Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:26-27

Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:26-27)

[2:26] Indeed, Allah is not ashamed to present a parable even that of a gnat or anything smaller than it. As for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as a parable?" He misleads thereby many and guides thereby many. But He misleads thereby only those who are defiantly disobedient,

[2:27] Who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and sever what Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth. Those are the losers.

After Allah (Exalted is He) established the miraculous nature of the Qur'an through proof, the disbelievers raised a doubt against it here, which Allah then answered.

The core of their doubt was: The Qur'an mentions insects like bees, flies, spiders, and ants. It is not fitting for eloquent speakers to mention such lowly things. Their inclusion in the Qur'an detracts from its eloquence, let alone its miraculous status.

Allah answered by stating that mentioning small things does not detract from eloquence if their mention involves profound wisdom. This connects this verse to the preceding context.

Issue 1: The Occasion of Revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul)

There are several views regarding the specific event that prompted this verse:

1. View 1 (Ibn Abbas): When the verse in Surah Al-Hajj ({O mankind, an example is set forth, so listen to it...} [22:73]) was revealed, which likened idol worship to the spider's web, the Jews objected, asking: What status do flies and spiders have that Allah should use them as examples? This verse was then revealed.
2. View 2: The hypocrites objected to the parables used in verses concerning fire, darkness, thunder, and lightning (e.g., {The parable of those who kindle a fire...} [2:17]).
3. View 3: The polytheists objected to the use of such examples.

Al-Qaffal’s Analysis: All three possibilities are plausible here.

• Regarding the Jews: The end of the verse mentions: “And He misleads thereby only the defiantly disobedient, who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation.” This describes the Jews, as the command to fulfill covenants was primarily directed to the Children of Israel.
• Regarding the Disbelievers and Hypocrites: Surah Al-Muddaththir mentions: “And those in whose hearts is disease and the disbelievers, [they will say], 'What did Allah intend by this as a parable?'” (74:31-32). "Those in whose hearts is disease" refers to the hypocrites, and "the disbelievers" can include the polytheists, as that Surah is Meccan. Thus, both groups are included here.

Since the Jews, hypocrites, and polytheists all agreed in harming the Prophet (PBUH), and the preceding verses of this Surah have already mentioned all three groups, the possibility of objection from any of them remains valid. Al-Qaffal also suggested that the verse might have been revealed ab initio (without a specific preceding incident) because its meaning is inherently beneficial.

Issue 2: The Concept of Haya' (Shame/Modesty) in Relation to Allah

Haya' (modesty/shame) is defined as a change and constraint that befalls a person out of fear of being blamed or censured. It is derived from the root Hayāh (life), as the feeling of shame makes one feel constrained or weakened in spirit.

Impossibility of Haya' for Allah: Since Haya' involves physical change and constraint, it is impossible for Allah (Exalted is He), as these attributes belong only to bodies.

The Hadith: However, the concept appears in authentic Hadith, such as the Prophet (PBUH) saying: "Indeed, Allah, the Most High, is Modest (Hayy) and Generous (Karīm). He is modest of a servant when he raises his hands to Him, that He should return them empty."

Interpretation (Ta'wīl): This necessitates interpretation, which has two approaches:

1. The General Principle: When a quality associated with bodies is attributed to Allah, it must be understood as referring to the ultimate consequence (the end point) of that quality, not its initial physical manifestation.
   • Example (Shame): Shame in humans has a beginning (physical change due to fear of censure) and an end (abandoning the reprehensible act). When attributed to Allah, it means abandoning the action (i.e., not returning the hands empty), not the initial physical fear.
   • Example (Anger/Ghadab): Anger in humans has a beginning (boiling of the heart's blood, desire for vengeance) and an end (inflicting punishment). When attributed to Allah, it means inflicting punishment, not the physical/emotional beginning.

2. Response to the Objection: The phrase might be a direct response to the disbelievers' objection: "Is the Lord of Muhammad not modest (ashamed) to set forth a parable using a fly and a spider?" In this case, the statement is an eloquent rhetorical device matching the question.

Al-Qadi's View: What is impossible to affirm for Allah must also be negated in a specific manner. We cannot simply say "He is not modest" (lā yastahyī), as this implies the negation of a quality that could potentially be ascribed to Him (in a non-physical sense). Just as Allah negates sleep or slumber ({Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him} [2:255]), these are specific negations that affirm His perfection, not general denials of all attributes.

