Tafsir of Fatir 35:37

"And they cry out therein"—Iftial (a morphological form) from al-surakh, which is intense shouting. Its root is istarakhu, where the ta was replaced with a ta (emphatic), and it is frequently used for seeking aid because one who seeks aid often shouts. Qatada interpreted it here as: "They seek aid therein," and their seeking of aid is directed toward Allah—the Almighty and Majestic—evidenced by what follows. It is also said that they call out to one another due to their confusion, but that is not as strong.

"Our Lord, take us out, we will do righteousness other than what we used to do"—this implies an unstated verb of speaking. That is, they say it, whether connected by a conjunction or without one, as an explanation of what preceded it, or as a state (hal) referring to their pronoun. Restricting the "righteous deed" with the aforementioned description is a lament for what they did that was not righteous, while acknowledging it and signaling that their request for exit is to rectify it; thus, it is a confirmatory description. Because they used to think they were doing well, it is as if they said: "We will do a righteous deed other than what we used to think was righteous, so we will do it," making the description restrictive.

Abu al-Baqa' mentioned that "righteous" and "other than what" may both be adjectives for an omitted verbal noun or an omitted object. It is also possible that "righteous" is an adjective for a verbal noun and "other than what" is the object of "we do." Regardless, the intent is: "Take us out of the Fire and return us to the world so we may do righteous deeds." It is as if they meant by "righteous deeds" monotheism, compliance with the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and submission to him. From Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) it is reported that he said: "We will do righteous deeds" means the declaration of La ilaha illa Allah.

"Did We not grant you lives long enough for whoever would remember to remember?"—this is a response from His side—Exalted is He—and a reproach to them in the Hereafter when they say "Our Lord," etc. It is under the estimation of "We say to them" or "It is said to them." In some reports, they are answered with this after the duration of the world has passed. The interrogative particle (hamza) is for denial, and the waw is a conjunction to an implied element required by the context. "Ma" (what) is relative or descriptive, meaning: "Did We not grant you respite and grant you a long life—the life in which, or a life in which, whoever wants to remember could remember?" That is, a life in which whoever possessed the will to remember and reflect was enabled to do so.

Abu Hayyan said: "Ma" is a source-denoting particle (masdariyyah) of time (zarfiyyah), meaning: "Did We not grant you a long life during a period of remembering?" This is countered by the fact that the pronoun in "fihi" (in it) rejects this, as no pronoun can return to it except according to the view of al-Akhfash, who considers it a noun—and that view is weak. Perhaps he makes the pronoun refer to the "life" (al-umr) understood from "nuammirkum" (we grant you a long life), though there is a remoteness in that. Making "ma" a negative particle is incorrect, as Ibn al-Hajib said, both in wording and meaning.

As for this "long life," it is reported from Ali (may Allah's face be honored)—and a group extracted it, and al-Hakim authenticated it from Ibn Abbas—that it is sixty years. Imam Ahmad, al-Bukhari, al-Nasa'i, and others extracted from Sahl ibn Sa'd that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah the Almighty has left no excuse for a man whose life He has prolonged until he reaches sixty years." It is also said it is fifty years, and in one narration from Ibn Abbas, it is forty-six years. Abu ibn Humayd and Ibn Abi Hatim extracted from al-Hasan that it is forty years, and in another report from him, that it is the age of puberty. Others say seventeen years, Qatada says eighteen years, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz says twenty years, and Mujahid says between twenty and sixty. Al-A'mash recited it as "ma yadhakkaru fihi man adhkkara," using assimilation and bringing a hamzat al-wasl that is pronounced during the flow of speech.

"And the warner came to you"—this is a conjunction linked to the meaning of the interrogative sentence. It is as if it were said: "We granted you long life, and the warner came to you." Thus, it is not a conjunction of a declarative sentence to an initiating one, as in His saying: "Did We not expand for you your chest, and relieved you of your burden?" It is permitted that it be a conjunction to "grant you long life" with the interrogative particle entering upon both; so do not be inattentive.

The intended meaning of the "warner," according to what is reported from al-Suddi and Ibn Zayd, is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is also said to be the Quran that is with him. Abu Hayyan said: The meaning is the genus of "warner," meaning the prophets (peace be upon them), for every prophet is a warner to his nation. This is supported by the fact that it is recited as "al-nudhur," which is the plural. From Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, Waki', al-Husayn ibn al-Fadl, al-Farra', and al-Tabari, it means "gray hair." In a narration: "There is no hair that turns white but it says to its neighbor, 'Prepare, for death has approached.'" From this it was said: "I saw gray hair as a warner of death to its owner, and enough as a warner you have." And a woman said, "You dye your hair, my beloved, and darken the hair that has grayed with perfume," and I said to her, "Graying is the warner of my life, and I will not darken the face of the warner." Others say it is fever, others say the death of family and relatives, and others say the attainment of mental maturity. The confinement to "the warner" is because it is what the context requires.

The "fa" in His saying, "So taste," is for the sequence of the command to taste upon what preceded it of granting long life and the coming of the warner. In His saying, Exalted is He, "there is no helper for the wrongdoers," it is for causality. The meaning of "wrongdoing" here is disbelief. It is said that the apparent reading should have been "there is no helper for you," but the explicit noun was used to upbraid them. The intent is the persistence of the negation that they should have any helper to push the punishment away from them.