Tā-Hā: (128–130) Have they not been guided...

It is known that after the Almighty explained how those who turn away from His Reminder will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection, He followed it up with what the accountable person should consider regarding the states that occurred in this world to those who denied the Messengers.

He said: {أَفَلَمْ يَهْدِ لَهُمْ} (Have they not been guided?). The common recitation is with a yā’ (يَهْدِ) [implying a third-person masculine singular subject]. The subject is His saying: {كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا} (How many [generations] We destroyed). Al-Qaffāl said: He made the abundance of generations He destroyed a clarification for them, just as He made a similar thing a warning and deterrence for them. Abū ‘Abd al-Raḥmān al-Sulamī recited it as {أَفَلَمْ نَهْدِ لَهُمْ} (Have We not guided them) with a nūn. Al-Zajjāj said: Meaning, have We not made clear to them a clarification by which they would be guided if they reflected and pondered?

As for His saying: {كَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا}, the intent is to emphasize the vast number of past generations destroyed by Allāh the Almighty. By His saying: {وَيَمْشُونَ فِي مَسَاكِنِهِمْ} (and they walk in their dwellings), He means that the Quraysh witness those great signs indicating the blessings they once enjoyed and the various kinds of destruction that befell them. Witnessing has a power of admonition that other things lack.

He clarified that in those signs there are signs for those who possess intellect ({لِأُولِي النُّهَى}). This refers to people of intellect. It is more likely that nuhā (intellect/reason) has a distinction over ‘aql (intellect), because nuhā is only used for someone who possesses an intellect that restrains him from base actions, just as saying ulū al-‘azm (those of firm resolve) has a distinction over ulū al-ḥazm (those of prudence). Therefore, some said it refers to the people of piety and the people of God-consciousness.

Then the Almighty explained the reason why immediate punishment was not sent down upon those who disbelieved and rejected Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him), saying: {وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَبِّكَ لَكَانَ لِزَامًا وَأَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى} (And were it not for a word that preceded from your Lord, it would have been an obligation, and a specified term).

There is a transposition here. The intended meaning is: "And were it not for a word that preceded from your Lord and a specified term, it would have been an obligation." There is no doubt that the "word" is Allāh’s informing His angels and His Books in the Preserved Tablet that His nation (peace be upon him) will be deferred, even if they deny him, and they will not be subjected to the immediate annihilation that befalls others.

They differed regarding the reason why this was not done to the nation of Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him):

1. Some said: Because He knew that among them there would be those who would believe.
2. Others said: He knew that among their descendants there would be those who would believe, and if the punishment were sent down, it would encompass them all.
3. Others said: The underlying benefit is hidden, known only to Him.
4. The People of the Sunnah said: As the Owner, He has the right to single out whomever He wills with His grace and whomever He wills with His punishment, without any inherent cause (‘illah). For if His action were due to a cause, and that cause were eternal, the action would have to be eternal. If the cause were contingent (ḥādith), it would require another cause, leading to an infinite regress. Therefore, the verifiers said: Everything He does is not for a cause.

As for the specified term (ajal musammā), there are two opinions:

1. The specified term for that punishment in this world is the Day of Badr.
2. The specified term for that punishment is in the Hereafter, which is nearer. In this case, the meaning of {وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ} would include the deferral of punishment until the Hereafter, like His saying: {بَلِ السَّاعَةُ مَوْعِدُهُمْ} (Rather, the Hour is their appointed time) (Al-Qamar: 46). If this were not the case, the punishment would be incumbent upon them for what they proceed to do by denying the Messenger and harming him.

Then, after informing His Prophet that He would not destroy anyone before their appointed term is fulfilled, He commanded him to be patient with what they say. There is no doubt that what is meant is patience regarding what he dislikes of their speech. This could be their saying that he is a sorcerer, mad, or a poet, and so on. It could also mean their denial of his claim to prophethood. It could also mean their refusal to accept him, as all these things grieve and hurt him. Thus, the Almighty encouraged him toward patience and urged him to persist in calling people to Allāh and delivering the message entrusted to him, and that what they do should not divert him from that.

