Tafsir of Al-`Ankabut 29:69

(And those who strive for Us)—meaning in Our cause, for Our sake, and for Our countenance exclusively. It contains an implied preposition (i.e., fi sha'nina - in Our concern). It has been said: There is no need for such an implication; rather, the expression is hyperbolic, designating the Essence of Allah—Subhanahu—as the locus of the struggle. The struggle (mujahada) is used in an absolute sense to encompass both outward and inward striving against enemies of all types.

(We will surely guide them to Our ways)—the ways of traveling toward Us and reaching Our presence. The meaning is: We will increase their guidance to the paths of goodness and grant them success in following them, for jihad is a guidance or a stage that follows it. Allah—the Exalted—has said: "And those who are guided, He increases them in guidance" (47:17). In the Hadith, it is stated: "Whoever acts upon what he knows, Allah shall bequeath to him the knowledge of what he did not know."

Some among the people interpret "strove" (jahadu) as "intended to strive" and leave "We will guide them" in its literal sense. Al-Suddi said: The meaning is, those who strove by remaining steadfast in faith, We will guide them to Our ways—to Paradise. Others said: The meaning is those who strove in battle, We will guide them to the paths of martyrdom and forgiveness. The first mentioned interpretation is more appropriate. The relative pronoun (alladhina) is the subject, and the oath sentence and its response serve as the predicate, similar to what has passed in His saying: "And those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will surely lodge them in lofty rooms of Paradise" (29:58).

(And indeed, Allah)—the One characterized by all attributes of perfection, whose greatness has reached in hearts what it has reached—(is with the doers of good)—a presence of support and aid. The mention of jihad, which requires these two, is a strong indication that this is the intended meaning. The scholar Al-Tibi said: The saying of the Exalted, "is with the doers of good," corresponds to His saying, "strove," both in wording and meaning. As for the wording, it is from the perspective of the absolute application of mujahada (striving) and ma’iyyah (accompaniment). As for the meaning, the one who strives against enemies is in need of a helper and supporter. Furthermore, the sentence of His saying—the Almighty—"Indeed, Allah is with the doers of good" is a concluding clause (tadhil) for the verse, emphasized by the two particles of confirmation and adorned with the name of the Essence, to signal that whoever strives with his entire being and depth for His sake—the Exalted and Glorious—the Lord (whose name is Glorified), the All-Comprehensive in the attribute of support and aid, shall manifest Himself to him in a complete manifestation. This is a noble conclusion to the Surah, for it responds to its opening, looks toward the pearl of its necklace: "Do the people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe' and they will not be tried?" (29:2), and glances toward the center of its arrangement: "O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is vast, so worship only Me" (29:56). It is, in itself, comprehensive and unique.

The Al (definite article) in "the doers of good" (al-muhsinin) may be for the purpose of specification (‘ahd); thus, the intended meaning of "the doers of good" is those who have striven, and the reason for placing the explicit noun in place of the pronoun is clear, a view held by the majority. It is also possible that it is for the genus; thus, the intended meaning is the absolute genus of those who perform good deeds, and those [who strive] are included primarily and demonstratively. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them both—that he interpreted "the doers of good" as the Muwahhidun (those who profess the Oneness of Allah), which provides support for the second possibility. And Allah—the Exalted—knows best.

"Do the people think that they will be left..." (29:2): Ibn Ata said: The creation thought they would be left alone despite their claims of love, and that they would not be held to account for its realities—which is the pouring of affliction upon the lover and the lover’s finding pleasure in both the apparent and hidden affliction. This is as the gnostic Ibn al-Farid—may his secret be sanctified—said: "Your torture is sweet to me, and your injustice against me, by what passion dictates to you, is just." They mentioned that love and trial are twins, and "by examination, a man is either honored or disgraced."

"And of the people are some who say, 'We believe in Allah,' but when they are harmed for Allah, they treat the trial of the people as the punishment of Allah" (29:10): An allusion to the state of those who lie in their claim of love; they are those who are turned away from it by the harm inflicted upon them by people.

"Indeed, those you worship besides Allah do not possess for you provision. So seek from Allah provision and worship Him and be grateful to Him. To Him you will be returned" (29:17): Ibn Ata said: That is, seek provision through obedience and turning toward worship. Sahl said: Seek it in reliance (tawakkul), not in earning, for seeking provision through the latter is the way of the commoners.

"And [Abraham] said, 'Indeed, I will emigrate to my Lord'" (29:26): That is, emigrating from my self and from the created universe to Him—the Exalted and Glorious. Ibn Ata said: Meaning, returning to my Lord from all that I possess and all that is upon me. Returning to Him—the Exalted and Glorious—is through the severance from all that is other than Him. It is not valid for anyone to return to Him—the Exalted—while attached to anything of the created universe; rather, one must be severed from all created things.

