25:23 Al-Furqaan (The Criterion)

{ وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ } أي: أعمالهم التي رجوا أن تكون خيرا لهم وتعبوا فيها، { فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا } أي باطلا مضمحلا قد خسروه وحرموا أجره وعوقبوا عليه وذلك لفقده الإيمان وصدوره عن مكذب لله ورسله، فالعمل الذي يقبله الله، ما صدر عن المؤمن المخلص المصدق للرسل المتبع لهم فيه.

وقوله تعالى: "وقدمنا إلى ما عملوا من عمل" الآية هذا يوم القيامة حين يحاسب الله العباد على ما عملوه من الخير والشر فأخبر أنه لا يحصل لهؤلاء المشركين من الأعمال التي ظنوا أنها منجاة لهم شيء وذلك لأنها فقدت الشرط الشرعي إما الإخلاص فيها وإما المتابعة لشرع الله فكل عمل لا يكون خالصا وعلى الشريعة المرضية فهو باطل فأعمال الكفار لا تخلو من واحد من هذين وقد تجمعهما معا فتكون أبعد من القبول حينئذ ولهذا قال تعالى: "وقدمنا إلى ما عملوا من عمل فجعلناه هباء منثورا" قال مجاهد والثوري "وقدمنا" أي عمدنا وكذا قال السدي وبعضهم يقول أتينا عليه وقوله تعالى: "فجعلناه هباء منثورا" قال سفيان الثوري عن أبي إسحاق عن الحارث عن علي رضي الله عنه في قوله: "هباء منثورا" قال شعاع الشمس إذا دخل الكوة وكذا روي من غير هذا الوجه عن علي وروي مثله عن ابن عباس ومجاهد وعكرمة وسعيد بن جبير والسدي والضحاك وغيرهم وكذا قال الحسن البصري هو الشعاع في كوة أحدكم ولو ذهب يقبض عليه لم يستطع. وقال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس "هباء منثورا" قال هو الماء المهراق وقال أبو الأحوص عن أبي إسحاق عن الحارث عن علي "هباء منثورا" قال الهباء وهج الدواب وروي مثله عن ابن عباس أيضا والضحاك وقاله عبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم وقال قتادة في قوله: "هباء منثورا" قال أما رأيت يبس الشجر إذا ذرته الريح ؟ فهو ذلك الورق وقال عبدالله بن وهب أخبرني عاصم بن حكيم عن أبي سريع الطائي عن عبيد بن يعلى قال وإن الهباء الرماد إذا ذرته الريح وحاصل هذه الأقوال التنبيه على مضمون الآية وذلك أنهم عملوا أعمالا اعتقدوا أنها على شيء فلما عرضت على الملك الحكم العدل الذي لا يجور ولا يظلم أحدا إذا إنها لا شيء بالكلية وشبهت في ذلك بالشيء التافه الحقير المتفرق الذي لا يقدر صاحبه منه على شيء بالكلية كما قال تعالى: "مثل الذين كفروا بربهم أعمالهم كرماد اشتدت به الريح" الآية وقال تعالى: "يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تبطلوا صدقاتكم بالمن والأذى - إلى قوله تعالى - لا يقدرون على شيء مما كسبوا" وقال تعالى: "والذين كفروا أعمالهم كسراب بقيعة يحسبه الظمآن ماء حتى إذا جاءه لم يجده شيئا" وتقدم الكلام على تفسير ذلك ولله الحمد والمنة.

