Tafsir of At-Takathur 102:8

(Then you shall surely be questioned that Day about the bliss.)

It is said that the address is directed to the disbelievers; this is narrated from al-Hasan and Muqatil, and al-Tayyibi favored it. "The bliss" (al-na'im) is general for everything one finds pleasure in, whether food, drink, bedding, or transport; the same was said regarding the previous addresses.

It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas that he explicitly stated the address in "You shall surely see the Hellfire" refers to the polytheists, interpreting the "seeing" as the sight of entry, and interpreting the "questioning" here as a questioning of rebuke and reproach, because they did not associate that [bliss] with belief in Him, the Almighty.

It is said that the questioning may occur after seeing Hell and entering it, just as they are questioned about other things, as indicated by the Almighty’s saying: “Every time a group is cast into it, its keepers will ask them, ‘Did no warner come to you?’” and His saying, the Exalted: “What has led you into Saqar?” That is because at that moment it is more painful and more conducive to confessing one's negligence; in this case, "then" (thumma) is in its literal sense of sequence. It is also said that it may occur at the station of reckoning before entry, in which case "then" is for the purpose of thematic sequencing.

Others say the address is specific to anyone whom worldly life diverted from their religion, and "the bliss" is specific to that which distracted them from it, due to the fact that the address in “It distracted you...” is for those who are distracted, so it serves as a contextual indicator for what was mentioned. There are also many texts, such as the Almighty's saying: “Say, ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah... and the good things?’” This also interprets the questioning as one of rebuke, and it includes both disbelievers and the immoral among the believers.

It is also said that the address is general, and likewise the questioning is general, encompassing both the questioning of rebuke and other types, while "the bliss" is specific. There are several opinions regarding it:

Abdullah ibn Ahmad recorded in Zawa'id al-Zuhd from Ibn Mufaddal, in a marfu' (elevated) narration, that it is security and health. Al-Bayhaqi recorded from the Commander, Ali (may Allah exalt his countenance), that he said: "The bliss is well-being (al-'afiyah)." Ibn Marduyah recorded from Abu al-Darda', in a marfu' narration: "Eating wheat bread, sleeping in the shade, and drinking cold Euphrates water." Ibn Jarir recorded from Thabit al-Bunani, in a marfu' narration: "The bliss asked about on the Day of Resurrection is a morsel that sustains him, water that quenches him, and a garment that covers him." Al-Khatib recorded from Ibn Abbas, who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) explain it: 'It is the morsel of bread and the water.'" It is narrated from him and from Jabir that it is the pleasures of food and drink. Al-Husayn ibn Fadl said: "It is the lightening of the laws and the facilitation of the Quran."

It is narrated from Jabir al-Ju'fi of the Imamiyyah that he said: "I entered upon al-Baqir (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: 'What do the masters of interpretation say about the Almighty’s saying: Then you shall surely be questioned that Day about the bliss?' I said: 'They say the shade and the cold water.' He said: 'If you invited someone into your house, sat him in the shade, and gave him a drink, would you hold it against him?' I said: 'No.' He said: 'Allah, the Almighty, is too generous to feed and give His servant a drink and then ask him about it.' I asked: 'What is its interpretation?' He said: 'The bliss is the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Allah, the Almighty, favored the people of the world with him, and saved them through him from misguidance. Have you not heard His saying: Allah has certainly conferred a favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger?'"

From the narration of al-'Ayyashi, also of the Imamiyyah, it is reported that Abu Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Abu Hanifah (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding the verse: "What is 'the bliss' to you, O Nu'man?" He replied: "The sustenance of food and cold water." Abu Abdullah said: "If Allah, the Almighty, were to keep you standing before Him until He asked you about every morsel you ate or drink you drank, your standing before Him would be very long." Abu Hanifah asked: "Then what is 'the bliss'?" He said: "We, the People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), are 'the bliss'. Allah, the Almighty, favored the servants through us, and through us they were united after having been divided, and through us Allah, the Almighty, brought their hearts together and made them brothers after they had been enemies, and through us He guided them to Islam; and it is the blessing that does not cease. Allah, the Almighty, will ask them about the right of the bliss with which He, the Glorified, favored them, which is Muhammad and his family (peace and blessings be upon him and them)."