Counter-Argument: One might argue that since these attributes are negated from Allah, affirming their negation is truthful and thus permissible. Rebuttal: Affirming the negation does not necessarily imply the existence of the opposite attribute in a way that requires specific mention; if the opposite were better stated, it would have been done so.

Issue 3: The Wisdom of Using Parables with Humble Things

Using parables is intellectually commendable for several reasons:

1. Universal Acceptance: Both Arabs and non-Arabs utilize them.
   • Arabs: They frequently used examples from the most insignificant things (e.g., "more collected than a gnat," "more audacious than a fly," "weaker than a moth," "tasking me with the marrow of a gnat" meaning an impossible task).
   • Non-Arabs: Evidenced by works like Kalila wa Dimna, which features stories involving gnats and other small creatures.

2. Precedent in Scripture: Jesus (PBUH) used parables involving humble things in the Gospel (e.g., the parable of the wheat and the darnel, the mustard seed). The interpretation provided in the text follows the Gospel narrative, explaining how the wheat represents the righteous, the darnel represents sins sown by Iblis, and the harvest represents the angels separating them.

The text further cites other parables used by Jesus involving humble things: the sieve, stones, storing treasures away from pests, creatures receiving sustenance without labor, and avoiding wasps or fools.

Intellectual Justification: The faculty of imagination (khayāl) naturally seeks imitation and resemblance. When a meaning is presented alone, the intellect grasps it, but often with resistance from the imagination. When a simile is added, the intellect grasps it with the imagination's cooperation, resulting in a more complete understanding. If parables aid clarity, they must be used in a Book whose purpose is clarification.

Addressing the Objection: The claim that using humble things is unworthy of Allah is ignorance. Allah created both the small and the great, and His wisdom encompasses all creation equally. The small is no less subject to His power than the large. The criterion for choosing a parable is suitability for the context. If the context demands illustrating weakness or insignificance (as in the case of idols), then the fly or spider is more appropriate than an elephant or camel. Using the fly illustrates that idols offer no defense against harm, and the spider's web illustrates that idol worship is the weakest structure. The humbler the comparison, the stronger and clearer the parable.

Issue 4: Grammatical Analysis of Baʿūḍah (Gnat)

Regarding the phrase {or anything smaller than it} (which implies the gnat):

• Al-Aṣamm's View: The mā (in mā fawqahā) is an extra particle (mā zā’idah), like in {So by the mercy of Allah...} [3:159].
• Abu Muslim's View (Preferred): It is impossible for the Qur'an to contain superfluous or idle words, as Allah described it as guidance and clarification.

Readings of Baʿūḍah (Gnat):

1. Accusative Case (Naṣb):
   • View 1: Mā is indeclinable (mabnī), functioning to make the following indefinite noun (baʿūḍah) more general and less specific. (Example: If you ask for "a book," you might mean any book; if you say "the book," you mean a specific one.)
   • View 2: Mā is indefinite, and the noun (baʿūḍah) acts as a specification (tafsīr) for the generic noun (mithalan).

2. Nominative Case (Rafʿ):
   • View 1: Mā is relative (mawṣūlah), and its predicate (ṣilah) is the implied sentence (e.g., "the thing that is a gnat"), where the subject is omitted, similar to {a completion for those who did good} [6:154].
   • View 2: Mā is interrogative. After stating the principle, it is as if Allah asks: "What, a gnat, or anything above it, that He should set an example with it?" Rather, He can use examples far smaller, similar to saying, "So-and-so does not care what he gives away—not a dinar or two dinars," meaning he gives away much more.

Issue 5: The Meaning of Ḍaraba (Setting Forth)

The author of Al-Kashshāf states that ḍaraba al-mathal (setting forth a parable) means establishing and forming it, similar to ḍarb al-laban (curdling milk) or ḍarb al-khātim (stamping a seal).

Issue 6: Grammatical Status of Baʿūḍah

• If Accusative: It is either an appositive (ʿaṭf bayān) to mithalan, or the object of yaḍribu (if mā is relative/indefinite), or the second object of yaḍribu (if mā implies jaʿala—making). If mā is explanatory, then mithalan is an adverbial accusative (ḥāl).
• If Nominative: It is the predicate of an implied subject. If mā is relative, descriptive, or interrogative, the case is clear. If mā is indefinite, it functions as an answer to an implied question: "What is it?" Answer: "A gnat."

