3:195 Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan)

أي: أجاب الله دعاءهم، دعاء العبادة، ودعاء الطلب، وقال: إني لا أضيع عمل عامل منكم من ذكر وأنثى، فالجميع سيلقون ثواب أعمالهم كاملا موفرا، { بعضكم من بعض } أي: كلكم على حد سواء في الثواب والعقاب، { فالذين هاجروا وأخرجوا من ديارهم وأوذوا في سبيلي وقاتلوا وقتلوا } فجمعوا بين الإيمان والهجرة، ومفارقة المحبوبات من الأوطان والأموال، طلبا لمرضاة ربهم، وجاهدوا في سبيل الله. { لأكفرن عنهم سيئاتهم ولأدخلنهم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار ثوابا من عند الله } الذي يعطي عبده الثواب الجزيل على العمل القليل. { والله عنده حسن الثواب } مما لا عين رأت، ولا أذن سمعت، ولا خطر على قلب بشر، فمن أراد ذلك، فليطلبه من الله بطاعته والتقرب إليه، بما يقدر عليه العبد.

يقول تعالى "فاستجاب لهم ربهم" أي فأجابهم ربهم كما قال الشاعر: وداع دعا: يا من يجيب إلى الندى فلم يستجبه عند ذاك مجيب قال سعيد بن منصور حدثنا سفيان عن عمرو بن دينار عن سلمة رجل من آل أم سلمة قال قالت أم سلمة: يا سول الله لا نسمع الله ذكر النساء في الهجرة بشيء. فأنزل الله تعالى "فاستجاب لهم ربهم أني لا أضيع عمل عامل منكم من ذكر أو أنثى" إلى آخر الآية: وقالت الأنصار هي أول ظعينة قدمت علينا وقد رواه الحاكم في مستدركه من حديث سفيان بن عيينة. ثم قال صحيح على شرط البخاري ولم يخرجاه. وقد روى ابن أبي نجيح عن مجاهد عن أم سلمة قالت: آخر آية نزلت هذه الآية. "فاستجاب لهم ربهم أني لا أضيع عمل عامل منكم من ذكر أو أنثى بعضكم من بعض" إلى آخرها. رواه ابن مردويه ومعنى الآية أن المؤمنين ذوي الألباب لما سألوا ما سألوا مما تقدم ذكره فاستجاب لهم ربهم عقب ذلك بفاء التعقيب كما قال تعالى "وإذا سألك عبادي عني فإنى قريب أجيب دعوة الداع إذا دعان فليستجيبوا لي وليؤمنوا بي لعلهم يرشدون" وقوله تعالى "أني لا أضيع عمل عامل منكم من ذكر أو أنثى" هذا تفسير للإجابة أي قال لهم مخبرا أنه لا يضيع عمل عامل منكم لديه بل يوفي كل عامل بقسط عمله من ذكر أو أنثى وقوله "بعضكم من بعض" أي جميعكم في ثوابي سواء "فالذين هاجروا" أي تركوا دار الشرك وأتوا إلى دار الإيمان وفارقوا الأحباب والإخوان والخلان والجيران "وأخرجوا من ديارهم" أي ضايقهم المشركون بالأذى حتى ألجئوهم إلى الخروج من بين أظهرهم ولهذا قال "وأوذوا فى سبيلي" أي إنما كان ذنبهم إلى الناس أنهم آمنوا بالله وحده كما قال تعالى "يخرجون الرسول وإياكم أن تؤمنوا بالله ربكم" وقال تعالى "وما نقموا منهم إلا أن يؤمنوا بالله العزيز الحميد" وقوله تعالى "وقاتلوا وقتلوا" وهذا أعلى المقامات أن يقاتل في سبيل الله فيعقر جواده ويعفر وجهه بدمه وترابه. وقد ثبت في الصحيحين أن رجلا قال: يا رسول الله أرأيت إن قتلت في سبيل الله صابرا محتسبا مقبلا غير مدبر أيكفر الله عني خطاياي؟ قال: نعم؟ ثم قال: كيف قلت فأعاد عليه ما قال فقال: "نعم إلا الذي قاله لي جبريل آنفا" ولهذا قال تعالى "لأكفرن عنهم سيئاتهم ولأدخلنهم جنات تجري من تحتها الأنهار" أي تجري في خلالها الأنهار من أنواع المشارب من لبن وعسل وخمر وماء غير آسن وغير ذلك مما لا عين رأت ولا أذن سمعت ولا خطر على قلب بشر وقوله "ثوابا من عند الله" أضافه إليه ونسبة إليه ليدل على أنه عظيم لأن العظيم الكريم لا يعطي إلا جزيلا كثيرا كما قال الشاعر: إن يعذب يكن غراما وإن يعــ ـط جزيلا فإنه لا يبالــي وقوله تعالى "والله عنده حسن الثواب" أي عنده حسن الجزاء لمن عمل صالحا. قال ابن أبى حاتم: ذكر عن دحيم بن إبراهيم قال الوليد بن مسلم أخبرني جرير بن عثمان أنا شداد بن أوس كان يقول: أيها الناس لا تتهموا الله في قضائه فالله لا يبغي على مؤمن فإذا أنزل بأحدكم شيئا مما يحب فليحمد الله وإذا أنزل به شيئا مما يكره فليصبر وليحتسب فإن الله عنده حسن الثواب.

