Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Meanings of Amarna The commentators differed over the meaning of this word. It was said that the phrase translated here as "Amarna those who live luxuriously. Then, they transgress therein" means, "We send Our decree upon them" as Allah says elsewhere: أَتَاهَآ أَمْرُنَا لَيْلاً أَوْ نَهَارًا (Our decree reaches it by night or by day) For Amarna cannot mean "Our command" because Allah does not command or enjoin immorality. Or, they said it means that Allah subjugated them to commit immoral deeds, so they deserved the punishment. Or it was said that it means: "We commanded them to obey Us, but they committed immoral sins, so they deserved punishment." This was reported from Ibn Jurayj from Ibn `Abbas, and it is also the view of Sa`id bin Jubayr. أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا (Amarna those who live luxuriously. Then, they transgress therein,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: this means "We gave power to the evil people, so they committed sin therein (in the town), and because they did that, Allah destroyed them with the punishment." This is similar to the Ayah: وَكَذلِكَ جَعَلْنَا فِي كُلِّ قَرْيَةٍ أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا (And thus We have set up in every town great ones of its wicked people) 6:133 This was also the view of Abu Al-`Aliyah, Mujahid and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا (And when We decide to distroy a town (populaton), Amarna those who live luxuriously. Then, they transgress therein,) Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said, (it means) "We increase their numbers. This was also the view of `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak and Qatadah, and it was reported from Malik and Az-Zuhri. وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن بَعْدِ نُوحٍ وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرَا بَصِيرًا

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

A Threat to Quraysh Warning the disbelievers of the Quraysh for rejecting His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ, Allah says that He destroyed other nations who rejected the Messengers after Nuh. This indicates that during the centuries between Adam and Nuh, humans were following Islam, as Ibn `Abbas said: "Between Adam and Nuh there were ten generations, during all of which humans were following Islam." The meaning (of the Ayah) is: "You disbelievers are not more dear to Allah than they were, and you have rejected the most noble of the Messengers and the best of creation, so you are more deserving of punishment." وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرَا بَصِيرًا (And sufficient is your Lord as All-Knower and Seer of the sins of His servants.) means, He knows everything they do, good and evil, and nothing at all is hidden from Him, may He be glorified and exalted.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Reward of Those who desire this World and Those who desire the Hereafter Allah tells us that not everyone who desires this world and its luxuries gets what he wants. That is attained by those whom Allah wants to have it, and they get what He wills that they should get. This Ayah narrows down the general statements made in other Ayat. Allah says: عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ (We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell) meaning, in the Hereafter, يَصْلَـهَآ (he will burn therein) means, he will enter it until it covers him on all sides, مَذْمُومًا (disgraced) means, blamed for his bad behaviour and evil deeds, because he chose the transient over the eternal, مَّدْحُورًا (rejected.) means, far away (from Allah's mercy), humiliated and put to shame. وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الاٌّخِرَةَ (And whoever desires the Hereafter) wanting the Hereafter and its blessings and delights, وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا (and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it) seeking it in the right way, which is following the Messenger . وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ (while he is a believer,) means, his heart has faith, i.e., he believes in the reward and punishment, فَأُولَـئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا (then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (rewarded by Allah).)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

The Reward of Those who desire this World and Those who desire the Hereafter Allah tells us that not everyone who desires this world and its luxuries gets what he wants. That is attained by those whom Allah wants to have it, and they get what He wills that they should get. This Ayah narrows down the general statements made in other Ayat. Allah says: عَجَّلْنَا لَهُ فِيهَا مَا نَشَآءُ لِمَن نُّرِيدُ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَا لَهُ جَهَنَّمَ (We readily grant him what We will for whom We like. Then, afterwards, We have appointed for him Hell) meaning, in the Hereafter, يَصْلَـهَآ (he will burn therein) means, he will enter it until it covers him on all sides, مَذْمُومًا (disgraced) means, blamed for his bad behaviour and evil deeds, because he chose the transient over the eternal, مَّدْحُورًا (rejected.) means, far away (from Allah's mercy), humiliated and put to shame. وَمَنْ أَرَادَ الاٌّخِرَةَ (And whoever desires the Hereafter) wanting the Hereafter and its blessings and delights, وَسَعَى لَهَا سَعْيَهَا (and strives for it, with the necessary effort due for it) seeking it in the right way, which is following the Messenger . وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ (while he is a believer,) means, his heart has faith, i.e., he believes in the reward and punishment, فَأُولَـئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا (then such are the ones whose striving shall be appreciated, (rewarded by Allah).)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

كَلاَّ On each meaning, on each of the two groups, those who desire this world and those who desire the Hereafter, We bestow what they want مِنْ عَطَآءِ رَبِّكَ (from the bounties of your Lord.) means, He is the One Who is in control of all things, and He is never unjust. He gives to each what he deserves, whether it is eternal happiness or doom. His decree is unstoppable, no one can withhold what He gives or change what He wants. Allah says: وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.) meaning, no one can withhold or prevent them. Qatadah said, وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (And the bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden.) "(It means) they can never decrease". وَمَا كَانَ عَطَآءُ رَبِّكَ مَحْظُورًا (And the Bounties of your Lord can never be forbidden) Al-Hasan and others said, "(It means) they can never be prevented." Then Allah says: انظُرْ كَيْفَ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ (See how We prefer one above another,) meaning in this world, so that some are rich and some are poor, and others are in between; some are beautiful, some are ugly and others are in between; some die young while others live to a great age, and some die in between. وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَـتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً (and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment.) means, the differences between them in the Hereafter will be greater than the differences between them in this world. Some of them will be in varying levels of Hell, in chains and fetters, while others will be in the lofty degrees of Paradise, with its blessings and delights. The people of Hell will vary in their positions and levels, just as the people of Paradise will. In Paradise there are one hundred levels, and the distance between one level and another is like the distance between heaven and earth. It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet said: «إِنَّ أَهْلَ الدَّرَجَاتِ الْعُلَى لَيَرَوْنَ أَهْلَ عِلِّيِّينَ كَمَا تَرَوْنَ الْكَوْكَبَ الْغَابِرَ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاء» (The people of the highest levels (of Paradise) will see the people of `Illiyin as if they are looking at distant stars on the horizon.) Allah says: وَلَلاٌّخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَـتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيلاً (and verily, the Hereafter will be greater in degrees and greater in preferment.)