Appearance
Verses 199–206
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِينَ ١٩٩ وَ إِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٠٠ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذا مَسَّهُمْ طائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ ٢٠١ وَ إِخْوانُهُمْ يَمُدُّونَهُمْ فِي الغَيِّ ثُمَّ لا يُقْصِرُونَ ٢٠٢ وَ إِذا لَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بِآيَةٍ قالُوا لَوْ لا اجْتَبَيْتَها قُلْ إِنَّما أَتَّبِعُ ما يُوحى إِلَيَّ مِنْ رَبِّي هذا بَصائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ هُدىً وَ رَحْمَةٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ٢٠٣ وَ إِذا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَ أَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ٢٠٤ وَ اذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعاً وَ خِيفَةً وَ دُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْآصالِ وَ لا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْغافِلِينَ ٢٠٥ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِهِ وَ يُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَ لَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ ٢٠٦
- Cling to forgiveness, bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.
- Should a temptation from Satan disturb you, invoke the protection of Allah; indeed He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
- When those who are Godwary are touched by a visitation of Satan, they remember [Allah] and, behold: they perceive.
- But their brethren, they draw them into error, and they do not stop short.
- When you do not bring them a verse, they say, “Why do you not choose one?” Say, “I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord; this is clear insight from your Lord, and a guidance and mercy for a people who have faith.”
- When the Qur’ān is recited, listen to it and be silent, maybe you will receive [Allah’s] mercy.
- And remember your Lord within your heart beseechingly and reverentially, without being loud, morning and evening, and do not be among the heedless.
- Indeed those who are [stationed] near your Lord do not disdain to worship Him. They glorify Him and prostrate to Him.
Introduction
These are the closing verses of the chapter, which take us back to the main theme and purpose for which the chapter was revealed. These verses command the Prophet to comport himself in a splendid manner, such that the hearts would be attracted to it, and the souls would find peace in it. The verses then order him to tadhakkur (mindfulness, adopting remembrance) [], and finish by enjoining him to dhikr (remembrance) [].
Commentary
خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِينَ ١٩٩
(7:199) Cling to (khudh, from akhdh) forgiveness, bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.
Akhdh means “adhering to something” or “not letting go of it.” Adhering to forgiveness means constantly overlooking the faults of one who does us wrong, and not seeking to exercise the right of retaliation—which the society grants to some of us [the oppressed] against others [the oppressor]. This instruction is applicable at a personal level, where one’s own self is wronged and one’s individual rights are violated. But sometimes the rights of others are violated through wronging a specific person. In such cases, forgiveness is not appropriate, because that would encourage the people to make mischief, would violate the rights of others even more, and would contravene the laws which hold the society together. Such forgiveness is against a myriad of verses which forbid injustice, corruption, assisting the oppressors, and inclining toward them. In fact, it would go against any verse that gives us the foundations of religious laws and injunctions. This should be clear.
Cling to forgiveness (al-ʿafw)…: Based on the above explanation, the Prophet should overlook the faults of others with respect to personal matters. And indeed this is how he lived. According to some narrations that we presented previously, the Prophet never took revenge on anyone for himself.
The above is how most exegetes have interpreted the verse, where ʿafw is interpreted synonymously with maghfirah (forgiveness, pardon, excuse). In some narrations from Imam al-Ṣādiq, which we shall see below, ʿafw is interpreted as following a balanced and middle course (wasaṭ). This is more appropriate here, and more inclusive in terms of meaning. One problem with the first interpretation is that it renders the third command in the verse repetitious: turn away from the ignorant.
… bid what is right (al-ʿurf)…: ʿUrf and maʿrūf are cognates of maʿrifah (knowledge) and ʿarafa (to know, to recognize). They indicate any custom or practice that is known, recognized and acknowledged to be good and commendable by the rational members of a society. Their opposite would be munkar (unknown, unrecognized, repudiated), which refers to uncommon and unconventional acts that are foreign to collective reason.