Issue 7: Etymology of Baʿūḍah (Gnat)

• View 1 (Preferred): Derived from baʿḍ (to cut/sever), like baḍʿ or ʿaḍb. The gnat is a piece (baʿḍah) of creation. It was originally an adjective (faʿūl pattern) that became a noun.
• View 2: Derived from baʿḍ (a small part) because of its small size relative to the whole.

Wonder of Creation: The gnat is extremely small, yet its proboscis, though tiny and hollow, can pierce the thick skin of an elephant or buffalo, due to the venom Allah placed at its tip.

Issue 8: Meaning of {or anything smaller than it} (mā fawqahā)

There are two main interpretations for fawqahā (above it):

1. Greater in Size: Meaning things physically larger than the gnat, such as the fly, spider, donkey, or dog—all things the people objected to.
2. Greater in Smallness (More Minute): Meaning things smaller than the gnat. The scholars lean toward this view for several reasons:
   • Goal of Humiliation: The purpose is to humiliate the idols. The more contemptible the comparison, the more complete the intended effect.
   • Degree of Contempt: In contexts of enduring humiliation for gain, the lesser gain requires greater endurance of shame. Similarly, the comparison should be to something more contemptible.
   • Subtlety of Creation: The smaller something is, the harder it is to comprehend its secrets. Using something at the extreme limit of smallness points more strongly to perfect wisdom than using a large object.

Arguments for View 1 (Greater Size):

1. The word fawq (above) denotes superiority/height. (Example: Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said regarding praise: "I am below what you say and above what is in your mind," meaning higher than what you think.)
2. How could Allah use an example smaller than the gnat, which is the ultimate in smallness?

Rebuttal to View 1:

1. Fawq can denote superiority in a specific attribute. If something is "above" another in baseness (lu’m), it means it possesses more baseness. Thus, "above it in smallness" means more small than it.
2. The wing of a gnat is smaller than the gnat itself, and the Prophet (PBUH) used it as a parable for the world.

Issue 9: The Function of Amma (As for)

Amma carries a conditional sense, often answered by fa (then). It serves to emphasize the statement. Using it to begin both clauses (the believers' affirmation and the disbelievers' condemnation) is a great commendation for the believers' acceptance of the truth and a severe rebuke to the disbelievers for their objection.

Issue 10: Meaning of Al-Ḥaqq (The Truth)

Al-Ḥaqq is the established reality that cannot be denied.

Issue 11: Analysis of Mādhā (What)

Mādhā can be:

1. Two words: Mā (relative pronoun, meaning "that which") + dhā (demonstrative pronoun). In this case, the phrase is nominative (maḥall al-rafʿ) as a subject, with dhā and its predicate as the predicate.
2. One compound word: Mādhā functions as a single unit, in which case it is accusative (maḥall al-naṣb) in the sense of a single interrogative phrase, like saying mā arāda Allāh.

Issue 12: The Nature of Divine Will (Irādah)

Will is an essence that a rational being finds within himself, distinct from knowledge, power, pain, or pleasure.

Theologians' Definition: Will is an attribute that necessitates the preference of one possibility over another, not in occurrence, but in execution (to distinguish it from Power).

Disagreement on Allah's Will:

• Najjāriyyah: It is a negative attribute, meaning Allah is not overpowered or coerced.
• Affirmative Attributes:
  • Jāḥiẓ, Kaʿbī, Abū al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī: It means Allah's knowledge that the action contains the greatest benefit (maṣlaḥah). They call this knowledge the "caller" or "diverter."
  • Our Companions (Ashʿarīs), Abū ʿAlī, Abū Hāshim, and their followers: It is an attribute additional to knowledge. This attribute is either:
    • Essential (Dhātiyyah): (Second view of the Najjāriyyah).
    • Accidental (Maʿnawiyyah):
      • Eternal (Qadīm): The Ashʿarī position.
      • Created (Ḥādith):
        • Existing in Allah: The Karāmiyyah position.
        • Existing in another body: (No one holds this view).
        • Existing without a location: The view of Abū ʿAlī, Abū Hāshim, and their followers.

Issue 13: Pronoun Reference and Scorn

• The pronoun in {that it is the Truth} refers either to the parable or to the act of setting forth the parable.
• The phrase {What did Allah intend by this as a parable?} carries scorn/contempt, similar to what ʿĀ’ishah (RA) said regarding ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ: "How strange is this son of ʿAmr!"