The Stubbornness of the Disbelievers

Allah describes how stubborn the disbelievers were in their disbelief when they said:

لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا

(Why are not the angels sent down to us,) meaning, `so that we may see them with our own eyes and they may tell us that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah.' This is like when they said:

أَوْ تَأْتِىَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةِ قَبِيلاً

(or you bring Allah and the angels before (us) face to face) (17:92). Hence they also said:

الْمَلَـئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَى

(or why do we not see our Lord) Allah said:

رَبَّنَا لَقَدِ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ وَعَتَوْا عُتُوّاً

(Indeed they think too highly of themselves, and are scornful with great pride.) And Allah says:

وَلَوْ أَنَّنَا نَزَّلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ وَكَلَّمَهُمُ الْمَوْتَى

(And even if We had sent down unto them angels, and the dead had spoken unto them...) (6:111)

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ لاَ بُشْرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْراً مَّحْجُوراً

(On the Day they will see the angels -- no good news will there be for the criminals that day. And they will say: "Hijran Mahjura.") means, when they do see the angels, it will not be a good day for them, for on that day there will be no good news for them. This is also confirmed at the time when they are dying, when the angels bring them the tidings of Hell and the wrath of the Compeller, and when the disbeliever's soul is being taken out, the angels say to it, "Come out, O evil soul from an evil body, come out to fierce hot wind and boiling water, and the shadow of black smoke." It refuses to come out and it scatters throughout his body, so they beat him, as Allah says:

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذْ يَتَوَفَّى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ يَضْرِبُونَ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَأَدْبَـرَهُمْ

(And if you could see when the angels take away the souls of those who disbelieve; they smite their faces and their backs...") (8:50)

وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّـلِمُونَ فِى غَمَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ وَالْمَلَـئِكَةُ بَاسِطُواْ أَيْدِيهِمْ

(And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands.) that is, to beat them:

أَخْرِجُواْ أَنفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ الْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـتِهِ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

((saying): "Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His Ayat with disrespect!") (6: 93) Hence in this Ayah Allah says:

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ لاَ بُشْرَى يَوْمَئِذٍ لِّلْمُجْرِمِينَ

(On the Day they will see the angels -- no good news will there be for the criminals) This is in contrast to the state of the believers when death approaches them, for they are given glad tidings of joy and delight. Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَـمُواْ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ أَلاَّ تَخَافُواْ وَلاَ تَحْزَنُواْ وَأَبْشِرُواْ بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِى كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ - نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَآؤُكُمْ فِى الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِى الاٌّخِرَةِ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِى أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ - نُزُلاً مِّنْ غَفُورٍ رَّحِيمٍ

(Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allah," and then they stand firm, on them the angels will descend (saying): "Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the good news of Paradise which you have been promised! We have been your friends in the life of this world and are (so) in the Hereafter. Therein you shall have what your souls desire, and therein you shall have what you ask for. Entertainment from, the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.") (41:30-32) According to an authentic Hadith narrated from Al-Bara' bin `Azib, the angels say to the believer's soul (at the time of death): "Come out, O good soul in a good body, as you were dwelling in it. Come out to rest and pleasant fragrances and a Lord Who is not angry." Other scholars said that the Ayah:

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ لاَ بُشْرَى

(On the Day they will see the angels -- no good news) vrefers to the Day of Resurrection. This was the view of Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak and others. But there is no contradiction between these two views, because on both of these days -- the day of death and the Day of Resurrection -- the angels will appear to the believers and disbelievers, and they will give glad tidings of divine mercy and pleasure to the believers, while they will give the disbelievers news that will bring regret and sorrow, so there will be no glad tidings for the evildoers and criminals on that Day.

وَيَقُولُونَ حِجْراً مَّحْجُوراً

(And they (angels) will say: "Hijran Mahjura.") The angels will say to the disbelievers: `success is forbidden to you this day.' The basic meaning of Al-Hijr is preventing or prohibition, hence the word is used in the phrase "Hajara Al-Qadi `Ala Fulan" (or, "The judge prohibited so and so.") when he forbids him to dispose of his wealth in cases of bankruptcy, folly, being underage, etc. The name of Al-Hijr (the low semicircular wall near the Ka`bah) is also derived from this root, because it prevents people from Tawaf inside it, since they have to go behind it. The mind is also called Al-Hijr, because it prevents a person from indulging in things that do not befit him. In conclusion, the pronoun in the phrase.

