Tafsir of Al Imran 3:17

(The Patient) It is permissible for this to be in the genitive (majrur) case or the accusative (mansub) case as an adjective for "those who" (alladhina), depending on whether you place the latter in a genitive or accusative position. If you place it in the nominative (marfu') position, then this is accusative (mansub) to indicate praise.

The intent of "patience" here is patience in obeying Allah the Exalted, and patience in refraining from what He has forbidden, as stated by Qatadah. The omission of the object [of patience] implies generality, thus including patience in times of adversity, distress, and during battle.

(The Truthful) in their intentions, their speech, in secret and in public. This is also what is narrated from Qatadah.

(The Devout) i.e., the obedient, as stated by Ibn Jubayr; or those who are constant in obedience and worship, as stated by Al-Zajjaj; or those who fulfill their obligations, as stated by the Qadi.

(And the Spenders) of their wealth in the right of Allah the Exalted, as also stated by Ibn Jubayr.

(And those who seek forgiveness at dawn) Mujahid, Al-Kalbi, and others said: This means those who pray at dawn. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated from Zayd ibn Aslam that he said: They are those who attend the Morning Prayer (Subh). Ibn Jarir narrated from Ibn Umar that he used to spend the night in prayer, then say: "O Nafi', is it dawn?" If he said, "No," he would return to prayer. If he said, "Yes," he would sit to seek Allah’s forgiveness and supplicate until morning. Ibn Mardawayh narrated from Anas ibn Malik that he said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) commanded us to seek forgiveness at dawn seventy times. Al-Rida narrated from his father, from Abu Abdillah, that whoever seeks forgiveness from Allah the Exalted at the time of dawn seventy times is among the people of this verse.

The "Baa" in bi-al-ashar (at dawn) signifies "in." It is the plural of sahar, with the ha (ح) vocalized with a fatha or a sukun. The last part of the night is named as such due to its hidden nature, like sihr (magic) for a hidden thing. Some have said: the sahar is from the last third of the night until the break of dawn.

The specification of dawn for seeking forgiveness is because supplication at that time is closer to being answered, as worship then is more difficult, the soul is purer, and the mind is more focused. In the authentic tradition, it is stated that He—Exalted and Transcendent above the attributes of temporal existence—descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night and says: "Who is calling Me that I may answer him? Who is asking Me that I may give him? Who is seeking My forgiveness that I may forgive him?" And He remains thus until the dawn breaks. Ibn Jarir and Ahmad narrated from Sa'id al-Jariri that he said: We have heard that David (upon him be peace) asked Gabriel (upon him be peace) and said: "O Gabriel, which part of the night is the best?" He said: "O David, I do not know, except that the Throne trembles at dawn."

The placing of the conjunction "wa" (and) between these mentioned attributes is either because the one described by them is diverse, or to indicate the independence of each of them and their perfection therein. Abu Hayyan's statement—that we do not know of any evidence that the conjunction wa in attributes denotes perfection—was refuted by Al-Halabi by noting that the scholars of rhetoric have indeed known it, and they are the ones referred to [as authorities].

[From the chapter of allusion in the verses] (There has certainly been for you) O community of those traversing toward the ultimate goal, (a sign) indicating your perfection and your reaching the zenith of monotheism, (in two factions that met) for battle. (One faction) of them—which is the faction of spiritual powers, the soldiers of Allah the Exalted—(fighting in the way of Allah) and the path of reaching Him. (And another) of them—the soldiers of the self (nafs) and the helpers of the devil—(that is disbelieving), concealing the Truth, veiled from the enclosures of Truth. The latter faction sees the first faction, through the turning of the eye of their insight, as (twice their number) upon meeting in the battlefield of the body—a vision unveiled and manifest, having no concealment, like the vision of the eye. This is due to the supporting of the believing faction with Divine lights and Jabaruti (Power-related) effulgences, and the abandonment of the disbelieving faction because of the accumulation of the darkness of nature and the wretchedness of distance from the Divine Presence that has overtaken them. (And Allah) the Exalted (supports with His victory whom He wills); His support is according to their readiness for it. (Indeed in that) support is a lesson, meaning an instance of contemplation or a matter by which one takes a lesson in reaching the hoped-for destination, for those endowed with insight who open the eyes of their discernment to witness the eternal lights in the horizons of Divine manifestations.

