Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:134

(That is a community that has passed on): The reference is to Abraham, peace and blessings be upon him, and his descendants. The term ummah (community) carries various meanings; here it refers to a group, derived from amm (to intend), because a group is called such when they are united by a common factor—whether a single religion, a single era, or a single place—because they head towards and intend one another. Khalat (passed on) means to depart, and its origin implies isolation.

(To them is what they earned, and to you is what you earned): This is an inception or a substitute for His saying, khalat, because it carries the meaning of "you do not share with them." Others were not comprehensive, but this is sufficient to fulfill the intended meaning. Alternatively, the first clause is another attribute for ummah, or a circumstantial qualifier for the pronoun in khalat, while the second is an independent sentence since there is no linkage or temporal comparison between them. In the discourse, there is an elliptical genitive construction by virtue of the context, meaning: "To each person belongs the reward of his deed." The predicate is placed before the subject to restrict the subject to the predicate. The meaning is that your lineage to them does not necessitate that you benefit from their deeds; rather, you only benefit from conforming to them and following them, as the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "O assembly of Quraysh, the most worthy of people to the Prophet are the God-fearing, so be on the path of that. Beware that people do not meet me bearing deeds while you meet me bearing the world, so I turn my face away from you." You may also interpret the first sentence as meaning: "To them is what they earned, which does not extend to anyone else," and the second as: "And to you is what you earned, not what others earned." Thus, the two restrictions differ as required by the context.

(And you will not be asked about what they used to do): If the question is taken at its literal meaning, the sentence confirms the content of what preceded it. If it implies its consequence—namely, recompense—it is a tadhil (concluding reinforcement) to complete what came before, and the sentence is either an inception or a parenthetical clause. The intention is to disappoint the addressees and sever their hopes of benefiting from the good deeds of those who passed before them. This is merely establishing a judgment by way of a demonstrative proof within a universal proposition. Al-Zamakhshari interpreted the verse to mean: "You will not be held accountable for their bad deeds, just as you are not rewarded for their good deeds." This was objected to on the grounds that it is not befitting the majesty of the Revelation; for how could they be held accountable for the sins of others, when they [the Prophets] are purified from committing sins in the first place? Where would the possibility of imposing them upon others exist such that it requires stating its negation? You know that when the intention is to present this by way of a universal demonstrative proof, what was mentioned does not occur.

Furthermore, it is strange to interpret the reference as applying to each of (Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac), where the meaning is that each one of them is an ummah—that is, in the status of a community in terms of honor and splendor—that has passed on (meaning they have departed, and you are not commanded to follow them as individuals). [According to this strange interpretation]: "(To them is what they earned)" which is what Allah commanded them to do, "(And to you is what you earned)" from what He, Glorified and Exalted, commands you. Their acquisition does not benefit you because it is not accepted from you, as it does not pertain to you; rather, you only benefit from what you are obligated to earn. "(And you will not be asked about what they used to do)"—[meaning]: Did you act according to it? You are only asked about what your Prophet—whom you were commanded to follow—was doing, for his deeds are the very earnings you are asked about. So, abandon the claim that this is what Abraham or others were commanded to do, and hold fast to what your Prophet was commanded to do, and consider the attribution of the deed to him rather than them. It is clear that if these verses were the speech of this interpreter, it would be possible to interpret them in this way, which has neither root nor branch. However, they are the speech of the Lord of the Worlds, which is too exalted to be interpreted in such a manner.

(And when his Lord tested Abraham with words)—that is, with the ranks of spiritual realities, such as the heart, the secret, the spirit, the hidden, and the oneness, and the states and stations expressed by these ranks, such as submission, reliance, contentment, and their sciences. (He fulfilled them) through the journey to Allah and in Allah until annihilation in Him. (He said: "Indeed, I will make you an Imam for the people") by way of remaining after annihilation, returning to the creation from the Truth, so you may lead them, guide them on the path of My way, and they may follow you and be guided. (He said: "And of my descendants?" He said: "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers")—they shall not be My vicegerents with their oppression and darkness, [which are] seeing the "others" and transgressing the limits.