وَيَقُولُونَ

(And they will say) refers to the angels. This was the view of Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, `Atiyyah Al-`Awfi, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, Khusayf and others; it was also the view favored by Ibn Jarir. Ibn Jarir recorded that Ibn Jurayj said that this referred to the words of the idolators.

يَوْمَ يَرَوْنَ الْمَلَـئِكَةَ

(On the Day they will see the angels) means, they will seek refuge from the angels. This is because when disaster and hardship struck, the Arabs would say:

حِجْراً مَّحْجُوراً

("Hijran Mahjura.") Although there is a point to what Ibn Jurayj said, from the context it is unlikely that this is what was meant, and the majority of scholars said something different.

وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ

(And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did,) This refers to the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will bring mankind to account for their deeds, good and bad alike. Allah tells us that the deeds which these idolators thought would bring them salvation will be of no avail to them, because they were not in accordance with the Shari`ah or Laws of Allah, whether in terms of sincere intention or in terms of following the Laws set out by Allah. Every deed that is neither sincere nor in accordance with the Laws of Allah is futile, and the deeds of the disbelievers are either one or the other, or they may include both, in which case they are even less likely to be accepted. Allah says:

وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً

(And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust.) Sufyan Ath-Thawri, narrated from Abu Ishaq, from Al-Harith that `Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on Allah's saying:

فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً

(and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust (Haba').) "The rays of the sun when they pass through a small aperture." A similar view was also narrated through a different chain of narrators from `Ali, and something similar was also narrated from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, As-Suddi, Ad-Dahhak and others. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "This refers to the rays coming through a small window, and if anyone tries to grasp them, he cannot." Abu Al-Ahwas narrated from Abu Ishaq from Al-Harith that `Ali said: "Haba' refers to the dust raised by animals. " A similar view was also narrated from Ibn `Abbas and Ad-Dahhak, and this was also said by `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam.

هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً

(scattered floating particles of dust (Haba').) Qatadah said: "Have you not seen dry trees when they are blown by the wind This refers to those leaves." It was narrated that Ya`la bin `Ubayd said: "Ashes or dust when it is stirred up by the wind." In conclusion, all of these views are pointing out that the deeds of the disbelievers will be like some worthless scattered thing, and will be of no avail to them whatsoever. As Allah says:

مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ

(The parable of those who disbelieved in their Lord is that their works are as ashes, on which the wind blows furiously) (14:18).

يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لاَ تُبْطِلُواْ صَدَقَـتِكُم بِالْمَنِّ وَالاٌّذَى

(O you who believe! Do not render in vain your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury,) until His saying:

لاَّ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى شَىْءٍ مِّمَّا كَسَبُواْ

(They are not able to do anything with what they have earned) (2:264).

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَآءً حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئاً

(As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing) (24:39).

The Abode of the People of Paradise

Allah says:

أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُّسْتَقَرّاً وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلاً

(The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection.

لاَ يَسْتَوِى أَصْحَـبُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَآئِزُونَ

(Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful) (59:20). That is because the people of Paradise will ascend to lofty degrees and secure dwellings, so they will be in a place of safety, beauty and goodness,

خَـلِدِينَ فِيهَا حَسُنَتْ مُسْتَقَرّاً وَمُقَاماً

(Abiding therein -- excellent it is as an abode, and as a place to rest in.) (25:76) The people of Hell will go down to the lowest levels and continual regret, with all kinds of punishments and torments.