Issue 14: Grammatical Status of Mithalan

It is accusative either as a specification (tamyīz) (e.g., "What did you intend by this as an answer?") or as an adverbial accusative (ḥāl) (e.g., {This is the she-camel of Allah for you as a sign...} [2:63]).

Issue 15: Guidance (Hidāyah) and Misguidance (Iḍlāl)

When the disbelievers scorned the Qur'an by saying, {What did Allah intend by this as a parable?}, Allah responded: {He misleads thereby many and guides thereby many}. We will discuss guidance and misguidance here as a foundational reference for all related verses.

I. Misguidance (Iḍlāl)

The Hamzah (initial 'a' sound) in aḍalla (He misled) sometimes denotes causation (transitive form), like kharaja (he went out) vs. akhraja (he made go out). It can also denote finding something, as in the saying of ʿAmr ibn Maʿdīkarib: "We fought you, but we did not find you cowardly," meaning we did not find you to be cowards.

Two Meanings of Divine Misguidance (Aḍallahu):

1. He made him astray (created the state of error in him).
2. He left him astray (abandoned him in his error).

Analysis of Meaning 1 (Creating Error): This meaning implies leading someone astray from something.

• From Religion: This is the meaning used for Iblis and Pharaoh: calling people away from religion and making it seem ugly. The Ummah is unanimously agreed that Allah (Exalted is He) cannot be described this way, as He forbids disbelief and warns against it.
• From Paradise: The Muʿtazilah hold this view, claiming it is the literal meaning.

Refutation of the Jabr (Predestination) View (Allah creates the error): The Muʿtazilah refute this based on linguistic and rational evidence:

1. Linguistically: One who prevents another from a path by force is said to have prevented him (manaʿahu), not misled him (aḍallahu). Misleading implies confusing the path with doubts.
2. Attribution: Iblis and Pharaoh are called misleaders, yet they did not create the error in the hearts of those who followed them (by agreement). If the title Muḍill (misleader) is applied while denying the creation of error, then Iḍlāl does not mean creating error.
3. Reciprocity: Misguidance is the opposite of guidance. If one can say, "I guided him, but he was not guided," then one should be able to say, "I misled him, but he was not misled." This contradicts the idea that Allah creates the error.

Refutation of the Jabr View (Rational Evidence):

1. If Allah creates error in a servant and then commands him to believe, He commands the combination of opposites, which is foolishness and injustice (Allah is not unjust).
2. If Allah creates error/ignorance, He would not be clarifying what He commands, yet the Ummah agrees He is the Clarifier.
3. If Allah creates error and prevents faith, sending Messengers and Books is futile, as striving for the impossible is foolish.
4. Many verses state that nothing prevents people from believing except their own denial (e.g., {What prevented the people... from believing when guidance came to them?} [17:94]).
5. Allah condemns Iblis and his followers for misleading, commanding us to seek refuge from them. If Allah misled them in the same way, He would deserve the same condemnation and enmity.
6. Allah attributes misleading others to Pharaoh and Iblis. If Allah were the creator of that error, He would be falsely accusing them or sharing the blame, which is impossible.
7. Verses attribute misguidance to Allah only after describing the person as already disobedient (e.g., {He misleads thereby only the defiantly disobedient...} [2:26]). This implies the misguidance is a consequence, not the initial creation of the sin.
8. Allah negates the divinity of idols because they do not guide to truth. If Allah misled, He would equal them in misguidance, or surpass them (since idols neither guide nor mislead, while Allah would guide and mislead).
9. Misguidance is described as a retribution for prior bad deeds. If the error were the very thing they were already doing, the punishment would be punishing them with what they already commit (like punishing adultery with adultery), which is invalid.
10. The verse explicitly states this misguidance happens after they become transgressors by breaking the covenant, showing the misguidance is distinct from their initial transgression.
11. Allah explains His misguidance as either a test/trial (e.g., through ambiguous verses, where the deviant follows the ambiguous parts) or as punishment/chastisement (e.g., chains in the Fire).