(Beautified for people is the love of desires) due to what is in them of the lower world, the natural veil, and the bodily coverings: (of women)—which are the souls; (and sons)—which are the imaginations generated by them and arising from them; (and heaped-up sums of gold and silver)—which are the sciences, both common and uncommon, or the fundamentals and the branches; (and fine branded horses)—which are the mounts of passion and the steeds of diversion; (and cattle)—which are the beasts of burden of gathered debris and the means of attracting worldly benefits; (and tilled land)—which is the cultivation of greed and long-term hope. (That is the enjoyment of worldly life) which will soon perish upon returning to the original source and the ancient home.

You may also keep these mentioned things upon their literal meanings, for the souls immersed in the mud of nature also have an inclination toward that.

(Say, "Shall I inform you of something better than that?)—that which is mentioned—for those who are God-fearing, guarding against looking at "others" (besides Allah): (Gardens): a garden of certainty, a garden of unveiling, a garden of witnessing, a garden of contentment, and a garden of "no-statements"—the one that contains what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and has not crossed the heart of any human. And in that garden, to the Gnostics, there is nothing but Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. (Beneath which flow) rivers of theophanies, brimming with the water of the Essence. (Abiding eternally therein) by their remaining after their annihilation. (And purified spouses)—which are the spirits sanctified from the pollutions of nature, confined in the tents of Divine attributes. (And approval from Allah)—the measure of which cannot be estimated. (And Allah is All-Seeing of the servants) in the fluctuation of their spirits in the realm of the Sovereignty (Malakut), burning from the strokes of the lights of the Omnipotence (Jabarut) out of love for His proximity and longing for meeting Him. He recompenses them according to their concerns in seeking His eternal Face and His everlasting beauty.

(Those who say, "Our Lord, indeed we have believed") in Your lights and attributes, (so forgive us) the sins of our existences by Your Essence, (and protect us from the punishment) of the fire of deprivation and the existence of "the remainder." (The patient) in the distress of striving and discipline; (the truthful) in love and intention; (the devout) in the journey toward Him; (the spenders) of everything other than Him for His sake; (and those who seek forgiveness) for the sins of their coloring and their determinations in the dawns of theophanies.

It is said: The patient are those who have endured the seeking and have not felt shame from fatigue, and have abandoned all comfort and joy, so they have been patient with the trial and rejected complaining until they reached the Master, and nothing of this world or the Hereafter has severed them. The truthful are those who were truthful in the seeking, so they arrived, then were truthful, so they witnessed, then were truthful, so they found, then were truthful, so they were lost; thus their state is intention, then arrival, then witnessing, then finding, then extinction. The devout are those who remained at the door and persisted in drinking the cup of depression and abandoning desires until they realized [the truth of] the Proximity. The spenders are those who gave generously with their souls through actions, then gave generously with their ease through wealth, then gave generously with their hearts through states, then gave generously with every share they had in the immediate and the delayed [life], being consumed in the lights of union. The seekers of forgiveness are those who seek forgiveness for all of that when they return to sobriety at the time of the Lord's descent to the lowest heaven, the shining of the lights of His beauty upon the horizons of the soul, and His call: "Is there any seeker? Is there any seeker of forgiveness? Is there such and such?"

Then, when He—Glory be to Him—praised His beloved ones, the masters of religion, and condemned His enemies, the disbelievers, He followed that with an exposition of the true religion and the Firmest Handhold in the most perfect and emphasized way, saying: ...