إِنَّهَا سَآءَتْ مُسْتَقَرّاً وَمُقَاماً

(Evil indeed it (Hell) is as an abode and as a place to rest in.)(25:66) means, how evil a dwelling place to look at, and how evil an abode in which to stay. Allah says:

أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُّسْتَقَرّاً وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلاً

(The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.) meaning, in return for what they have done of acceptable deeds, they will attain what they will attain and reach the status they will reach, in contrast to the people of Hell, who will not have even one deed to their credit that would qualify them to enter Paradise and be saved from the Fire. Allah points out the situation of the blessed in contrast to that of the doomed, who will not enjoy any goodness at all. Sa`id bin Jubayr said: "Allah will finish the Judgement halfway through the Day, and the people of Paradise will take their mid day rest in Paradise and the people of Hell in Hell. Allah says:

أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُّسْتَقَرّاً وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلاً

(The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.) `Ikrimah said, "I know the time when the people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hell will enter Hell. It is the time which in this world is the time when the late forenoon starts and people go back to their families to take a siesta. The people of Hell will go to Hell, but the people of Paradise will be taken to Paradise and will have their siesta in Paradise, and they will be fed the liver of a whale and they will all eat their fill. This is what Allah says:

أَصْحَـبُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُّسْتَقَرّاً وَأَحْسَنُ مَقِيلاً

(The dwellers of Paradise will, on that Day, have the best abode, and have the fairest of places for repose.)

And We shall attend to We shall turn to the works they did that were good such as voluntary alms or kindness to kin a hospitable reception of a guest or the succour of a troubled person in this world and turn them into scattered dust habā’an manthūran namely as those individual particles of dust which one might observe near a window when the sun is shining through. In other words We shall make their good works like those particles of dust in their uselessness there being no reward for such works for lack of any binding obligation to reward them therefor; but they are rewarded for it in the life of this world.

حِجْرً‌ا مَّحْجُورً‌ا (25:22) The literal meaning of حِجر is protection, and مَّحْجُورًا is fully protected. This word was used in Arabic language at the time of danger, when there was a danger in sight. The word was used to seek protection - that is to ask for protection against the imminent danger. Likewise, on the Dooms Day when the infidels will see angels approaching toward them with chastisement, they will utter this word as per their habit in this world to seek protection. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ has described the meaning of this word حَرَاماً مُحَرَّماً (that is banned, prohibited).

According to this interpretation, the phrase will mean that on the Dooms Day when the infidels will see the angels approaching them with chastisement, they will seek their pardon and plead to let them in the paradise. In response to their pleading the angels will reply حِجْرً‌ا مَّحْجُورً‌ا that is the Paradise is banned and prohibited for infidels. (Mazhari)

We shall advance on what deeds they have done and make them scattered dust. One of the pirs of the Tariqah recited this verse and said, “Of all the Qur'an's verses, this is the sweetest. When He throws these tainted deeds of ours to the wind of unneediness, He will act to- ward us with bounty alone. What He does with His bounty will be fitting for His generosity. What is fitting for His generosity is better than what is fitting for our deeds.” Then he said, “He has things rightfully due against us, like obedience and worship, but we in our makeup are destitute, and He has decreed our destitution. When the decreer decrees that someone be destitute, the plaintiff can have nothing against him. 'If he has suffered hardship, that has comfort in view.' “Whenever someone is destitute, it is incumbent to give him respite so that he may acquire some capital. But, we will never acquire capital until that world, when He will pour down the treasure of His bounty on our heads. We are not wealthy through our own being-we are wealthy through His attributes. Nothing comes from us or our deeds. When an affair is opened up for us, it opens up from His bounty. “When He accepts us, He does not accept us because of the form of our practice. He accepts us because of the readiness that He gazed upon in His beginningless knowledge. Whatever there may be in the world follows upon that readiness. Wait until tomorrow when He makes that readiness apparent and opens the doors of the treasuries. He will give the treasury of mercy to the disobedi- ent and the treasury of bounty to the destitute so that they may discharge what is rightfully due to Him from His treasury, for the servants cannot discharge His rightful due from what belongs to them.” The Pir of the Tariqah said, “O God, whatever I counted as a mark curtained me and whatever I considered a basis was foolish. O God, lift up this curtain from me totally, remove from me the defect of my being, and do not leave me in the hand of striving! O God, let none of our deeds circle around us! Lift us up from our loss! O Beautiful-Doer, straighten out what You made without us! Entrust us not to what You can put up with!”