In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Believers and those having perfect faith are those people who not only stick to the straight path and abide by the revealed laws themselves in their deeds and morals, but also call others towards Allah and care about their reformation. It is in this connection that those who invite others towards Islam are directed to remain patient and to repay evil with goodness.
Allah Almighty says,
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّـهُ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَقَـٰمُوا۟ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا۟ وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا۟ وَأَبْشِرُوا۟ بِٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِى كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ نَحْنُ أَوْلِيَآؤُكُمْ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَفِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَشْتَهِىٓ أَنفُسُكُمْ وَلَكُمْ فِيهَا مَا تَدَّعُونَ ﴿٣١﴾ نُزُلًا مِّنْ غَفُورٍ رَّحِيمٍ ﴿٣٢﴾ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّـهِ وَعَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿٣٣[Fussilat 41:30-33]
Surely, those who have declared: “Our Lord is Allah”, then remained steadfast, on them the angels will descend, saying, “Do not fear, and do not grieve; and be happy with the good news of the Jannah (Paradise) that you had been promised. (30) We have been your friends in the worldly life, and (will remain as such) in the Hereafter. And for you here is whatever your souls desire, and for you here is whatever you call for (31) A gift of welcome from the Most-forgiving, the Very-Merciful”. (32) Who can be better in words than the one who calls towards Allah, and acts righteously and says, “I am one of those who submit themselves (to Allah)”? (33)
[Surely, those who have declared: “Our Lord is Allah”, then remained steadfast. verse 30] This verse has mentioned two qualities of these people. One is affirming Allah as their Lord. This refers to their "iman'(faith). The other quality is of their remaining steadfast which refers to their good deeds. In this way, the verse says that these people combine the true faith with good practice. The word used in the text for this second aspect is istiqamah (translated above as being steadfast) which has been taken by Maulana Thanawi to mean firmness in unshaken faith. This explanation is reported from Sayyidna Abu Bakr. The explanation given by Sayyidna 'Uthman is nearly the same, as according to him istiqamah means ikhlas (sincerity) in deeds. And Sayyidna 'Umar has explained istiqamah in the following words,
"Istiqamah is that you hold on unwaveringly to all the injunctions of Allah - carry out the good deeds and stay away from prohibitions, and do not seek escape-routes like foxes." (Mazhari).
That is why scholars have said that Istiqamah is a small word, but it comprises all the revealed laws of Islam which includes carrying out all the orders of Allah and staying away from all prohibitions and odious things on a permanent basis. It is stated in Tafsir Kashshaf that a person's declaration that his Lord is Allah can only be true when he believes from the bottom of his heart that he is being brought up by Allah Almighty in all situations and at every step, that he cannot take even one breath without His mercy, and all this demands that one should be so devoted and steadfast in his ways of worship that neither his heart nor his body should deviate even to a hair's breadth from submission to Him like a slave.
That is the reason that once the Holy Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, was asked by Sayyidna Sufyan Ibn 'Abdullah Thaqafi to tell him something so comprehensive about Islam that he should not have to ask anybody else afterwards for anything. The Holy Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said to him:
"Say, 'I have faith in Allah', and then remain steadfast to it."
Remaining steadfast apparently means to hold on firmly to the faith and to the good deeds which the faith demands.
Sayyidna 'A1i and Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas have defined Istiqamah (Steadfastness) as discharge of obligatory duties, and Hasan Basri said that Istiqamah is to obey Allah in all deeds, and to avoid His disobedience. This tells us that the above quoted description of Istiqamah given by Sayyidna 'Umar, is the most comprehensive. The descriptions of Sayyidna Abu Bakr and Sayyidna 'Uthman also result in the above, because sincerity in deeds has been stressed upon by them along with good deeds. (Tafsir Maqhari). Jassas has also adopted the above explanation by quoting Abul 'Aliyah and so has Ibn Jarir.
