Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

Surely I am all-forgiving toward the one who repents and has faith and does wholesome deeds, and then is guided. All-forgiving is an intensive form and requires manyness. In other words, God is vast in forgive- ness. Toward the one who repents is the act of the servant, and the act does not require manyness. The allusion of the verse is that if the servant should turn back to the Real once in regret, the Exalted Lord will turn to him many times in gentleness and mercy. From the servant there will be one step in the road of struggle, and from God a thousand generosities by virtue of solicitude. “My servant, from you a little obedience, from Me great mercy; from you a bit of service, from Me much blessing.” This is the same as what MuṣṬafā said, narrating from the Eternal Enactor: “When someone comes near to Me by a span, I come near to him by a cubit, and when someone comes near to Me by a cubit, I come near to him by a fathom.” Surely I am all-forgiving toward the one who repents and has faith. It is known that repen- tance without faith is not sound. So what is the profit here of and has faith? It means and has faith that his salvation does not come through his own repentance and obedience. His salvation comes only through His mercy. Ghaffār [all-forgiving] comes from ghafr, and the meaning of ghafr is to cover. It is to keep the servant concealed and to hold the curtain of pardon and mercy over his words and deeds, both obedience and disobedience. Not only do the servant's acts of disobedience need concealing, but also his obedience needs concealing. If the blights of the servant's obedience were brought for- ward, he would fear obedience more than he fears disobedience. ʿāÌisha narrated as follows: “I asked MuṣṬafā the meaning of the verse, Those who give what they give, their hearts quaking [23:60]. 'Are they the ones who fornicate, steal, and drink wine' “He replied, 'No, they are the ones who pray, fast, give alms, and then fear that these will not be accepted.'” Rābiʿa ʿAdawiyya often used to say, “I ask forgiveness from God for my lack of truthfulness in saying, 'I ask forgiveness from God.

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

“And what has made thee hurry from thy people, O Moses!” This is a rebuke of Moses, for he left his people behind and went on ahead of them. He hurried to the promised meeting with the Real, who said: “O Moses, do you not know that I love the weak and I caress the broken more than others? I am always looking into their hearts, and I love all those in whose hearts I look.” Then Moses offered an excuse:

Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi — Asbab Al-Nuzul by Al-Wahidi

He said, “They are close upon my footsteps, and I hurried to Thee, my Lord, that Thou mayest approve.” “They are close upon my footsteps. I did not leave them behind out of neglect, and I hurried to Thee, my Lord, that Thou mayest approve. O Lord, You Yourself know and You are aware of my secret core. With this hurry I did not want to neglect them, nor was I aiming to abandon attending to the rightful due of companionship with them. Rather, I wanted Your approval and I was seeking an increase in Your satisfaction.” He said, “O Moses, My approval lies in taking care of their hearts. 'I am with those whose hearts are broken for My sake.' 'I am the sitting-companion of him who remembers Me.' O Mo- ses, when you seek Me, seek Me in their hearts, for I sit with the rememberers in the solitariness of And He is with you [57:4]. I am the intimate of the hearts of the poor, the remembrance of the spir- its of the recognizers, present with the mystery of the lovers, the light of the eyes of the familiar, the resource of the frightened, the traveling supplies of the distressed, and the refuge of the weak. O Moses, wherever you see a poor man, thrown down by the iniquity of the days, wounded by the times, be his servitor. As long as you can, do not seek to be apart from him. Be the purchaser of his companionship, for his makeup is the storehouse of the secrets of the Beginningless and prepa- ration for the bazaar of the Endless.” He gave MuṣṬafā the same advice: “And let not thine eyes turn away from them [18:28]. O MuḤammad, be careful not to turn your eyes away from them. Do not sell them to others, for they are the ones pulled up by My remembrance, named by My bounty, adorned by My gentleness, lifted up by My will. They have come forth from knowledge, are displayed by predetermination, have found the mark of the desire, and were pulled up by the signet of the decree. “In the Beginningless they were made apparent by My knowledge, today they are existent by My command, tomorrow they will be kept by My decree. Knowledge has the rulership of the Beginningless, the command has the rulership of the present moment, the decree has the rulership of the Endless.