(And when We made) the house of the heart a reference point for people, and a place of security and safety for them when they arrive at it and dwell in it, safe from the evil of the consequences of the soul's attributes, the lethality of the natural powers and their corruption, and the illusions of the devils of fancy and imagination and their misguidance. (And take from the Station of Abraham)—which is the station of the spirit and intimate friendship—a dwelling for true prayer, which is witnessing and the intimate friendship of realization. (And We commissioned Abraham and Ishmael)—We commanded them to purify the house of the heart from the filth of the soul's idle chatter, the impurities of Satan’s whispers, the abominations of the urges of passion, and the stains of the attributes of the powers for the wayfarers who yearn, who circle the heart in their journeying, and those arriving at its station through reliance—which is the unification of acts—and the submissive ones who have reached the station of the manifestation of the attributes and the perfection of the rank of contentment, those absent in the Oneness and annihilated within it.

(And when Abraham said: "My Lord, make this")—the chest, which is the sanctuary of the heart—(a secure city) from the domination of the soul's attributes, the assassination of the cursed enemy, and the snatching of the spirits of the bodily powers. (And provide its people with fruits)—from the fruits of the knowledge of the spirit—[from] whoever among them believes in Allah and the Last Day. He said: "And also whoever is veiled from the religion, they dwell in the chest but do not exceed its limit by ascending to the station of the 'Eye' [essential knowledge], because they are veiled by the knowledge whose vessel is the chest." (He said: "And whoever disbelieves, I will grant him enjoyment for a little")—of the intellectual meanings and universal information descending upon them from the world of the spirit according to their capacity—(then I will force him to the punishment) of the fire of deprivation and the veil, (and wretched is the destination), their destination being [one of] torment due to their deficiency and the lack of perfection of their emergence.

(And when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House)—in the manner we mentioned before—(and Ishmael), likewise saying: ("Our Lord, accept from us") our struggles and our efforts in the journey toward You by the aid of success. ("Indeed, You are the Hearing") of the stirrings of our thoughts regarding You, ("the Knowing") of our intentions and our secrets. ("Our Lord, and make us Muslims to You")—do not entrust us to ourselves—("and from our descendants a Muslim community to You, and show us") the paths of reaching the negation of everything other than You, ("and accept our repentance") so that we may be annihilated in You from ourselves and our annihilation. ("Indeed, You are the Accepting of Repentance")—the One who grants success to return to You—("the Merciful") to whomever relies on You instead of the "other." ("Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves")—who is the Muhammadan Reality—("reciting to them Your verses") that point to You, ("and teaching them") the Book of the Intellect, which encompasses Your attributes, ("and the Wisdom") which points to the negation of other than You, ("and purifying them")—and cleansing them from the filth of polytheism. ("Indeed, You are the Almighty")—the Overcomer, so how could anything other than You appear? The Determiner of what has appeared within it, so nothing is seen but You.

("And who would be averse to the religion of Abraham?")—which is pure monotheism—except one who is veiled from the light of the intellect entirely and remains in the darkness of his own soul. ("And We chose him")—so he became one of the beloved, intended by the eternal precedence in the world of dominion (mulk), and in the world of sovereignty (malakut), he is among the people of uprightness, fit to manage the order and perfect the species. ("When his Lord said to him, 'Submit'")—that is, "Unify, and submit your essence to Allah"—("He said, 'I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds'")—and was annihilated in Him. ("And Abraham instructed his sons")—the wayfarers under his guidance—("and [likewise] Jacob, 'O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you'")—His religion, for there is no religion other than it in His sight. ("So do not die")—by natural death and the death of ignorance—"but be dead in yourselves, alive in Allah forever," so that the death of the body may reach you in this state. ("That is a community that has passed on")—so do not be bound by blind imitation of them, for no one has anything except what he has earned of knowledge, action, faith, and conduct. So be upon insight in your affair, and seek what they sought so that you may attain what they attained. ("And those who strive for Us—We will surely guide them to Our ways.") And whoever knocks at the door of the Generous, he enters, he enters.