Allah Accepts the Supplication of Men of Understanding

Allah said,

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ

(So their Lord accepted of them), answered their invocation. Sa`id bin Mansur recorded that Salamah, a man from the family of Umm Salamah said, "Umm Salamah said, `O Messenger of Allah! Allah does not mention women in connection with Hijrah (Migration).' Allah sent down the Ayah,

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّى لاَ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنْكُمْ مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى

(So their Lord accepted of them (their supplication and answered them), "Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female.)

The Ansar say that Umm Salamah was the first woman to migrate to them." Al-Hakim collected this Hadith in his Mustadrak, and said, "It is Sahih according to the criteria of Al-Bukhari but they Al-Bukhari and Muslim did not collect it".

Allah's statement,

أَنِّى لاَ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَامِلٍ مِّنْكُمْ مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى

("Never will I allow to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female,) explains the type of answer Allah gave them, stating that no deed of any person is ever lost with Him. Rather, He will completely reward each person for his or her good deeds. Allah's statement,

بَعْضُكُم مِّن بَعْضٍ

(You are (members) one of another) means, you are all equal in relation to gaining My reward. Therefore,

فَالَّذِينَ هَـجَرُواْ

(those who emigrated), by leaving the land of Shirk and migrating to the land of faith, leaving behind their loved ones, brethren, friends and neighbors,

وَأُخْرِجُواْ مِن دِيَـرِهِمْ

(and were driven out from their homes), when the Mushriks tormented them and forced them to migrate,

وَأُوذُواْ فِى سَبِيلِى

(and suffered harm in My cause), for their only wrong, to the people, was that they believed in Allah Alone. In similar Ayat, Allah said,

يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّـكُمْ أَن تُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ

(and have driven out the Messenger and yourselves because you believe in Allah your Lord!) 60:1, and,

وَمَا نَقَمُواْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَن يُؤْمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ

(And they had no fault except that they believed in Allah, the Almighty, Worthy of all praise!)

85:8

. Allah's statement,

وَقَـتَلُواْ وَقُتِلُواْ

(and who fought and were killed (in My cause),) 3:195 refers to the highest rank there is, that one fights in the cause of Allah and dies in the process, with his face covered in dust and blood. It is recorded in the Sahih that a man said,

يا رسول الله، أرأيت إن قتلت في سبيل الله صابرًا محتسبًا مقبلًا غير مدبر، أيكفر الله عني خطاياي؟ قال:

«نَعَم»

ثُمَّ قَالَ:

«كَيْفَ قُلْتَ؟»

فأعاد عليه ما قال، فقال:

«نَعَمْ، إِلَّا الدَّيْنَ، قَالَهُ لِي جِبْرِيلُ آنِفًا»

('O Messenger of Allah! If I was killed in Allah's cause, observing patience, awaiting Allah's reward, attacking, not retreating, would Allah forgive my sins' The Prophet said, `Yes.' The Prophet then asked the man, `What did you ask' When the man repeated the question, the Prophet said, `Yes, except for the debt, for Jibril conveyed this to me right now'.)