Acceptable Interpretations (If Iḍlāl means leading away from religion):

1. Causation/Association: The thing causes the misguidance, even if it doesn't create it (e.g., {Idols have led many people astray} [14:36]). The verses/parables are the test that leads the disbeliever to further error.
2. Naming/Judgment: Aḍallahu means He named him astray or judged him as such (similar to akfarahu—He judged him a disbeliever).
3. Abandonment (Takhliyah): Leaving him to his own error without forceful prevention. This is used idiomatically when a father neglects his son's education.
4. Punishment/Torment: Iḍlāl means torment, as seen in verses linking it to the Fire (e.g., {Indeed, the criminals are in error and in Fierce Fire} [54:47]).
5. Annulment/Destruction: Similar to {Allah has made their deeds fruitless} [47:1], meaning He nullified them.

Muʿtazilah Interpretation (Misguidance from Paradise): They argue that the verse simply states Allah misleads them, and they interpret this as misleading them from the path to Paradise.

Other Interpretations:

• Finding: Aḍallahu means He found him astray (but this contradicts the use of the causative Hamzah and the preposition bi—"by it").
• Part of the Disbelievers' Speech: The phrase {He misleads many and guides many} is part of the disbelievers' scornful speech, which Allah then refutes with {But He misleads thereby only the defiantly disobedient}. (The Jabr proponents reject this, noting the structure and its appearance elsewhere as divine speech.)

The Jabr Rebuttal to Muʿtazilah Arguments: The Jabr school argues that the Muʿtazilah's arguments fail due to three insurmountable rational obstacles:

1. The Caller (Dāʿī): If Allah is capable of both guidance and error, why choose one over the other?
2. Knowledge (Sealing Hearts): (Referencing previous discussion on {Allah has set a seal upon their hearts}).
3. Human Action: If the servant creates the action, he only intends knowledge and guidance, never ignorance and error. If he mistakes ignorance for knowledge, he chose error initially, which is impossible, or this mistake stems from a prior mistake, leading to infinite regress.
4. Non-Acquired Knowledge: Conceptions, self-evident judgments, and all theoretical judgments are not acquired by choice. If they were, they would either be necessarily true (and thus not subject to choice) or not necessarily true (and thus not knowledge).

Rebuttal to Muʿtazilah Interpretations (Guidance/Misguidance):

• Interpretation 1 (Test/Trial): If the ambiguous verses have an effect in tipping the scales toward error, then this leads to Jabr (compulsion), as the preference leads to necessity (as argued previously regarding sealing hearts). If they have no effect, then the misguidance is unrelated to the verses, like the creaking of a door.
• Interpretation 2 (Naming): If Allah names him astray, and the servant does not commit the act, Allah's true statement becomes false, which is impossible. This forces the servant to commit the act, leading back to Jabr.
• Interpretation 3 (Abandonment): This is only called misguidance if the father should have prevented the greater harm. Here, preventing the error would lead to a greater harm (compulsion), so abandonment is not blameworthy.
• Interpretation 4 (Torment): Al-Qaffal argues that {in error and fierce fire} [54:47] means error from truth in this life and torment in the Hereafter.
• Interpretation 5 (Annihilation): This is contradicted by {and guides thereby many}.
• Interpretation 6 (Misleading from Paradise): Weak, because the verse says He misleads by the parable, which is an immediate cause, whereas misguidance from Paradise is due to prior acts of disobedience.
• Interpretation 7 (Finding): Contradicted by the use of the causative Hamzah and the preposition bi.
• Interpretation 8 (Part of Disbelievers' Speech): This breaks the coherence of the verse structure, especially in Surah Al-Muddaththir where the phrase is clearly divine speech.

II. Guidance (Hidāyah)

Guidance has several meanings:

1. Guidance as Indication/Clarification (Dalālah): The revelation of proof (e.g., {If guidance comes to you from Me...} [2:38]). This is proven by verses where guidance has already come, yet people chose error (e.g., {But when guidance came to them... they turned away} [5:70]).
2. Guidance as Calling/Inviting: (e.g., {and indeed, you guide to a straight path} [42:52]; {And for every people there is a guide} [13:7]).
3. Guidance as Divine Success/Tawfīq: A reward granted to believers through subtle favors that aid them in obedience and increase them in faith. This is the opposite of the withdrawal of such aid from the disbelievers. Evidence: {And those who are guided - He increases them in guidance} [47:17]. This guidance is distinct from mere clarification.
4. Guidance to the Path of Paradise: (e.g., {and guide them to a straight path} [4:175]). This is the interpretation favored by Al-Jubbā’ī.
5. Guidance as Precedence/Leading Forward: (e.g., Hadaytu fulānan means I put him ahead of me).
6. Guidance as Judgment/Naming: Judging someone as guided, similar to how {Allah has not ordained...} [5:103] means "Allah has not legislated."

