19:65 Maryam (Mary)

ثم علل إحاطة علمه، وعدم نسيانه، بأنه { رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ } فربوبيته للسماوات والأرض، وكونهما على أحسن نظام وأكمله، ليس فيه غفلة ولا إهمال، ولا سدى، ولا باطل، برهان قاطع على علمه الشامل، فلا تشغل نفسك بذلك، بل اشغلها بما ينفعك ويعود عليك طائله، وهو: عبادته وحده لا شريك له، { وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ } أي: اصبر نفسك عليها وجاهدها، وقم عليها أتم القيام وأكملها بحسب قدرتك، وفي الاشتغال بعبادة الله تسلية للعابد عن جميع التعلقات والمشتهيات، كما قال تعالى: { وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ } إلى أن قال: { وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا } الآية. { هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا } أي: هل تعلم لله مساميا ومشابها ومماثلا من المخلوقين. وهذا استفهام بمعنى النفي، المعلوم بالعقل. أي: لا تعلم له مساميا ولا مشابها، لأنه الرب، وغيره مربوب، الخالق، وغيره مخلوق، الغني من جميع الوجوه، وغيره فقير بالذات من كل وجه، الكامل الذي له الكمال المطلق من جميع الوجوه، وغيره ناقص ليس فيه من الكمال إلا ما أعطاه الله تعالى، فهذا برهان قاطع على أن الله هو المستحق لإفراده بالعبودية، وأن عبادته حق، وعبادة ما سواه باطل، فلهذا أمر بعبادته وحده، والاصطبار لها، وعلل ذلك بكماله وانفراده بالعظمة والأسماء الحسنى.

وقوله "رب السموات والأرض وما بينهما" أي خالق ذلك ومدبره والحاكم فيه والمتصرف الذي لا معقب لحكمه "فاعبده واصطبر لعبادته هل تعلم له سميا" قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس هل تعلم للرب مثلا أو شبيها وكذلك قال مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير وقتادة وابن جريج وغيرهم وقال عكرمة عن ابن عباس ليس أحد يسمى الرحمن غيره تبارك وتعالى وتقدس اسمه.

The Angels do not descend, except by Allah's Command

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Jibril,

«مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَزُورَنَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَزُورُنَا؟»

(What prevents you from visiting us more than you do) Then this Ayah was revealed,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.) Al-Bukhari was alone in recording it and he related it with the Tafsir of this Ayah. Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn `Abbas that he said, "Jibril was kept from visiting the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , so he was disturbed and grieved because of this. Then, Jibril came to him and said, `O Muhammad,

وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمْرِ رَبِّكَ

(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.)"' Allah said,

لَهُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا وَمَا خَلْفَنَا

(To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us,) It has been said that the meaning of "what is before us" refers to that which is in this life and "what is behind us" refers to the Hereafter.

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ

(and what is between those two;) This means what is between two blows of the Sur. This is the opinion of Abu Al-`Aliyah, `Ikrimah and Mujahid. This was also stated by Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah in one narration from them. As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas held this opinion as well. It has also been said,

مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِينَا

(what is before us) means the future matters of the Hereafter.

وَمَا خَلْفَنَا

(what is behind us,) means what has taken place in this life,

وَمَا بَيْنَ ذلِكَ

(what is between those two;) means what happens between this life and the Hereafter. A statement like this explanation has been reported from Ibn `Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ath-Thawri. Ibn Jarir also preferred this latter interpretation. And Allah knows best. Concerning Allah's statement,

وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيّاً

(and your Lord is never forgetful.) Mujahid said, "This means that your Lord has not forgotten you." Allah said,

رَّبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا

(Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them,) He created all of that, He is the Disposer of its affairs, He is the Legi- slator over it and He is in absolute control of it, having no one to oppose His decisions.

فَاعْبُدْهُ وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيّاً

(so worship Him and abide patiently in his worship. Do you know of any who is similar to Him) `Ali bin Abi Talhah related that Ibn `Abbas said that this means, "Do you know any comparison or some- thing similar to the Lord" Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and others all said the same. `Ikrimah related that Ibn `Abbas said, "There is no one named Ar-Rahman (the Most Beneficent) other than Him, Blessed and Exalted is He. Most Holy is His Name."

وَيَقُولُ الإِنْسَـنُ أَإِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوْفَ أُخْرَجُ حَيّاً - أَوَلاَ يَذْكُرُ إلإِنْسَـنُ أَنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ يَكُ شَيْئاً - فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحْشُرَنَّهُمْ وَالشَّيَـطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحْضِرَنَّهُمْ حَوْلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيّاً

He is the Lord the Owner of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. So worship Him and be steadfast in His worship in other words continue to perform it patiently. Do you know of anyone who could be His namesake? anyone named with that same title? No!

Commentary

وَاصْطَبِرْ‌ لِعِبَادَتِهِ ("and-persevere in His worship." - 19:65) The word اِصطِبَار ' means perseverance in the face of acute distress and hardship. The point here is that anyone who wishes to be constant and steadfast in. his prayers must be prepared to undergo pain and suffering.

هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا ("Do you know any one worthy of His name?" - 19:65). In the generally accepted sense the word applies to persons bearing the same name. The polytheists and idolaters had included many humans, angels, stones and idols along with Allah Ta` ala in their worship and designated all of them as سَمِیُّ i.e. as objects of worship but it is a strange and extraordinary coincidence that none of their false gods was ever named as Allah. This matter was preordained, and no idol or deity bore the name Allah. Thus, the literal meaning of the word would adequately explain the meaning of this verse which is that there is no object in the world bearing Allah's name.

Many commentators, among them Mujahid, Ibn Zubair, Qatadah, and Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، are of the view that in the present context the word means "a like" or "comparable" and the sense of the verse is that in the entire pantheon of false gods none is equal or comparable to Allah Ta` ala in so far as divine attributes are concerned.

The Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between the two. So worship Him, and be patient in His worship. The keeper of heaven and earth, of Throne and Carpet, of land and sea, is He. His command dominates over all, His will penetrates all. The world and the world's folk are all His servants and servitors. The seven heavens and the seven earths and everything within them are all His posses- sion and kingdom. This is a king whose kingship has no removal, whose exaltedness has no abasement, whose seriousness has no levity, whose decree has no rejection, and from whom there is no escape. He revealed to Moses, “'I am the remedy that clings to you, so cling to the remedy.' O Moses, I am unavoidable to you. Everything can be avoided, but there is no avoiding Me. Everything can be escaped, but there is no escaping Me. Be a servant, for a servant has no artifice better than servanthood.” This is why the Lord of the Worlds says in this verse, “So worship Him, and be patient in His worship.” The burden of servanthood is a heavy burden, and the road of the Law's prescription is difficult. Since you know who placed this burden and how to take care of the burden in this road, be patient and do not complain. Whenever someone recognizes the Real's majesty and knows the destination of this road, the hands of his self-determination will fall short of the two realms of be- ing and the feet of his passion will always be in the road. For him the bottom of a well will be like chieftainship and status. The Pir of the Tariqah said, “O God, sometimes I say I'm in the devil's grasp, so much cover- ing do I see. Then at times a light shines next to which all mortal nature disappears. “O God, since the eyes are still waiting for face-to-face vision, what is this trial of the heart? Since this path is all trial, why is there so much pleasure? “O God, sometimes I spoke to You and sometimes I listened. In the midst of my offenses I thought of Your gentleness. I suffered what I suffered. All became sweet when I heard the voice of acceptance.”