20:124 Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa)

{ وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي } أي: كتابي الذي يتذكر به جميع المطالب العالية، وأن يتركه على وجه الإعراض عنه، أو ما هو أعظم من ذلك، بأن يكون على وجه الإنكار له، والكفر به { فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنْكًا } أي: فإن جزاءه، أن نجعل معيشته ضيقة مشقة، ولا يكون ذلك إلا عذابا. وفسرت المعيشة الضنك بعذاب القبر، وأنه يضيق عليه قبره، ويحصر فيه ويعذب، جزاء لإعراضه عن ذكر ربه، وهذه إحدى الآيات الدالة على عذاب القبر. والثانية قوله تعالى: { وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ بَاسِطُو أَيْدِيهِمْ } الآية. والثالثة قوله: { وَلَنُذِيقَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَدْنَى دُونَ الْعَذَابِ الْأَكْبَرِ } والرابعة قوله عن آل فرعون: { النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا } الآية. والذي أوجب لمن فسرها بعذاب القبر فقط من السلف، وقصرها على ذلك -والله أعلم- آخر الآية، وأن الله ذكر في آخرها عذاب يوم القيامة. وبعض المفسرين، يرى أن المعيشة الضنك، عامة في دار الدنيا، بما يصيب المعرض عن ذكر ربه، من الهموم والغموم والآلام، التي هي عذاب معجل، وفي دار البرزخ، وفي الدار الآخرة، لإطلاق المعيشة الضنك، وعدم تقييدها. { وَنَحْشُرُهُ } أي: هذا المعرض عن ذكر ربه { يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَعْمَى } البصر على الصحيح، كما قال تعالى: { وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا }

"ومن أعرض عن ذكري" أي خالف أمري وما أنزلته على رسولي أعرض عنه وتناساه وأخذ من غيره هداه فإن له معيشة ضنكا أي ضنك في الدنيا فلا طمأنينة له ولا انشراح لصدره بل صدره ضيق حرج لضلاله وإن تنعم ظاهره ولبس ما شاء وأكل ما شاء وسكن حيث شاء فإن قلبه ما لم يخلص إلى اليقين والهدى فهو في قلق وحيرة وشك فلا يزال في ريبة يتردد فهذا من ضنك المعيشة قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس فإن له معيشة ضنكا قال الشقاء وقال العوفي عن ابن عباس فإن له معيشة ضنكا قال كلما أعطيته عبدا من عبادي قل أو كثر لا يتقيني فيه فلا خير فيه وهو الضنك في المعيشة وقال أيضا إن قوما ضلالا أعرضوا عن الحق وكانوا في سعة من الدنيا متكبرين فكانت معيشتهم ضنكا وذلك أنهم كانوا يرون أن الله ليس مخلفا لهم معايشهم من سوء ظنهم بالله والتكذيب فإذا كان العبد يكذب بالله ويسيء الظن به والثقة به اشتدت عليه معيشته فذلك الضنك وقال الضحاك هو العمل السيء والرزق الخبيث وكذا قال عكرمة ومالك بن دينار وقال سفيان بن عيينة عن أبي حازم عن أبي سلمة عن أبي سعيد في قوله معيشة ضنكا قال يضيق عليه قبره حتى تختلف أضلاعه فيه قال أبو حاتم الرازي: النعمان بن أبي عياض يكنى أبا سلمة وقال ابن أبي حاتم حدثنا أبو زرعة حدثنا صفوان أنبأنا الوليد أنبأنا عبد الله بن لهيعة عن دراج عن أبي الهيثم عن أبي سعيد قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في قول الله عز وجل " فإن له معيشة ضنكا" قال " ضمة القبر له " والموقوف أصح. وقال ابن أبي حاتم أيضا حدثنا الربيع بن سليمان حدثنا أسد بن موسى حدثنا ابن لهيعة حدثنا دراج أبو السمح عن ابن حجيرة واسمه عبد الرحمن عن أبي هريرة عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " المؤمن في قبره في روضة خضراء ويفسح له في قبره سبعون ذراعا وينور له قبره كالقمر ليلة البدر أتدرون فيما أنزلت هذه الآية فإن له معيشة ضنكا أتدرون ما المعيشة الضنك؟ " قالوا الله ورسوله أعلم قال " عذاب الكافر في قبره والذي نفسي بيده إنه ليسلط عليه تسعة وتسعون تنينا أتدرون ما التنين؟ تسعة وتسعون حية لكل حية سبعة رءوس ينفخون في جسمه ويلسعونه ويخدشونه إلى يوم يبعثون " رفعه منكر جدا وقال البزار حدثنا محمد بن يحيى الأزدي حدثنا بن عمرو حدثنا هشام بن سعد عن سعيد بن أبي هلال عن ابن حجيرة عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في قول الله عز وجل" فإن له معيشة ضنكا قال " المعيشة الضنك الذي قال الله إنه يسلط عليه تسعة وتسعون حية ينهشون لحمه حتى تقوم الساعة ". وقال أيضا حدثنا أبو زرعة حدثنا أبو الوليد حدثنا حماد بن سلمة عن محمد بن عمرو عن أبي سلمة عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فإن له معيشة ضنكا قال " عذاب القبر " إسناد جيد وقوله ونحشره يوم القيامة أعمى قال مجاهد وأبو صالح والسدي لا حجة له وقال عكرمة عمي عليه كل شيء إلا جهنم ويحتمل أن يكون المراد أنه يبعث أو يحشر إلى النار أعمى البصر والبصيرة أيضا كما قال تعالى" ونحشرهم يوم القيامة على وجوههم عميا وبكم وصما مأواهم جهنم" الآية.