The Jabr View on Guidance: The Jabr school holds that guidance means creating the guidance and knowledge in the servant. The Qadariyyah (Muʿtazilah) refute this because:

1. Linguistically, one who forces someone onto a path is said to drag him, not guide him.
2. If guidance is created by Allah, then commands, prohibitions, reward, and punishment become void. If the servant "acquires" it, this acquisition must either be created by Allah (leading back to compulsion) or not created by Allah (which is the Muʿtazilah view). If both occur simultaneously, this requires an infinite chain of agreements, which is impossible.

Issue 16: Why "Many" (Kathīran)?

Why are those guided and those misled described as "many," when other verses state that the grateful are few ({And few of My servants are grateful} [34:13])?

Answer: The guided are numerous in reality. When described as few, it is in comparison to the multitude of the misguided. Furthermore, the few guided ones are great in reality, so they are called "many" in reference to their true status.

Issue 17: Definition of Fāsiq (Defiantly Disobedient)

Linguistically, fasaqa means to exit or peel away (like a date exiting its husk). Thus, a fāsiq is one who exits obedience.

Theological Status:

• Ahl al-Sunnah: He is a believer (mu’min).
• Khawārij: He is a disbeliever (kāfir).
• Muʿtazilah: He is neither a believer nor a disbeliever (in the intermediate status, manzilah bayna al-manzilatayn).

This is a lengthy topic discussed in Kalam (theology).

Issue 18: Meaning of {Who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation}

1. General Covenant: The proofs Allah established upon His servants regarding the necessity of monotheism and the truthfulness of the Messengers. Breaking this means abandoning monotheism after the proofs were established. This interpretation allows the verse to apply generally to all who stray.
2. Specific Oath: Refers to the oath taken by the People of the Book: {And they took by Allah their strongest oaths that if a warner came to them, they would be more guided than any of the nations...} [35:42]. When the warner came, they turned away, thus breaking their oath.
3. Covenant with the People of the Book: The covenant taken upon them in their scriptures to believe in Muhammad (PBUH).
4. Primal Covenant (from the state of atoms): The covenant mentioned in {And [mention] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants...} [7:172]. (Theologians reject this as a basis for accountability since the memory of it is lost.)
5. Three Covenants: The covenant of Lordship taken from all Adam's progeny; the covenant taken from the Prophets to deliver the message; and the covenant taken from the scholars to explain the Scripture.

The first interpretation (General Covenant) is preferred because it is comprehensive and the blame is stronger as it relates to breaking a covenant established by overwhelming evidence.

Issue 19: Meaning of {and sever what Allah has ordered to be joined}

1. Severing Kinship: Breaking ties of kinship, which Allah commanded to be maintained. This also implies they severed the kinship ties between themselves and the Prophet (PBUH).
2. Severing Ties with Believers: Allah commanded them to join their rope with the rope of the believers, but they severed that connection and joined the disbelievers.
3. Causing Strife: They were forbidden from conflict and inciting sedition, yet they were engaged in it.

Issue 20: Meaning of {and spread corruption on earth}

The most apparent meaning is corruption that extends beyond the individual, such as preventing obedience to the Messenger, as complete righteousness on earth depends on obedience to the Law, which prevents transgression against others and establishes justice.

The Consequence: {Those are the losers (al-khāsirūn)}

1. Loss of Paradise: Everyone has a dwelling in Paradise. If one obeys, he finds it; if he disobeys, the believers inherit it.
2. Loss of Good Deeds: Their good deeds are nullified by their disbelief, yielding no reward. This applies especially to the Jews and hypocrites whose outward actions appeared righteous.
3. Loss of Immediate Pleasures: They cling to immediate pleasures, which are fleeting either upon the permission for Jihad or upon death.

Al-Qaffal's Summary: Khusran (loss) is a general term for anyone who performs an action without receiving commensurate benefit. They are called losers because they exert effort in acts of disobedience without gaining anything worthwhile in return.

[2:28] How do you disbelieve in Allah while you were dead and He gave you life? Then He will give you death, then will bring you to life [again], and then to Him you will return.