47:1 Muhammad (Muhammad)

هذه الآيات مشتملات على ذكر ثواب المؤمنين وعقاب العاصين، والسبب في ذلك، ودعوة الخلق إلى الاعتبار بذلك، فقال: { الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ } وهؤلاء رؤساء الكفر، وأئمة الضلال، الذين جمعوا بين الكفر بالله وآياته، والصد لأنفسهم وغيرهم عن سبيل الله، التي هي الإيمان بما دعت إليه الرسل واتباعه.فهؤلاء { أَضَلَّ } الله { أَعْمَالَهُمْ } أي: أبطلها وأشقاهم بسببها، وهذا يشمل أعمالهم التي عملوها ليكيدوا بها الحق وأولياء الله، أن الله جعل كيدهم في نحورهم، فلم يدركوا مما قصدوا شيئا، وأعمالهم التي يرجون أن يثابوا عليها، أن الله سيحبطها عليهم، والسبب في ذلك أنهم اتبعوا الباطل، وهو كل غاية لا يراد بها وجه الله من عبادة الأصنام والأوثان، والأعمال التي في نصر الباطل لما كانت باطلة، كانت الأعمال لأجلها باطلة.

"الذين كفروا" أي بآيات الله "وصدوا" غيرهم "عن سبيل الله أضل أعمالهم" أي أبطلها وأذهبها ولم يجعل لهل ثوابا ولا جزاء كقوله تعالى "وقدمنا إلى ما عملوا من عمل فجعلناه هباء منثورا".

Which was revealed in Al-Madinah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Reward of the Disbelievers and the Believers Allah says,

الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ

(Those who disbelieve) meaning, in the Ayat of Allah.

وَصُدُّواْ

(and hinder (men)) Others.

عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَضَلَّ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ

(from the path of Allah, He will render their deeds vain.) meaning, He renders their deeds vain and futile, and He denies them any rewards or blessings for them. This is similar to His saying,

وَقَدِمْنَآ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَآءً مَّنثُوراً

(And We will approach what they have done of deeds and make them as dispersed dust.) (25:23) Allah then says,

وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَاتِ

(And those who believe and do righteous good deeds,) Which means that their hearts and souls have believed, and their limbs and their hidden and apparent acts have complied with Allah's Law.

وَءَامَنُواْ بِمَا نُزِّلَ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ

(And believe in that which has been sent down to Muhammad) Adding this statement to the previous one is a method of adding a specific meaning to a general one. This provides proof that after Muhammad's advent, believing in him is a required condition for the true faith. Allah then says,

وَهُوَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ

(For it is the truth from their Lord.) which is a beautifully placed parenthetical clause. Thus, Allah says,

كَفَّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَـتِهِمْ وَأَصْلَحَ بَالَهُمْ

(He expiates from them their sins and amends their Bal.) Ibn `Abbas, said, "This means their matter." Mujahid said, "This means their affair." Qatadah and Ibn Zayd both said, "Their condition." And all of these are similar in meaning. It has been mentioned (from the Prophet ) in the Hadith of the responding to one who sneezes,

«يَهْدِيكُمُ اللهُ وَيُصْلِحُ بَالَكُم»

(May Allah guide you and rectify your (Bal) affairs.) Then Allah says,

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ اتَّبَعُواْ الْبَـطِلَ

(That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood,) meaning, `We only invalidate the deeds of the disbelievers and overlook the sins of the righteous, and amend their affairs, because those who disbelieve follow false- hood.' Meaning, they choose falsehood over the truth.

وَأَنَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اتَّبَعُواْ الْحَقَّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ كَذَلِكَ يَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ أَمْثَـلَهُمْ

(while those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah set forth for the people their parables.) Thus He makes the consequence of their actions clear to them, and He shows them where they will end in their next life -- and Allah knows best.

Those who disbelieve from among the people of Mecca and bar others from the way of God that is to say from faith He will leave their works to waste such as giving food to the poor or being kind to kin and so they will find no reward for these works of theirs in the Hereafter; but they are requited for them in this world purely out of His bounty exalted be He.

Commentary

Another name of Surah Muhammad is Surah Al-Qital [ Surah of war ] because this Surah lays down the rules of Jihad and Qital [ i.e. armed struggle in the cause of Allah ]. This Surah was revealed immediately after migration to Madinah. Ibn ` Abbas ؓ is reported to have said regarding Verse 13 كَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْ‌يَةٍ “ And how many a city ... have We destroyed!,..." that it was revealed in Makkah, because it was revealed at a time when the Holy Prophet ﷺ left Makkah with the intention of migration, and looked at the sacred city of Makkah and the Holy Ka'bah and said: "You are the dearest of all cities to me in the world. Had it not been for Makkans driving me out from this place, I would never have given up this Holy City." According to the technical parlance of the Qur'anic commentators, verses revealed in the course of migration from Makkah to Madinah are regarded as Makki. In sum, the Surah was revealed immediately after migration to Madinah, reaching shere, ordinances relating to jihad and war with infidels were revealed.

In the phrase صَدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ "prevented (others) from Allah's way" (47:1), "Allah's way" refers to Islam. The phrase أَضَلَّ أَعْمَالَهُمْ "He (Allah) has rendered their deeds vain" (47:1) includes actions which are good in themselves, as for instance, helping and assisting the destitute, supporting and protecting the neighbours, generosity, charity and other good deeds. These deeds are, though, good and righteous in themselves, in the Hereafter they will yield benefit only if blessed with faith, because faith is a necessary condition for the credibility of good actions. Thus these righteous deeds will be of no use to the infidels in the Hereafter. The disbelievers take their comfort in this worldly life as a reward of their good deeds. In the Hereafter they will be punished with Hell-fire.