Surah As-Sajdah - سورة السجدة

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Ibn Kathir explanation) for verse 16 of Surah

As-Sajdah - تفسير بن كثير للآية 16 من سورة السجدة

تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفاً وَطَمَعاً وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend out of what We have bestowed on them.

(Their sides forsake their beds,) meaning, they pray the voluntary night prayer and forego sleep and resting on a comfortable bed. Mujahid and Al-Hasan said that the Ayah

تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ

(Their sides forsake their beds, ) refers to voluntary night prayer. Ad-Dahhak said, "It refers to Salat Al-`Isha' in congregation and Salat Al-Fajr in congregation.

يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُمْ خَوْفاً وَطَمَعاً

(to invoke their Lord in fear and hope,) means, in fear of His punishment and in hope of His reward.

وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

(and they spend out of what We have bestowed on them.) means, they do both obligatory and supererogatory acts of worship. Their leader in this world and the Hereafter is the Messenger of Allah . Imam Ahmad recorded that Mu`adh bin Jabal said, "I was with the Messenger of Allah on a journey one morning, walking near him. I said, `O Prophet of Allah, tell me of a deed that will grant me admittance to Paradise and keep me away from Hell.' He said:

لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ عَنْ عَظِيمٍ وَإِنَّهَ لَيَسِيرٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَسَّرَهُ اللهُ عَلَيْهِ، تَعْبُدُ اللهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْت

(You have asked about something great, and it is easy for the one for whom Allah makes it easy. Worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, establish regular prayer, pay Zakah, fast Ramadan and perform pilgrimage to the House.) Then he said:

أَلَا أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ؟ الصَّومُ جُنَّةٌ، وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِىءُ الْخَطِيئَةَ، وَصَلَاةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْل

(Shall I not tell you of the gates of goodness Fasting is a shield, charity wipes out sin, and the prayer of a man in the depths of the night.) Then he recited:

تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ

(Their sides forsake their beds,) until he reached

جَزَآءً بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ

(as a reward for what they used to do.) Then he said:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الْأَمْرِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ؟

(Shall I not tell you of the greatest of all things and its pillars and pinnacle) I said, `Of course, O Messenger of Allah.' He said:

«رَأْسُ الْأَمْرِ الْإسْلَامُ، وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلَاةُ، وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ الله

(The greatest of all things is Islam, its pillars are the prayers and its pinnacle is Jihad for the sake of Allah.) Then he said:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلَاكِ ذلِكَ كُلِّهِ؟

(Shall I not tell you the factor on which all of that depends) I said, `Of course, O Messenger of Allah.' He took hold of his tongue and said,

كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هذَا

(Restrain this.) I said, `O Messenger of Allah, will we be accountable for what we say' He said,

ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكُ يَا مُعَاذُ، وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلى وُجُوهِهِمْ أَوْ قَالَ: عَلى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ إِلَّا حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتهِم

(May your mother be bereft of you, O Mu`adh! Will the people be thrown into Hell -- (or he said) on their faces -- except because of what their tongues say) It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah in their Sunans. At-Tirmidhi said, "It is Hasan Sahih.''

Surah As-Sajdah - سورة السجدة

Muhammad Muhsin Khan - Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali Translation

1. Alif-Lam-Mim. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings.]
2. The revelation of the Book (this Quran) is from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists) in which there is not doubt!
3. Or say they: "He (Muhammad SAW) has fabricated it?" Nay, it is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you (O Muhammad SAW), in order that they may be guided.
4. Allah it is He Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them in six Days. Then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty). You (mankind) have none, besides Him, as a Wali (protector or helper etc.) or an intercessor. Will you not then remember (or be admonished)?
5. He arranges (every) affair from the heavens to the earth, then it (affair) will go up to Him, in one Day, the space whereof is a thousand years of your reckoning (i.e. reckoning of our present world's time).
6. That is He, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.
7. Who made everything He has created good, and He began the creation of man from clay.
8. Then He made his offspring from semen of worthless water (male and female sexual discharge).
9. Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him the soul (created by Allah for that person), and He gave you hearing (ears), sight (eyes) and hearts. Little is the thanks you give!
10. And they say: "When we are (dead and become) lost in the earth, shall we indeed be recreated anew?" Nay, but they deny the Meeting with their Lord!
11. Say: "The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls, then you shall be brought to your Lord."
12. And if you only could see when the Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.) shall hang their heads before their Lord (saying): "Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back (to the world), we will do righteous good deeds. Verily! We now believe with certainty."
13. And if We had willed, surely! We would have given every person his guidance, but the Word from Me took effect (about evil-doers), that I will fill Hell with jinn and mankind together.
14. Then taste you (the torment of the Fire) because of your forgetting the Meeting of this Day of yours, (and) surely! We too will forget you, so taste you the abiding torment for what you used to do.
15. Only those believe in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), who, when they are reminded of them fall down prostrate, and glorify the Praises of their Lord, and they are not proud.
16. Their sides forsake their beds, to invoke their Lord in fear and hope, and they spend (charity in Allah's Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them.
17. No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.
18. Is then he who is a believer like him who is Fasiq (disbeliever and disobedient to Allah)? Not equal are they.
19. As for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, for them are Gardens (Paradise) as an entertainment, for what they used to do.
20. And as for those who are Fasiqun (disbelievers and disobedient to Allah), their abode will be the Fire, every time they wish to get away therefrom, they will be put back thereto, and it will be said to them: "Taste you the torment of the Fire which you used to deny."
21. And verily, We will make them taste of the near torment (i.e. the torment in the life of this world, i.e. disasters, calamities, etc.) prior to the supreme torment (in the Hereafter), in order that they may (repent and) return (i.e. accept Islam).
22. And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of his Lord, then he turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.).
23. And indeed We gave Musa (Moses) the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah)]. So be not you in doubt of meeting him [i.e.when you met Musa (Moses) during the night of Al-Isra' and Al-Mi'raj over the heavens]. And We made it [the Taurat (Torah)] a guide to the Children of Israel.
24. And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our Command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.).
25. Verily, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection, concerning that wherein they used to differ.
26. Is it not a guidance for them, how many generations We have destroyed before them in whose dwellings they do walk about? Verily, therein indeed are signs. Would they not then listen?
27. Have they not seen how We drive water (rain clouds) to the dry land without any vegetation, and therewith bring forth crops providing food for their cattle and themselves? Will they not then see?
28. They say: "When will this Al-Fath (Decision) be (between us and you, i.e. the Day of Resurrection), if you are telling the truth?"
29. Say: "On the Day of Al-Fath (Decision), no profit will it be to those who disbelieve if they (then) believe! Nor will they be granted a respite."
30. So turn aside from them (O Muhammad SAW) and await, verily they (too) are awaiting.