Tafsir of Al-Ahqaf 46:35

The Fa in His saying—Exalted be He—: {So endure patiently as the possessors of determination among the messengers endured} acts as the response to an implied conditional clause. That is, if the consequence of the disbelievers' affair is what has been mentioned, then endure patiently what befalls you from them; or, if the matter is according to what you have verified of His—Exalted be He—dazzling power, {then endure patiently}.

More than one scholar has permitted the view that it is a conjunction linking this sentence to what preceded, with the causal aspect therein being apparent. In al-Bahr, it is restricted to the view that it is for linking this sentence to the reports concerning the Hereafter. He said: The meaning between them is connected, as if it were said: "This is their condition, so do not be hasty; endure patiently, and do not fear anyone but Allah—Mighty and Majestic is He."

"Determination" (al-Azm) refers to seriousness and exertion in a matter, and to patience regarding it. The particle min is explanatory (bayaniyya), as in {So avoid the impurity of idols}. The prepositional phrase is in the position of a state (hal) from "the messengers," and thus "possessors of determination" would be an attribute of them all. Ibn Zayd, al-Juba’i, and a group [of scholars] adhered to this, meaning: "Endure patiently as the messengers endured," [those who are] serious and exerting effort in conveying the revelation, whom no deterrent diverts and no distraction turns away; those who are patient regarding the command of Allah—Exalted be He—in what He—Subhanahu—entrusted to them or what He—Mighty and Majestic is He—decreed and predestined for them, whether through an intermediary or without one.

From ‘Ata al-Khurasani, al-Hasan ibn al-Fadl, al-Kalbi, Muqatil, Qatadah, Abu al-‘Aliyah, and Ibn Jurayj—and the majority of exegetes followed this—is that min denotes partitivity (tab’id), meaning the "possessors of determination" are [only] some of the messengers—upon them be peace. There is disagreement regarding their number and identification based on several opinions:

Al-Hasan ibn al-Fadl said: Eighteen, and they are those mentioned in Surah al-An’am, because He—Subhanahu—said after mentioning them: {So by their guidance, follow}.

It is said: Nine. Nuh (Noah)—peace be upon him—endured the harm of his people for a long time; Ibrahim (Abraham)—peace be upon him—endured being cast into the fire; the Sacrificed One (al-Dhabih)—peace be upon him—endured what was intended for him regarding the sacrifice; Ya’qub (Jacob)—peace be upon him—endured the loss of his son; Yusuf (Joseph)—peace be upon him—endured the well and the prison; Ayyub (Job)—peace be upon him—endured the affliction; Musa (Moses)—peace be upon him—when his people said to him, {Indeed, we are to be overtaken}, he replied, {Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me}; Dawud (David)—peace be upon him—wept over his sin for forty years; and ‘Isa (Jesus)—peace be upon him—did not build a brick, saying: "It [the world] is a bridge; pass over it, and do not build it up."

It is said: Seven: Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Dawud, Sulayman (Solomon), and ‘Isa—upon them be peace.

It is said: Six, and they are those commanded to fight: Nuh, Hud, Salih, Musa, Dawud, and Sulayman. Ibn Marduyah narrated this from Ibn ‘Abbas.

From Muqatil it is narrated that they are six, but he did not mention the narrative regarding the command to fight; he said: They are Nuh, Ibrahim, Ishaq (Isaac), Ya’qub, Yusuf, and Ayyub.

Ibn ‘Asakir narrated from Qatadah that they are Nuh, Hud, Ibrahim, Shu’ayb, and Musa—upon them be peace. Its outward sense implies the opinion that they are five.

‘Abd al-Razzaq, ‘Abd ibn Humayd, and Ibn al-Mundhir narrated from him that they are Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, and ‘Isa. Its outward sense implies the opinion that they are four, and this is the most correct of opinions.

The statement of Jalal al-Suyuti—that the most correct of them is the opinion that they are five: these four and our Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace and them all—is narrated by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Marduyah from Ibn ‘Abbas, and it is the view narrated from Abu Ja’far and Ibn ‘Abd Allah from the Imams of the Household (Ahl al-Bayt)—may Allah be pleased with them. Some prominent scholars arranged them, saying: "The possessors of determination are Nuh, the glorified Friend [Ibrahim], Musa, ‘Isa, and the Beloved, Muhammad." This is based on the [assumption] that they became such after the revelation of the verse, and that our Prophet—upon him be peace and prayer—imitated those he was commanded to imitate. However, it does not mean that the most correct opinion is that they are intended in the verse as those five specifically—may Allah bless him and them all—for it would necessitate that he—upon him be peace and prayer—was commanded to endure patiently as he himself endures, and that is hardly correct.