One who commands others to something must observe that command themselves. In this case, what is commanded is to follow al-ʿurf (the good, the right) [in an unconditional form]. Moreover, the person’s act of commanding others should itself be an example of al-ʿurf. It cannot be performed in an inappropriate and detestable way (munkar). Therefore, by implication, bid what is right means that the Prophet must enjoin all good deeds, and his very act of enjoinment should not be done in a wrong or unbefitting manner.
… and turn away from the imprudent: This is a command to show tolerance and moderation with ignorant and foolish individuals. That is the most effective way of neutralizing their imprudent behavior, and the most beautiful way of avoiding their harm. If one meets the foolish act of the other side with an equally imprudent reaction, it will only encourage the other side to continue and persist in their imprudence, error and perversity.
وَ إِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ نَزْغٌ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢٠٠
(7:200) Should a temptation (nazgh) from Satan disturb you (yanzaghannaka), invoke the protection of Allah; indeed He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
There are three suggested meanings for the word nazgh: (1). According to al-Rāghib, it means “interfering in something in order to ruin it.” The Qur’an says [narrating from Prophet Joseph]: after that Satan had incited ill feeling (nazagha) between me and my brothers (). (2) It means “disturbing and stirring someone [to unwholesome reaction],” and it is most commonly used when someone is angry. (3) When used as an act of Satan, it means “the slightest temptation.” These three definitions are quite similar. The most pertinent one to this verse is the second meaning, in the light of the last verse, where the Prophet is ordered to turn away from the imprudent. The unwise behavior of ignorant individuals is a form of Satan’s interference, intended to arouse one to anger and persuade one to behave unwisely in like manner. Meanwhile, the verse’s message is universal. It is addressed to the Prophet, but the real audience of the verse is his nation since he is infallible [to Satan’s insinuations].
The meaning is: Whenever Satan tries to unsettle you and stir you to anger through the misbehavior and imprudence of ignorant individuals, seek refuge with God, for indeed He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا إِذا مَسَّهُمْ طائِفٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ تَذَكَّرُوا فَإِذا هُمْ مُبْصِرُونَ ٢٠١
(7:201) When those who are Godwary are touched by a visitation of Satan (ṭāʾif min al-shayṭān), they remember [Allah] (tadhakkarū) and, behold: they perceive.
This verse serves to explain and justify the command in the last verse. A ṭāʾif of Satan means a devil who circumambulates (yaṭūfu) around one’s heart in order to instill some evil temptation in it. It could also mean the evil temptation which circumambulates the heart in order to enter it and settle in [as soon as the opportunity opens up]. In the first interpretation, the preposition min is descriptive (bayāniyyah), while in the second interpretation it is initiative (nashwiyyah). Both interpretations reduce to the same meaning. Tadhakkur (remembrance) is a form of tafakkur (reflection, contemplation, thinking) that leads one to a conclusion that one was previously heedless of or ignorant about.
The meaning is: Should Satan ever stir and tempt you [to react imprudently, out of anger], seek refuge in God, for that is the way of the Godwary. Whenever a visitation of Satan touches them, they immediately remember that God is their Lord: they belong to Him; He takes care of them; and all their affairs are in His hands. Since they defer all their affairs to their Lord, He suffices them of Satan’s burden, deflects his plot from them, and removes the veil of heedlessness from them. Thus they perceive, for their sights are not blocked by the veil of inadvertence.
As one can see, this verse is very comparable to the verse: Indeed he [Satan] does not have any authority over those who have faith and put their trust in their Lord (). This shows that istiʿādhah (seeking refuge with God, invoking God’s protection) is a form of trust and reliance on God (tawakkul). Furthermore, we can deduce that istiʿādhah is also a form of remembrance of God (tadhakkur), because the essence of istiʿādhah is the realization that God—Who is our Lord—is the only source of refuge for us, Who can protect us against our aggressive adversary [that is, Satan], despite any power that he may have.
وَ إِخْوانُهُمْ يَمُدُّونَهُمْ فِي الغَيِّ ثُمَّ لا يُقْصِرُونَ ٢٠٢
(7:202) But their brethren, they draw them into error, and they do not stop short (yuqṣirūna, from iqṣār).
