Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (331)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

(19–22) “Do you regard providing water to the pilgrims and maintaining the Sacred Mosque as equal to the deeds of one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the way of Allah? They are not equal before Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. Those who believe, emigrate, and strive in the way of Allah with their wealth and their lives are far higher in rank before Allah. It is they who are triumphant.”

When some Muslims—or some Muslims and some polytheists—disagreed over whether maintaining the Sacred Mosque by building it up, praying and worshipping therein, and providing water to the pilgrims was superior to faith in Allah and jihad in His way, Allah Most High explained the vast difference between them. He said: “Do you regard providing water to the pilgrims”—that is, giving them water from Zamzam, which is what is commonly meant when this expression is used—“and maintaining the Sacred Mosque ⦗332⦘ as equal to the deeds of one who believes in Allah and the Last Day and strives in the way of Allah? They are not equal before Allah.”

Jihad and faith in Allah are many degrees superior to providing water to the pilgrims and maintaining the Sacred Mosque. This is because faith is the foundation of the religion; through it, deeds are accepted and virtues flourish.

As for jihad in the way of Allah, it is the pinnacle of the religion: through it, the Islamic religion is preserved and spreads, the truth is supported, and falsehood is defeated.

Maintaining the Sacred Mosque and providing water to the pilgrims, though righteous deeds, are dependent upon faith and do not contain the same benefits as faith and jihad. Allah therefore says: “They are not equal before Allah, and Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people”—that is, those characterized by wrongdoing, who are unfit to accept any good; rather, nothing befits them but evil.

He then explicitly stated their superiority, saying: “Those who believe, emigrate, and strive in the way of Allah with their wealth”—by spending on jihad and equipping the fighters—“and their lives”—by going forth themselves—“are far higher in rank before Allah. It is they who are triumphant.” That is, no one attains what is sought or escapes what is feared except those who possess their qualities and adopt their character.

﴿١٩ - ٢٢﴾ ﴿أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لا يَسْتَوُونَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ * الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ﴾ . لما اختلف بعض المسلمين، أو بعض المسلمين وبعض المشركين، في تفضيل عمارة المسجد الحرام، بالبناء والصلاة والعبادة فيه وسقاية الحاج، على الإيمان بالله والجهاد في سبيله، أخبر الله تعالى بالتفاوت بينهما، فقال: ﴿أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ﴾ أي: سقيهم الماء من زمزم كما هو المعروف إذا أطلق هذا الاسم، أنه المراد ﴿وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ ⦗٣٣٢⦘ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ لا يَسْتَوُونَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ﴾ فالجهاد والإيمان بالله أفضل من سقاية الحاج وعمارة المسجد الحرام بدرجات كثيرة، لأن الإيمان أصل الدين، وبه تقبل الأعمال، وتزكو الخصال. وأما الجهاد في سبيل الله فهو ذروة سنام الدين، الذي به يحفظ الدين الإسلامي ويتسع، وينصر الحق ويخذل الباطل. وأما عمارة المسجد الحرام وسقاية الحاج، فهي وإن كانت أعمالا صالحة، فهي متوقفة على الإيمان، وليس فيها من المصالح ما في الإيمان والجهاد، فلذلك قال: ﴿لا يَسْتَوُونَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾ أي: الذين وصفهم الظلم، الذين لا يصلحون لقبول شيء من الخير، بل لا يليق بهم إلا الشر. ثم صرح بالفضل فقال: ﴿الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ﴾ بالنفقة في الجهاد وتجهيز الغزاة ﴿وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ﴾ بالخروج بالنفس ﴿أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ﴾ أي: لا يفوز بالمطلوب ولا ينجو من المرهوب، إلا من اتصف بصفاتهم، وتخلق بأخلاقهم.