Then Al-Kalbī and Muqātil said: This verse is abrogated by the verse of fighting.

Then He said: {وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ} (And exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord). This is similar to His saying: {وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ} (And seek help through patience and prayer) (Al-Baqarah: 45). In this, there are several issues:

The first view is the strongest and most appropriate through consideration. This is all if we interpret tasbīḥ as Prayer. Abū Muslim said: It is not unlikely that it refers to purification and glorification (exalting Allāh). The meaning is: occupy yourself with glorifying Allāh during these times. This view is closer to the apparent meaning and what was previously mentioned, because the Almighty first commanded him to be patient with what they said—their denial and their display of polytheism and disbelief. What is fitting in response is to command him to glorify the Almighty beyond their speech, so that he is constantly displaying and calling to that. Therefore, He mentioned what encompasses all times.

As for His saying: {لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى} (so that you may be pleased), there are several interpretations:

1. This is like a great king saying: "O so-and-so, engage in service, perhaps you will benefit," meaning: I will elevate you to a high degree of blessing. This points to His saying: {وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى} (And your Lord is surely going to give you, and you will be pleased) (Ad-Ḍuḥā: 5) and {عَسَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَحْمُودًا} (Perhaps your Lord will raise you to a praiseworthy station).
2. Perhaps you will be pleased with the reward you attain.
3. Perhaps you will be pleased with the intercession you attain.

Al-Kisā’ī and ‘Āṣim recited it as {لَعَلَّكَ تُرْضَى} (so that you may be made pleased) with a ḍammah on the tā’. The meaning does not differ, because if Allāh pleases him, He has made him pleased, and if He makes him pleased, He has pleased him.

{وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى * وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى * وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا يُؤْتَى بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَى * وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَذِلَّ وَنُخْزَى * قُلْ كُلٌّ مُتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِيِّ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى}

{وَلَا تَمُدَّنَّ عَيْنَيْكَ} (And do not extend your gaze) [Commanding patience and detachment from worldly allurements].

{إِلَى مَا مَتَّعْنَا بِهِ أَزْوَاجًا مِنْهُمْ زَهْرَةَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا لِنَفْتِنَهُمْ فِيهِ} (toward what We have given enjoyment to some of them—a splendor of the worldly life—that We may test them therein).

{وَرِزْقُ رَبِّكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى} (But the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring).

{وَأْمُرْ أَهْلَكَ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَاصْطَبِرْ عَلَيْهَا} (And enjoin your family to establish prayer, and be patient with it).

{لَا نَسْأَلُكَ رِزْقًا نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكَ} (We do not ask you for provision; it is We who provide for you).

{وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلتَّقْوَى} (And the [best] end is for the righteous).

{وَقَالُوا لَوْلَا يُؤْتَى بِآيَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّهِ} (And they say, "Why is a sign not brought to him from his Lord?").

{أَوَلَمْ تَأْتِهِمْ بَيِّنَةُ مَا فِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَى} (Has there not come to them the clear evidence of what was in the former scriptures?).

{وَلَوْ أَنَّا أَهْلَكْنَاهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لَوْلَا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيْنَا رَسُولًا فَنَتَّبِعَ آيَاتِكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَذِلَّ وَنُخْزَى} (And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before it, they would have said, "Our Lord, if only You had sent to us a messenger so we could follow Your verses before we were humiliated and disgraced.").

{قُلْ كُلٌّ مُتَرَبِّصٌ فَتَرَبَّصُوا فَسَتَعْلَمُونَ مَنْ أَصْحَابُ الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِيِّ وَمَنِ اهْتَدَى} (Say, "Each [of us] is waiting; so wait. For you will know who are the companions of the sound path and who is guided.").