The pronoun “their” refers to the polytheists. The brothers of the polytheists would be the devils, as per the verse: Indeed the squanderers are brothers of the devils (). Iqṣār means “to stop, to restrain, to withdraw.” The last pronoun “they” can refer to either the devils or the polytheists. This verse is apparently a ḥāliyyah sentence.
The meaning is: Whereas the Godwary have such state of remembrance and perception [mentioned in the last verse], the polytheists are constantly drawn into error by their brethren—the devils. The devils do not withhold or hesitate to propel the polytheists in that direction (or the polytheists do not stop and withdraw from their error).
وَ إِذا لَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بِآيَةٍ قالُوا لَوْ لا اجْتَبَيْتَها قُلْ إِنَّما أَتَّبِعُ ما يُوحى إِلَيَّ مِنْ رَبِّي هذا بَصائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَ هُدىً وَ رَحْمَةٌ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ ٢٠٣
(7:203) When you do not bring them a verse, they say, “Why do you not choose one (ijtabaytahā, from ijtibāʾ)?” Say, “I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord; this is clear insight from your Lord, and a guidance and mercy for a people who have faith.”
This verse narrates a mocking speech from the polytheists. Given the context, the verse is effectively saying: If you present them with some verse, they deny it. And if you do not recite any verse to them—as in times when there is some delay or interruption in revelation—they complain and say, “Why don’t you assemble one of those things which you call ‘a divine verse’ by pick-and-choosing from here and there?”
The imperative Say implies that revelation is not something that is up to the Prophet. The word ijtibāʾ is from the root jibāyah, following the verbal pattern iftiʿāl.
… this is clear insight from your Lord…: God wants you to gain insight by means of this Book. The demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to the Qur’an.
وَ إِذا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ وَ أَنْصِتُوا لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ٢٠٤
(7:204) When the Qur’ān is recited, listen to it and be silent (anṣitū, from inṣāt), maybe you will receive [Allah’s] mercy.
Inṣāt means “being silent and listening,” or “listening with silence.” When one listens to a speech while being silent, it is said: anṣata al-ḥadīth or anṣata lil-ḥadīth. When one is silent, it is said: anṣata al-rajul. When one is made silent by someone else, it is said: anṣatahu ghayruhu. What is meant here is: Give ear to the Qur’an and be silent.
The verse indicates a general meaning, although some have said that it was revealed with reference to [the recitation of the Qur’an in] the congregational prayer in particular.
وَ اذْكُرْ رَبَّكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ تَضَرُّعاً وَ خِيفَةً وَ دُونَ الْجَهْرِ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَ الْآصالِ وَ لا تَكُنْ مِنَ الْغافِلِينَ ٢٠٥
(7:205) And remember your Lord within your heart beseechingly (taḍarruʿan) and reverentially (khīfatan), without being loud, morning and evening, and do not be among the heedless.
This verse classifies dhikr (remembrance, invocation) into two types: (1) within your heart; (2) without being loud. The verse enjoins both types of dhikr. Loud dhikr is not mentioned here, not because it is not a type of dhikr, but because it is against the courtesy and proper manners of servitude. This can be inferred from the following Prophetic narration:
Once he was on a military expedition with his Companions. It was a pitch-black night when they entered a vast wilderness. Some of the Prophet’s Companions started shouting Allāhu akbār (God is greater, God is greatest). The Prophet stopped them and said, “The One you are calling is neither far nor absent.”
Taḍarruʿ is derived from ḍarāʿah, which means “blandishment with a sense of humility and humbleness.” Khīfah is a special type of khawf (fear, awe). What is meant here is a kind of fear that befits the sacred precinct of God. Taḍarruʿ (beseeching, entreaty) implies inclination, interest, and seeking nearness toward One Whom one beseeches. Khīfah (fear) implies viewing the other side with awe, holding oneself back, and keeping a distance. Therefore, a remembrance that is based on both of these qualities implies having an inner orientation both toward and away from God. Such is the case of one who loves something and also fears it. The person would draw toward the thing due to their love, and would draw away from it due to their awe.
