Qatadah said, "We were told that the Muslims and the People of the Scriptures mentioned
their own virtues to each other. People of the Scriptures said, `Our Prophet came
before your Prophet and our Book before your Book. Therefore, we should have more
right to Allah than you have.' Muslims said, `Rather, we have more right to Allah
than you, our Prophet is the Final Prophet and our Book supersedes all the Books
before it.' Allah sent down,
﴿لَّيْسَ بِأَمَـنِيِّكُمْ وَلا أَمَانِىِّ
أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ﴾
(It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the People
of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense
thereof),
﴿وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِيناً مِمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ
وَجْهَهُ لله وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ﴾
(And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face (himself) to Allah;
and he is a Muhsin.) Allah then supported the argument of the Muslims against their
opponents of the other religions.'' Similar statements were attributed to As-Suddi,
Masruq, Ad-Dahhak and Abu Salih. Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on
this Ayah ﴿4:123﴾, "The followers of various religions disputed, the people of the
Tawrah said, `Our Book is the best Book and our Prophet (Musa) is the best Prophet.
' The people of the Injil said similarly, the people of Islam said, `There is no
religion except Islam, our Book has abrogated every other Book, our Prophet is the
Final Prophet, and you were commanded to believe in your Books and adhere to our
Book.' Allah judged between them, saying, o
﴿لَّيْسَ بِأَمَـنِيِّكُمْ وَلا أَمَانِىِّ
أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ﴾
(It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor those of the People of the
Scripture, whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof).'' This Ayah
indicates that the religion is not accepted on account of wishful thinking or mere
hopes. Rather, the accepted religion relies on what resides in the heart and which
is made truthful through actions. It is not true that when one utters a claim to
something, he attains it merely on account of his claim. It is not true that every
person who claims to be on the truth is considered as such, merely on account of
his words, until his claim gains merit with proof from Allah. Hence Allah's statement,
﴿لَّيْسَ بِأَمَـنِيِّكُمْ وَلا أَمَانِىِّ
أَهْلِ الْكِتَـبِ مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ﴾
(It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor those of the People of the
Scripture, whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof), meaning safety
will not be acquired by you or them just by wishful thinking. Rather, the key is
in obeying Allah and following what He has legislated through the words of His honorable
Messengers. This is why Allah said afterwards,
﴿مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ﴾
(whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof,) Similarly, Allah said,
﴿فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ
خَيْراً يَرَهُ - وَمَن يَعْـمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ ﴾
(So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it. And whosoever
does evil equal to the weight of an atom, shall see it.) and it was reported that
when these Ayat were revealed, they became hard on many Companions. Ibn Abi Hatim
recorded that `A'ishah said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah! I know the hardest
Ayah in the Qur'an.' He said, `What is it, O `A'ishah!' I said,
﴿مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ﴾
(whoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof,) He said,
«هُوَ مَا يُصِيبُ الْعَبْدَالْمُؤْمِنَ،
حَتَّى النَّكْبَةِ يُنْكَبُهَا»
(That is what strikes the believing servant, even the problems that bother him.)''
Ibn Jarir and Abu Dawud also recorded this Hadith. Sa`id bin Mansur recorded that
Abu Hurayrah said, "When the Ayah,
﴿مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ﴾
(whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof,) was revealed, it was hard
on Muslims. The Messenger of Allah said to them,
«سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا، فَإِنَّ فِي
كُلِّ مَا يُصَابُ بِهِ الْمُسْلِمُ كَفَّارَةً، حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا، وَالنَّـكْبَةِ
يُنْكَبُهَا»
(Be steadfast and seek closeness. Everything that afflicts the Muslim, even the
thorn that pierces his skin and the hardship he suffers, will be an expiation for
him.)'' This is the wording collected by Ahmad through Sufyan bin `Uyaynah. Muslim
and At-Tirmidhi also recorded it. Allah's statement,
﴿وَلاَ يَجِدْ لَهُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ
وَلِيّاً وَلاَ نَصِيراً﴾
(and he will not find any protector or helper besides Allah,) `Ali bin Abi Talhah
reported that Ibn `Abbas said; "Unless he repents and Allah forgives him.'' Ibn
Abi Hatim recorded it. Allah then said,
﴿وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّـلِحَـتَ
مِن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ﴾
(And whoever does righteous good deeds, male or female, and is a believer). Allah
mentions the recompense for evil actions and that He will surely inflict its punishment
on the servant, either in this life, which is better for him, or in the Hereafter,
we seek refuge with Allah from this end. We also beg Allah for our well-being in
this life and the Hereafter and for His forgiveness, mercy and pardon. Allah then
mentions His kindness, generosity and mercy in accepting the good deeds from His
servants, whether male or female, with the condition that they embrace the faith.
He also stated that He will admit the believers into Paradise and will not withhold
any of their righteous deeds, even the weight of a Naqir - speck on the back of
a date-stone. Earlier, we discussed the Fatil - the scalish thread in the long slit
of a date-stone, and both of these, along with the Qitmir -- the thin membrane over
the date-stone were mentioned in the Qur'an. Allah then said,
﴿وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِيناً مِمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ
وَجْهَهُ لله﴾
(And who can be better in religion than one who submits his face to Allah.) meaning,
performs the good actions in sincerity for his Lord with faith and awaiting the
reward with Allah,
﴿وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ﴾
(and he is a Muhsin) following the correct guidance that Allah legislated in the
religion of truth which He sent His Messenger with. These are the two conditions,
in the absence of which no deed will be accepted from anyone; sincerity and correctness.
The work is sincere when it is performed for Allah alone and it becomes correct
when it conforms to the Shari`ah. So, the deed becomes outwardly correct with following
the Sunnah and inwardly correct with sincerity. When any deed lacks either of these
two conditions, the deed becomes null and void. For instance, when one lacks the
pillar of sincerity in his work, he becomes a hypocrite who shows off for people.
Whoever does not follow the Shari`ah, he becomes an ignorant, wicked person. When
one combines both pillars, his actions will be the deeds of the faithful believers
whose best deeds are accepted from them and their errors erased. Consequently, Allah
said,
﴿واتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفاً﴾
(And follows the religion of Ibrahim the Hanif (Monotheist). ) referring to Muhammad
and his following, until the Day of Resurrection. Allah said,
﴿إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَهِيمَ
لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَـذَا النَّبِىُّ﴾
(Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibrahim are those who followed
him, and this Prophet), and,
﴿ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ أَنِ
اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴾
(Then, We have sent the Revelation to you (saying): "Follow the religion of Ibrahim
the Hanif (Monotheist) and he was not of the Mushrikin). The Hanif, intentionally
and with knowledge, avoids Shirk, he goes attentively to the truth, allowing no
one to hinder him or stop him from it.
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