Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (429)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

[1–5] “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. Alif-Lām-Rā. These are the verses of the Book and a clear Quran. Those who disbelieve will come to wish that they had submitted. Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves, and let false hope distract them; they will soon know. Never have We destroyed a town except at a time already decreed. No nation can advance its appointed term, nor can it delay it.”

Allah Most High extols and praises His Book, saying, “These are the verses of the Book”—that is, the verses that point to the finest meanings and loftiest aims—“and a clear Quran,” which elucidates the realities in the finest and clearest language, and in the manner most indicative of the intended meaning. This requires all people to submit to it, surrender to its judgment, and receive it with acceptance, joy, and delight.

As for those who respond to this immense blessing by rejecting and disbelieving in it, they are among the misguided deniers. A time will come when they will wish that they had submitted—that is, that they had submitted to its rulings. This will occur when the veil is lifted and the first signs of the Hereafter and the onset of death appear. Throughout every stage of the Hereafter, they will wish that they had submitted, but the time when this was possible will have passed. Yet in this world they remain deluded.

Thus, “Leave them to eat and enjoy themselves” with their pleasures, “and let false hope distract them”—that is, they hope to remain in this world, and that distracts them from the Hereafter—“they will soon know” that their way is false and that their deeds have brought them nothing but loss. Let them not be deceived by Allah Most High granting them respite, for this is His established way with nations.

“Never have We destroyed a town” that deserved punishment “except at a time already decreed” for its destruction.

“No nation can advance its appointed term, nor can it delay it.” Sins must inevitably produce their consequences, even if those consequences are delayed.

﴿١ - ٥﴾ ﴿بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الر تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ * رُبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَوْ كَانُوا مُسْلِمِينَ * ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمُ الأمَلُ فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ * وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ إِلا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَعْلُومٌ * مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ﴾ . يقول تعالى معظما لكتابه مادحا له ﴿تِلْكَ آيَاتُ الْكِتَابِ﴾ أي: الآيات الدالة على أحسن المعاني وأفضل المطالب، ﴿وَقُرْآنٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ للحقائق بأحسن لفظ وأوضحه وأدله على المقصود، وهذا مما يوجب على الخلق الانقياد إليه، والتسليم لحكمه وتلقيه بالقبول والفرح والسرور. فأما من قابل هذه النعمة العظيمة بردها والكفر بها، فإنه من المكذبين الضالين، الذين سيأتي عليهم وقت يتمنون أنهم مسلمون، أي: منقادون لأحكامه وذلك حين ينكشف الغطاء وتظهر أوائل الآخرة ومقدمات الموت، فإنهم في أحوال الآخرة كلها يتمنون أنهم مسلمون، وقد فات وقت الإمكان، ولكنهم في هذه الدنيا مغترون. فـ ﴿ذَرْهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَتَّعُوا﴾ بلذاتهم ﴿وَيُلْهِهِمُ الأمَلُ﴾ أي: يؤملون البقاء في الدنيا فيلهيهم عن الآخرة، ﴿فَسَوْفَ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾ أن ما هم عليه باطل وأن أعمالهم ذهبت خسرانا عليهم ولا يغتروا بإمهال الله تعالى فإن هذه سنته في الأمم. ﴿وَمَا أَهْلَكْنَا مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ﴾ كانت مستحقة للعذاب ﴿إِلا وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَعْلُومٌ﴾ مقدر لإهلاكها. ﴿مَا تَسْبِقُ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ﴾ وإلا فالذنوب لا بد من وقوع أثرها وإن تأخر.