The Descent of Adam to the Earth and the Promise of Good for the Guided and Evil for the Transgressors

Allah says to Adam, Hawwa' and Iblis, "Get down from here, all of you." This means each of you should get out of Paradise. We expounded upon this in Surah Al-Baqarah.

بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ

(Some of you as enemies to others.) 2:36 He (Allah) was saying this to Adam and his progeny and Iblis and his progeny. Concerning Allah's statement,

فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّى هُدًى

(Then if there comes to you guidance from Me,) Abu Al-`Aliyyah said, "This (guidance) means the Prophets, the Messengers and the evidence."

فَمَنِ اتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلاَ يَضِلُّ وَلاَ يَشْقَى

(Then whoever follows My guidance he shall neither go astray nor shall be distressed.) Ibn `Abbas said, "He will not be misguided in this life and he will not be distressed in the Hereafter."

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِى

(But whosoever turns away from My Reminder,) This means, "Whoever opposes my command and what I have revealed to My Messenger, then he has turned away from it, neglected it and taken his guidance from other than it."

فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكاً

(verily, for him is a life of hardship,) meaning, his life will be hard in this world. He will have no tranquillity and no expanding of his breast (ease). Rather, his chest will be constrained and in difficulty due to his misguidance. Even if he appears to be in comfort outwardly and he wears whatever he likes, eats whatever he likes and lives wherever he wants, he will not be happy. For verily, his heart will not have pure certainty and guidance. He will be in agitation, bewilderment and doubt. He will always be in confusion and a state of uncertainty. This is from the hardship of life. Concerning His statement,

وَنَحْشُرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيـمَةِ أَعْمَى

(and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.) Mujahid, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said, "This means he will have no proof." `Ikrimah said, "He will be made blind to everything except Hell." This is as Allah says,

وَنَحْشُرُهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ عُمْيًا وَبُكْمًا وَصُمًّا مَّأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ

(And We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their abode will be Hell.) 17:97 This is why Allah says,

رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرْتَنِى أَعْمَى وَقَدْ كُنتُ بَصِيراً

(O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before).) This means in the life of this world.

قَالَ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْكَ آيَـتُنَا فَنَسِيتَهَا وَكَذلِكَ الْيَوْمَ تُنْسَى

((Allah) will say: "Like this Our Ayat came unto you, but you disregarded them, and so this Day, you will be neglected.) Meaning, "When you turned away from the signs of Allah and dealt with them in the manner of one who does not remember them after they were conveyed to you. You neglected them, turned away from them and were heedless of them. Therefore, today We will treat you in the manner of one who has forgotten you."

فَالْيَوْمَ نَنسَـهُمْ كَمَا نَسُواْ لِقَآءَ يَوْمِهِمْ هَـذَا

(So this Day We shall forget them as they forgot their meeting of this Day.) 7:51 For verily, the punishment will be a retribution that is based upon the type of deed that was done. However, forgetting the words of the Qur'an, while understanding its meaning and acting upon its legislation, is not included in the meaning of this specific threat. Yet, forgetting the words of the Qur'an has been warned against from a different aspect. It has been reported in the Sunnah that it is absolutely forbidden and there is a serious threat against one who forgets Qur'an (that he previously memorized).

