Two Gems From Tafsir

2 Amazing Lessons from – سورة البروج

Highlighting: GODS MERCY & REFUTATION OF MATERIALISM

This Chapter (85) of the Qur’an is about a group of people, who persecuted a group of believers and burned them alive for believing in one God.

1- FIRSTLY::::::

It says about those people who committed these crimes against humanity and burned believers alive:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَتَنُوا الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا فَلَهُمْ عَذَابُ جَهَنَّمَ
“Those who persecute believing men and women, AND HAVE NOT REPENTED AFTERWARDS, THEY will have the punishment of Hell.”

[Qur’an 85:10].

Did you notice how God said:

ثُمَّ لَمْ يَتُوبُوا
“And have not repented afterwards”?

This means that even people who commit major crimes against humanity still have a chance to repent!!

Amazing!

Imam Hassan al-Basri said:

قَالَ الْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ انْظُرُوا إِلَى هَذَا الْكَرَمِ وَالْجُودِ قَتَلُوا أَوْلِيَاءَهُ وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى التَّوْبَةِ وَالْمَغْفِرَةِ
“Look at this generosity and kindness. These people killed God’s Friends and He still invites them to make repentance and seek forgiveness.”

[“Tafsir Ibn Kathir”, 14/312].

If people like this have a chance to repent – we all have a chance, inshaAllaah.

2- SECONDLY::::::

It then says about those believers who were killed unjustly and burned alive:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِير
“Indeed, those who believed and did good deeds will have Gardens with rivers flowing through them. THAT IS A GREAT VICTORY.”

[Qur’an 85:11].

Imam Tabari says:

وهم هؤلاء القوم الذين حرّقهم أصحاب الأخدود وغيرهم من سائر أهل التوحيد
“This refers to the people that were burned by the People of the Ditch and other monotheists.”

[“Tafsir Tabari”, 30/172].

Did you notice how God said:

ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْكَبِير
“That is a great victory”?

If you look at it from a materialistic perspective, its total destruction.

Yet – God called it a GREAT VICTORY (al-fawzul-kabir)

The real victory is salvation in hereafter, not this material world.

Allaahu A’alam

[Relied on: Tafsir Tabari & Tafsir Ibn Kathir]