Tafsir of Al-Adiyat 100:6

Al-Wahidi said: The root of *kanūd* (ungrateful/unthankful) is preventing what is due—truth, goodness, and what one owes. The *kanūd* land is that which yields no vegetation. There are various interpretations among the exegetes: 1. Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, 'Ikrimah, Al-Dahhak, and Qatadah said: *Al-Kanūd* means the disbeliever (*al-kafūr*). They mentioned that the man famous as Kindah was named so because he estranged ( *kanda*) his father, leading to separation. 2. According to Al-Kalbi, *al-kanūd* means the disobedient in the language of Kindah, the miser in the language of Banu Malik, and the disbeliever in the language of Mudar and Rabi'ah. 3. Abu Umamah narrated from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that: **"Al-Kanūd is the disbeliever who withholds his charity, eats alone, and strikes his slave."** 4. Al-Hasan said: **"Al-Kanūd is one who complains to his Lord about afflictions and hardships, while forgetting the blessings and ease."** This is like His saying: *“But when He tests him and restricts his provision, he says, ‘My Lord has humiliated me.’”* (Al-Fajr: 16)

Know that the meaning of *kanūd* does not deviate from being either disbelief (*kufr*) or grave sin (*fisq*). In either case, it cannot be applied to all people universally. Therefore, it must be interpreted as referring to a specific disbeliever, or if applied generally, the meaning is that the nature of mankind inclines toward this unless God preserves him by His grace and success. The former interpretation (specific person) is the view of the majority. They argue this because Ibn Abbas stated that this verse was revealed concerning Qurṭ ibn 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl al-Qurayshi. Furthermore, the subsequent verse, *“Does he not know when what is in the graves is scattered?”* is only fitting for a disbeliever, as it suggests he denies that event.

The second matter God swore by is His statement: *“And indeed, he is a witness to that.”* There are two opinions regarding this: 1. The human being is a witness to his own ingratitude (*kanūd*). This is either because it is an obvious matter he cannot deny, or because he will testify against himself in the Hereafter and confess his sins. 2. The intended meaning is: **And indeed, God is a witness to that.** This view is preferable because the pronoun usually refers back to the nearest mentioned noun, which here is the Lord (Allah). This serves as a warning and reprimand, as He is recording his deeds. Those who support the first view argue that the following verse, *“And indeed, he is intense in the love of good,”* has the pronoun referring back to the human being. Therefore, the pronoun in the preceding verse must also refer to the human being for better structural coherence (*naẓm*).

The term *al-khayr* (good) here refers to wealth, based on His saying: *“If he leaves behind good [wealth]”* (Al-Baqarah: 180) and *“And when good touches him, he is withholding”* (Al-Ma'arij: 21). This is because people generally consider wealth to be "good," just as God referred to the injuries and harm of war experienced by the Mujahideen as "evil" (*sū’*) in His saying: *“No evil touched them.”* *Al-shadīd* (intense/severe) means the miserly, the one who holds back. It is said, "So-and-so is *shadīdah* (intense/severe) or *mutashaddid* (stubborn/rigid)." Ṭarafah said: > I see death targeting the noble ones, and choosing > The cherished wealth of the stubborn, tight-fisted one. There are several interpretations regarding this verse: 1. It means he is miserly and tight-fisted because of his intense love for wealth. 2. *Al-shadīd* could mean one who is capable and strong. The meaning would then be: He is strong and capable in his love for wealth, preferring the world and seeking it intensely, yet he is weak in the love of worshipping God and thanking His favors. One says, "He is *shadīd* (strong) in this matter and capable of it." 3. It means he is not generous or expansive in his love for good things, but rather constricted and tight. 4. Al-Farra' said: It is possible the meaning is: *“Indeed, he is intense in the love of good,”* meaning he loves wealth, and he loves the fact that he is a lover of it. However, the first love suffices for the second, similar to saying: *“The wind intensified upon him on a stormy day,”* meaning a day where the wind was stormy; the first part suffices for the second. 5. Qaṭrub said: It means he is intensely loving of good, like saying, *“Indeed, he is a striker of Zayd”* (i.e., he strikes Zayd often).

Know that after God listed his ugly deeds, He warned him by saying: *“Does he not know when what is in the graves is scattered?”*