"And you commit in your gatherings evil" (29:29): Al-Junayd—may his secret be sanctified—was asked about this verse and said: Everything that people gather upon, except for the remembrance of Allah, is "evil."

"The example of those who take allies other than Allah is like that of the spider who takes a home. And indeed, the weakest of homes is the home of the spider" (29:41): The Exalted and Glorious alluded to the one who relies on other than Allah—the Exalted—in the causes of this world and the Hereafter, for he is severed from his goal and will not reach it. Ibn Ata said: Whoever relies upon anything other than Allah—the Exalted—his destruction is in the very thing he relied upon. And whoever takes other than Him—the Exalted—as a helper is cut off from the path of protection and is returned to his own power and strength.

"And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except the learned" (29:43): In this is an allusion that the subtleties of knowledge are not known except by the people of states (ahwal), who are learned in Him—the Exalted—in His attributes, and in all His affairs—Subhanahu—because they are the scholars of the methodology. It is mentioned that the true scholar is the one whose knowledge restrains him from everything that apparent knowledge permits. This is the one whose intellect is reinforced by the lights of Ladunni (divine/inspired) knowledge.

"Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing" (29:45): It is mentioned that the reality of prayer is the presence of the heart in the mode of dhikr (remembrance) and the observation (muraqaba) in the mode of fikr (contemplation). The remembrance in prayer repels heedlessness, which is immorality, and contemplation repels blameworthy thoughts, which is wrongdoing. This is within the prayer. After it, it prohibits [evil] if it is a true prayer—which is the one in which the beauty of the Jabarut (Divine Sovereignty) and the majesty of the Malakut (Divine Kingdom) are unveiled to its practitioner, and his eyes are cooled by witnessing the lights of the Truth—Glory be to Him and Exalted—far above seeing deeds and their rewards. Ja'far al-Sadiq—may Allah be pleased with him—said: "Prayer, if accepted, prohibits [the practitioner] from contemplating [one's own] deeds and their rewards."

"And the remembrance of Allah is greater" (29:45): Ibn Ata said: That is, Allah’s remembrance of you is greater than your remembrance of Him—Subhanahu—because His remembrance—the Exalted—is without cause, while your remembrance is mixed with causes, desires, and requests. Moreover, His remembrance is His attribute, and your remembrance is your attribute, and there is no proportion between the attribute of the Creator—Glory be to Him—and the attribute of the created. Where is the dust from the Lord of Lords? Rather, "It is distinct signs in the breasts of those who have been given knowledge" (29:49). This contains an allusion that the brides of the realities of the Quran are not unveiled except to the souls of the favored among the gnostics and the Lordly scholars, because they are the abodes of the secrets of the Attributes and the vessels of the subtleties of the unveilings of the Essence. Al-Sadiq—peace be upon him and his ancestors—said: "Allah—the Exalted—has manifested Himself in His Book to His servants, but they do not see."

"O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is vast, so worship only Me" (29:56): Sahl said: If sins and innovations are committed in a land, then depart from it to the land of the obedient. It is as if this is so that the darkness of the sins of the sinners does not reflect upon the hearts of the obedient, causing them to become slothful in obedience. They mentioned that the travel of the seeker is a cause for emptying (takhliya) and adorning (tahliya). To this points what was brought out by Al-Tabarani, Al-Quda'i, Al-Shirazi in Al-Alqab, Al-Khatib, Ibn al-Najjar, and Al-Bayhaqi from Ibn Umar—may Allah be pleased with both—who said: The Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: "Travel, so that you may be healthy and gain." "Every soul will taste death," so let not the fear of death prevent you from travel.

"And how many a creature carries not its own provision. Allah provides for it and for you" (29:60): Let not the lack of provisions or the inability to carry them prevent you from it.

"And those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways" (29:69): Ibn Ata said: Those who strive for Our pleasure, We will guide them to the place of pleasure. Striving is as he said: The poverty toward Allah—the Exalted—through the severance from everything other than Him. Some said: Those who busied their outward selves with duties, We will surely lead their secrets to the subtleties. It is said: Those who strove against their souls for Our sake and in pursuit of Us, We will surely guide them to the ways of knowing Us and reaching Us. Whoever knows Allah—the Exalted—knows everything, and whoever reaches Him, everything becomes insignificant in his sight. Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak used to say: "Whoever finds a problem difficult, let him ask the people of the frontiers (thughur) about it," due to His saying: "And those who strive for Us, We will surely guide them to Our ways." The striving of the soul is the greater jihad. We ask Allah for success in that which He loves and is pleased with, and for complete protection from every evil, by the sanctity of His beloved, the master of mankind, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.