I do not see either of these reports as authentic, and within them are elements that proclaim their lack of authenticity, as is not hidden from anyone who lends an ear while being a witness.

The truth is the generality of the address and the generality of "the bliss." However, the believer is not reproached for anything he obtained of it in this world; rather, he is questioned without being reproached, whereas the disbeliever is indeed reproached, as stated in a Hadith recorded by al-Tabarani from Ibn Mas'ud. The generality of the address is evidenced by what Muslim, Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and others recorded from Abu Hurayrah: "The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) went out one day and found Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them). He said: 'What brought you out of your houses at this hour?' They said: 'Hunger, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, what brought you out is what brought me out. Rise.' So they rose with him (peace and blessings be upon him). He went to a man from the Ansar and found he was not in his house. When the woman saw him (peace and blessings be upon him), she said: 'Welcome.' The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'Where is so-and-so?' She said: 'He went to fetch fresh water for us.' Then the Ansari came, looked at the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his two companions, and said: 'Praise be to Allah, no one today has more noble guests than me!' He went and brought a cluster of dates, both ripe and unripe, and said: 'Eat of this.' He took the knife, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to him: 'Beware of the milch animal.' He slaughtered [a sheep] for them, and they ate from the sheep and from the cluster, and drank. When they were full and quenched, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to Abu Bakr and Umar: 'By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you shall surely be questioned about this bliss on the Day of Resurrection.'"

In a narration by Ibn Hibban and Ibn Marduyah from Ibn Abbas: The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his two companions went to the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. His wife said: "Welcome to the Prophet of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and whoever is with him." Abu Ayyub came, cut a cluster of dates, and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "I did not intend for you to cut this for us; could you not have picked only the dates?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah, I wanted you to eat from its dates, ripe and unripe." Then he slaughtered a young goat, roasted half, and cooked half. When it was placed before the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), he took some of the goat, put it in bread, and said: "O Abu Ayyub, take this to Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), for she has not tasted the like of this for days." Abu Ayyub took it to Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her). When they ate and were full, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Bread, meat, dates—ripe, unripe, and fresh," and his eyes teared up (peace and blessings be upon him). "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, this is the bliss about which you shall be questioned. Allah the Almighty says: Then you shall surely be questioned that Day about the bliss. This is the bliss about which you shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection." This weighed heavily on his companions, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Nay, when you obtain the like of this, place your hands upon it and say: 'In the name of Allah.' And when you are full, say: 'Praise be to Allah, Who has fed us, favored us, and bestowed upon us.' For this is the sufficiency for that."

The intent of this report is not to restrict "the bliss" absolutely to what was mentioned, but rather to restrict the bliss relative to that specific time when they were hungry. The same applies to other authentic reports that limit the answer to one or two things or more; all of that is by way of exemplification with some instances singled out for mention due to the necessity of the situation. This is supported by his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying in other than this narration when mentioning something of that sort: "This is from the bliss about which you shall be questioned," using the min of partition (tab'idiyyah).

In al-Tafsir al-Kabir, the truth is that the questioning is general for the believer and the disbeliever regarding all blessings, whether they are essential or not, because everything Allah, the Almighty, bestows must be used in His obedience, not in His disobedience—the Almighty—so the questioning happens about everything. This is confirmed by his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "The feet of the servant shall not move until he is questioned about four: his life, how he spent it; his youth, how he wore it out; his wealth, from where he earned it and how he spent it; and his knowledge, what he did with it," because every bliss is included in what he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned.

This is challenged by what Abdullah, son of Imam Ahmad, recorded in Zawa'id al-Zuhd and al-Daylami from al-Hasan: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "There are three things for which the servant is not held to account: a hut to shelter him, a morsel to strengthen his backbone, and a garment to cover his nakedness." The answer to this is that if it is authentic, it means he will not be scrutinized in the reckoning regarding these things. It is also said that the intent is that which the servant is forced to use for his survival; contemplate this.

I have seen in some books that the food eaten with an orphan is not asked about, and that is because eating with him is a consolation to his heart and a removal of his loneliness, so it is in the position of gratitude, and thus he is not asked about it with a questioning of reproach. There is some doubt in my heart regarding the authenticity of this, and Allah, the Almighty, knows best.