God is pure good, and there is no evil to be found in Him. Any evil that reaches us emanates from our own deficiency. God is the Possessor of both majesty and grace (Dhū al-jalāl wa al-ikrām). He has some names of beauty (asmāʾ al-jamāl) which attract everything toward Him, and some names of majesty (asmāʾ al-jalāl) which repel and dominate all things. Doing justice to God’s remembrance is to remember all His most excellent names, which include both His names of beauty and His names of majesty. This amounts to remembering God with hope and fear both: beseechingly and reverentially.
… morning and evening…: Apparently this is a qualification for the second type of remembrance: without being loud. In other words, verbal remembrance is classified into remembrance in the mornings and in the evenings, which would correspond to some of the obligatory daily prayers.
… and do not be among the heedless: This prohibition emphasizes and reiterates the command to remember God at the beginning of the verse. God does not forbid heedlessness altogether, but forbids being among the heedless, meaning those who are deeply rooted in heedlessness and can be identified by it. Based on this, one should not let heedlessness settle in one’s heart. One should remember one’s Lord frequently, moment after another. And if one ever becomes heedless or forgetful, one should immediately recover and remember Him again [as one regains awareness]. This is the sense of remembrance which is desired and ordered here. The next verse confirms this meaning, as we shall see presently.
In short, the verse commands two things: (1) constant remembrance of God in one’s heart with entreaty and awe moment after moment; (2) verbal remembrance of God without being loud in the mornings and evenings.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ لا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبادَتِهِ وَ يُسَبِّحُونَهُ وَ لَهُ يَسْجُدُونَ ٢٠٦
(7:206) Indeed those who are [stationed] near your Lord do not disdain to worship Him. They glorify Him and prostrate to Him.
The flow and connection of the verses would suggest that this verse is a justification for the command in the last verse. The meaning would be: Remember your Lord as it was said in the last verse because those who are with your Lord do as it is said here. Remember Him in order to be among those who are near your Lord, and not be excluded from them.
… those who are [stationed] near your Lord…: Given the above connection, what is meant here is not limited to the angels, unlike what most exegetes have said. It does not make sense to command the Prophet [as a human] to remember God in a certain way because the angels do so. Rather, what is meant here is anyone who is near God. This is inferred from the phrase ʿinda Rabbika (with your Lord, before your Lord), which implies presence as opposed to absence.
The connection between the two verses also shows that one’s degree of nearness to God is as much as one’s remembrance of Him. It is mindfulness which removes the veil from between a servant and their Lord. Otherwise, all beings have an equal relation to God, without any difference in terms of nearness, distance and so on.
… do not disdain to worship Him. They glorify Him and prostrate to Him: These are three qualities which can apply to both inward remembrance with the heart, and verbal remembrance with the tongue. Just as these descriptions are used with reference to verbal remembrance and physical action, they can describe the states of the heart. The heart can be: (1) in a state of not being arrogant; (2) in a state of glorifying God; (3) in a state of prostration and utter humbleness. Glorification (tasbīḥ) and prostration (sujūd) are not necessarily performed by physical organs like the tongue and the limbs, because the Qur’an says: There is not a thing but celebrates His praise (); and the herb and the tree prostrate [to Allah] (); To Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth ().
The three conditions given in this verse—clearance from pride, glorification, and prostration—are lighter and easier than what is mentioned elsewhere: and those who are near Him do not disdain to worship Him, nor do they become weary. They glorify [Him] night and day, and they do not flag (); But if they disdain [the worship of Allah], those who are near your Lord glorify Him night and day, and they are not wearied (). These other verses apparently talk about incessant involvement [in worship and glorification] without any stop or any engagement with other things. The current verses of discussion, however, only prohibit the establishment of heedlessness in the heart, as we discussed above [under verse ]. Therefore, the current verses order a stage of mindfulness which is below the stage discussed in Chapters 21 and 41. God is the Knower.
Examining Narrations
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: God disciplined His Messenger by saying: Cling to forgiveness (al-ʿafw), bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant (). That is, take from them what is apparent and straightforward. ʿAfw means wasaṭ (middle, balance).
- The Messenger of God said: “Indeed the noble moral traits in God’s view are: (1) forgiving one who wrongs you; (2) connecting with one who disconnects from you; (3) giving to one who deprives you.” Then the Prophet recited: Cling to forgiveness, bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant ().
Author’s comment: There are numerous Prophetic narrations to this effect, reported through Sunni chains of transmission.
- Ibrāhīm b. Adham said: When God revealed: Cling to forgiveness, bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant (), the Messenger of God said, “I have been commanded to cling to forgiveness in face of people’s manners and behavior.”
- When the verse, Cling to forgiveness, bid what is right, and turn away from the ignorant () was revealed, the Messenger of God said, “My Lord, how should I do this despite anger?” Then God revealed the verse: Should a temptation from Satan disturb you… ().
Author’s comment: This narration is somewhat problematic, although it can be explained and justified with what we discussed in our exposition of the verse.
- Concerning verse Tafsīr al-Qummī says: Should there arise in your heart any temptation or anything from Satan, seek refuge in God, for indeed He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
- Jābir b. ʿAbd-Allāh says: I heard the Messenger of God recite verse with the word ṭāʾif.
- Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked about the verse: when touched by a visitation of Satan, they remember [Allah] and, behold: they perceive (). He said: That is when a servant intends to commit a sin, but then they become mindful and thus abstain. That is the meaning of: they remember and, behold: they perceive ().
Author’s comment: There are more narrations to this effect.
- Once the Prophet was praying, and some people who were praying behind him also recited [the Qur’an with him]. Thus God revealed: When the Qur’ān is recited, listen to it and be silent ().
Author’s comment: There is a number of narrations here, reported through Sunni chains of transmission. Some narrations say that people used to speak with each other while praying behind the Prophet, and that is when the verse was revealed. Other narrations say that it was one young man from the Anṣār (Medinan Supporters). Other narrations simply say, “a man.”
- Imam al-Bāqir said: This verse was revealed concerning congregational prayer behind an imam (leader of congregation).
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: It is obligatory to be silent when the Qur’an is recited in the prayer and outside the prayer.
- According to another version, the Imam added at the end: Whenever the Qur’an is recited in your presence, you must be quiet and listen.
- Once ʿAbd-Allāh b. Abī Yaʿfūr asked Imam al-Ṣādiq: “Sometimes while I am praying, someone recites the Qur’an. Is it obligatory on me to be quiet and listen?” He said, “Indeed. Whenever the Qur’an is being recited, it is incumbent on you to be quiet and listen.”
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: Once when Imam ʿAlī was praying, Ibn al-Kawwāʾ recited: If you ascribe a partner to Allah your works shall fail and you shall surely be among the losers (). The Imam stopped reciting [and listened].
Author’s comment: The narrations which command being quiet outside the prayer are interpreted as giving a recommended rule (istiḥbāb). A complete discussion of this should be pursued in Islamic law.
- ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb says: Once the Messenger of God came to me, and I could see sorrow in his face. He grabbed my beard and said:
“Indeed we belong to God, and to Him we return (). Gabriel just came to me and said: ‘Indeed we belong to God, and to Him we return ().’
I told him, ‘Of course we belong to God, and to Him we return (), but what makes you say this, Gabriel?’
‘Your nation will fall into temptation after you due to little of this world, not with much.’
I asked, ‘Will they fall into kufr (disbelief, heresy) or ḍalāl (error, straying, misguidance)?’
‘Both shall occur,’ Gabriel replied.
‘How shall that happen while I am leaving the Book of God among them?’
He said, ‘They will go astray by means of the Book of God. And that will begin with their reciters and rulers. The rulers will deprive people of their rights and will refuse to pay them [what is their due] so the people will start killing one another. And the reciters will follow the desires of the rulers: they draw them into error, and they do not stop short ().’
I asked, ‘O Gabriel, how can anyone among them remain safe and secure [from these temptations]?’
‘Through abstinence and patience,’ he said. ‘If they are given what belongs to them, they take it; and if they are denied their right, they leave it.’”
- Concerning those who are [stationed] near your Lord () Tafsīr al-Qummī says: This refers to the prophets, the messengers and the Imams.