The descent of the angels and their address as mentioned in this verse will take place at the time of one's death according to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, but according to Qatadah, it will take place on the Day of Resurrection at the time of rising from the graves. And according to Waki' Ibn Jarrah, it would happen on three occasions, first at the time of death, secondly in the graves, and thirdly on the Day of Resurrection at the time of rising from graves. And Abu Hayyan has opined in Al-Bahr-ul-Muhit that, in fact, angels keep on descending upon Mu'mins (believers) all the time, even in this life, and their effects and blessings are found in the deeds of the believers; but they will be visible on these occasions only, and it is at that time that the voice of angels will be heard.
Abu Nu'aim has reported about Thabit Al-bunani, that while reciting Surah Ha Mim Sajdah (Fussilat), when he reached the present verse (on them the angels descend), he said, "According to a Hadith that has reached us, the Mu'min at the time of rising in his grave on the Day of Resurrection, will be met by the two angels who used to be with him in the world, and they will console him not to worry or be afraid, rather be happy with the glad tidings of Paradise, which was being promised to him. These words of the angels will bring serenity to the Mu'min. (Mazhari)
(And for you here is whatever your souls desire, and for you here is whatever you call for. - 41:31,32) In other words, 'all your desires' would be fulfilled whether you request or you don't.' The word used after that is 'nuzulan' meaning hospitality indicates that many the delights provided to you there will be such that even desire had not entered your heart, as happens to a guest, specially of a great personage, that many such things also are presented to him that the guest had not even imagined. (Mazhari)
It is stated in a Hadith that the Holy Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said that in Paradise, if the desire comes into your heart to eat the flesh of a flying bird you are looking at it, it would immediately fall in front of you completely cooked, ready to eat. Some narrations have it that the bird would not have been touched either by fire or smoke, but would come down already cooked. (Al-Bazzar, Al-Baihaqi - narrated by Ibn Mas'ud - Mazhari)
In another Hadith, the Holy Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said that if a Mu'min in Paradise wishes to have a child born in his house, the conception, delivery, weaning, growing into being an adult - all this would take place in a moment. (Tirmidhi, Baihaqi, etc. - Mazhari)
(And who can be better in words than the one who calls towards Allah, and acts righteously and says, "I am one of those who submit themselves [to Allah]"? - 33) This is the second aspect of the state of the totally obedient Mu'mins, that they not only have faith and carry out good deeds themselves, but they also invite others to do the same. The Qur'an states that who can say anything better than the one who calls others towards Allah. So we know that the best and most excellent discourse of a man is to call others towards truth. This includes all the ways of calling towards Allah - through the spoken word, through writing or through any other manner. The one who calls adhan (call to obligatory prayer) is also included in this category, because he calls others towards prayers. That is why Sayyidah 'A'ishah has said that this verse is about mu'adhdhins (those who proclaim adhan), and that the words, 'and acts righteously 'after this means offering of two rakaat of prayers between adhan and iqamah.
It is narrated in a Hadith that the Holy Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said that the supplication between adhan and Iqamah is not rejected (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi - narrated by Sayyidna Anas - Mazhari)
The merits and blessings of adhan and its reply are very great, as stated in Sahih ahadith, provided that the adhan is proclaimed purely for Allah, and not for any payment or compensation. These ahadith have been collected in Tafsir Mazhari'.
Allah Almighty says,
وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ نَزْغٌ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّـهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ﴿٣٦[Fussilat 41:34-36]
And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. (34) But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good]. (35) And if there comes to you from Satan an evil suggestion, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (36)
The special instructions for those who are engaged in calling others towards Allah commence from here. The gist of these instructions is not to repay evil with evil, but to be patient, obliging people who are engaged in calling others towards Allah to reply to the evil behavior of the addressees in the best possible manner. No doubt, it is good not to repay evil with evil and to forgive, but it is much better to do some good to the evil-doer after forgiving him.
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas has said that the instruction in this verse is to be patient with the one who is expressing his anger with you, to be tolerant and forbearing with the one who is being ignorant with you and to forgive the one who has made you suffer. (Mazhari)
Some narrations have it that someone either abused or reviled Sayyidna Abu Bakr who said to him, 'If what you are saying is true that I am at fault a& am bad, then I pray Allah Ta'ala to forgive me, and if you have told a lie then may Allah Forgive you. (Qurtubi)
May Allah make us steadfast and help us to call others towards Him in the best of ways. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
Source: Maariful Qur'an by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani
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