Tafsir of Hud 11:123

(And to Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth), meaning that He, Glorified be He, knows everything that is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and no one knows that but He, Majestic is His Greatness. (And to Him)—not to anyone else—** (the matter is returned)**, meaning all affairs. Thus, your affair and their affair will return to Him inevitably. The majority of the seven reciters read yurja‘u (the matter is returned) in the passive voice, and others read it in the active voice from raja‘a (returning). (So worship Him and rely upon Him), for He, Glorified be He, is sufficient for you. The fa (so) is for the logical sequence of the command to worship and rely upon Him, based on the fact that the return of all matters is to Him. It is also said that it is based on that and on His being, Exalted is He, the Knower of all the unseen. The delay in the command to rely upon Him after the command to worship contains a warning that reliance does not benefit without worship; this is because its precedence in mention suggests its precedence in rank or occurrence. It is also said that the ordering and delaying is because the intent of "worship" is the fulfillment of all commands—such as guidance, propagation, and others—and the intent of "reliance" is reliance upon Him in those matters. It is as if it were said: "Fulfill what you have been commanded, persist in the call and propagation, and rely upon Him in that, and do not care about those who do not believe, and do not let your heart be distressed by them." (And your Lord is not unaware of what you do)

(123) With the ta for address, following the principle of giving precedence to the addressee. Thus read Nafi', Abu 'Amr, Hafs, Qatadah, al-A'raj, Shaybah, Abu Ja'far, and al-Jahdari; meaning: "And your Lord is not unaware of what you do, and what they do," so He will recompense each of you and them according to what is deserved. The rest of the seven reciters read it with the ya to indicate the third person, which is also evident. In Zawa'id al-Zuhd by Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Fada'il al-Qur'an by Ibn al-Durays, it is reported from Ka'b that the opening of the Torah is the opening of [Surah] al-An'am, and its conclusion is the conclusion of [Surah] Hud: "(And to Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and the earth)" until the end of the Surah. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

(So remain on a right course as you have been commanded), meaning in upholding the rights of the Truth (Allah) and the creation, and that is through maintaining His rights, Exalted is He, glorifying His command, and being upright toward His creation, while witnessing the Many in the One and the One in the Many, without failing in any of the conditions of glorification. (And [so] has he who has repented) from his "I-ness" (selfhood) and his existence has vanished (with you among the believers)—the monotheists who have reached the station of Baqa' (remaining/subsistence) after Fana' (annihilation). It is said that the uprightness commanded for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is above the uprightness commanded for those with him, peace and blessings be upon him, and the conjunction does not imply anything more than participation in the absolute action, as indicated by the words of the Exalted: "(Allah witnesses that there is no god but He—as do the angels and those of knowledge)." From here, al-Junayd, may his secret be sanctified, said: "Uprightness with fear and hope is the state of the worshippers; uprightness with awe and hope is the state of those brought near; and uprightness with absence from seeing one's own uprightness is the state of the Gnostics."

(And do not transgress)—do not exit the boundaries set for you by the Shari'ah, for exiting it is heresy. (And do not incline)—meaning do not tilt in the slightest (toward those who have done wrong), and they are the darkened souls inclined toward evils in their original nature, as it is said: "Wrongdoing is a trait of souls; if you find one who is chaste, it is due to a reason that he has not done wrong." This was narrated from Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, from his father, from Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with them. It is said: The meaning is, do not follow the hypocrites, the ignorant, and bad companions. It is also said: Do not associate with the wicked, and do not sit with the people of innovation.

(And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night); a command to establish the obligatory prayer as you have known. It has been mentioned that prayer is the ascension of the believer, and in the reports, there is evidence of its high status, and the command is self-evident. (Indeed, good deeds remove evil deeds). Al-Wasiti said: "The lights of acts of obedience remove the darkness of sins." And Yahya ibn Mu'adh said: "Allah, Glorified be He, was not satisfied for the believer to have a sin until He veiled it, and He was not satisfied with the veiling until He forgave it, and He was not satisfied with forgiveness until He replaced it, saying: (Indeed, good deeds remove evil deeds)." And the Exalted said: "(Those—Allah will replace their evil deeds with good deeds)." That which was mentioned regarding establishing prayer at the indicated times, and good deeds removing evil deeds, is a (reminder for those who remember)—a reminder to whoever recalls his state while in the presence of Allah, the Exalted, in purity, collective focus, familiarity, and spiritual tasting.

(And be patient) through Allah, the Exalted, in uprightness, and with Allah, the Exalted, through presence in prayer and not inclining toward others. (Indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of the doers of good)—those who witness Him while fulfilling rights. (So why were there not among the generations before you those of firm restraint who forbade corruption on earth?) In this is an incitement to enjoin good and forbid evil. (And your Lord would not have destroyed the cities for wrongdoing while their people were reformers). It is said that "cities" here points to the hearts, and "their people" points to the faculties. (And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community), equal in preparation, agreed upon the religion of monotheism. (But they will not cease to differ) in direction and preparation (except whom your Lord has given mercy) by guiding them to monotheism and granting them success toward perfection; for they are agreed upon the doctrine and the destination, concordant in conduct and way, their qiblah is the Truth, and their religion is monotheism and love, even if their expressions differ, as it is said: "Our expressions are various, yet Your beauty is one; and all point toward that Beauty." (And for that)—that difference—** (He created them)**, so that they may be manifestations of His beauty, majesty, gentleness, and power. It is also said: So that the order of the world is completed and the foundation of worldly life is attained. (And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled), meaning it was made firm and decreed: (I will surely fill Hell with jinn and mankind, all together), because Hell is a rank among the ranks of existence, and it is not permissible in wisdom to leave it idle or keep it in the veil of non-existence when its existence is possible.

** (And each do We relate to you of the news of the messengers that which We make firm your heart thereby)** due to the trials they faced from their nations, along with their steadfastness, patience, and the destruction of their enemies. (And there has come to you, in this [Surah], the Truth) from which one should not deviate, (and an instruction and a reminder for the believers). The specification of this Surah for mention is as we have indicated. It is said it is for honor; otherwise, the entire Qur'an is like that, and everyone draws from its sea according to what suits his capacity. From here it is said: The masses are attached to its outward aspect, the select are wandering in its inward aspect, and the elite of the elite are submerged in the manifestation of the Truth, Glorified be He, within it.

(And to Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens), despite their varying meanings, (and the earth), likewise. (And to Him the matter is returned, all of it)—meaning every affair of the affairs, for all is from Him. (So worship Him)—cast away from yourself the portions of your soul, and stand with the command under the condition of etiquette. (And rely upon Him)—do not be concerned with what you have already been provided for, and be concerned with what you have been summoned to. (And your Lord is not unaware of what you do), so He will recompense each according to what wisdom necessitates. And Allah, the Exalted, is the Guardian of success, and in His hand are the reins of investigation; there is no god but He, and none is hoped for but His goodness.

What we were granted success in interpreting from Surah Hud is concluded, by the grace of Him in whose hand is generosity and bounty. We ask Him, Glorified be He, to facilitate for us the completion of what we intended, and to grant us success in understanding the meanings of His speech according to what He loves and is pleased with. Praise be to Allah, a praise worthy of Him, and may peace and blessings be upon him after whom there is no prophet, and upon his family, his companions, his soldiers, and his party, as long as pens chirp in the gardens of composition and understanding draws from the pools of interpretation.