According to this is the statement of Abu al-‘Aliyah, in what was narrated by ‘Abd ibn Humayd, Abu al-Shaykh, al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman, and Ibn ‘Asakir from him, that they are three: Nuh, Ibrahim, and Hud, and the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is the fourth among them. Perhaps the most appropriate [interpretation] of the verse is the first opinion, even if "possessors of determination" later became exclusively reserved for those five—upon them be peace and prayer—when used absolutely, due to their fame for that, as is the case with prominent titles. It is as if it were said: Endure patiently the call to the truth and the endurance of hardships absolutely, as your brothers the messengers before you endured.

{And do not be hasty for them}—that is, for the disbelievers of Makkah—{with the punishment}. Meaning: do not pray for its hastening, for it is on the verge of descending upon them.

{As if they, on the Day they see what they are promised}—of punishment—{they had not remained}—in the world—{except for an hour of a day}. [This is] because of what they witness of the severity of the torment and the shortening of its duration. Ubayy read: {of the day}.

His saying—Exalted be He—{A notification}: This is a predicate for an omitted subject, meaning: "This which you have been admonished with is sufficient as a notification," or "a conveying from the Messenger." Some made the reference to the Qur'an, or to what was mentioned of the Surah. Interpreting "notification" as "a conveying" is supported by the reading of Abu Mijlaz and Abu Siraj al-Hudhali: {Balligh (Convey!)} in the imperative form for him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and also by the reading of Abu Mijlaz in a narration: {Ballagha (He has conveyed)} in the past tense of the causative form. Abu Hayyan considered it most likely that the reference is to what was mentioned of the duration they remained, as if it were said: "That hour is their notification," just as He—Exalted be He—said: {A small enjoyment}.

Abu Mijlaz said: {Balaghun} (Notification) is a subject whose predicate is His saying—Exalted be He—{for them} [which appeared] previously. Thus, one pauses at {do not be hasty} and starts with His saying—Exalted be He—{for them}, and the simile sentence would be a parenthetical between the subject and the predicate. The meaning is: "For them is an end and a reaching a time when the punishment will descend upon them." This is very weak, due to the separation it creates and its opposition to the apparent connection of {for them} to {do not be hasty}.

Al-Hasan, Zayd ibn ‘Ali, and ‘Isa read: {Balaghan} (in the accusative case), under the estimation of "convey a notification," or "we have conveyed a notification," or similar. It was also read: {Balaghin} (in the genitive case), as an adjective for "day."

{Then will any be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people?}—[those who are] departing from admonition or from obedience. In the verse is such [a degree] of threat and warning as there is. Ibn Muhaysin read, as narrated by Ibn Khalawayh: {Yuhlaku} (in the passive voice). Also from him is {Yahlaku} (with a fatha on the ya and the lam), and its past tense is halaka (with a kasra on the lam), which is a dialect. Abu al-Fath said: "It is undesirable." Zayd ibn Thabit read: {Nuhliku} (with the nun of majesty, meaning "we destroy").

This verse—namely, His saying—Exalted be He—{As if they...} until {the defiantly disobedient people}—has in some traditions that which suggests it has a [particular] property among the verses of this Surah. Al-Tabarani narrated in al-Du’a from Anas, from the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—that he said: "When you seek a need and you wish for it to succeed, say: There is no god but Allah alone, no partner has He, the All-High, the Almighty. There is no god but Allah alone, no partner has He, the Clement, the Generous. In the name of Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Clement. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Great Throne. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. As if they, on the day they see it, had not remained except for an evening or its morning. As if they, on the day they see what they are promised, had not remained except for an hour of a day. A notification. Then will any be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people? O Allah, I ask You for the requirements of Your mercy, the resolves of Your forgiveness, safety from every sin, the booty from every righteousness, success in Paradise, and salvation from the Fire. O Allah, do not leave for me a sin except that You have forgiven it, nor a worry except that You have relieved it, nor a debt except that You have settled it, nor a need among the needs of the world and the Hereafter except that You have fulfilled it, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful."