Tafsir of Surah As-Saffat - Verse 52

The gathering of the People of Paradise, and the exchange between One of Them and His Counterpart in

Allah tells us how the people of Paradise will turn to one another, asking one another about their situation, how they were in this world and what they suffered. This is part of their conversation when they get together to converse and drink, sitting on their thrones, servants coming and going, bringing all kinds of good food, drink, clothes and other delights no eye has seen, no ear has heard, never having comprehend the mind of man.

قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ إِنِّى كَانَ لِى قَرِينٌ

(A speaker of them will say: "Verily, I had a companion...") Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him said, "This refers to an idolator man who had a companion among the believers in this world."

يَقُولُ أَءِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُصَدِّقِينَ

(Who used to say: "Are you among those who believe...") means, `do you believe in the resurrection after death, and the Reckoning and reward or punishment' He used to say that by way of astonishment, disbelief and stubbornness.

أَءِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَاباً وَعِظَـماً أَءِنَّا لَمَدِينُونَ

((That) when we die and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be indebted (Madinun).) Mujahid and As-Suddi said, "Brought to account." Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Muhammad bin Ka`b Al-Qurazi said, "Rewarded or punished according to our deeds." Both views are correct.

قَالَ هَلْ أَنتُمْ مُّطَّلِعُونَ

((The speaker) said: "Will you look down") meaning, look over. The believer will say this to his companions among the people of Paradise.

فَاطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ الْجَحِيمِ

(So he looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Khulayd Al-`Usari, Qatadah, As-Suddi and `Ata' Al-Khurasani said, "This means, in the middle of Hell." Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "In the middle of Hell as if he were a burning star."

قَالَ تَاللَّهِ إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ

(He said: "By Allah! You have nearly ruined me.") The believer will say, addressing the disbeliever: `By Allah, you nearly caused me to be doomed, if I had obeyed you.'

وَلَوْلاَ نِعْمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ

(Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).) means, `Were it not for the favor of my Lord towards me, I would have been like you in the middle of Hell where you are, brought forth with you for punishment. But He bestowed His grace upon me, had mercy upon me and guided me to faith and to belief in Him Alone.'

وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِىَ لَوْلا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّهُ

(and never could we have found guidance, were it not that Allah had guided us!) (7:43)

أَفَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ - إِلاَّ مَوْتَتَنَا الاٍّولَى وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ

(Are we then not to die (any more) Except our first death, and we shall not be punished) This is what the believers will say when they feel joy at what Allah has given them, and they realize that they are to remain in Paradise forever with no punishment and no death to come. Allah says:

إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

(Truly, this is the supreme success!) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "They know that death brings an end to every delight, so they will say,

أَفَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَيِّتِينَ - إِلاَّ مَوْتَتَنَا الاٍّولَى وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ

(Are we then not to die Except our first death, and we shall not be punished) It will be said, "No,

إِنَّ هَـذَا لَهُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

(Truly, this is the supreme success!)."

لِمِثْلِ هَـذَا فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَـمِلُونَ

(For the like of this let the workers work.) Ibn Jarir said, "These are the Words of Allah, and it means: for the like of this pleasure and this success, let the workers work in this world, so that they may attain it in the Hereafter.

The Story of Two Israelites

They mentioned the story of two men among the Children of Israel who were partners and who are included in the meaning of this Ayah. Abu Ja`far bin Jarir recorded that Furat bin Tha`labah Al-Bahrani said concerning the Ayah,

إِنِّى كَانَ لِى قَرِينٌ

(Verily, I had a companion) "There were two men who were partners and had collected eight thousand Dinars. One of them had a craft and the other did not. The one who had a craft said to the other, `You do not have a craft, so I think I will divide the money with you and leave you.' So he left him. Then the man bought a house, belonging to a king who had died, for the price of one thousand Dinars. He called his companion and showed him the house, saying, `What do you think of this house I bought it for one thousand Dinars.' He said, `How beautiful it is.' When he went out he said, `O Allah, this companion of mine has bought this house for one thousand Dinars; I ask You for one of the houses of Paradise -- and he gave one thousand Dinars in charity.' Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass. The first man married a woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars, and invited his companion and made food for him. When he came, he said, `I have married this woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars.' He replied; `How beautiful this is.' And when he left, he said, `O Lord, my companion has married a woman with a dowry of one thousand Dinars; I ask you for a wife from among Al-Hur Al-`Iyn' -- and he gave one thousand Dinars in charity. Then as much time passed as Allah willed should pass. Then the first man bought two gardens for two thousand Dinars, then he called his companion and showed them to him. He said, `I have bought these two gardens for two thousand Dinars.' He replied, `How beautiful this is.' When he came out, he said, `O Lord, my companion has bought two gardens for two thousand Dinars; I ask you for two gardens in Paradise' -- and he gave two thousand Dinars in charity. Then the angel came to them and took their souls in death. He took the one who had given his money in charity and put him in a house that he liked. There, there was a woman who was so beautiful that the ground shinned under her, then he (the angel) took him to two gardens and gave him other things which are known only to Allah. The man said, `This is like a man who has such and such.' The angel said, `That is exactly what it is; this house, these gardens and this wife are all for you.' The man said, `I had a companion who used to say: Are you among those who believe' It was said to him, `He is in Hell.' He said, `Will you look down' So he looked down and saw him in the midst of Hell. At this, he said:

قَالَ تَاللَّهِ إِن كِدتَّ لَتُرْدِينِ - وَلَوْلاَ نِعْمَةُ رَبِّى لَكُنتُ مِنَ الْمُحْضَرِينَ

(By Allah! You have nearly ruined me. Had it not been for the grace of my Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell).)"

