have bestowed upon them, thereby magnifying yourself through that favor (3) and considering yourself superior to them because of the kindness you have shown. Rather, do good to people whenever you can, forget the good you have done for them, and seek its reward only from Allah Most High. Treat the person to whom you have done good and everyone else alike.

It has also been said that this means: Do not give anyone something while desiring that he repay you with something greater. In that case, this command applies specifically to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

“And be patient for your Lord.” That is, seek reward through your patience and intend thereby the countenance of Allah Most High. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, obeyed his Lord’s command and hastened to carry it out. He warned the people, explained to them through clear signs all that Allah required, magnified Allah Most High, and called creation to magnify Him. He purified his outward and inward deeds of every evil and forsook everything that distances one from Allah (4), including idols and their devotees, and evil and its followers. After Allah’s favor came his favor upon people, yet he did not seek from them, ⦗896⦘ in return for it, (5) any recompense or thanks. He exercised the most perfect patience for Allah’s sake: patience in obeying Allah, patience in refraining from disobedience to Him, and patience with Allah’s painful decrees (6), until he surpassed the messengers of firm resolve. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him and upon them all.

(1) Manuscript B reads: “by openly proclaiming the call.” (2) Manuscript B reads: “its minor and major sins.” (3) Manuscript B reads: “and thereby seek to magnify yourself.” (4) Manuscript B reads: “and he forsook everything worshiped besides Allah and everything that distances one from Him.” (5) Manuscript B reads: “that he seek recompense from them for it.” (6) Manuscript B reads: “He exercised the most perfect patience for the sake of his Lord: he remained patient in obeying Allah, in refraining from disobedience to Him, and in enduring His painful decrees.”

﴿١ - ٧﴾ ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمُدَّثِّرُ * قُمْ فَأَنْذِرْ * وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ * وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ * وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ * وَلا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ * وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ﴾ . تقدم أن المزمل والمدثر بمعنى واحد، وأن الله أمر رسوله ﷺ، بالاجتهاد في عبادة الله القاصرة والمتعدية، فتقدم هناك الأمر له بالعبادات الفاضلة القاصرة، والصبر على أذى قومه، وأمره هنا بإعلان الدعوة (١) ، والصدع بالإنذار، فقال: ﴿قُمِ﴾ [أي] بجد ونشاط ﴿فَأَنْذِرْ﴾ الناس بالأقوال والأفعال، التي يحصل بها المقصود، وبيان حال المنذر عنه، ليكون ذلك أدعى لتركه، ﴿وَرَبَّكَ فَكَبِّرْ﴾ أي: عظمه بالتوحيد، واجعل قصدك في إنذارك وجه الله، وأن يعظمه العباد ويقوموا بعبادته. ﴿وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ﴾ يحتمل أن المراد بثيابه، أعماله كلها، وبتطهيرها تخليصها والنصح بها، وإيقاعها على أكمل الوجوه، وتنقيتها عن المبطلات والمفسدات، والمنقصات من شر ورياء، [ونفاق] ، وعجب، وتكبر، وغفلة، وغير ذلك، مما يؤمر العبد باجتنابه في عباداته. ويدخل في ذلك تطهير الثياب من النجاسة، فإن ذلك من تمام التطهير للأعمال خصوصا في الصلاة، التي قال كثير من العلماء: إن إزالة النجاسة عنها شرط من شروط الصلاة. ويحتمل أن المراد بثيابه، الثياب المعروفة، وأنه مأمور بتطهيرها عن [جميع] النجاسات، في جميع الأوقات، خصوصا في الدخول في الصلوات، وإذا كان مأمورا بتطهير الظاهر، فإن طهارة الظاهر من تمام طهارة الباطن. ﴿وَالرُّجْزَ فَاهْجُرْ﴾ يحتمل أن المراد بالرجز الأصنام والأوثان، التي عبدت مع الله، فأمره بتركها، والبراءة منها ومما نسب إليها من قول أو عمل. ويحتمل أن المراد بالرجز أعمال الشر كلها وأقواله، فيكون أمرا له بترك الذنوب، صغيرها وكبيرها (٢) ، ظاهرها وباطنها، فيدخل في ذلك الشرك وما دونه. ﴿وَلا تَمْنُنْ تَسْتَكْثِرُ﴾ أي: لا تمنن على الناس بما أسديت إليهم من النعم الدينية والدنيوية، فتتكثر (٣) بتلك المنة، وترى لك [الفضل] عليهم بإحسانك المنة، بل أحسن إلى الناس مهما أمكنك، وانس [عندهم] إحسانك، ولا تطلب أجره إلا من الله تعالى واجعل من أحسنت إليه وغيره على حد سواء. وقد قيل: إن معنى هذا، لا تعط أحدا شيئا، وأنت تريد أن يكافئك عليه بأكثر منه، فيكون هذا خاصا بالنبي ﷺ. ﴿وَلِرَبِّكَ فَاصْبِرْ﴾ أي: احتسب بصبرك، واقصد به وجه الله تعالى، فامتثل رسول الله ﷺ لأمر ربه، وبادر إليه، فأنذر الناس، وأوضح لهم بالآيات البينات جميع المطالب الإلهية، وعظم الله تعالى، ودعا الخلق إلى تعظيمه، وطهر أعماله الظاهرة والباطنة من كل سوء، وهجر كل ما يبعد عن الله (٤) من الأصنام وأهلها، والشر وأهله، وله المنة على الناس -بعد منة الله- من غير أن يطلب منهم ⦗٨٩٦⦘ على ذلك (٥) جزاء ولا شكورا، وصبر لله أكمل صبر، فصبر على طاعة الله، وعن معاصي الله، وعلى أقدار الله المؤلمة (٦) ، حتى فاق أولي العزم من المرسلين، صلوات الله وسلامه عليه وعليهم أجمعين.

(١) في ب: بالإعلان بالدعوة. (٢) في ب: صغارها وكبارها. (٣) في ب: فتستكثر. (٤) في ب: وهجر كل ما يعبد من دون الله وما يبعد منه. (٥) في ب: أن يطلب عليهم بذلك. (٦) في ب: وصبر لربه أكمل صبر، فصبر على طاعة الله وعن معاصيه، وصبر على أقداره المؤلمة.