But whoever disregards My remembrance disregards the Qur’ān and does not believe in it his shall be a straitened life read dankan with nunation a verbal noun meaning ‘straitened circumstances’. This statement has been interpreted in one hadīth to mean the punishment of the grave for the disbeliever. And on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring him to the assembly namely the one who disregards the Qur’ān blind’ blind in eyesight.

وَمَنْ أَعْرَ‌ضَ عَن ذِكْرِ‌ي (And whoever turns away from My message - 20:124.) Here the word can refer both to the Qur'an and the Holy Prophet ﷺ as has been mentioned in other verses ذِكْرً‌ا ﴿10﴾ رَّ‌سُولًا (65:10). In both cases the meaning would be that if anyone fails in his duty to recite the Qur’ an or to comply with its commands, or if he fails to submit to the authority of the Holy Prophet then as punishment he would be condemned to a harsh and rigorous life in this world and would be raised blind on the Day of Resurrection.

The truth about the life of infidels and evil-doers being harsh in this world

Here one may ask that a life of penury and destitution in this world is not for the infidels and wicked people only but it afflicts good and pious people also. Indeed the prophets of Allah have to endure the greatest misfortunes and calamities in their worldly life. Sahih .al-Bukhari and all other books of Hadith contain a tradition in which, on the authority of Sa'd and others, the Holy Prophet ﷺ is reported to have said that the severest trials and tribulations are suffered by the prophets and in the case of the pious people those who enjoy a higher rank in the hierarchy are the ones who will get a greater share of misfortunes. On the other hand the infidels and the evildoers enjoy a life of comfort and affluence. Therefore the words of the Qur'an that such people would be condemned to a harsh and rigorous life can refer to the life in the Hereafter (آخرَت) only, because experience shows that they have, in this world, all the comforts of life.

The answer to the question posed above is that the punishment which the evil-doers will suffer in this world refers to the chastisement which awaits them in the grave where their existence will be made miserable and beyond endurance. Their graves will be their abodes and will squeeze them so tight that their graves will crack. There is a tradition in Musnad al-Bazzar on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ himself stated that the words مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا (straitened life) occurring in this verse (124) refer to the existence in the grave. (Mazhari)

Another interpretation given to these words by Sayyidna Said ibn Jubair ؓ is that these people will be deprived of the gift of contentment which will result in an overpowering greed for worldly goods (Mazhari) but no amount of wealth will ever give them peace and content. The constant desire to augment their worldly possessions and the fear of any decrease in their size will always keep them anxious and uneasy. It is generally observed that the wealthy people who have all the means of comfort at their disposal actually are unable to enjoy comfort themselves, because comfort cannot be achieved without content and peace of mind.

And whosoever turns away from My remembrance, he shall have a life of narrowness, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall muster him blind. Concerning this verse Jaʿfar ṣādiq said, “Had they recognized Me, they would not have turned away from Me. When someone turns away from Me, I will restore him to turning toward the kinds and colors appropriate for him.” Whoever recognizes Him remembers Him in every state and turns away from remembering everything except Him. Whoever knows Him will always be remembering Him and persevere in performing the obligatory and supererogatory acts, putting aside his own steps and seeking every- thing rightfully due to Him. Whenever someone turns aside from remembering the Real for one instant in his life and turns to remembering the creatures, the veiled virgin of recognition will con- ceal her face from him and he will never have a portion of her beauty. This is the case of someone who turns away from His remembrance for one instant in his whole life. How about someone who does not turn toward the remembrance of the Real for one instant in his whole life? The paragon of the world, the center point of the circle of newly arrived things, was addressed by the Compeller of the engendered beings, “O master! It does not please Me that in the two worlds you should rely on any but Me, that on your tongue should be the remembrance of any but Me, that in your heart should be love for any but Me. I will bring everyone out against you and make them all your antagonists so that you will remember none but Me in the two worlds.” The first He brought out against him were his family, tribe, and relatives so that, when he saw disloyalty from his near ones, he would not place his heart in his far ones. The Real wanted to turn his heart away from the creatures and unbind his secret core from the whole world and join it with Himself, “for conjunction with the Real is in the measure of disjunction from the creatures.” WāsiṬī said, “Whoever looks at Him does not look at himself. Whoever remembers Him for- gets to remember himself.” Remembrance of self and remembrance of creatures are the seeds of sorrows.