An inmate of Jannah and his disbelieving acquaintance

After having described the general condition of the people of Jannah, one of them has been mentioned particularly. Once he has settled down with other inmates of Jannah, he will recall a disbelieving acquaintance who denied the possibility of the Hereafter during his mortal life. Then, with the permission of Allah Ta’ ala, he will be given an opportunity to talk to him by peeping into the Jahannam. The identity of this man has not been given in the Qur'an. Therefore, it cannot be said with any degree of certainty as to who this person could be. Still, some commentators have opined that the name of the believer was Yahudah and the name of his disbelieving acquaintance was Matrus, and they were the same two comrades mentioned earlier in the verse of Surah al-Kahf:... وَاضْرِ‌بْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّ‌جُلَيْنِ (And give them an example. There were two men... - 18:32). (Tafsir Mazhari)

And to determine the identity of this person, ` Allamah as-Suyuti has reported yet another event from. several tabi'in that there were two partners in a business. They earned eight thousand dinars out of it, and took four thousand dinars each. One partner spent one thousand dinars from his share to buy a land. The other partner was a pious man. He prayed: '0 Allah, this person has bought a plot of land for one thousand dinars. I buy a plot of land from You in Jannah against one thousand dinars' - and gave away one thousand dinars in Sadaqah (charity). Then, his partner-friend spent another one thousand dinars and made a house for himself. Then, the pious man said, '0 Allah, this man has made a house for himself by spending one thousand dinars. I buy a house in Jannah against one thousand dinars' - and, having said that, he gave away another one thousand dinars in Sadaqah. After that, his partner-friend married a woman and spent one thousand dinars over her. Then, he said: '0 Allah, this man has married a woman, and has spent one thousand dinars over her. I propose to one of the women in Jannah and offer this modest sum of one thousand dinars' - and, having said that, he gave away yet another one thousand dinars in Sadaqah. Finally, when his partner-friend bought some attendants and things by spending one thousand dinars, the pious partner, once again, gave out one thousand dinars in Sadaqah and prayed to Allah that he be blessed with attendants and things of Jannah against it.

After that, this believing servant of Allah was caught in some dire need, and he thought of his former partner hoping that he would be good enough to help him. So, he told him about his need. His former partner asked him, 'What became of your share of money?' In answer, he told him the whole story. Wondering thereupon, he asked, 'Do you really believe it as true that, once we die and become dust, we shall get another life and, in that life, we shall be given the return for our deeds? Get lost. I am not going to give you anything.' After that, both of them died. The man of Jannah referred to in the cited verses is the servant of Allah who had given all his wealth in Sadaqah for the sake of 'Akhirah (life in the Hereafter), and his acquaintance in Jahannam is the same partner who had chided him on his confirmation of the life to come, the 'Akhirah. (Tafsir ad-Durr-ul-Manthur with reference to Ibn Jarir and others, p. 165, v. 5)

An advice to avoid bad company

Anyhow, whoever this person may be - it does not matter. This event has been mentioned with a purpose. The noble Qur'an is really alerting people towards a beneficial rule operative in human relations. Let everyone make a careful survey of his or her circle of friends, and try to find out whether or nor there is someone included therein who may actually be dragging them towards the sad end of the Jahannam. The destruction bad company can bring about can only be discovered fully and truly in the Hereafter - and that will be a time when there will be no escape from such destruction. Therefore, it is better to take one's guard right here in this world in matters concerning the taking of friends and promoting of relationships, something that must be done with due caution and judgment. There are occasions and circumstances when one does not foresee what would happen after having inculcated relationships with someone who disbelieves or disobeys. What ultimately happens is that one starts becoming affected by his ideas, thoughts and way of life without having any sense of that which is happening to him. This attitude proves lethal for one who is so affected in terms of the end he would have in the Hereafter.

Paradise will be a world of aesthetic and noble activity. There will be interesting meetings; there will be enjoyable experiences; intellectually stimulating conversations and all kinds of limitations and unpleasantness will have come to an end. Believing in the Hereafter does not mean a simple acceptance of it but rather considering the existence of the Hereafter as so very real and so very important that its concept should prevail over one’s entire life and one should be prepared to risk one’s all for its sake. Those who had thought of believers who were ever conscious of the Hereafter as being mad will be wonderstruck on seeing their success in the Hereafter. On the other hand, the believers in the Hereafter themselves will be surprised to see their own glory, finding it difficult to believe that God could have rewarded them so generously for their small acts of goodness. How strange is one who does not pine for such a heaven and who does not perform such deeds as will help him achieve it.