This is part of the author’s discussion at the end of Sūrah al-Māʾidah (Chapter 5). See volume 12 (1st ed.), p. 143 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
Another possible translation for this part is: “The Prophet should live up to all good commands…” (Trans.) ↩︎
In the first case, the preposition min can be translated as “namely.” The meaning would be: “A visitor, that is, Satan.” In the second case, the preposition min can be translated as “from.” The meaning would be: “A visitation coming and emerging from Satan.” (Trans.) ↩︎
One defining element of Satan’s reality is short-sightedness. He saw Adam’s body being made of dust, but did not see beyond that, his soul which was God’s breath. This is at the core of misguidance and error proper: lacking mindfulness of the divine breath in everything. Satanic temptation is any clinging—through either desire or aversion—which gets us caught up with the particulars, and veiled from the Universal. The verse’s solution to this is the same as the solution offered in all schools of spirituality: to remember the Absolute Reality which underlies, pervades, and upholds all phenomena. The word “behold” (fa-idhā) at the end of the verse is also significant. It indicates an immediate realization and awareness. This is another practical insight shared by all schools of meditation: No struggle or effort is needed to remove the veil of inadvertence. Bring in the light of mindfulness, and darkness will disappear on its own accord. They remember [Allah] and, behold, they perceive (). This should also clarify the privative and non-existential nature of the evil principle. (Trans.) ↩︎
This means that the particle wāw at the beginning of the sentence should be translated as “while, whereas.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Jibāyah is used for tax and tribute. Ijtibāʾ is to collect and gather tax and tribute. It is also used for harvesting crops. The verbal pattern iftiʿāl shows that the verb is performed with attention, purpose and intention. In this case, what is meant is “to choose selectively, to cherry-pick.” (Trans.) ↩︎
The first one is inward invocation, without verbal utterance. The second one is whispered in an undertone. (Trans.) ↩︎
This narration is paraphrased. (Auth.) ↩︎
Another possibility is that morning and evening is another way of saying, “all the time.” This notion is found with slight variations in many verses in the Qur’an. Therefore, the qualification applies to remembrance in general. The verse is ordering us to always be mindful of God, whether verbally or inwardly. (Trans.) ↩︎
Since God is timeless, remembering Him entails coming back to the present and feeling the moment. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, from the point of view of God, He is impartial and equidistant from all beings. The difference is on the part of the beings, which may not realize the nearness and presence of the Absolute due to their veil of inadvertence. (Trans.) ↩︎
This could be interpreted in two ways: (1) Deal with the people only based on their appearance, without investigating the real truth about their lives and personalities. This amounts to moderation and lenience. (2) With regards to taxes, donations and charity, do not levy anything burdensome on the people, but take from them what is readily available. (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Nuʿmān, on the authority of his father, on the authority of someone who heard this form the Imam. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Anas. ↩︎
This amounts to tolerance and patience with people’s unrefined behavior. An alternative translation would be: “I have been commanded to cling to forgiveness among all moral traits which are common among the people.” That would emphasize forgiveness as a salient virtue, but not the only one. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Abī al-Dunyā’s Makārim al-akhlāq. ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Jarīr, on the authority of Ibn Zayd. ↩︎
This is the common recitation and recording of the verse. The author discussed two possible and effectively equivalent meanings for ṭāʾif in his exposition of the verse. An alternative recitation is with the word ṭayf (written without the letter alif), which means “anger.” (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Abū Baṣīr. Al-ʿAyyāshī has also narrated this in three ways: (1) on the authority of Abū Baṣīr; (2) on the authority of ʿAlī b. Abī Ḥamzah; (3) on the authority of Zayd b. Abī Usāmah. The first two narrations say: “That is a person who intends to sin, but then becomes mindful and thus abstains.” The third one says: “That is a sin which one resolves to commit, but then they become mindful and abstain.” ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of Ibn Mardawayh, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of Zurārah. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of Abū Kahmash. ↩︎
In other words, what is obligatory from a purely legal point of view is to remain silent when one is a follower in a congregational prayer, with respect to the leader’s recitation. Staying quiet in all other circumstances is recommended. It goes without saying that observing purely legal obligations is not a sufficient condition for spiritual growth, salvation and paradise. (Trans.) ↩︎
The verse is commonly recited at times of calamity and misfortune, as a means of inspiring perseverance and reliance on God. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of al-Ḥakīm al-Tirmidhī. ↩︎