This is why Allah said here,

لأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَـتِهِمْ وَلأدْخِلَنَّهُمْ جَنَّـتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا الاٌّنْهَـرُ

(verily, I will expiate from them their evil deeds and admit them into Gardens under which rivers flow), within Paradise, where there are rivers of various drinks: milk, honey, wine and fresh water. There is what no eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard and no heart has ever imagined of delights in Paradise. Allah's statement,

ثَوَاباً مِّن عِندِ اللَّهِ

(a reward from Allah) testifies to His might, for the Mighty and Most Great only gives tremendous rewards. Allah's statement,

وَاللَّهُ عِندَهُ حُسْنُ الثَّوَابِ

(and with Allah is the best of rewards.") for those who perform good deeds.

And their Lord answers them their supplication by saying that ‘I do not let the labour of any labourer among you go to waste be you male or female — the one of you is as the other this statement is a reaffirmation of the previous one that is they are both equal when it comes to recompensing them for their deeds and for not neglecting them. When Umm Salama asked ‘O Messenger of God why is there no mention of women when it comes to the Emigration hijra?’ the following was revealed and those who emigrated from Mecca to Medina and were expelled from their habitations those who suffered hurt in My way for My religion and fought the disbelievers and were slain read qutilū or quttilū — them I shall surely absolve of their evil deeds concealing these with forgiveness and I shall admit them to Gardens underneath which river flow’. A reward thawāban is a verbal noun reaffirming the import of la-ukaffiranna from God! there is a shift of person here. And God — with Him is the fairest reward the fairest requital.

Mentioned in verses previous to this were some prayers made by good believers.

The first verse (195) appearing above reports that these prayers have been accepted and believers have been given the good news that great rewards have been marked for their good deeds. In the second and third verses (196-197), Muslims have been instructed not to be deceived by the apparent affluence and worldwide maneuvering of disbelievers for this is transitory and the punishment which follows in its wake is eternal.

The fourth verse (198) reasserts the promise of the lasting blessings of Paradise for Muslims who always keep fearing Allah.

The fifth verse (199) particularly mentions the great reward that awaits those Muslims who used to be from among the People of the Book but chose to embrace Islam as their faith.

Commentary

While explaining the statement لَأُكَفِّرَ‌نَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ (I shall certainly write off their evil deeds) in Verse 195, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi (رح) has restricted it to the forgiveness of sins and shortcomings relating to the fulfillment of the rights of Allah. The reason is that the Holy Prophet ﷺ has said in Hadith that debts are not included under the purview of this verse. The rule is that the person concerned or his heirs should pay off the debt or have it forgiven. There is no other alternative in this case unless Allah Almighty is especially generous for someone and puts it in the heart of the wronged party that they should relent and forgive. This would, then, be a different matter. In fact, with some, this would also be the case.

So, let us keep in mind that all sins are forgiven following Hijrah (Emigration) and Shahadah (Surrendering life in the way of Allah, martyrdom) but the forgiveness of debts and other rights of people (Huququl-` Ibad) has not been promised.

And their Lord responded to them, “I will not waste the deed of any doer among you, male or female. The one of you is as the other. And those who emigrated, were expelled from their homes, were tormented in My path, who fought and were killed, I shall surely acquit them of their ugly deeds and enter them into Gardens under which rivers flow, a reward from God.” This is loyalty to the promise that He gave to the faithful: “Supplicate Me; I will respond to you” [40:60]. The verification of this loyalty is that He responded to the caller, He bestowed upon the asker, He assisted the striver, He gave increase to the grateful, He bestowed insight on the patient, He rewarded the obedient, He absolved the disobedient, He had mercy on the regretful, He honored the lover, He gave vision to the yearner. The command came, “O MuḤammad! There is no reason for despair. In triumph the work of the servant is not outside of three traits: If he is obedient, then his reward is in place. If he is dis- obedient, then your intercession is in place. And no matter how much he is held back, My mercy toward him is in place.” If I wipe clean all the sins of the creatures, what will be lost from My kingdom? A handful of clay. And those who emigrated, were expelled from their homes, were tormented in My path, who fought and were killed. This is the attribute of the friends, the custom of the yearners, the story of those who gamble away their spirits, and the final outcome of the work of the passionate: They have given away their hearts and gambled away their spirits. Wounded by the arrow of trial, their status and respect overthrown by the sword of the decree, they have been exiled from their homes and families. Totally effaced in the ocean of thought, of themselves they recite for all, “No home, no possessions.” Sometimes burning and melting, sometimes weeping and wailing, they see the burn but not the burner, they see the tumult but not the tumult-inciter, they see the pain but not the remedy. What is even more wondrous is that they are happy with their pain and lament at the lack of pain.