38:45 Saad (The letter Saad)

يقول تعالى: { وَاذْكُرْ عِبَادَنَا } الذين أخلصوا لنا العبادة ذكرا حسنا، { إِبْرَاهِيمَ } الخليل { و } ابنه { إِسْحَاقَ وَ } ابن ابنه { يَعْقُوبَ أُولِي الْأَيْدِي } أي: القوة على عبادة اللّه تعالى { وَالْأَبْصَارَ } أي: البصيرة في دين اللّه. فوصفهم بالعلم النافع، والعمل الصالح الكثير.

يقول تبارك وتعالى مخبرا عن فضائل عباده المرسلين وأنبيائه العابدين " واذكر عبادنا إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب أولى الأيدي والأبصار" يعني بذلك العمل الصالح والعلم النافع والقوة في العبادة والبصيرة النافذة قال علي بن أبي طلحة عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما "أولي الأيدي " يقول أولي القوة "والأبصار" يقول الفقه في الدين وقال مجاهد "أولي الأيدي" يعني القوة في طاعة الله تعالى والأبصار يعني البصر في الحق وقال قتادة والسدي أعطوا قوة في العبادة وبصرا في الدين.

The Chosen and the Best among the Prophets

Allah tells us about the virtues of His servants the Messengers and His Prophets:

وَاذْكُرْ عِبَادَنَآ إِبْرَهِيمَ وَإِسْحَـقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ أُوْلِى الاٌّيْدِى وَالاٌّبْصَـرِ

(And remember Our servants, Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Ya`qub, Ulil-Aydi wal-Absar.) meaning, righteous deeds, beneficial knowledge, strength in worship and insight. `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

أُوْلِى الاٌّيْدِى

(Ulil-Aydi) "Of great strength and worship;

وَالاٌّبْصَـرُ

(wal-Absar) means, understanding of the religion." Qatadah and As-Suddi said, "They were given strength in worship and understanding of the religion."

إِنَّآ أَخْلَصْنَهُمْ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّارِ

(Verily, We did choose them by granting them the remembrance of the Abode.) Mujahid said, "This means: We made them strive for the Hereafter, and there is nothing else for them besides that." As-Suddi also said, "The remembrance of the Hereafter and striving for it." Malik bin Dinar said, "Allah removed the love of this world from their hearts, and singled them out for land remembrance of the Hereafter." Qatadah said, "They used to remind the people about the Abode of the Hereafter and to strive for it."

وَإِنَّهُمْ عِندَنَا لَمِنَ الْمُصْطَفَيْنَ الاٌّخْيَارِ

(And they are with Us, verily, of the chosen and the best!) means, they are among those who have been elected and chosen, and they are the best and the chosen ones.

وَاذْكُرْ إِسْمَـعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ الاٌّخْيَارِ

(And remember Isma`il, Al-Yasa`, and Dhul-Kifl, all are among the best.) We have already discussed their characteristics and stories in detail in Surat Al-Anbiya', may peace be upon them, and there is no need to repeat it here.

هَـذَا ذِكْرُ

(This is a Reminder) means, a reminder to those who will be reminded. As-Suddi said, "This means the Holy Qur'an."

And mention also Our servants Abraham and Isaac and Jacob — men of fortitude vigorous in their worship and insight deep understanding of religion a variant reading for ‘ibādanā ‘Our servants’ has singular ‘abdanā ‘Our servant’ with Ibrāhīma as the explication thereof and what follows as being a supplement to ‘abdanā ‘Our servant’.

Commentary

The expression: أُولِي الْأَيْدِي وَالْأَبْصَارِ‌(translated as: men of strength and men of vision) literally means 'owners or possessors of hands and eyes.' The sense is that they devoted their physical and intellectual energies in remaining obedient to Allah Ta’ ala. When this is said, a hint is being released to the fact that the real end use of human body parts is no other but that they are spent or utilized in obedience to the Divine commands, and the those parts of the body that are not utilized in it, their existence or non-existence remains equal.